comfort {complete}

27

"Yes, hello, I'm Stephanie Worthington? I made an appointment for an interview at 3:30?"

The woman behind the counter purses her lips and types something into her computer before nodding and looking over her shoulder at a maroon door.

"Um, yeah, okay, I think—Mona, there's a girl here!"

A tall brunette bounds out of the backroom and furrows her brows at me. Recognition lights up her features after a few seconds, and then she's gliding around the counter and wrapping me in a hug.

"Kathy's little sister, right?" she says, beaming at me. "Oh, Stephanie. What a beautiful name. Did you know that it comes from Stefanos, a Greek name, and means crowned one?"

"Uh, no?"

"Well, it does. Come, come, talk to me. We have some tea; I think..." she trails off, leading me to the backroom and sweeping over to a hot plate and tea kettle. "Well, we'll have some tea momentarily. You can sit down, if you want."

Once our tea's ready, Mona joins me on one of the chaise lounges and hands me a cup. Her eyes roam over my face, and a warm smile slides onto hers.

"You look absolutely nothing like Katherine. Different hair, different eyes; but you're absolutely stunning, Stephanie. I'm sure the boys are all over you."

I tense just a little and muster a humble smile. "Not really, no."

"Mmm, in time, I'm sure. So, why do you want to work here?"

"Oh, I adore books. More than anything—I've been reading a lot recently, in light of, um, certain classified events, and I just...I don't know. They're comforting to be around and to smell and to look at and to read. I just really want to be around them all day."

"That sounds like a very classy love of books. You are aware that we are erotica and YA sellers?"

"Yes."

"Well, damn, you have the job, then," she says, grinning and downing the rest of her tea. "Thank you for coming, Stephanie. I love the Worthingtons. Be a dear and tell that lazy sister of yours to get her ass back to work, will you?"

"Of course."

a/n: aw, i love mona. she was lowkey my favorite character from warmth.