Bookstore

“This is your ideal job? After all those years of school, you want to work in a bookstore?” Maria’s skepticism was completely understandable, but there was more to The Written Haven than a mere bookstore.

“First of all, I don’t work here - I’m technically in-house counsel.” Sarah knew her title didn’t mean much, especially as she was wearing jeans, a faded t-shirt, and her favorite, shapeless, dark green sweater. “The rules of professional ethics forbid me from being an actual partner in the corporation, but for all intents and purposes, I am. And it’s not just a bookstore - it’s also a publishing house.”

Maria prodded a volume of Harry Potter. “You saying you published these?”

Sarah swatted at her hand. “Of course not - we carry popular titles, obviously. But we also have a rare collection of first editions, and then those shelves over there --” they took up half of the store -- “hold everything we publish in-house.”

Maria wandered over toward the shelves, inspected covers and titles with the air of someone who was an expert. Sarah reminded herself that Maria thought Vogue was high literature and tried to smile.

“So...you publish poetry.”

“And novels, and non-fiction, and short stories. Also graphic novels.”

Maria’s eyes lit up. “How graphic?”

Sarah’s mouth twisted into a moue of distaste. “Not porn, Maria. Comic books. Only not superheroes.”

“What’s the point of a comic book without a superhero?”

“I had to learn that after all those years of school.” Sarah plucked a volume out of Maria’s hands and replaced it gently on the shelf. She’d worked hard, inking that volume. Mark had done the cover, and together he and Joanna had helped the writer get his art all picked out. It was one of their most popular titles to date.

And then Maria lit on the first volume of Numbers Untold. “You write anything sold on these shelves? Under a pseudo-whatsit - a pen name?”

Sarah smiled enigmatically. “Well, you’d have to read an actual book to find out.”

(340 words)