So Many Books, So Little Time

•Chapter Two•

"You knew I was here?" Aleah asked, confused as to why he hadn't just come down to meet her. He worked here, didn't he? So why hadn't he thought to tend to his potential customer?

"Of course!" the guy chuckled. "I heard the bell! But I was busy cleaning my treasures, and I figured you'd see the stairs and catch the hint."

"Uh..." Why would he think that just seeing the stairs would make me want to come up?

"My name's Phoenix, by the way," he said, standing up from the crouching position he'd been in and brushing some dirt off his jeans. "I own this place. It's only going to be opened for a month or two, I'm just waiting for someone special to get here. These kind of people are always late, you know. I just moved here this morning, but I'm waiting to see when they'll show up."

"Um, okay." She wasn't sure why he was telling her all that, but she was disappointed to hear the bookshop wouldn't be there for long. There were so many books to look at! She wouldn't have enough time or money to examine them all.

"So, what's your name, kid?" he asked.
"And what book did you pick out?"

Kid? she thought with a twinge of irritation. How old is he? Twenty? I'm not that much younger than he is!

"I'm Aleah," she answered, refusing to let her frustration show. "I'd like to buy this."

She held up her choice so he could see it. He seemed momentarily surprised, but the expression quickly passed as he nodded.

"I might be staying for an even shorter time than I thought," Phoenix mumbled. "I guess some people actually like to arrive early. Well, I guess I'd better stay for a couple more days, just in case you want to return it."

"What? Why would I return it?" she inquired, her confusion growing. "I love reading about dragons, and from what I've read on the back, this book has them. And why would you come here with a whole bookshop only to leave in the next few days?"

"Oh, yes, that book definitely has dragons," he said with a knowing gleam in his eyes. "I'd be careful with it, if I were you. And I have my reasons for visiting. I'll tell you what: you can keep that book, free of charge; just be sure to come back tomorrow to let me know what you think of it."

"Wow, thanks!" Aleah gasped, overwhelmed by the sudden display of generosity. "Are you sure? I'll gladly pay for it!"

"No, I insist! Just do me one favor, okay?"

"Sure!"

"Write something of your own in it," Phoenix requested. "Near the back, there are quite a few blank pages. Write some outrageous things for me. Be sure to use a pen, not a pencil or a marker or anything. Can you do that?"

"Absolutely!" she replied, a bit bewildered. "Thanks again! Do you mind if I look around and get another book? Since you're being so nice and letting me have this one, I still have some money to spend."

Phoenix considered it for a moment, intently scanning the books near him. Aleah wondered why he even needed to think about it. Didn't he want actual business? This guy was odd.

"I don't think so," he murmured slowly. "Sorry, kid. Come back tomorrow, okay? Maybe I'll have something for you then."

"Oh, uh, okay." She was really confused with whatever he was doing, but decided that she had a book already and didn't need another one right away. Throwing a goodbye over her shoulder, she descended the stairs and exited the shop.

As she was leaving, she thought she heard him call out, "I give you the Dragon's Blessing!"

***

"Mom, I'm home!" she announced, closing the door. "I got a new book!"

"I'm in the kitchen, Aleah!" her mother shouted.

Aleah shrugged off her brown jacket, hung it in the closet by the door, and rounded a corner to enter the kitchen. Her mother, Heather Blanc, was preparing dinner: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Aleah swung her backpack up onto their round table before sitting down and placing her book in front of her.

"Where's Kirk and Doug?" she inquired, unzipping her backpack and pulling out her homework. "Is Raylee home?"

Kirk and Doug were her sixteen-year-old twin brothers, and Raylee was her twin sister. The boys were identical, but the girls were polar opposites, which was always a disappointing fact for both of them. Most people thought the boys liked to get into the trouble that identical twins are usually known for, but they actually liked to play it safe and almost always wore drastically different outfits. If the girls had been identical, they would've been the ones to pull switches and other similar tricks.

"Kirk and Doug are taking turns driving the car, and Raylee's at Laura's house," Heather supplied, slipping the green beans into the microwave. "They should all be home soon, including your father. So, what's the new book about?"

"It's so cool!" her daughter burst out, smiling widely. "It's called Magic Ink, and it has dragons in it! I haven't started it yet, because I want to finish my homework first, but I read the back. It's about dragons giving humans some magic ink, which they use to perform miracles or something. The bookstore I got it from, Inkland Adventures, was so awesome! But it's leaving soon, which stinks. But the owner, Phoenix, was really nice. He gave me the book for free."

"Wow, that is nice of him," Heather marveled. "Was Phoenix his first or last name?"

"I'm pretty sure it was his first. He didn't say anything about it, just that it was his name."

"Cool."

The next few minutes passed in silence as both ladies worked on their own. Aleah had done about a third of her homework when her mom asked, "Would you call your siblings, please? Call Laura's home phone; her mom will get it. I don't trust Raylee's phone to not be dead. Dinner's almost ready."