One More Summoning

Chapter Three

Katerina

I'm serving a customer their coffee at my bookstore/coffee shop, when the bell chimes to the front door. It's the new order of books I placed just last week. Today is going to be longer than I thought since now I have to put them away. Good thing I love the smell of books and coffee.

The day goes by smooth and pretty swift. After my last regular customer goes out the door I lock up and head to start unpacking the new book to put them away. I'm in my groove doing the things I love, cleaning up, putting the books away, etc. when someone knocks in the door.

"We're closed!" I yell at whoever it could be. Everyone knows what time I close so I'm not sure who it could be. Bang! Bang! Bang! What the hell? Who is that? I come around the desk to go look out the window to see who it is, and no one is there. I stand there for a few minutes to see if anyone shows themselves and after I see nothing I go back to work like nothing happened.

I'm putting up the last stack of book when a ding comes through my phone about the same time there is another knock on the door. "Let me in." I swear Mia has no patience. I go to the front of the store and let her in, after checking and making sure it was her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to walk you home." She says as she strolls on in shrugging her shoulders.

"I only live a five minute walk to my apartment." She knows this but insists I shouldn't walk by myself no matter the time so every day I work she walks me home. I couldn't ask for a better friend. She just looks at me bored and ask if I'm ready. I have about half the books left to put away but I will just do them tomorrow.

"Yup, let me just grab my bag." I run to my office and gather all my things, locking up as we leave.

"Hey was that you earlier banging on the door?" I ask her as I turn on the security cameras to the front and back of the store.

"No. Why would I do that without texting you? Was someone here earlier?"

I explain the whole thing to her and she tells me that is what she's always talking about. I brush it off as a customer wanting a book or last cup of coffee for the day or even a crackhead but I try not to think about that. Mia walks me the rest of the way home and our conversation never ends like always. She reminds me, more than necessary we only have 45 days until my birthday and the concert. I swear the closer it gets the more excited we both get, more her than me since she's obsessed. We say our goodbyes and I tell her to let me know when she makes it to her car and home.