First Edition Romance

Chapter 3

Ainslon O’Neil tapped the ink pen in her right hand, in a one, two, one, two beat on the top of the counter as her eyes scanned the list of new inventory that they’d received the previous day. With a stroke of luck, she’d acquired two boxes of books from a private collector when he decided to downsize his collection.

Her passion was finding and saving vintage children’s books. Justin Bishop, her business partner and best friend, preferred to stock their comic section of their bookstore. Turn the Page had exceeded both of their expectations when they’d decided to go into business together. Though frightening and scary, they managed to pull off the transition from an online business to an actual storefront with ease.

They held themed evenings for children’s story night and game nights where they provided snacks and drinks to all participants twice a month. In the first nine months of business, their in-store sales far exceeded their online presence, proving they’d made the right decision in expanding their business. Though at times trying, they would do whatever necessary to make sure their store stayed a success.

The large open space consisted of several dividers throughout the layout. A quarter of the store stocked their children’s books. Another quarter housed the comics and action figures. The other two quarters were divided into the office area, a temperature-controlled room for the vintage books, and a room for book readings and game nights.

When they bought the building, they didn’t know whether they would be able to fill it. Now, they were almost ready to find a bigger space.

A child’s laughter drew Ainslon out of her haze. She glanced up from her worksheet and scanned the space where a small group of kids and parents milled about. A quick scan at the screen in front of her showed a few teenagers in the comic section. Sarah, their only full-time employee, currently manned that section. If the business kept at its current rate of growth, they would need to add someone part time.

She eyed the clock. It read eleven-forty-five. Justin should have gotten back already with their lunch. She wanted sandwiches, but he had insisted on tacos from a food truck, Taco Heaven, that always parked a few blocks from their store. Before going back to her worksheet, she reached for the blue and white cardigan by the cash register and slipped it on. Older buildings always seemed to have a draft, including this one. Now, she wished they hadn’t spent all that money to insulate the space, considering it didn’t help.

At the bell alerting her someone had entered, she looked up, grateful when Justin walked in. She slipped the pen behind her ear and joined him at the small table behind the counter after he mentioned to Sarah her lunch would be in the breakroom. “Took long enough.”

He handed her a taco and a small cup of cinnamon donuts. “I know, right, but so worth it.” He took a large bite of his burrito. Though patchy in spots, the beard he’d decided to grow the previous month to appear older looked good.

The rich aroma of spices that wafted out of the taco engulfed her when she unwrapped it. Thin slices of beef nestled in a flour tortilla, layered with pico de gallo, avocado, and a sauce she never could identify.

She lifted the taco to her mouth when the bell alerted them a customer had entered. Justin pushed back from his chair to stand, but she waved him off. “Eat. I’ve got this.” He grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

She stood, straightened her cardigan, and eyed the woman as she browsed the section of pop-up books along the far wall. Even from the distance between them, the woman’s height and wealth were evident.

The light blue button-down and tailored grey trousers fit the woman’s trim figure to perfection. The red heels were a definite turn on. It was a far cry from Ainslon’s ten-year-old jeans and black t-shirt she had thrown on that morning. Not exactly designer, but comfortable. Compared to the woman, she felt more like a teenager. In awe, she eyed the woman’s dark brown, curly hair hanging just above her shoulders. Ainslon could see herself running her fingers through those curls. As curly and wild as the woman’s hair looked, it probably took a load of time to complete. Whoever could pull off a move like that, so effortlessly, deserved her admiration.

Ainslon sucked in a breath when the woman turned around and walked up to the counter. Deep brown eyes combined with perfectly shaped brows, and full lips only added to the overall picture. The brown curls framed the woman’s face perfectly. Ainslon figured she was in her early to mid-forties. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest when the woman smiled. For goodness sake, Ainslon, you are a businesswoman, and it isn’t the first time you have seen a beautiful woman. Get it together. The woman looked vaguely familiar, but Ainslon couldn’t place her. She put on her best smile. After all, this was a customer. “Can I help you with something today?” Ainslon bit her lip when the woman placed a well-manicured hand on the counter. Her nails were short and painted a deep red. The same color as her heels.

“You can. I am looking for a first edition copy of Mary Poppins.” She flicked her fingers. “I could look for one, but don’t have the time and I would rather put it in the hands of someone far more capable than I am in such matters. You came highly recommended by a friend.”

Ainslon nodded and just stopped herself from asking for the friend’s name. “All right.” She picked up her iPad but knew she didn’t have a copy in inventory. At least not a first edition. She clicked on several Excel documents to confirm what she already knew. Her heart thudded in her chest, but she kept her eyes on the tablet even as the woman’s perfume drifted her way. Good grief! At thirty-four, she shouldn’t be feeling this out of sorts, not with a first meeting. She turned to address her customer. The woman’s gaze swept over her and set Ainslon’s heart racing even more loudly than before. “I don’t have a first edition in inventory, but I do have another copy that will give you an idea of condition.”

“Wonderful.”

Ainslon stepped away from the counter, glad for the slight reprieve, and walked to a door just to the left of the main floor. The compact room had cost a small fortune to set up, but to preserve the vintage books the room needed to stay temperature controlled at sixty-five degrees. She entered the four-digit code on the lock pad on the door, entered, and quickly located the plastic bin that contained the book she needed. After exiting the room, with book in hand, and shutting the door, she walked back to the counter and placed the book in front of the woman. “As you can see, this is a nice copy. Crisp, clean pages and the spine is tight. I was fortunate to acquire this one.”

“May I look it over?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

The woman picked it up and examined the entire book before placing it back on the counter. “This is exactly what I want, only in a first edition. Mary Poppins is my nephew’s favorite movie and I wanted to get him something special for his eighth birthday.”

“I can check with my resources and try to find a first edition for you. Would you like to start the process?”

The woman regarded her evenly. “You’re not the only vintage bookstore in the area.” A smile quirked up her lips. “Even though my friend recommended you, what do you have to offer me?”

The question seemed innocent but Ainslon’s mind couldn’t help but conjure up all kinds of naughty scenarios. When the woman smirked, Ainslon leaned forward and rested her hands on top of the counter. Get it together. This was a business transaction. “We are the largest comic book and children’s store in the area but finding and selling vintage and rare children’s books and comics is a passion of mine and I, along with my business partner, Justin, have made a business out of it. I can assure you, I am good at what I do, and I have never turned down a challenge.” While the woman did hold her attention, the idea of embarking on this challenge intrigued her. “You won’t be disappointed.”

While seeming to make up her mind, the woman hummed quietly. “How much will the book cost me?”

“Depending upon the condition,” she clasped her hands together on top of the counter, “probably around three thousand…maybe a little more.” It was a lot of money for a gift for an eight-year-old, but Ainslon couldn’t afford to turn down this woman’s business.

For a few moments, the woman studied her. “How do we start the process?”

Ainslon grabbed the clipboard off the corner of the counter with the fill out sheets and pulled the pen from behind her ear. She would input the information into her digital files at the end of business. “Name?”

“Lauren Millán.”

Ainslon masked her surprise as she wrote the name down. Lauren Millán owned C and C, one of the most popular businesses in the city. The store carried thousands of different types of candy and gourmet chocolates. On top of that, C and C made the list of Garriety’s top ten businesses of the year for the past ten.

Not only was Lauren Millán one of the most eligible lesbians in the city, but she had also been named one of the top five most influential women of color in Garriety the previous year. No wonder she looked familiar. The pictures in the papers didn’t do the woman’s beauty justice. She wrote the name of the book next, then looked up. “Phone number?”

“If you hand me your clipboard, I’ll write it down for you.”

Ainslon slid the clipboard toward her and waited while she filled out the rest of the information. She did a double take at the date; the eighteenth of August. That was under three months away and a month before the annual Garriety food festival where Turn the Page would present the children’s story hour.

When she gave her presentation speech to be considered for this year’s festival, she’d included a copy of an LBGTQ book, because she felt, as a lesbian, it was important to include one. Thankfully, no one had objected to her choices. She knew Garriety was an inclusive city; however, there were a few conservatives on the board this year, but they hadn’t objected either. Teresa Thatcher ran the food festival board and tried to recruit her to sit on the board as an ambassador for Ireland, but Ainslon had vetoed that idea. Mrs. Thatcher still bugged her from time to time, but Ainslon held steady on her choice.

“Is this date firm?” Ainslon asked.

“It is. Is that going to be a problem?” Lauren glanced at her watch.

Ainslon had to tear her eyes away from the vision in front of her and look at the clipboard instead. “I’m not sure. Most of the time, circumstances are out of my control. I normally like a little more time than this, but if you’re willing, I will do everything within my power to find your book.”

“I’m willing.” Lauren sounded and looked a bit flirty to Ainslon. Then she offered her hand and Ainslon gripped it with a firm handshake. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

Ainslon held on a tad longer than necessary before releasing her hand. “The pleasure was all mine.” Smooth, Ainslon. Smooth.

Lauren tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “Good luck in your search. I have a feeling you won’t let me down.” She winked and walked out the door with, Ainslon was sure, an extra swing to her hips.

Ainslon groaned and thumped her forehead against the countertop. Holy hell. Lauren was hot. Really, really hot. So hot her hand still burnt from her touch. She shook out her hands. Get it together, Ainslon.

“Ainslon,” Justin whispered in her ear. Ainslon sprung up from the counter, eyes wide, as he pulled her into his side. “What was that about?” He grinned as she pulled away and sat at the table behind the counter. He followed and took a seat across from her, crossing his arms. “You seem flustered.”

She glowered at him, took a bite of her taco, then wiped her mouth. “Shut up.” She laughed. “Did you see her?” She fanned her face. “Good grief. To top things off, she wants me to find a first edition Mary Poppins for her.”

Justin’s eyes widened. “Wow. That’s spending some serious cash.” He stood and patted her on the head. “Just remember,” he pointed at her, then at the door, “the quicker you find that book, the sooner you can see her again.” He whistled all the way to the counter where a customer waited to check out.

Ainslon ate the last of her food, grabbed her iPad, and settled down at one of the small couches scattered throughout the layout to start her search. Justin was right. The quicker she found the book, the sooner she could see Lauren again. She’d never failed a mission and she didn’t intend to start now.