Remember Me [h.s.]

3

Now you were standing there right in front of me

I hold on, it's getting harder to breathe

14 July 2014

There are two things one must remember whilst working in a book store: friendliness and organization. Edward, my boss, made this very clear to me on my very first day at Books Galore. Friendliness is equivalent to a positive attitude and once that is maintained, customers will feel welcomed and at home in our tiny book shop. Organization is key, without it, Edward would say, we might as well be at an amusement park. If our stock was not kept organized, we would look unprofessional, and if we looked unprofessional we wouldn't get customers, and if we didn't get customers we'd be out of business, and if we were out of business Edward wouldn't be able continue to supply his wife's lavish lifestyle, and apparently, we can't have that.

To me, it was a job. An easy job that I was lucky to have since it didn't require much work and gave me a whole hour for lunch. I didn't think much of it. But that afternoon, when my phone vibrated against my thigh in the front pocket of my jeans, I had never been more grateful for Books Galore.

Jane: Hey! It's Jane from Eric's party. I was wondering if it would be a good time to check out your book store?

I read the text five times to make sure I was comprehending correctly. I was certain that Jane would have forgotten about the book store, that I would never see her again, yet there she was, texting me, asking to see me again.

It took me a good ten minutes to formulate a proper response because I kept typing an answer only to delete it moments later. I wanted to seem calm and cool, not eager and enthusiastic. When I finally decided on a response, I held my breath as I hit the send button, heart pounding in my chest at the very thought of her eyes reading my words.

Here is what I wrote:

Yeah, no problem. I'm there now. The address is 14 Maple Street, right next to Starbucks.

She texted back minutes later.

Jane: Great. I'm on my way.

Harry: See you soon. X

I huffed out a breath, running my fingers through my curly tendrils a few times as I attempted to rationalize the situation. I was being dumb for feeling excited by her visiting. She had a boyfriend and I had a book store. She was beautiful and I was embarrassingly awkward. She was coming to visit in hopes of developing a friendship that I knew I would ruin because that's what I did, I ruined relationships.

I pulled my phone from my pocket once more to dial a number I knew by heart. It rang only once before the line connected.

"I don't have much time," I rushed. "Jane's coming to Books Galore and I don't know what to do."

"Wait," Louis paused. "Who's Jane again?"

"The girl that I talked to at the party."

"What party?"

I groaned, rubbing my forehead in frustration.

"Eric's party, Louis. The one on the Fourth of July."

"Oh!" Louis exclaimed. "Beautiful Jane?"

"Don't call her that." I huffed.

"Your words, not mine." He chuckled.

"I'm serious, Lou." I half-whined. "What do I do?"

"What is there to do?" Louis' tone suddenly became serious. "Doesn't she have a boyfriend?"

I nodded as though he could see me. "Yes."

"Then you do nothing." He told me. "This girl obviously just wants to be your friend. What's happened to the extremely cynical Harry Styles with whom I spoke extensively on the stupidity of love and all things relating to it?"