Is this some kind of charm? Holland laughed inwardly. The man from yesterday had returned. She reached up and prodded the brim of her newsboy hat, which concealed most of her hair beneath it. Or maybe it’s my second tag?
She’d been restocking some shelves in the children’s section around noon when the door had opened. She had turned to see who it was because no one ever came in at this time of day. The shock had caused her to almost drop the book she’d been holding.
His brown hair was a bit disheveled, but in a way that made it look like the latest trend. It reminded Holland of whipped chocolate. There was a man beside him who looked like he’d just walked in on a wedding by mistake. He ran his hand through his auburn hair nervously.
When the man from yesterday saw her, he smiled. He turned to his friend and pointed in her direction before they both walked over.
“Can I help you find anything?” She asked on a reflex.
The man with auburn hair scowled. “Ry, that’s a guy. You know that, right?”
The man from before wasn’t really paying attention to his friend, so when he answered, it was a little unsure. “Uh, yeah, but he’ll work.”
Holland frowned. “Excuse me, are you gentlemen looking for anything in particular?”
“Actually, yes.” The man said. “I’d like your help with something.” He turned to his friend. “Tucker, can I speak to him alone for a second?”
The second man nodded and walked over to the self-help section.
“What can I help you with?” She tried again.
“I need your help to trick my father.” The man looked at her as if she were a small child. “I need you to pretend to be my fiancée.”
Holland squinted and crossed her eyes. It was a habit she adopted whenever she was trying to understand how two things could be related. It was in this moment of intense concentration that she noticed the man’s clothes.
She wasn’t entirely sure, but she thought his shirt might be made of silk and she remembered seeing a five-hundred pound note in his wallet when he’d paid for the book the other day. “Couldn’t you just pay an actor to do that?” Then, remembering his friend’s wards, added. “A girl actor?”
“They wouldn’t let go very easily.” He clarified. “I need someone to pretend to marry me, then get a divorce, and never speak to me again.”
Holland shrugged. “So? Wouldn’t anyone do that?”
“The thing is…” He hesitated. “Not everyone will be willing to give up the life of being married to a Lord.”
“But, if it’s not real, it’s not real.” She cut in. “They shouldn’t stick around if it’s just for money and not love.”
He smiled. “And that’s why I think you could be perfect.”
“Excuse me.” His friend said from a display near the counter. “These books. Why are they separate from the others in their genres?”
“Oh.” Holland blushed and averted her eyes. “Uh, those are by a local author, so I just kept them together. I’m trying to promote local talent.”
***
Ryan walked over to the display Tucker was talking about and picked up a book. Gone Tomorrow by Holland Oliver Hope. He smirked. “Local talent? This a sister of yours, or something?”
Oliver, the boy he’d talked to the day prior, flushed and pretended to be busy with shelving books. “No.” He said quietly. “It’s me.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a girl’s name?”
Oliver turned on him with an icy glare. “Holland can be a boy’s name, too! You can’t just go around making assumptions!”
Without thinking, Ryan put the book down and walked behind the counter. There, he found what he was looking for. He picked up a key on a long chain and turned to the back door. “Is this where you live, too?”
“Customers aren’t allowed behind the counter, sir.” Oliver suddenly went back to being serious. “I’d appreciate it if you’d go back to the store.”
Ryan turned and saw that the boy had taken a seat on the chair behind the counter. He seemed quite at home in the small shop, which made Ryan a little jealous. Here was a boy who had no family, but seemed content with his life. Ryan had a large family and a secure future, and still, the boy sitting in front of him seemed to be happier.
“I would pay you for your services.” Ryan struck up the old conversation.
“Back to that, are you?” Oliver sighed. “Look, I don’t want your money. I can support myself fine.”
“600 pounds a day.” Ryan saw the boy twitch at the amount. “I noticed that you’ve been debating orders.” He gestured to the catalogue with two books circled in red. “You could buy them both for the shop.”
***
Holland could barely breathe. Six hundred pounds?! She ran a few quick calculation in her head. That’s almost a thousand dollars back home! And a day?! “I… I…” She stumbled over the words. “Isn’t that a bit much?” She took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. “You could probably get a prostitute to do it for half that.”
“But they wouldn’t do the job right.” The man’s friend, Tucker, cut in. “Ry needs someone who can act, not—”
“Okay, I get it!” Holland yelled, jumping up. There was a crashing sound as the chair toppled to the floor. “So, why are you so stubborn about this?! At the risk of sounding passé: why me?”
Tucker just stared at the space behind her, at a loss of words. Confused, she turned around and saw that, when she’d stood up, the chair had knocked the other man into the back door. He was a bit dazed and would probably have a headache for a few days. “That’s why.” He finally said.
“Huh?” Holland said at the same time Tucker guffawed and breathed “What?”.
“It can’t be just anyone.” He clarified, rubbing his head. “They need to have confidence and put their whole heart into it. And you’re a perfect example.”
“I’m putting my whole heart in it,” She agreed, “but I’m questioning and I’m about to refuse.” She picked up the chair and helped the man to his feet. “Besides, I can tell you come from a high-class family. Shouldn’t you find a lady?”
He sighed. “Alright, I see we won’t get anywhere with this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “Come see me tomorrow at this address.” He turned to the door, then stopped. Then he grabbed the book from the display and put it on the counter.
Holland rolled her eyes, but rung it up anyway.
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