Hearty: A Small Town, Roommate Romance (Ashton Family Book 4) by Carrie Aarons

Author:Carrie Aarons [Aarons, Carrie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-26T00:00:00+00:00

16

AUGUST

Walking into Lily is like wandering into a magical forest that smells like lavender and musk and has tiny bath bombs and singular batch coffee grounds everywhere.

The quietness of the shop settles onto my shoulders as I step into the dark space on my first morning as the manager. Alana gave me the rundown over the weekend about exactly what needed to be done in her local goods and wares store, and I told her I’d be there Monday morning to see to it.

These kind of small-town market shops—with all their trinkets, handmade goods, and locally-sourced products—always hold such charm. They draw the shopper in from the window, effortlessly calling out to people who want to take a piece of the sweet river town we live in.

I’m thankful to have a job here where I can put some of my skills to use more than when I’m working shifts at the restaurant. Here, I can practice the organizational side of any job I want—one where I have to keep on top of things. And lord knows this place needs a little TLC.

While Lily’s bones are beautiful, whoever the last manager was hadn’t done a very good job cataloging things. Once Alana went on maternity leave, things fell by the wayside, and she couldn’t keep on top of the person running the store. As such, the books are a mess, the back stock supply looks like my closet did in middle school, and there aren’t very good systems in place.

I spend much of the morning with the sign turned on the door, ensuring that no customers will come in wanting to shop. I use a spreadsheet method to catalog how much product we have of each item, stocking those that are low on the floor and rearranging a lot of the shelves so that similar products are highlighted in the same section.

By the time I break to get a coffee and a scone, I’ve worked up a light sweat and am panting.

Just as I’m about to dig into my little reward treat for such good work thus far, the door creaks open, even though I know the sign on the window says we’re closed.

The bell rings over top of it, and in walks my roommate. The roommate who I definitely didn’t fantasize about when I heard the shower water running through the walls this morning.

I woke this morning with a pounding headache and dry mouth. I almost forgot why I didn’t go out in college more, but then I have nights like last evening, and I remember I hate starting my day this way. Even now, I still feel the dull pulse at my temples, and it throbs just enough to be annoying and keep me from harder work.

What’s worse is that Evan drove me home last night, and I don’t remember it. Or much of the last hours at the bar. I feel ashamed for getting that drunk, as I always do with that much alcohol in my system, because I don’t know if I embarrassed myself.

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