The Book Worm Turns 📕 (Closed)

Young Danielle Ashley stepped out from the rain that was lashing down the sidewalk all around her. She stepped into the doorway and looked up the street. Adjusting her eyes she saw the Dominion Book store across the street. She waited for the bus to pull off and as the taxi sped past on the other side she set off. She hurried and felt the rai splash at her heels. She sold in the door way of the pastrie shop next door and wrung out her umbrella. She checked her appearance in the window and went next door, a look of determination on her face as she pulled the door and stepped inside.

The warmth hit her like a wall. She took her glasses off as they instantly steamed up. She looked around and stepped forward. She loosened her thick tweed coat around her throat and unfurled the delicate but warm feeling scarf and stepped forward. She looked all around her before walking over to the counter.

As she did so she failed to notice the proprietor on the ladders at the far side of a dimly lit area as he placed a few new items of stock in their relevant sections.

Danielle rang the bell on the counter, then proceeded to gracefully pull off one of her gloves. Pulling it by her fingertips she looked around and adjusted the small bag she had over her shoulder. Despite the thick coat, the hat and scarf now hanging loosely around her shoulders one couldn't fail to discern a slender, willowy frame. Her pale skin almost as white as bone sarge light played across her deviate hands and her slender, pale face, the watery blue eyes darting around.

The proprietor stepped down from his ladder and called out "Hello."

Danielle turned around to look in the direction of the sound. She saw the figure in the passage waking down with a few heavy looking books.

"Hello, I'm Danielle Ashley... I came about the position... For an assistant." She said, her voice cracked with the fatigue from the bus journey and the rain.

She fished her hand into her bag pulling out the paper with the advert highlighted in pen. She held it up. "I'm a student locally and I'd love to work in a book store." She elaborated.

The proprietor of Dominion Books looked out the window at the deluge beyond, wondering if it would ever cease pouring. Unseasonably chilling too for spring, but the heat and humidity would descend, so best to enjoy this now.

But still, Colin Dominion thought, does it have to flood us out?
Truthfully, he wasn't worried. In 40 years, since his beloved father opened this place, and Colin taking over after he passed several years ago, nothing like flooding had happened. The book shop had insurance, of course, but torrential water and paper didn't mix well. But the street Dominion Books was located on wasn't flood-prone, and actually slightly elevated, near the top of a slight rise.

Lately, though, Colin had been itching to get back to his real work, his writing. Which was why he'd been actively seeking an apprentice. That way, he didn't have to spend most of his days here, when could be home working more on his second novel. The first one, SHADOW LUST, garnered decent reviews and his publisher wanted to put the second book, a follow-up, out within a year. So far, though, he'd only written barely a third and his deadline would be here too soon.
Unfortunately most of the applicants were students from the nearby college, many of whom hadn't impressed him. Some even kind of scared him, with the thought of leaving them in charge of the place for several hours during the day. It wasn't rocket science, being a bookstore clerk, but having a fair knowledge of books was nice, and not reeking of booze and pot was not what he was looking for.

Colin moved the rolling ladder to grab some extra books for the front window, when the front door opened, bell tinkling, and the drenched figure entered.

"Hello," he said. "May I help you?"

The young woman smiled, and when she shook off her coat, Colin felt his mouth go dry, heart thump hard in his chest.

Oh my, he thought. Please say you're interested in the job position here.