to.”
Moving to the sink to wash is cup, Wyler said, “Okay. I scheduled her to work in half an hour. I will go ahead upstairs and prepare to open the store, after I clean my cup.”
Larkin extended his hand to take the cup. “I will do it for you. Go ahead and open the shop.”
Wyler gave him the cup and left the apartment. He had rounded the stockroom door when he caught a slight glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye. He immediately gasped as he reached for a handmade baseball bat.
The figure heard the gasp and immediately spoke out, “It’s me.”
Wyler inhaled deeply as his eyes fixed on Jezalyn’s familiar face. Jezalyn had reported for duty before her scheduled time. He guessed she was eager to make a good impression on her first official day on the job. Loosening his grip on his wooden weapon, Wyler said, “I am sorry about that. You startled me for a second. I was not expecting you for a bit. If you ever need to defend yourself, you know where the bat is now. Just grab it.”
“I didn’t mean to startle you, I thought you might need some help this morning,” taking note of where he placed the bat as she responded.
Wyler directed her to shadow him as he dictated the morning procedures for getting the shop ready to open. As they wandered around the shop he nervously thought, Now would be a good time to ask about the memoir, but how. Maybe I will think of something…
Jezalyn disrupted his thoughts, “I returned the book you loaned me the other day.”
Wyler smiled and thought, Yes, she is making this easy for me.
Nervously flicking her nail, she asked, “Um, Wyler. How many books can I borrow at a time?”
Without hesitation he replied, “Two or three. Do you need some more for your report?”
“I was, um, wondering if you had a book on the War of the Roses.”
“The War of the Roses!”
She fidgeted again as she replied, “Yeah, I read something that mentioned it, so I thought it would be interesting to learn a little more about it.”
“Oh! Well, it is time to open. Go get the key out of the cash register and unlock the door. I will go in the back and see what I can find. It might take a minute. Can you man the front desk until I get back?” She nodded, and they strolled toward the register to retrieve the key. Once they reached the counter, she walked over to the register and he walked into the stockroom. He waited for her to start toward the door before he returned to the apartment to consult with Larkin.
Wyler entered the apartment and found Larkin at the kitchen table. “Larkin! I don’t know what to do.”
“I know; I heard her thoughts.”
“What should I do? Give her a history book or go get your memoir?”
Larkin stood up. ”No! Leave the memoir. Here is what we are going to do. You are going to go find a history book that mentions the War of the Roses. Tell her to take it upstairs so that it isn’t lost or damaged. While she is upstairs, I am going to come up to the shop.”
Wyler’s mouth dropped open from shock, “You are going to what!?!”
Putting his hand on Wyler’s shoulder, he repeated himself, “I am going upstairs to the shop.” Then he continued, “You are going to introduce me to her as your particular friend or distant relative. I will be visiting and staying with you for awhile.”
Still astounded at Larkin’s plan, all Wyler could do was nod his head in compliance. Larkin gave him a gesture of dismissal, so he returned to the shop. Wyler promenaded over to a stack of books, pulled out a book about history, and did as Larkin directed. He returned to Jezalyn, handed her the book, and requested that she bring it upstairs for safekeeping. Jezalyn glowed with excitement as she returned to her apartment with the book.
While she was upstairs putting the book away, Larkin snuck upstairs and browsed the antique section. He instructed Wyler to do whatever it took to show her into the antiques where they would conveniently run into each
Moving to the sink to wash is cup, Wyler said, “Okay. I scheduled her to work in half an hour. I will go ahead upstairs and prepare to open the store, after I clean my cup.”
Larkin extended his hand to take the cup. “I will do it for you. Go ahead and open the shop.”
Wyler gave him the cup and left the apartment. He had rounded the stockroom door when he caught a slight glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye. He immediately gasped as he reached for a handmade baseball bat.
The figure heard the gasp and immediately spoke out, “It’s me.”
Wyler inhaled deeply as his eyes fixed on Jezalyn’s familiar face. Jezalyn had reported for duty before her scheduled time. He guessed she was eager to make a good impression on her first official day on the job. Loosening his grip on his wooden weapon, Wyler said, “I am sorry about that. You startled me for a second. I was not expecting you for a bit. If you ever need to defend yourself, you know where the bat is now. Just grab it.”
“I didn’t mean to startle you, I thought you might need some help this morning,” taking note of where he placed the bat as she responded.
Wyler directed her to shadow him as he dictated the morning procedures for getting the shop ready to open. As they wandered around the shop he nervously thought, Now would be a good time to ask about the memoir, but how. Maybe I will think of something…
Jezalyn disrupted his thoughts, “I returned the book you loaned me the other day.”
Wyler smiled and thought, Yes, she is making this easy for me.
Nervously flicking her nail, she asked, “Um, Wyler. How many books can I borrow at a time?”
Without hesitation he replied, “Two or three. Do you need some more for your report?”
“I was, um, wondering if you had a book on the War of the Roses.”
“The War of the Roses!”
She fidgeted again as she replied, “Yeah, I read something that mentioned it, so I thought it would be interesting to learn a little more about it.”
“Oh! Well, it is time to open. Go get the key out of the cash register and unlock the door. I will go in the back and see what I can find. It might take a minute. Can you man the front desk until I get back?” She nodded, and they strolled toward the register to retrieve the key. Once they reached the counter, she walked over to the register and he walked into the stockroom. He waited for her to start toward the door before he returned to the apartment to consult with Larkin.
Wyler entered the apartment and found Larkin at the kitchen table. “Larkin! I don’t know what to do.”
“I know; I heard her thoughts.”
“What should I do? Give her a history book or go get your memoir?”
Larkin stood up. ”No! Leave the memoir. Here is what we are going to do. You are going to go find a history book that mentions the War of the Roses. Tell her to take it upstairs so that it isn’t lost or damaged. While she is upstairs, I am going to come up to the shop.”
Wyler’s mouth dropped open from shock, “You are going to what!?!”
Putting his hand on Wyler’s shoulder, he repeated himself, “I am going upstairs to the shop.” Then he continued, “You are going to introduce me to her as your particular friend or distant relative. I will be visiting and staying with you for awhile.”
Still astounded at Larkin’s plan, all Wyler could do was nod his head in compliance. Larkin gave him a gesture of dismissal, so he returned to the shop. Wyler promenaded over to a stack of books, pulled out a book about history, and did as Larkin directed. He returned to Jezalyn, handed her the book, and requested that she bring it upstairs for safekeeping. Jezalyn glowed with excitement as she returned to her apartment with the book.
While she was upstairs putting the book away, Larkin snuck upstairs and browsed the antique section. He instructed Wyler to do whatever it took to show her into the antiques where they would conveniently run into each
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