Bookstore princess

Chapter 12

Nadia

James follows me into the cafe area and he takes his usual seat. Jenny comes over with his coffee, handing it to him with flourish.
"Thank you" he gives a genuine smile. "I'll pay for it once you're open."
"It's on the house, you're one of us now" Jenny rolls her eyes.
"Hi, I'm Rieta, and you must be James" Rieta holds out her hand and James gives her a firm handshake. "We've heard so much about you" she adds with a devious smirk.
"All good things, I hope" he seems a bit bashful.
"Well, I've never seen Nadia date so quickly. You must be special" she tells him.
"She's the special one" he looks at me with adoration and I can't help but flush. I take a sip of coffee and gaze at him right back. His blue eyes tick to my lips and he licks his own and my mind goes back to our shared kiss not that long ago. "I've uh..." he seems to lose track of his thoughts for a moment. "I've asked some of my family members that moved here yesterday to give your cafe a shot sometime today. The younger ones are excited to come to a big bookstore" he chuckles.
"We do like it when the kids come in" Jacob comments. "It helps nourish them mentally so they like reading more as they get older."
"That's what we did with our kids" Rieta agrees quickly. "They might be off sick today, but they still have their books with them at grandma's and grandpa's house. Thanks to Jacob, they get to stay up to date with their favorite series" she smiles.
"What kind of books do they like?" James asks while sipping at his favorite coffee.
"Just young adult stuff right now, with a touch of fantasy and romance. We make sure they don't read the adult stuff that Nadia reads yet. They are too young for that" Jacob answers. "I'm not ready for them to be ready for that either" he adds softly.
"It's pretty good, but definitely not for kids" James agrees with a nod. "I'm halfway through the newest one" he adds, looking at me with a smirk.
"I read it yesterday, I am on the hunt for a new one" I grin, and he chuckles.
"Don't forget to set one aside for me, I want to read it too" he winks.
"Do you really read all the same books?" Jenny asks in surprise.
"I do, I have some of my own reading as well. But Nadia's books are pretty good. Graphic, but I like it" he tells her.
"Aren't you still on the pararomantasy kick?" Jenny turns her attention to me.
"Yeah, but I think I might go for something fluffy this time. I'm in the mood for a romcom meet cute. I've been reading a lot of dark romances lately" I frown. "Don't get me wrong, they're great, but I need a palate cleanser" I admit.
"We have some more of that one author that writes about curvy women in. You haven't started on any of those" Jacob suggests.
"Done" I get up and head over with James close behind me. I go to the romance section and stop in front of one of the shelves. He puts his arm around my waist and his hand holds the curve of my hip. I lean into him for a moment and I pick out the first book in the series and he grabs a copy of the book at the same time.
"Just humans in this book?" he asks softly, reading the back.
"Yep, sometimes you need a good dose of reality" I giggle. He frowns a little and looks along the bookshelves and sees another book with a werewolf on the front.
"Have you read this one yet?" he asks, pointing it out.
"Not yet" I shake my head. He takes two copies and reads the back and nods to himself.
"Let's make this one next, I'm interested in it" he says lightly.
"You like werewolf romances?" I ask in surprise.
"I guess so" he says in a far off voice.
"Done. I'll read this one after the first one" I say and head towards the cash. I know the till is already in and ready for the day. I go to tap my card for my two books, but James taps his card and chuckles.
"I'll be buying yours too," he tells me.
"Then I'm giving you the employee discount" I advise him and ring through his books. I see the lineup is getting longer outside the store and we have to open soon. I put through his books and he pays for them and waits for me to go back to where Jenny, Jacob and Rieta are still seated.
"I'd better get going, work needs me" Rieta stands up. "I love you" she gives Jacob a quick kiss on the lips. "Are you staying for a bit?" she asks James.
"Yeah, I left my laptop out in the car. I was going to run out and get it after I finished my first coffee. The fun of working remotely is I can work anywhere" he grins.
"You my friend are living the dream" Rieta teases him and leaves out through the employee entrance.
"I'll go get the help wanted sign when it dies down, and put a posting up online" Jacob tells us.
"I'd better get to the cash register," I say and grab my coffee.
"I'll be here," James smirks.
"I'm headed to the coffee shop" Jenny gets up and heads over while I stop and give James a quick kiss on the cheek. He smiles and looks at me adoringly again and I giggle before heading back to the cash register. Jacob unlocks the front door and the lineup starts coming in. James stays in the corner booth with his coffee and his new reads. I have a lineup almost instantly for the morning paper, since the coffee shop's line is longer. Jenny is in her element and going quickly, as she knows most of her customer's orders by heart. I see a few new people waving at James and he nods in their direction, but keeps his eyes on me. For some reason, I feel like I'm the center of his universe, and I can't help but think that somehow, it's starting to go both ways.