Unexpected Love (Unexpected Series) (11 page)

    
I spend a few hours cutting the flowers down to size and then placing them in the vases. Once I am satisfied with my work. I decide to make something for dinner. I throw in a frozen pizza, turn on the TV to CMT, and start to unpack some more boxes.  The pizza only takes twenty minutes to cook so I don’t get very far with unpacking, but I am going to take my mom’s advice and take it slow.

    
Um, I love pepperoni pizza especially when it is DiGiorno. The garlic crust smells so good. I find the pizza cutter in one of the bags of supplies I bought yesterday. I cut the pizza, stand at the bar, and eat it. The cheese is melted and the crust is perfectly crispy. Um-um, I am famished, I skipped lunch again today. Just with the entire job-hunting, it had totally slipped my mind.

    
After my dinner, I try out my new spa bathtub. I pour some lavender bath soap in it and climb in the steaming hot water. Oh, this feels divine with my sore legs from walking the strip today. I lie there going over ideas of what to do with the store. I think I am going to make several little reading areas. One for the adults with a few comfy chairs and then in another corner a spot for the kids, I could get some beanbags and a few talking books for the kids.

    
Elated about the new job I climb into bed and call home. Dad answers, “Hello.”

    
I squeak, “Hi Daddy!”

    
I hear as dad yells to mom to pick up the other receiver. Then I hear her shout into the phone, “Hi baby, how’s it going?”

    
In a casual tone I answer, “Everything is going wonderfully, I got a job today at a small book store. I get to help the woman fix it up. It is a charming little place, but it’s very dark and uninviting right now. I just spent most of the night buying things and making some flower arrangements to put out. I can’t wait to go in tomorrow and start decorating it.”

    
“That’s great baby, it sounds like it’s the perfect place for you to start,” mom encourages.

    
Dad interrupts, “I agree baby and it sounds like things are coming along for you.”

   
“They are and I am eager to work. I just wanted to give you an update and hear your voice. I need to get to bed, it is getting kind of late and I have to be up early to start my new job. I love you guys.”

    
They both yell into the phone, “We love you too, bye!”

    
Turning off the bedside lamp, I curl up in my blankets and fall fast asleep. Those striking eyes come into view; I feel an instant ping in my stomach. I want this beautifully sculpted man. I lick my lips in anticipation as he tugs me into his immense arms. I caress his jaw sliding my lips over the prickly skin. He lets out a throaty moan, and it makes me eager for more. I run my finger down his bare chest, he stiffens from my touch. I become aware of his breath tickling my neck, my pulse quickens and I glide my lips down his torso and just as I am about to unbutton his pants, I awake to this loud music. I throw the pillow over my head in an attempt to fall back to sleep and finish my erotic dream.

    
I smash my pillow into my head trying like hell to block out this loud ass music. I swear, tossing my pillow to the other side of the bed, I grab my pink fuzzy slippers and my robe.  Stomping my way to the front door I open it and yell, “What the hell?” I see people all hanging out in the courtyard and they are drinking and having a good ole time. The music seems to be coming from several apartments. What the hell, did I move into party central?  As I descend the steps, I see the guy that helped me earlier. I call out to him, but he doesn’t seem to hear me. I clench my robe to me, walk up behind him, and tap him on the shoulder, somewhat hard, I might add.

   
“Hey, what the hell is going on?”

   
He turns around startled, “Oh, we are throwing a summer party, sorry if we’re bothering you.”

   
Putting my hands on my hips, “Well, can you call it a night soon? It’s two a.m. and I have to start a new job in the morning.”

    
He tosses his beer back, “Yea sure, I will take care of it.”

    
“Thank you, Tim right?”

    
“Yea, it’s Tim, I’m sorry again, but so you know next time we throw parties on Friday and Saturday nights and you are always welcome to join us. That is if you are not too busy getting your beauty sleep.”

    
“Thanks, maybe next time. Good night.”

    
As I walk away, I hear the music turn off in his apartment and he tells everyone he is calling it a night. Everyone else seems to agree it’s about forty five minutes later when everything completely dies down. Man, I know college is supposed to be the party time of my life, but I have never been a party girl.

    
Living in this atmosphere is going to get on my nerves. I am more of a quiet girl; I pretty much just keep to myself. I like to read my books and a good romance movie. All throughout high school I stayed away from the party crowd, now I am living in the center of it. This is going to suck.

    
I wake up exhausted and cranky and I have to start my new job on very little sleep. It took forever for me to fall back asleep after being woken up. You know how if you take a catnap and then try to sleep a few hours later you can’t because you are wide awake. Yep, that is exactly what happened. I couldn’t turn my head off. I just laid there and thought about anything and everything, one thought led to another and then it was four in the morning. I did eventually fall back to sleep sometime after that, but I couldn’t tell you when.

    
I shower quickly and load the new purchases for the bookstore into my car. I hope Mrs. Jones likes them; I had so much fun last night making the décor.

    
I get to the bookstore and wait for Mrs. Jones to arrive. She gets there about five minutes before eight. I watch as she unsteadily gets out of her car and fumbles for the store key. I am quick to get out of my car and meet her at the door. “Good morning Mrs. Jones.”

    
“Good morning dear,” as she points out where the light switch is for me to turn on. I flip the switch and follow her to her office; she pulls out a pouch full of money. She hands it to me and says, “Please follow me.”

     
I reply, “Yes ma’am.” She shows me how to turn on the register as well as how to open it.

    
She instructs, “Now dear, count out the money and place it in the correct spots.”

    
I quickly count and organize the money as she watches me.

    
“Very good, now once you have done those things you have to come over here and unlock the door.”

    
I follow her to the door and watch as she unlocks it and unlatches a lock at the top. She turns over the sign on the door that reads open.

    
“I think I’ve got it, that’s not too bad.”

  
  She smiles, “Now let me see what you have bought.”

    
I excitedly go to the car and grab the lamps, flowers and pillows, it takes me a few trips, but I get them all in. I point to where I want to place everything.  She nods her head in agreement.

    
“That sounds lovely dear. I will be in my office, working on the bills. Please call me when a customer comes in and I will show you how to operate the register. Until then you can decorate and reorganize.”

    
“That sounds great, I will.”

    
I move things around and open the place up a bit. I find some dusty old chairs in the stock room. I bring them out and place them in the corner area. I put a small table with the new lamp I bought on it. I toss the new pillows on the chairs and then move some bookshelves to the sides. I created a very inviting space. It gives off a very calming effect. In the other corner, I position the large floor vase to bring in some color. At the cash register, I place another small lamp on one end and then the small vase next to the register. It’s starting to shape up in here.

    
I find some cleaning supplies in the bathroom area in the back.  Grabbing the duster, I start to dust the shelves and books. It isn’t long before I am sneezing. 

    
A few hours later, I get my first customer. As soon as she walked through the door, I welcome her.

    
“Welcome to ‘A Page Away!’  Can I help you find something?”

    
“No, I am just looking.”

    
“Ok, if you need me, please let me know.”

    
She nods. I walk around pulling books from various shelves. The place is so disorganized. I have decided to put all the new adult books on the shelves next to the chairs. I have to move from one shelf to the next pulling all of those book off the shelf as I come to them. Then I have to walk back to the shelves by the chairs and place them. The good thing is that they are already in alphabetical order. As I lean down to place the books on the shelf I hear, “Excuse me, I am ready to check out.”

    
“Ok, Can you give me just a moment and I will meet you at the register.” Placing the books on the floor, I hurry back to Mrs. Jones and tell her we have a customer.

    
“Hello, I am Mrs. Jones the store owner and this is Arissa. She just started this morning and am about to show her how to operate the cash register. So if you can just bear with me for a minute I would appreciate you patience.”

    
The client agrees. I watch as she flips the book over and types 2.99. Then she types in the .7% configuring the sales tax. I watch her patiently, but this is all so elementary. I know how to work a calculator. I think this woman is stuck in the Stone Age. The customer seems to agree with me, because we share a look like really this is ridiculous.

    
I bag up the woman’s purchase and then bid her goodbye. Mrs. Jones disappears back into her office for the rest of the day. We had a few more customers today, but honestly, the stores sales are way down. She may not be able to stay open and keep me as an employee. She is in need of some serious marketing.

    
I managed to get all the NA books placed in the nook and started on the children’s section. I decided that I was going to surprise Mrs. Jones in the morning. She showed me how to lock up and gave me a key. I decided to find the nearest mall. It’s about an hour away.

    
I stop off at the ‘Toy’s R’ Us’ to find some very cool bean bags in different shapes and sizes. There is this bright pink and yellow flower and a giant soccer ball. I grab those two and a bright blue one. Then I grab a few small toys for toddlers. Nothing big just some plastic toys, like the multi-color rings you stack and the beads you move around the wires. I pack those items into my tiny car and realize that I didn’t leave much room. I run over to ‘Pier One Imports’ and grab a few more decorating items; some scented candles and a few picture frames that I am going to put book covers in. I spot this big frame on a tripod stand. The frame is silver with tiny flower embellishments, it is very eye catching. I bet I could place that in the display window with some sheer curtains and flowers, with our new release books.  The frame is large enough for a poster. Oh, I love that idea.

    
Getting home late, I shower and get right to sleep. I have to wake early so that I can get to the store and organize all the new stuff. Mrs. Jones is going to be so surprised.

    
Stopping off only to grab coffee and donuts, I get to the store about six thirty in the morning. Mrs. Jones won’t be here till eight. I turn on the lights and get to organizing. In the far corner away from the nook, I set up for adults. I set up one for the children. I square it off so that there is only one way out and that faces towards the adult section so that way the parents can see their children leave. I toss the beanbags in various places and start to grab all the children’s books I can find. I was amazed at all the good finds. I have some great ideas for the kids section. I can’t wait to do them. But for now, I just start loading the shelves with books. I find some read along books with headsets and tapes in the back and man there are classics like ‘Charlotte’s Web’ and ‘Huckleberry Finn’ to name a couple
Oh how I love those books.

    
I finish up with the children’s section and then start to place the various candles and small decorative items I found. It’s about thirty minutes till eight. I rush back to the stock room to find our latest release. It is this fabulous book, called, ‘Hard to Resist’ by Shanora Williams. The cover is quite steamy with a beautiful sage green cover. I poke around the box and then find some promotional items. I see bookmarks, and then a poster. Excitedly I put the poster into the frame and place it in the front display window. I take some fabric that I picked up and place it on a table. I organize some books and candles on top of it. I will have to hang the curtains later. I rush to the back and grab the money and count it quickly, and place it in the register.

    
At exactly five minutes before eight, I am waiting by the back door for Mrs. Jones to arrive.

    
“Good Morning Mrs. Jones, I would like you to make sure I have done everything correctly.”

    
“Good Morning Arissa, sure I would be happy to, just let me put my bags down.”

     
I wait by the register, I watch as she walks through the door and her eyes light up, when she sees what I have done. She walks slowly around the store. Touching the various things I have placed. When she sees the kids’ section, she just laughs a little.

    
“I have had one of these areas before, but kids stopped coming, so I took it down.”

     
I smile, “Well I have a plan for that too.”

    
She looks stunned by what I have just said.

    
I open the door to the outside and walk her to the front of the store so she can peer through the display window.  When she gets close enough I hear her suck in a breath. She puts her hand to her mouth and says, “That is so lovely.”

    
“I have some curtains and I found some other items in the back that I want to place in there, but there wasn’t enough time before you arrived.  I wanted to surprise you.”

    
“Well you certainly surprised me. I think that it looks so much better.”

    
“That is good because I have a ton of ideas to run past you. I would like to paint some of the walls and I have an idea about promoting the store, as well as some great ideas for the kids.”

    
She ushers me back into the store and we take a seat in the nook. I am surprised by what she says first, “How much do I owe you; I know you have spent well over the hundred dollars I gave you.”

    
“You don’t owe me a thing. I wanted to do it and I have it to spare. I love books and I want to bring that love to anyone that shares the same joy.  I want this store to be a place where people can come and bring their children and they can get lost in a book and not have to worry about their children because they are experiencing a book in a completely new light. I want the books to come alive for these kids. I found the tape players and headsets so that the kids can read along and listen to a classic story. I would like to make a few tapes of my favorite books. So that they can experience that just as I have. I want to bring this place back to life.”

    
I watch as tears start to fall from her eyes, “I want that too dear. It has been so long since anyone has really bought much of anything. I might get a client or two and they may or may not buy a book.”

    
“Well when I am done, they won’t buy one book, they will buy several books.”

    
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she grabs my hand and says, “Thank God for you darling.”

    
“You are welcome. I have some other things I want to pick up, do you mind if I go out for a bit?” Shaking her head towards me, I run by the house and grab my laptop and printer. Toss it in the front and stop by the paint store. I grab the blue that matches the décor and then some white. I am going to paint all the walls blue with white trim. I am going to place silver things around the room to lighten it up.