‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾
Tommy was now directing Taylor through the winding shelves of the shop, trying to lead the brunette to her first assignment detailed on the schedule Honey left.
"This is a much bigger shop than I thought," Taylor scoffed.
"Yeah, you definitely get a different impression from just the front of the store," Tommy agreed.
"So, Tom?"
He giggled at the nickname, continuing to guide her through the maze of decade-old birch bookshelves.
"What's up?"
"How long have you worked here?"
"Since I was sixteen. My mother has been friends with Mrs. Piper for years. I was practically a shoo-in for a position here. Molly is actually Mrs. Piper's granddaughter," he explained. "I love it here. I may seem very excitable and immature, but I really do enjoy the atmosphere here. I've gained great experience," he finished, smiling at her while still walking.
"That's... that's nice, Tommy. I'm glad you enjoy it here. I've been employed for thirty minutes but I already love the shop."
Finally, the pair reached a quieter area of the aisles. It was an open space with two older-looking couches with slightly disturbing stains. Around the seating were a few cardboard boxes labeled with Sharpie: 'New books. Put away.'
"I'm assuming-"
"Yes, those would be your boxes. Mrs. Piper already put these in the correct section of the store right here. Therefore, they need to be sorted onto the shelves alphabetically," Tommy repeated the assignment to the girl.
"Can do," she said eagerly.
"Well, I must return to my post. Good luck!" He wished her, jokingly saluting before making his way back through the convoluted set of aisles.
"Alright, let's do this," she whispered before putting her black Sony headphones on. Her late brother gifted Taylor the headphones years back, knowing how much she loved music. Sometimes during his chemotherapy, she would play songs on her acoustic guitar to cheer him up.
Taylor's favorite song, "Birds Don't Sing" by TV Girl, started her shuffle play, immediately giving her motivation to begin the unpacking and sorting process.
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾
Three boxes later, Taylor had sorted the latest book shipment. Every cover found its home on the shelves amongst the other texts.
She put her hands to her hips, examining the shelves she had taken the time to neatly tidy after inserting the books into their designated places.
She turned back around to the exit of the little corner, coming face to face with a man sitting on the couch behind her, nose-deep in a novel.
She jumped back and slid her headphones down to her neck.
The man looked up from his book, his face in full view.
The fellow bore longish, brown, naturally curly hair. The male wore roundish, silver-framed glasses that fit his face perfectly. Mystery-man was clad in a brown trench coat, a white sweater underneath, and black corduroys. Nice style, if Taylor did say so herself.
He noticed her flinch and quickly apologized, sticking one hand out, indicating he meant no harm.
"So sorry, ma'am. Didn't mean to scare you,"
"That's, um, ok"
The man simply stared at her for a few seconds before snapping out of his thoughts.
"I, um... I saw you working over here, a-and this is where I usually read so..." he explained with a smoothly deep, British accent.
Silence. Taylor didn't exactly know what to say at the moment, and neither did the stranger, apparently.
He nodded at the headphones around her neck.
"What are you listening to, if you don't mind?"
Man, his voice was very nice.
She looked down at her headphones and then back at him again.
"Black Beauty, L-"
"Lana Del Rey. Yes, big fan," he said with a smile.
"Diana Gabaldon," she nodded this time, directed at the book in his hands.
"Outlander, yes. You know your books?"
"Well, I do work at a bookshop," Taylor answered him with a laugh.
He laughed along and nodded sheepishly. Then came the almost comfortable silence again.
"William," he suddenly stated, sticking out his hand for her to shake.
"Taylor," she grinned and shook his (soft but callused) hand.
"Guitar?"
"Ah yes, my calluses," he chuckled. "Yes, I perform occasionally for local bars and such. It's enough to support me and my book addiction."
"I used to play guitar. That's really cool that you do it for work."
"You're from America, aren't you?" William asked out of the blue.
"It's my accent, isn't it?" she assumed knowingly, grinning.
"Aye. But that's not a bad thing. I have friends in the States."
A text pinged at his phone, prompting him to rise from the couch.
"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Taylor. While I must be off, hopefully, I'll catch you around here again?"
"I have to come to work, so I bet you can," she quipped.
He just nodded and smiled, making his way back to the front.
Taylor's heart jumped a little. She was unsure why. It was just a customer interaction. Why get so worked up over the sweet, tall man?
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾
Taylor finally found her way back to the open entry room, thanks to the help of Molly, Tommy's girlfriend.
The girls got along instantly in conversation, as they had a few things in common, Molly having moved from the US two years prior to help Honey out.
Molly retreated to her current assignment after directing Taylor and greeting her boyfriend, Tommy.
"So! How did your first task go?" Tommy questioned, leaning over his counter to speak to Taylor.
"It was nice! I actually enjoy organizing, and even had my first conversation with a customer."
"Excellent! Glad you like it because... well..."
"Yes?"
"There are about fifteen more boxes for you to unload," he said, gritting his teeth in sorriness.
"Oh, boy."
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾
The day seemed to tick away at different speeds Taylor's entire shift. Some unpacking jobs went faster than others, some slower.
She was able to speak to customers at certain aisles, chatting about their books and genres of choice. While she enjoyed associating with the patrons, something felt completely different about the conversation she and William shared. In that short period, he seemed genuinely interested in the brunette.
She hoped she would see him again, thinking about their chat as she bid Mrs. Honey adieu, exiting the shop's front doors, ready to arrive back at her flat.
Little did Taylor know, their interaction on this cold, windy March day would mark only the beginning of the pair's interactions.
YOU ARE READING
Written In Ink ↬ Wilbur Soot
Fanfiction"Every tear-soaked page reminds me of you in the best way possible." ___ Taylor Finley, a new resident of the UK, starts a job at a quaint bookstore. Everything is normal until she meets a tall, curly-haired boy who starts frequenting the shop... ↬...
