If This Was A Movie

4. The Montage

After Lucy finished straightening up her humble apartment, she lit a few candles for ambiance and was ready for Tim's arrival just in time for his bookstore to close. Even though she was expecting him and mentally prepared for their movie night ALL DAY, she still jumped when she heard knocking on her door.

"Hi," Tim greeted her far more happily than he expected. Sometimes, it caught him off guard how much he enjoyed seeing her at his shop, but planning to hang out together felt different in a more special way, and he was quite glad to be welcomed into her home. "Wow," he said as he peeked at what he could see of the apartment, "I think you have more stuff at your place than I do, and you just moved in."

"What can I say? I like to feel at home."

"You should, since this is your home."

"Right," she replied awkwardly, since she had a few actual homes and the apartment was temporary. "What would you like to drink? I've got beer and wine."

"Beer, please."

Lucy went to refrigerator and pulled out two bottles. "The pizza should be here in the next twenty minutes. Until then, you can tell me about all of the happiness you sold today."

"The neighborhood's changing, I guess, because now, my only customers are women that buy soapy romance novels."

"Are they any good?"

"Do I look like I've read any of them?"

She giggled as she handed him one of the beers. "Should we add one of those to our reading list and try it out together?"

"I don't think any of those have a movie adaptation, though."

"We might have to expand our horizons eventually."

"How long are we keeping our book club going?" Tim wondered, but he secretly would love to read books with her forever if it meant watching her cozy up in a loveseat in his store and admiring her face as she reacted to different parts of the story as she seems to feel everything so deeply.

"That depends on when I'll stop needing to buy happiness."

"Which will be when?"

She pondered the question as she stepped closer to him. "Do you plan to raise your prices astronomically any time soon?"

"No."

"Then, I guess the low prices will keep me coming back forever."

"I'll keep my doors open just for you." Forever was how long he wanted her to continue coming around, so he was more than pleased to know they were on the same page.

Lucy grinned. "I'm honored. Who will keep the store open when you want to retire? Do you want one of your kids to take over your store? Wait, I don't even know if you want kids." A wince flashed across this face, so she reached out to touch his forearm comfortingly. "I'm sorry. It's none of my business. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, I-I thought I would've had a couple kids by now, but life had other plans."

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "Things change. I get that. That's why I quit the LAPD to take over the store. I don't regret doing it, but I would never ask my kids to give up a dream for the shop."

"You act like your store is so bad, but I personally love it. If my filming schedule wasn't so packed, I would offer to pick up shifts...for free, of course, since you couldn't afford me."

"I don't know if I can trust you in my store."

"All I have to do is scan price tags. How hard can it be."