Note: First of all I would like to thank you for reading. I haven't written anything in years, so I feel a little rusty. Thank you for those who have reviewed, favourited, or opted to follow the story, it has encouraged me to continue..
Book Ends
Chapter 3 – Of all the book shops in all the towns in all the world...
"It's just no use!" she screamed, exasperated, "No fucking use!"
Piper balled up the closest item of clothing and threw it against the wall. "I can't find anything!"
"Calm down.." His voice had an air of amusement.
She turned to the doorway where her boyfriend stood, "we will find it.." he stepped over one of the boxes, "what are we looking for?"
She rolled her eyes at him, "my top, the pastel blue one, with the faint floral pattern.." she tried to describe it, but knew that unless it was lace, Larry probably wouldn't have a clue. As expected, his expression remained vacant. He looked down at the cardboard boxes, "don't you remember which box you packed it in?"
Piper had to refrain from picking up one of the boxes and throwing it at her boyfriend, "don't you think," she spoke slowly, "that if I knew which box it would be in, I'd have found it by now?"
Larry nodded and moved to the nearest box, he turned it around and then looked up, "didn't you label the boxes?"
"No Larry, I did not Label the fucking boxes!"
"You probably should-
"Well I fucking didn't!" She threw a pair of socks at him, "how is this helping me Larry?!"
He shrugged, "I just think that if you had.." He was cut off by another pair of socks, this time stuffed into his mouth.
Piper turned the boxes upside down and began to frantically rummage through the piles of clothes, "the interview is in two hours, Larry.."
"You're going to be fiiiiine," he smiled at her, folding the socks and setting them aside, "no worries, you're gonna walk it."
Larry turned over another box and started searching though it, he came across something pale blue and floral, as he passed it to Piper, unable to contain his smug smile. "Is this it?"
Piper held her lips tightly, "yes," she snatched it from him.
"I'd better go," he said, wrapping his arms around her, "I have a collaboration meeting.."
Piper nodded, Larry hadn't stopped talking about his new job since he started it two weeks ago. Collaboration meeting this, Scripting that, Pilot episode blah blah blah. Having moved to place where they knew nobody apart from each other, Piper found herself dutifully forced to take the full brunt of Larry's recent obnoxious behaviour. She was happy for her boyfriend and his current success, even happier that it had meant they could move away from their families and start a new life in California. She much preferred the warmer climate. But she was looking forward to finding work, if only to get a break from this imperious version of her boyfriend.
"Tonight," he glanced around the room, "we will finish unpacking."
"Tonight we will finish unpacking" Piper mocked at him, not in the mood for his directions.
Larry laughed at her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out of the door, "good luck!"
...
"Tell me, Piper" her interviewer looked from behind thick rimmed glasses, his chestnut hair fell in loose waves around his face, "why is it you want to work here?"
Piper looked around; she was currently sat at a table in a small coffee shop located inside "Book Ends" a large, contemporary (without being overly modern), independent book store. Several answers rushed to her mind – "I love coffee" – "I love to read" – "I love to drink coffee while I read.."
"Well," she began, hoping for a more articulate answer, "I'm not going to sit here and lie to you, Mr Adams, I've never worked in a coffee shop before, never worked in a book store before either.."
Where are you going with this, Piper?
"I can't say it's been my lifelong ambition to serve coffee in a bookstore, but then, I've never really found my life's ambition, and this seems as good a place as any.."
Did you really just say that?
Her interviewer tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear, he stared at piper quizzically, "I appreciate your honesty Miss Chapman," he half smiled, "could you please tell me how you would be an asset here at Book Ends?"
The man seemed uncomfortable asking the questions listed before him, as though the words were unnatural to him. Piper noted that he didn't look like typical manager, aside from his buttoned up black shirt, he had a very casual appearance, and a stretcher in one ear. Piper half imagined him wearing an oversized cable knit jumper while playing the guitar.
He scratched the reddish stubble on his chin, awaiting her answer.
"Yes, well.. as we have discussed, I am very honest.. I have excellent customer service skills, I have experience with building great relationships with customers, I have a positive, professional attitude.."
The man held up his hand.
"Look, you've been honest with me, so let me be honest with you.."
Piper swallowed, she hated awkward situations, yet frequently found herself in them.
"I'm tired of these BS interviews, I ask standard interview questions... googled the night before" he admitted with a kind smile, "and everyone says exactly what they need to say.. rehearsed, mundane fake as anything answers, when in the end I just pick whoever I like the most on the day, today it's you."
Piper blinked.
"Sorry?"
"You got it," he shuffled his paperwork, and took a pen from his pocket, "You got the job, Miss Chapman.. Congratulations."
Letting out a high pitched squeak of Joy, Piper jumped up from her chair.
"Thank you Mr Adams," she said, reaching to shake his hand. He gave her an amused smile and outstretched his hand, "please, call me Rick.." he passed her the paperwork and a pen, "if you could just sign here, I will have everything organised for you to start on Monday, is this ok?"
Piper nodded and signed the paperwork.
"Allow me to introduce you to some of the team.." He made his way to the counter, where the staff were busy making coffee and serving cake, "this is Lauren and Rachel," one of the girls had short cropped hair, the other had shoulder length red hair, they both flashed her a smile, "and this is Nikki."
The girl named Nikki turned to face her, froth from her coffee giving her a foam moustache. Her untameable hair was tied back, but it still looked health hazard. Rick handed her a napkin.
"Sorry, coffee is all that's keeping me awake today.. Had a late collection at the airport" she yawned and took the napkin to her lip.
Rick nodded, "well there's plenty of it, just try not to drink our profits." He walked behind the bar and began making himself a coffee, "Guys, this is Piper; she will be starting with us on Monday."
"Newbie!" Nikki exclaimed, taking the napkin to her lip, "welcome to the team, leave her with me, Ricky," she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Rick smiled, "I'll just go scan your paperwork, I promise, she seems wild but she doesn't bite."
Nikki leaned in close to Piper, "not hard, anyway.."
Piper watched her new boss disappear through a staff door, and then turned to her new colleagues trying to think of something to say which wouldn't make her look like a complete tool.
"You like Pussy, Piper? Or do you prefer Pipe, as your name suggests?"
"You're gonna scare her off before her first day!" The red-haired girl nudged Nikki hard in the ribs, before offering Piper an apology.
"Sorry!" Nikki threw her hands to the air, she eyed Piper with curiosity "I'm feeling some Sapphic vibes coming off you.."
This earned her another, harder nudge, this time from the short haired blonde. "What?! I'm practically taken!" She said defensively, "I just thought that maybe Alex would be interested.."
Alex.
Her heartbeat quickened slightly at the name. Alex wasn't exactly an uncommon name, but whenever she heard it, whomever the name belonged to, she couldn't prevent the familiar face that came to mind. She had long since deleted any pictures she had of the woman, but that face, she had that face memorised from the moment they'd met. Heart shaped, and framed by jet black hair, searching grey-blue eyes beneath pointed eyebrows, those full rose petal lips, how she missed those lips.. She wondered about her briefly, but knew not to ponder for too long, even just a mere thought of the woman made her heart ache. Whenever the memory of Alex resurfaced, she was forced to face their last memory, forced to recall the look Alex's her face as she walked away. It broke her heart then, almost enough to make her change her mind, but now she just felt guilt and regret, and then as she thought of Larry, she felt guilty all over again. It was always the same pattern, always the same wave of emotions.
"Earth to chapman!" Nikki's hands were animatedly waving in the air. Piper blinked, forcing Alex and Larry to the back of her mind.
"Ricks waiting for you.."
She said goodbye to her new co-workers while heading in the direction of her new boss. He had an envelope in his hand, which he passed to her. "This is your contract, I've included your hours for the next two weeks, if you have any issues then let me know and we can work something out, the girls are always swapping shifts.."
Piper nodded, "is there a uniform?"
Rick shrugged, "Flat black shoes, pumps are fine, Pressed black shirt or t-shirt, black pants or skirt, nothing too short, we provide the aprons.. I don't think I need to ask you to be hygienic and presentable."
Piper nodded, "got it, Monday then?"
"I will be here to show you the ropes, then you can shadow one of the girls for the rest of the day," he gave her a smile, "don't be too nervous, we're like a family, we all look out for each other, even the bookies.." he motioned his head towards a female member of staff tidying shelves in the book store.
Upon hearing the term "bookie", the woman slipped the hardback onto the top shelf before turning around to face them. The smile she had been wearing dropped in an instant.
Piper blinked. She couldn't believe her eyes. Voice caught in her throat, she could barely whisper the name, "Alex?"
"Piper?" the familiar raspy voice caused her breath to catch.
"Oh great!" Nikki, who was wiping down a nearby table, looked from her best friend to the new girl, "you guys already know each-other?"