“I don’t know when I would be able to pay you rent and I wouldn’t want you to feel like I am mooching off of you,” she told him confidently.
“I will give you six months with no rent. When that six months is up, we can renegotiate our arrangement. How does that sound to you?” he asked her.
“That would be wonderful, if I am being honest,” she told him with a huge smile on her face.
“That’s great. You can help me out and then at lunch we can head over to the house so you can check it out. Is that alright with you?” he asked her.
“It sounds great!” she squealed.
They spent the next couple of hours working around the shop. They unpacked boxes of books, dusted, shelved books that had been cataloged, and cataloged and inventoried the new books they unpacked. Before they both knew it, it was lunch time.
“Let’s head over to the house so you can see your new place, then we can pick up lunch before finishing out our day,” he told her.
“Sounds like a plan,” she told him, feeling like she accomplished something.
They walked in silence the two blocks over to the small house. George opened the door to the small house and let Adalyn enter before him. Adalyn’s breath caught in her throat as she stepped over the threshold into the cutest little house she had ever seen. There was a small living room furnished with a couch and recliner along the one wall. A flat screen television hung on the opposite wall. The carpet looked brand new and very soft. On the furthest wall away from the door was a fireplace with a decorated mantle. Plants hung in the corners of the living room.
Off to the left was the kitchen. It was a soft beige color with all updated stainless-steel appliances. There was a small doorway with a hanging curtain instead of a door. Upon inspection she realized it was the laundry room. It was also furnished with a washer and dryer, as well as a small table to fold laundry on and an ironing board attached to the wall.
Leaving the kitchen, Adalyn returned to the living room and made her way down the hallway that she saw when she first entered the house. To the right in the hallway was a door that opened to a bathroom that had definitely been updated recently. As she could tell the whole house was. The bathroom was all white, down the tiles on the floor. There was a shower with a bench seat that at least four people could fit in without an issue. There was also a claw foot tub on the opposite wall. The vanity reminded Adalyn of something out of a Hollywood movie. Lights ran across the top of the vanity area. There was one sink that was set in the vanity, along with drawers for storage. There were also switches on the wall near the vanity to control the amount of light needed. Then there was of course the typical toilet, but it was placed in small area that had its own door.
Adalyn silently made her way down the hall toward the bedroom. Upon entering she couldn’t believe the size. The room was furnished with a huge king size bed, that was covered in some of the fluffiest looking comforter she had ever seen. There were two dressers in the room, as well as two nightstands. There was also a rocking chair in the corner of the bedroom. There was one door in the bedroom which she assumed was the closet. Upon opening the door, she realized it was the closet of her dreams. It was a huge walk-in closet with room to hang clothes, store shoes in a built-in shoe rack, as well as a small shelving unit with some smaller drawers.
Adalyn made her way back toward the living room. She knew that George put a great deal of pride in his home, and she would make him proud. She made a promise to herself that she would take care of this house to the best of her ability, so he didn’t worry about his things being ruined.
“I am in love with this house,” she told George as she entered the living room where he was waiting.
“I am so happy to hear that. Here are the keys,” he said as he handed them to her. “All the utilities are in my name currently so don’t you worry about a thing. If anything happens to break down or need repairs just let me know and I will get someone to fix it immediately.”
“I will have to go shopping for some food and things after I finish my shift today, but I am so excited to move in,” she told him with a smile that lit her entire face.
“Give me a list of food that you like and things you need. I will cover it this time that way you don’t have to worry. As long as you don’t mind keeping an eye on the shop while I go shopping for you,” he said.
“That would be great,” she told him.
They locked up the house and began their walk back toward the Book Nook. She chatted about the things she would need to start off in a new place, as well as the food she would need. All the while, George made a list on his phone as they walked and talked together.
George returned from shopping a few hours later.
“Have any issues while I was gone?” he asked Adalyn as he entered the shop.
“Not one. I left your phone messages for you on your desk. I finished inventory on the new books that came in this morning. I will shelf as many of them as I can before tomorrow,” she told him.
“You did all that while I was gone?” he asked her, looking around to see indeed there were no boxes in the corner with books from the newest shipment. He wandered over to the computer to check her work on the inventory, and there were indeed over one hundred new entries. They were all done correctly.
“I hope that I did it all properly. I began to second guess myself on the shelving that I did, but it seemed like I was doing as you said this morning. I would like for you to check my work if you wouldn’t mind though,” she told him as she walked to the two isles that she placed the inventory in.
“It looks great! You are a quick learner,” he told her.
“Thank you,” she told him, beaming with pride that she did it correctly without supervision.
“Well, I know I had promised you lunch earlier and we didn’t stop, so what do you say about me taking you for dinner so you can relax after a long day of work,” he asked her.
“That sounds nice, but I wouldn’t want to impose on time with your family,” she told him.
“My wife passed away five years ago, and we never had any children. It would be an honor to take you to dinner to celebrate your new job,” he told her with a bright smile.
“I am so sorry,” she told him. “I would be very happy to join you for dinner.”
A short time later, George and Adalyn were sitting at the diner enjoying their dinner. Everyone greeted them as they were passed. Everyone seems to know everyone, Adalyn thought to herself.
They chatted about George’s family and how he came to live in Willow Haven. He had owned the Book Nook for over twenty years, and it had always been a town favorite. Adalyn had learned that over the years it was one of the only stores that didn’t change owners at least once. That was something that George was very proud about.
As they were finishing up, George paid the bill. He also made sure to walk Adalyn home. Home to her new place.
“I will take you in the morning to check out of the hotel,” he told her as they reached the small porch.
“Thank you, George, for everything. I don’t know how to ever repay your kindness. If I am being honest, I didn’t know people like you still existed in this world,” she told him with a shy smile.
“It’s no problem, Adalyn. Like I told you before, you are ultimately doing me a favor by keeping everything in working order and nice looking. I will let you get some rest now. I will see you in the morning at seven,” he told her as he turned and walked down the few steps of the porch.
Adalyn waved good-bye and then went into the house. She went straight to the kitchen to check out what George had bought when he went to the store. She wanted to plan out what she was going to eat for the week. She always made one or two things at the beginning of the week and ate it for her lunch and dinner. It got kind of boring at times for her, but she needed to stretch what money she had, so she learned to deal with it.
She started with the refrigerator. It was stocked completely with every staple you could think
of milk, orange juice, condiments, butter, you name it, it was in her fridge. She worked her way through all the cabinets, beginning with the one next to the fridge. It was a smaller cabinet and was filled with every spice anyone could ever ask for. The next couple of cabinets were filled with dishes. She made her way to the pantry, and that too was stocked. On the top shelf it was full of baking supplies. The next shelf included breakfast items like cereal and oatmeal, things like that. The shelf below that side items, such as rice, potatoes, canned vegetables and beans, canned fruit. Everything she could possibly want. The last shelf in the pantry were items like crackers and other snack items. She couldn’t believe her eyes. This went way beyond the basic list she had given George. He went out of his way to help her. Taking a deep breath, she finished browsing through the last couple of cabinets where she found pots and pans, baking dishes of every shape and size, muffin tins, all of it. She looked through the couple of drawers that were in the kitchen, and they were full of silverware and cooking utensils.
Adalyn decided to make herself a cup of tea to calm her nerves and relax. She busied herself in the kitchen prepping the cup for her tea and filling the tea kettle with water.
As she waited for the kettle to whistle, she made her way into the laundry room, it too was stocked with laundry soap, fabric softener, dryer sheets, hampers, hangers, you name it. She wandered into the bathroom next, it too was stocked with everything she could need for a bathroom, down to the cleaning supplies. She also noticed that the linen closet was stocked full of towels, wash cloths, sheets, blankets, pillowcases, and anything else she would need. Just as she was about to tear up, she heard the kettle whistle, saving her from a complete sob-fest at George’s generosity.
Adalyn grabbed her tea she had prepared and sat down on the couch. She decided to spend a little while watching some television while she enjoyed her tea.
Three
Adalyn woke the next morning, feeling more rested than she had in a very long time. She must have fallen asleep watching television because she was still on the couch. Stretching as she walked to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. After doing that she made her way to take a shower and get ready for work.
At ten minutes to seven Adalyn walked into the Book Nook carrying two cups of coffee. One for her and one for George.
“I wasn’t sure how you took your coffee so I made it like I would mine, I hope that is alright?” she asked him as she handed him the steaming cup of coffee.
“That is perfect, Adalyn, thank you very much,” he told her accepting the cup of coffee and taking a small sip.
“Where would you like me to begin?” she asked George.
“We can just pick up where we left off yesterday. Customers will come in throughout the day, as well as orders. This is a job of repetition, there is not much too it. It does get hectic when I do inventory at the end of November. That is when I go through all the inventory and make a list of things that need to be ordered for the coming up year,” he explained.
“Sounds fun!” she told him with a smile.
George and Adalyn worked in a comfortable silence, with only the occasional question, until lunch time. Adalyn pulled out two small lunches that consisted of sandwiches, chips, and some fruit, with bottles of water. Handing one to George, she sat down with the other.
“Thank you so much, Adalyn. That was very sweet of you to think of me. I normally end up not eating lunch because I get so busy. This is a nice change,” he said with a small smile.
“You are quite welcome,” she told him, taking a sip of her water.
“So, what made a young girl like you move to a town like Willow Haven?” George asked curiously.
“Just needed a change in scenery, I guess,” she told him without making eye contact. She knew he would ask eventually, but she didn’t want to have to answer that question.
George studied her face for a several seconds without saying anything. He knew something was going on with her because she had no references to check, and no real background.
“Everyone needs a change in scenery sometimes,” he finally told her with a smile. He knew well enough to change the subject. He wasn’t going to force her to talk if she wasn’t ready. But he would ask more questions later on, once she got comfortable with him.
Adalyn nodded her agreement to his statement, taking a bite of her sandwich so she didn’t have to answer anything else. She didn’t know how to answer the questions she knew he wanted to ask. She didn’t want to have to explain her true reason for moving so far from where she was. But she also didn’t want to hurt his feelings since he had been so sweet to her. She decided that George was the one person she would not get upset with when he asked questions. She would try and answer his questions as honestly as possible but didn’t want to put him in the middle of her situation.
The rest of the day flew by, and before she knew it, it was closing time. Adalyn made sure to remember everything she needed to when it came to closing the shop. She was very proud of herself for only having to ask George a few questions about the closing routine. They walked out together, as George set the alarm and locked the door.
“Do you want company on your walk home?” he asked her.
“What are your plans?” she asked him curiously.
“I was just going to stop by the diner and eat dinner, then head home for the evening,” he explained.
“You are welcome to walk home as long as you promise to stay for dinner. I have had a stew in the crockpot cooking all day. I am going to throw some rolls in the oven. I would love the company,” she told him honestly.
“I would love a home-cooked meal if I am being honest. The diner has good food, but it is not home cooking in my opinion,” he told her.
They walked in silence toward her place.
“Make yourself at home, while I get these rolls in the oven. The remote is on the coffee table if you want to watch television,” she told him pointing toward the coffee table.
She quickly turned on the oven to preheat while she placed the rolls on a cookie sheet. While that was preheating, she made her way to her room to change into some sweatpants, so she was more comfortable. She came out of her room just as the oven beeped alerting her to temperature. She walked into the kitchen and quickly placed the rolls into the oven.
“The rolls should be ready in about twelve minutes,” she told George as she entered the living room.
“Sounds great,” he told her.
A short time later they were both seated at the dining room table eating dinner. They chatted about things that needed to be done in the shop before the next week began. George wanted to make sure that all the new inventories was out for the customers to enjoy.
“Thank you very much for dinner, Adalyn. It was fantastic. I will see you in the morning at work,” George told her as he let himself out.
Adalyn spent the next thirty minutes cleaning up from dinner. When she was finished, she found herself on the couch with a cup of tea, just like the night before.
*****
It had been over a week since she started her job at the Book Nook. She had gotten into a regular routine. She worked Monday through Friday at the Book Nook from seven in the morning, until closing at five in the evening. She would go home to eat dinner, sometimes accompanied by George, but mostly alone. She would spend her evenings cleaning up and relaxing on the couch. She did a deep cleaning of the house every Saturday and caught up on her laundry on Sundays. She was truly enjoying her new life in Willow Haven, except for the occasional weirdness.
Whenever Adalyn walked home alone, without the company of George, she always got the feeling that she was being watched. The feeling had become increasingly concerning when it was accompanied by phone calls at work where no one spoke. She began to feel uncomfortable but didn’t want to worry George about it.
It was the last day of the work week and Adalyn had just began her short stroll home. The feeling of being watched was stronger than it had ever been before. She be
gan to walk a little faster. When she thought she heard someone following behind her, she slipped into the first open building she could find.
“Welcome to Ink Addicts, what can I do for you?” asked a feminine voice. Adalyn spun around startled at the greeting.
“Oh, um, hi,” she told the dark-haired girl behind the counter.
“What can I help you with?” she asked Adalyn curiously.
“I apologize, I didn’t mean to bother you. I just came in to check it out,” she said, unconvincingly.
“It’s not a problem. Check out the shop, let me know if you have any questions. My name is Aislyn,” she told her with a bright smile.
“Thanks, really. I work at the Book Nook and have been meaning to stop in and take a look,” Adalyn lied, hoping the little pixie girl wouldn’t catch on to her fear.
Aislyn watched as Adalyn stood near the door and the window looking out for several minutes. Finally, Adalyn slowly moved away from her spot near the window and slowly started walking around the shop looking at the artwork that covered the walls.
After about ten minutes of watching Adalyn wander from picture to picture, Aislyn couldn’t hold back any longer.
“What is it exactly you are looking for? Maybe if you tell me I can help,” she told her.
Adalyn’s head whipped around toward the counter where Aislyn was seated.
“Um, I am not really sure,” she told her without looking at her.
“Have you ever had a tattoo before?” Aislyn asked.
“Never,” Adalyn told her.
“Well, the tattooist is absolutely amazing. He isn’t here right now, but if you let me know what you are wanting, then I can let him know and he can think of some ideas. We can schedule an appointment for you to come in and look at his ideas if you want,” Aislyn explained.
“That would be nice. Um, let me give it some thought, and I will let you know what it is I am thinking about,” Adalyn said as she headed toward the door.
Adalyn quickly made her way out of the shop and toward home. Her stomach was in knots, and she didn’t want to think about anything but getting home safely.
My Twist of Fate Page 2
