Lovers of Yesterday

Chapter 7 • Teaching

I opened the door to the storage room and stepped in, in search of Lynch. She said he was back it, it just boils down to where in here. I weaved around the shelves, finding him crouched over a box in one of the aisles. He looked up when he heard me and I offered a weak smile.

I stepped closer and kneeled over the box next to him, "Did Bridget explain how the books are sorted back here?"

"Briefly, she said she'd send someone back here to help. I'm going to assume you're help," he said, opening the box.

I nodded, "You assume correctly. Were there more boxes that need to be emptied?"

"Yea, I was about to go get the rest," he stood up and left me alone.

While he brought the rest of the boxes, I stacked the books in fives to be moved safely to the shelves. He came back with two more boxes, setting them on the ground gently. He left again so I started moving books to the shelves. There were labels on the lip to know where to place each title so I wasn't hard to figure it out. It's just trying to do it efficiently. I like stacking them in fives and laying them on the shelves instead of standing them.

Whenever Vivian does it, it's the opposite. It messes everyone up because they aren't stacked neatly so Bridget just assigned me to do it. I stock the storage shelves once every week so they're full and we can get books out to the store easily.

I pulled the older books forward and set them on the floor next to me before moving the newer ones to the back. If I don't pull the old books forward, they can start to wear down and the pages will yellow. I turned to go grab another stack but the sight of Lynch stopped me.

He was leaning on one of the shelves with his arms crossed. His head was tilted slightly and his eyes were trained on me. I shifted on my feet. Why was he watching me? When did he get back? I didn't hear him return at all.

"So how do you sort books?" He finally asked.

I was quick to respond, "They're sorted in alphabetical order by author. Then it gets kinda confusing because they're sorted alphabetically within the author by title. I stack them instead of standing them because I can fit more on a shelf. They only have one row so don't mix books. Mm, that's all I can remember right now. It might be easier to understand if I show you."

I stepped forward and squeezed past him. He turned around while I bent to grab another stack. I stood up and passed the stack to him before grabbing another. I gave a brief look to the amount of boxes left. Eleven more. I winced when my head throbbed but turned to lead Lynch to the shelf.

I directed him to where I was and let him stock the shelf while I started a cycle of going to get another stack and bring them to him. When they were all neatly laid and the box was empty, I tookthe old books from the floor and set them in the box to go out to the front. He was opening another box and looking at the spine when I drifted back over to him.

It was silent between the two of us as we worked. I have a thing against small talk. It's repetitive and annoying. Even though our silence felt awkward, it's better than asking him about his day.

• • •

By the time we were down to two boxes, he had effortlessly gotten the hang of it. I was merely standing off to the side with the box of books that needs to go out on the shelves. He finished organizing the row he was working on and moved past me to grab the next box. He came back a second later with one more and produced his pocket knife which he used to cut the tape. He scanned over the author and title before looking up and around to find the section he needed.

I followed as he stood up with the box and found the row needed. He set the box down and pulled the older books out, passing them to me to set in my box while he worked on stocking the new ones. He was quick and efficient, not to mention, quick to catch on. It's a relatively easy job but it still takes a little effort to know how the books are organized and where they go.

My headache had eased off some in the time I spent back here. He didn't talk much besides a question every once in a while which was helpful to me. I don't think I need any pain medicine but I'm sure Dria will force it down my throat when she realizes I have a headache.

"So..." the sound of Lynch's voice caught my attention, "What time does your shift end?"

"Twelve, but I don't know what time it is right now," I answered easily.

After sliding the books he had in his hands onto the shelf, he pulled the sleeve of his long-sleeved shirt back to produce a watch. He stared at it for a second before looking over at me.

"You're working overtime right now. It's twelve thirty," he announced.

I brushed off the comment about working overtime, "Ok. Let's finish up these last two boxes. We'll leave this box here for tomorrow so I- someone can restock the shelves in the store."

He gave me a questioning look but didn't say anything else. He finished the second-to-last box and went to grab the last one. I leaned against the shelves, wondering if Liam already had his friends over. I've never met them before and he doesn't plan on letting me meet them any time soon. It's probably gonna be another ten minutes before I leave and then another fifteen to get back to the apartment. I'll be lucky if he even let's me in.

Lynch came back with the last box and set it on the floor next to where he needed it. He cut it open and grabbed the old books, passing them to me. While he worked on stocking the row, I took the box out to the hallway for either him or Bridget to find tomorrow. Normally it would be my job to come in early and set up the books before the café opened but Bridget put a stop to that. She'll either do it herself or help Lynch do it. I don't even know if he's working tomorrow.

I know Vivian doesn't go anywhere near the books anymore. She's a great waitress and bartender so she sticks to making coffee and taking it to the tables. There's another girl, Rhea who loves to make the pastries so she's normally back in the kitchen. I've only met her a handful of times when she comes out to put a fresh tray on display.

It's a predominantly female staff so it's going to take some getting used to, seeing Lynch every once in a while. I have a feeling he'll be doing miscellaneous jobs around the little bookstore and coffeeshop because we all have our roles that we play. I'm not even sure how long he'll be working here until he can find a better job. It'd be better for me if he finds one soon.

"Ryder," Lynch's voice caught my attention once again and made me look up at him who was now standing in front of me, "I'm done with the books. Do I need to do anything else?"

I pushed myself up off the wall, "We need to toss the empty boxes in the dumpster out back. Then we're done."

He nodded and disappeared into the room again. I trailed in behind him, finding him next to the pile of boxes he created. He had his knife out again, cutting the tape on the bottom and handing them to me to flatten. I did so and stacked them off to the side, continuing the routine until he was out of boxes. He closed the pocket knife and tucked it back into his pocket before taking half of the stack that I didn't grab.

I led him out to the back and to the dumpster, heaving the stack of broken-down boxes in. He followed suit and threw the rest in. We headed back inside to find Bridget waiting in the locker room. She walked off with Lynch and I was left to collect my stuff. I did so and slid past the two, waving briefly at Bridget. She waved back and I left without another word. I walked home in silence, hoping Liam won't say anything about Lynch.