Sophie sneezed three times in succession as she popped open the top of what had to be the four millionth box in the storage room, releasing a cloud of dust that could have blotted out the sun.
"God bless you," Matt said for the hundredth time, pulling open a box of his own and trying to suppress a sneeze.
Auntie Barbara truly had a treasure trove in these boxes, just waiting to hit the shelves and be taken home by an eager reader. Old, old books, new books, bestsellers, titles that probably only had ten copies made in its life cycle – they were all socked away in this back room, languishing in cardboard boxes on their last legs.
They both looked up at the sound of the bell on the door, and Sophie stood, dusting off her jeans. "You know what; let's take a break from this for a bit…"
Matt nodded happily and returned to the front of the store, greeting the customer by name. Sophie stood in the stockroom doorway, watching the progress of the customer and hoping to learn something from them in terms of how they walked through the shop.
The customer, an older gentleman who appeared to be in no rush or looking for anything specific, ambled from aisle to aisle, taking each room one at a time. He would stand for long periods, reading covers and flipping through pages. At one point, he stood for what Sophie thought must have been ten minutes, reading the first chapter of a beaten novel with a faded red cover.
Sophie grabbed the duster and decided to head for the upstairs, which thus far had escaped her dusting wrath. She knew it was only her first day, and that this was more of a marathon than a sprint, but she was ever so eager to make the place spick and span and inviting – right now.
Her eyes flicked from cover to cover as she dusted – books on ancient pharaohs and football, a collector's guide to teddy bears and a Regency romance. They were all here, under one roof – and often on the same shelf.
Sophie sneezed again as she returned downstairs and grinned happily at Matt. "Even if I work here every day for the rest of my life, I think I'll be surprised by titles I find on these shelves."
Matt grinned in return. "I feel that way too. As though, no matter how quickly I read, I'll always be behind, always have more to read, will never be caught up. Do you know what I mean?"
Sophie nodded. "I really do. I feel that way too," she paused and looked around. "A part of me wants to just shut the doors, flop down on the floor and tear through about half these books right now."
"Probably wouldn't be great for business," Matt grinned. "Though I sympathize with the notion."
"Listen, Matt, I know I just started," she glanced quickly at her watch, "three hours ago, but I already have a lot of ideas for the shop."
Matt swallowed and nodded slowly, a look of apprehension on his face.
"Auntie Barbara told me you weren't big on change," Sophie continued, noting his assent to that comment, "and I don't want to do anything drastic like knock walls down or paint the outside purple, but I do have some ideas that I think might make this better, and I'm going to need your help."
"It's not… it's not that I don't like change, that I'm totally resistant to it, I just… I have a hard time adjusting to it. Especially here, where everything is the same and normal, and I'm used to it," Matt said shyly. "Nothing else seems to stay the same, but this does…"
Sophie cocked her head to the side, her face full of sympathy. "How are your folks, Matt?"
Matt looked down at his hands with a sad smile. "They're alright. Some days are harder than others, but I get by."
Sophie gave him a warm smile in return. "If you ever need anything, if there's anything I can do…"
"I appreciate that," Matt said, nodding.
"In any case, I know that change is hard – it is for me too – but I really have some ideas that might help the bookstore, so if there's anything you'd like to change, something to improve, let me know. We're going to work together on this, no matter how painful," Sophie stopped and sneezed again. "Or dusty."
"Well, there is one thing…" Matt began slowly, so Sophie nodded encouragement. "I'd like a new chair behind the counter, if that's possible. Nothing flashy, just a bit…"
Matt gestured to his perch behind the counter, and Sophie nearly laughed out loud. The chair, and calling it that was being charitable, was wobbly, cracked, and boasted a completely threadbare seat cover that appeared to have no padding at all.
Sophie was reasonably confident that she could find a slight improvement for Matt, she thought with a giggle.
Sophie nodded gravely instead. "Duly noted. I'll do my best to give you a chair that resembles… well, a chair." She stretched her arms high above her head with a slight groan. "I think I'm crashing. Did you say there was a coffee place nearby?"
Matt nodded, his cheeks flushing. "About eleven doors down on this side of the street, you'll see a place called Hay Coffee. It's really… good. The staff…" Matt cleared his throat, "are very nice."
Sophie nodded as she dug around in her messenger bag for a few pounds. "Do you want anything while I'm down there? My treat…"
Matt shook his head no. "No, thanks. I'm fine."
Waving goodbye, Sophie ambled out the front door of Belletristic, the bell dinging her departure. As she ambled through the thin sunshine towards Hay Coffee, her mind was racing a million miles an hour.
Unpack all the boxes in the storeroom, try and sort some of the rooms into vague categories and get the shelves in better order, find a new chair for Matt, think about upgrading the cash register…her mind was swirling with ideas and trying to prioritize where to start first, what would have the biggest impact.
With a murmured good morning to the gentleman who held the door for her, Sophie stepped inside Hay Coffee, inhaling deeply the warm scent of brewing coffee – and the caffeinated wakefulness it held.
"Help you?" A statuesque blonde with the face of a model and the smile of Julia Roberts asked from behind the counter. She was wearing a tattered apron and faded jeans, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, and she still looked like she could hit a red carpet somewhere. "I just made a fresh pot of Brazilian crunch…"
Sophie smiled in return. "That sounds fantastic. Do you sell it in liters?"
The girl behind the counter laughed, turning on her heel to fetch a cup and began filling it to the brim with hot black coffee. "I could just give you the carafe if you like – even knock a few quid off."
Sophie laughed, her hand outstretched to grasp the paper cup proffered by the girl. "I might take you up on that if this doesn't do the trick."
"Long night?" The girl asked with a slightly arched eyebrow. "Three quid, love."
"Jet lag," Sophie replied, handing over three gold coins. "I just got in yesterday, and my body is so not adjusted to whatever time zone this happens to be."
"American," the girl said as a statement, rather than a question. "Visiting for a few days?"
"More than," Sophie said, taking a grateful sip of coffee and practically licking her lips in satisfaction. "I'm running my aunt's bookshop for the next few months. Belletristic? Right up the road?"
The girl nodded her assent. "You're Barbara's niece, then?"
"Sophie Roberts," she replied, holding out her hand to shake the other girl's.
"Katerina Smithson, but you can call me Kat. Everyone else does," Kat replied easily. "Welcome to Hay – I just love your auntie, she's the sweetest lady around. She also likes her coffee in large quantities, so I can see the family resemblance."
Sophie grinned. "She is sweet, though she must be insane to trust her pride and joy to me," she said ruefully. "I have no idea what I've gotten myself into here."
Kat scoffed. "Barbara told me what a whiz kid you are, good at books and working with people. You'll do fine."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I wish I felt that way," Sophie said with a self-deprecating smile. "Do you own the coffee shop? It's a great space," Sophie said, looking around at the bright walls, stacks of magazines and plants hanging from the ceiling and trailing to the floor.
Kat shook her head no. "My parents do, so I'm just slave labor to them, though I really enjoy it. Barista to the Bookish – that's me."
Sophie laughed. "Nice to meet you, Slave."
Kat smiled in return. "Does Matt still work for you? He comes in here almost every day… I'm actually sort of surprised he hasn't been in yet to get his usual. You must be keeping him busy down there."
Sophie nodded. "I am. There's a lot to do – a lot of updating and rearranging and all kinds of good stuff. Matt seems a bit… hesitant, but willing."
"He's a sweet guy. Seems kind of shy, but sweet. I'm sure you'll whip him into shape in no time – if you need to borrow a whip or anything…" Kat joked easily as another customer strode through the door and towards the counter in search of a caffeine rush. "Anyway, tell him hello from me."
"I will," Sophie agreed. "I'll let you go… nice meeting you! Hope we catch up soon," Sophie said with a warm smile for what she hoped would be a new friend.
"Absolutely," Kat agreed, returning the smile. "Nice to meet you as well, Sophie Roberts. Welcome to town."
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