Two

My feet barely hit the cement, and the crisp fall air hits my soul. If anyone tells you Fall isn't the perfect season, they are wrong, and you shouldn't be friends with them. There is no place for negativity. The walk to The Dancing Goat Bookshop is only a few blocks from my house. I was lucky enough to have found the perfect location for the shop. Being in a small town also has its benefits; everything is close no matter where you live.

The downfall of living in a small town. The rumour mill is strong. No one can stay out of anyone's business, and unfortunately, that includes my own business. There will be messages on my phone about the latest affair or who moved into the abandoned house before I lock up the shop—every day.

The town gossiper is our leading lady, Elma. I try my hardest not to open up when she visits daily, but she has a way with words and the next thing you know. Your business is being spread around like a fast-growing STD. The words of Elma are hotter than the morning paper.

I adjust my bag; I might have a problem ordering items to the house that are meant for the shop, but when you're up late at night and find something bookish, you can't help but buy it. The house is filled with books waiting to be brought to the shop. There are only a few more blocks to go, and I guarantee Elma will be waiting for me to unlock the shop with her morning gossip.

The Dancing Goat Bookshop is nestled between a closed record shop and a trendy clothing boutique on Main Street. It's a peaceful location, ideal for relaxing and reading before purchasing. I round the last corner and spot Elma already there, waiting patiently. She glances up, and a warm smile lights up her face.

Here we go.

"Teagan honey, how are you? I've been waiting for what seems to be hours. Is everything alright? "

I fish the keys out of my bag, and as I stick them in the lock, I hear Elma inhale deeply. I swing around in a panic. "What's wrong?"

"Him, honey."

I shift my eyes around the street and roll them. "It's Silas, Elma. He wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Something is off with that man."

"Maybe something is off with your spidey senses. And don't start a rumour just because you don't like him." I finish unlocking the door and hold it open for her. The sooner she's inside, the better it is for everyone.

I take one more glance at Silas, his inky black hair tamed by his baseball hat, and his piercing green eyes stare back at me. Even from across the street, I can see his full lips twitch into a smirk. Silas has been a mystery since he moved to Holden a few months ago, hence why Elma has her panties in a wad over him. He'll come into the shop once Elma leaves but never sticks around long enough to start a conversation.

The bell above the door rings, and I can practically hear Elma squirming. Note to self: get a cat to talk to so I don't turn out like her.

"I swear, Teagan. You are too nice for your own good. One day, it'll get you into trouble. "

"Elma, being nice doesn't mean anything. Have you ever tried it?" I flick on the lights, lighting up the shop.

Her nose crinkles, and she blinks slowly. "Teagan, if I didn't know your mother, I swear you were being rude."

I shrug, making my way to the back office. The other downfall of a small town is that everyone knows everyone.

"Teagan. I have news. Don't you want to hear about it?"

Her heels click along the tiled floor; it's a little after nine, and she's already drained me. I swear she must've been a vampire in her past life because she is sucking the life out of me.

"Elma, I honestly don't have time for your morning gossip. I have a delivery arriving soon, a Mom and Tot program starting in an hour that I desperately need to set up for. I can't chit-chat." I drop my bag onto the office chair, avoiding the mess on my desk for the tenth time this week.

"It won't take long."

Why can't people listen to me when I talk? I try to be forceful, but they still never listen. "Go ahead, Elma," I tell her, evading her eyes.

"Wonderful." She claps her hands.

An hour later!

Elma took over an hour to talk about shit that I didn't care about, and even when the delivery showed up, she followed me, still talking. No matter how much I told her I had stuff to finish, she still never left. Now, I'm scrambling to set the backroom up for the Mom and Tot program. I'm beginning to think there are a lot of downfalls in this town. Me being one of them.

That stupid bell above the door rings as I throw the last cushion on the floor. It's about to get loud in here. I make my way to the front, and a pile of one- to two-year-olds run rampant through the shop as their moms gossip. I have to remind myself it's worth renting the backroom; it helps pay the rent.

"Morning, everyone. I hope you're having a terrific Tuesday. The room is all ready for you."

Holly, the mom in charge of this chaos, steps forward with her daughter. "Thanks again, Teagan. This means a lot to us. The kids love coming here."

I take another look around, books tossed on the ground. I'm sure they do. I laugh nervously. "Yeah, I can tell. I'll see you all in an hour. If you need anything, I'll be out here."

The older kids run screaming toward the room while the moms hold steady to the younger ones who haven't yet discovered their working legs. God have mercy on them when they finally do. I look at the mess the little monsters left me, another thing to add to my busy day.

I'm stacking the last of a fantasy series when the bell goes off again. It's been a steady flow of customers, and I can't seem to get anything done. The gust of wind blows in the smell of decomposing leaves, and I inhale as much as possible. The hairs on my neck stand up, and my hand freezes. I glance over my shoulder and come face to face with a crotch. My cheeks flame up, but I can't seem to look away. His dark-wash jeans don't leave much to the imagination. I watch his hand slowly sink into his pocket, and my mind wonders if he can feel his dick.

He clears his throat, "Teagan?"

I blink, jolting backward into the bookshelf. When I take a look, Silas is gazing down at me. Oh, sweet baby Jesus. I was just checking out his fucking dick. I struggle to stand, slipping on books. I reach out for the shelf but grab Silas' hand instead. His touch sent bolts of electricity throughout my body, a feeling I'd never felt before. I quickly snatch my hand back and shove myself upright.

I dust myself off and avoid glancing at him. "I'm sorry, Silas. How can I help you?"

When he speaks, I damn near melt on the spot. "I was eagerly looking forward to getting my hands on the new fantasy book I had requested." his husky voice is hard to resist.

Fantasy book, what fantasy book? Oh my god, my brain is mush right now. I still avoid him as I turn and walk to the counter. I wiggle the mouse, waking the computer after a few clicks, I'm in the ordering system.

"Can you freshen my memory? Which book was it?"

He chuckles. "It was The Cursed Sorcerer. I do believe it's book two, if that helps."

It doesn't help, not when he keeps staring at me. I try to type the words, but my fingers won't cooperate. And I can't lie and say we have it because he'll want me to show it to him. I will my brain to focus.

"You're in luck. It says it arrived this morning, but I've been so busy that I never noticed it come in. I'm not even sure I stocked it yet, to be completely honest. It's been a nut house here. I'm sure you can hear it." I glance to the backroom and cringe. I'm not looking forward to cleaning it.

Silas pears over his shoulder, and his body shivers. "How many kids are in there?"

"Ten kids plus their moms. If you want to avoid it, every Tuesday is Mom and Tot at 10."

"Noted. Kids give me the creeps," he grumbled.

A snort escapes before I can stop it. I slam my hand over my mouth and blink at Silas; that only encourages him to laugh.

"Shut it. I'll go find your book while you enjoy the sound of the children." I step around the counter for the storage room.

"That isn't funny, Teagan," he calls out.

That's the most I've ever talked to Silas. Something is different with him today; usually, he finds a book, pays, and then leaves. A few words are exchanged, but nothing like this. I've never been able to joke around with him, nor have I embarrassed myself so much.

The stock room is a mess and if Elma had left me alone this morning, all these books would've been put away by now. I might have to break down and hire an extra set of hands. Christmas season will be a nut house around here, and I know I won't be able to keep up.

"Sorry, Silas. It's ridiculous back there. Here is your book. How many more are there in the series?" I ask, stepping out of the storage room, but Silas isn't where I left him. "Silas?"

I scan the shop, but he is nowhere to be seen. I didn't hear the bell ring, so he has to be here somewhere. It's a tiny ass shop, and he sticks out. I make my way to the backroom, peeking in on the group. They have twenty more minutes before the little monsters destroy the shelves again.

"Silas?" I call out near the bathroom.

I've never hunted down a grown-ass man in my shop before, but I must say it's exciting. My heart races when I check every aisle, but I'm stumped when I come up empty-handed. A person doesn't disappear, can they?

Holly opens the backroom door, and chaos explodes. All the moms look tired, and the kids look like they could go on for hours. I try to avert my eyes as books go flying, and the moms apologize, but I keep reminding myself. It helps with the rent.

I drop the book that Silas wanted on the counter and get back to work. If he had wanted it that badly, he would've stuck around.