Lost Without You

~7~

I knocked on one of the glass panels set in the front door of the shop and watched the middle aged Mr. Turner, the owner of the place and thus my boss, coming to unlock it for me.

"Miss Marlowe!" He exclaimed, opening the door wide and letting the beautiful smell of books welcome and envelope me. This was one of the reasons why I chose to work here, I just loved it. "I've been expecting Miss Jones today!" He added, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Good morning, Mr. Turner." I greeted the gentleman politely.

Every time I saw him, he reminded me of Agatha Christie's Poirot, making me smile. It must be his short stature, or the egg-shaped, nearly bald head. Or his black, stiff moustache and the old fashioned manners...

"Jessica asked me to take her shift. And Anne, I mean Miss Bloom, will do my hours tomorrow. You don't mind Mr. Turner, do you?" I asked, looking at him as amiably, as I could manage. He usually did not mind our last moment swaps and changes.

"As long as there's at least one of you with me at all times and you all do your hours, all's well, I suppose." He muttered, then shuffled towards one of the floor to ceiling bookshelves which lined the walls of the small shop.

"Thank you, Mr. Turner." I said as I walked past him, carrying my bags into a small room at the back.

The little lounge was reserved for us girls, and it doubled as a kitchen during our breaks when the weather was too bad, or the shop too crowded, to venture outside.

I opened my luggage and took the book I had bought at the airport out. The mornings in the Theatre Bookshop were never too busy, I could read at least a few pages before the first customers turned up.

If Mr. Turner doesn't notice, of course, I thought, hiding the book under my arm as I walked across the shop, back to the front door. Slipping it under the counter, I settled at my usual place at the till. The spot offered the most perfect view. I could see the whole shop on my left and a good portion of the high road, Paris, the square and the theatre through the window on my right.

I noticed Lucas exiting the café, talking excitedly on his phone and looking towards the shop. He seemed undecided for a while whether to cross the road or not, and I prayed he would not come over. But after a while he put the phone in his pocket and headed for the tube station instead, making me sigh with relief.

I really didn't need him in my complicated life, too. Shaking my head to banish thoughts of Lucas from my mind I realised I was hungry again, and decided to run back in the kitchen to get Lia's biscuits.

"How was your trip?" Mr. Turner asked as I walked back to my place.

"It was... great, thank you." I told him, my heart starting to beat faster as I tried to hide myself behind the counter. I'd give anything to be able to melt into the background; I didn't want to talk about my trip with anyone.

Mr. Turner unlocked the door and switched on another, stronger light, thus announcing to the world outside that his shop was open. Then he came closer to me. Obviously, he was in the mood to talk. Please don't ask me anything...

"Transylvania and the Bran Castle are beautiful, don't you think, Miss Marlowe?" he continued, leaning against the wooden countertop separating me from him.

"Hmm... yes." I agreed, trying to look busy organizing piles of postcards, theatre programmes and colourful plastic cups full of souvenir pens laying around the counter.

"Have I ever told you that I've been there, when I was younger... Like yourself, I was attracted by the legend of the vampire Count..." he said, shaking his head and smiling at me.