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If you don't know where you want to go, Then it doesn't matter which path you take.
Lucky.
That’s what she felt like as she headed towards the little shop she could call her own. Last night hadn’t been that much of a mess that she’d felt completely drained of energy. Though the siren song her bed had sung nearly got her. Still, she’d managed to avoid it just long enough to shower, tend to her lovely cats, and grab something to eat while heading out. Sheer will and the coffee half-gone in her hands was the only thing keeping her on her feet. But hell if she wasn’t determined to check in on her store.
The front door let out a soft ring as it swung open. Immediately a small, but genuine, smile found its way onto her face. She’d spent a decent amount on this place: thankfully it showed. Hardwood floors. Dark wooden bookcases. A nice little spot for reading or holding the weekly book club’s meetings. Home. She immediately felt at ease. It was a good feeling.
A greeting from one of the older employees she’d hired drew her attention back in. The smile on her face widened considerably. ”Morning Martha. Looks like I beat the morning rush.” She joked, stepping further in. Though she could already tell from the look in the older woman’s eyes that a scolding was inbound. It was just her luck some of the staff were actually aware of her schedule, and cared.
”Don’t worry: I’ll be heading home to get some sleep soon.” She promised with a small chuckle. ”Just wanted to check in. Last night wasn’t too bad.” With her excuse given- accepted or not -Josalyn continued throughout the store. They’d gotten a new shipment in to update and refill the selection, and she wanted to see it. As she went through, she threw one last tease behind her. ”Besides, if worst comes to worst I could just sleep in the nook, right?”
It was as she glanced back to no doubt receive another look from the older woman that she spotted someone else actually in the store. The sight was enough to pause her step. Someone else was actually here this early? Interesting. She didn’t even realize curiosity was making her glance a stare.
Early mornings were something Natalie was familiar with. It allowed her to get a head start on her day before heading to the academy. She'd already gone for a run, cleaned up and was ready to go. With the spare time she had left, a trip to the local bookstore seemed like the best way to spend it. Her current read was quickly running out of pages, and she surprisingly didn't have another book lined up.
Her dogs were waiting patiently outside as she scrolled through the titles with no real rush to finding something in particular. Every now and then, she would hook a finger on the spine of a book and read the synopsis. So far, nothing had stuck out too much.
Natalie had just put a book back when she noticed someone staring at her in her peripheral vision. Turning to face her, she offered a warm smile. "Good morning. I'm sorry, am I in your way?" Immediately, she stepped to the side, assuming that the blonde was looking for something in particular.
If you don't know where you want to go, Then it doesn't matter which path you take.
IIt was a refreshing change when eyes met and didn’t immediately dart away. In fact she even got a smile and manners as well. Refreshing indeed.
A smile easily returned to her face as she let out a little laugh. ”Ah, good morning. No, sorry. You’re not in my way.” She answered with a small shake of her head. ”I’m just not used to seeing anyone else in here this early. Usually it’s just me keeping the staff company.” Sometimes whether they liked it or not. Though she didn’t admit as much out loud, the corners of her lips twitched upwards at the passing thought.
Only now she found herself curious. Faces at the bar were something she memorized- more out of habit than anything. Yet Josalyn only knew of a very select few that actually came to the bookstore. Since the other woman had seemed friendly enough, she supposed it wouldn’t be a problem to ask. ”Do you come here often?” Josalyn went back to looking over some of the books lined on the shelves, but there was a more interesting subject to possibly find out about.
It seemed that the blonde woman wasn't seeking a particular book, and when she replied Natalie looked to the watch on her wrist. It was relatively early, but she just smiled with a little shrug. "I'm a bit of a morning person," she explained with a little laugh. The woman sounded as if she were a regular customer by the way she spoke. It was nice to see people supporting local shops over the big name companies.
Her footing returned towards the books that had originally caught her attention, but dark eyes settled on the person talking to her. "Oh, yes. I always come here when I'm looking for a new read." Though she wouldn't be sure if often was the best word to describe it, given she could only read so fast. "You sound like you're in here almost every day."
If you don't know where you want to go, Then it doesn't matter which path you take.
A morning person. It had been a while since she'd met one of those. Longer still since she'd even dreamed of being one herself. Night suited her just fine.
A pleased quirk came to the smile still on her face at the woman's response. So this was a regular. It was nice to see her little side project was actually getting some business. Though she could see that much from the actual revenue, meeting a customer was nicer than staring at numbers.
Her following question nearly made Josalyn spit out the drink she brought to her lips. Fortunately she was quick enough to catch it beforehand, masking the near-mistake with a swallow. "Oh, I try to be." She answered with a little bit of a chuckle. She couldn't help but be amused. the other woman definitely didn't know who she was talking to, but then again Josalyn had never made her ownership of the store a big deal. "But my job usually keeps me up late, so I can't always come in. And when I do, they," With a finger extending out from her cup, Josalyn gestured towards the front counter with a little fond smirk, "Usually tell me to go get some sleep. Good for my health and all that. They're sweethearts, really."
She shook her head once more before sipping on her coffee. "Though I always make sure to make the club meetings." Those she wouldn't miss for the world; exhaustion be damned. As she said it, she glanced back towards Natalie. She certainly had never seen the other woman amongst the group. That was a face that would be hard to forget. "Have you heard about the book club they have here? I know I've never seen you in one of our weekly meetings before, and I usually don't forget a face."
Oblivious that she was speaking to the owner, Natalie just assumed that the blonde haired woman was some dedicated book reader. That, or she seemed to enjoy the company of those that worked there. Either way, she smiled at her. She thought to say something about getting an appropriate amount of sleep being good for your health, but given the erratic nature of her sleeping pattern over the last few weeks, the trainer fell silent.
Instead, her attention was caught on what sounded to be a weekly book club. Her eyebrows shot up with curiosity. "Oh, I hadn't realized there was a book club here. That's so wonderful." She said genuinely. It was great to have something to bring people together like that. "What are you currently reading, if you don't mind my asking?"
If you don't know where you want to go, Then it doesn't matter which path you take.
It wasn’t too surprising that the other woman hadn’t realized the book club existed. Most news of the club was passed via word-of-mouth rather than any posters or bulletins. Maybe she ought to change that. ”It’s a fun group. Gives most of them a valid excuse to get out of the house and away from their kids, if they have them. I’m sure the kids appreciate the breather too.” She chuckled. Most, if not all the members were older in age. Plenty were even parents, or grandparents. Regardless, Josalyn always enjoyed their company for many reasons.
”For this week we actually ended up with something a little more classic. We’re reading the ‘Crooked House’ by Agatha Christie. From what I’ve read so far, it’s fairly interesting.” It was detective fiction, which proved intriguing all on its own. Perhaps in a vaguely ironic way for Josalyn personally, but it wasn’t like she’d get into that. ”There was also apparently a movie adaptation of the novel, so we’re likely to watch that in our next meeting. It’s becoming something of a tradition for us now if any novels we read have movies made after them.” She let out an amused huff. "For better or worse, I suppose.”
Blue eyes had turned back to scan over the books before them. Perusing for any books that just might work as the next novel for their little club. Though she was always conscious of the other woman’s presence. ”You know,” she began, ”If you’re interested, you could easily join. The others are really quite friendly and welcoming to new members. They even bring snacks most of the time.” She added, looking back at Natalie with another small smile.
The talk of a book club certainly peaked Natalie's interest, so much that her gaze fell completely away from the lines of titles she had been previously staring at. She turned to properly face the woman, eyebrows rising upwards at the title offered. She hadn't read the book, but she did enjoy the other Agatha Christie novels that she had read before. And the idea of watching the movie sounded fun enough too. Were it not for the invite, she would have asked to join herself.
"That sounds lovely," Natalie nodded. "What nights do you meet? I think it's something I'd really enjoy. Not to mention, it would bring me in here more." And that seemed to be of interest to the blonde. She extended her hand outwards. "I'm Natalie, by the way."
If you don't know where you want to go, Then it doesn't matter which path you take.
Looks like the club was getting a new member. Josalyn couldn’t help but be pleased, her smile growing just a bit wider. ”Always nice to see more people around here.” She replied with an amused little huff. ”We meet on Fridays at 7pm, though we usually actually get started around 7:30. If you can make it this coming Friday, I’d be happy to help introduce you to everyone.”
Speaking of introductions: she finally got a name to put with a face. Natalie. She’d planned on asking for it at some point. Would be a little hard to introduce someone to the rest of the club if Josalyn didn’t even know her name herself. Turning to fully face the other woman, she shifted the cup to another grasp before taking the proffered hand. She gave it a gentle but firm shake. ”Pleased to meet you, Natalie. I’m Josalyn, but feel free to call me Josie. The others usually do.”
With that she dropped the woman’s hand once more and took another sip of her coffee. To be honest, she was starting to forget she even had it. The coolness of it was evidence enough. But she couldn’t help but be distracted. ”So I just have to ask,” Her eyes glanced once again towards the books around them before settling back, ”What kind of book were you looking for today?” They were just talking about a book club.
It was pleasant to find meet someone so enthusiastic about books. The woman seemed eager to be actively participating in a weekly book club, and it was that cool enthusiasm that made it so easy to make the decision to join. Friday evenings. She was sure she could make that work. "I don't see why I wouldn't be able to make it," Natalie answered after a moment of thought. There was only one thing that was likely to keep her from going, but thus far she hadn't any plans with her lawyer friend.
When Natalie's hand was taken, she her own grip was light. Gentle, much like her personality. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Josie." Natalie smiled genuinely, letting her hand fall to the wayside.
"Oh, nothing in particular. I was thinking of just a fun novel - but maybe I'll grab that Crooked House and see what I can get out of it by Friday." She humored the thought aloud.
If you don't know where you want to go, Then it doesn't matter which path you take.
It was a nice change of pace for the bartender to meet someone who seemed so naturally kind. She had a feeling that she would get along more than just fine with the other members of the club. A welcome member indeed.
The answer she got made her smile widened for a second. ”If that’s the case I could help you find it. Just give me one moment.” If Natalie didn’t seem adverse to the idea, Josalyn would head walk off temporarily. Considering she’d designed the layout, it wouldn’t take very long at all for her to find the right section. Especially since she’d needed to go there herself for the book. Soon enough she’d return, book in hand, to give to Natalie.
Since she didn’t seem too annoyed to answer questions, Josalyn dared to ask a few more. ”Any particular book types you enjoy? Romance, tragedy, science-fiction, so on and so forth.”
And like that, it was decided. Natalie gave a small smile and nod, and suddenly the woman disappeared. Briefly, she thought to follow her, but instead she settled where she was, eyes landing back on the titles as she scanned through them, hands settling against her jeans while waiting. Though it wasn't long before the blonde returned with the book in question. "Thank you so much." Her eyes lit up as she took it, looking at the cover image and thumbing through the pages a little bit.
Natalie's nose scrunched as she gave time to the question asked of her. She never really realized that she settled on a particular genre, but she quickly reviewed some of her favorite titles in her mind, seeing it she could find a pattern within itself. "I suppose I enjoy a little bit of surrealism, but it can be tied to a number of things." She hadn't considered how difficult it was to pinpoint an exact genre. "You seem like quite the avid reader; what do you enjoy?"
If you don't know where you want to go, Then it doesn't matter which path you take.
Josalyn gave a little nod in response to the thanks she received. Otherwise her eyes scanned over the backs again while Natalie pondered her question. She had just pulled out a book to read over the back when there was answer.
Surrealism. Interesting. It wasn't a choice she often heard when she asked that type of question. A question that was soon being turned back on her. Fair enough. "Me? Well, I've always been interested in crime novels. Or ones with a bit of mystery." For a moment her smile changed into a smirk. "Although, if I'm being honest..." She trailed off as the book in hand was returned to its spot.
Then she turned to look back at Natalie with something of a mischievous half-grin on her face. "I also enjoy trashy romance novels. Something about them just makes me laugh. Especially when one of them gets picked for our club to dissect. The trashier the better in that case." The admission came with a low chuckle and a shake of Josalyn's head. "I suppose it's more of a guilty pleasure than anything."
With her new book firmly in hand, there wasn't reason to find another title just yet, especially if she wanted to get a good chunk in before Friday evening. Though that didn't stop the trainer from still browsing; she still had plenty of time before she had to make her way to the academy for her workday, and the company she had found was pleasant within itself. Her answer drew a nod out of Natalie; the current book they were reading must have made her happy, given Agatha Christie's specialty in the genre.
It was a surprise to hear her expand on romance novels, and Natalie couldn't help the way she laughed at the explanation given. It was so honest. "I've admittedly never dived into romance novels." At least, not the kind she assumed Josie was talking about. It had never piked her interest, and she wondered now that if it had anything to do with her recent realization in life. "I've always wondered if they were as bad as I assumed they were."
If you don't know where you want to go, Then it doesn't matter which path you take.
The blonde let out a short laugh at that. "Oh believe me, some of them are." She assured, half-grin still in place. "For some of them you could replace either protagonist with pieces of cardboard and I'm sure you'd get just as much emotional investment out of their characters. Plus I could probably cover a wall if I had to make a tally for each ''love triangle' I've found." They certainly were no literary masterpieces, but that was probably one of the reasons she enjoyed them so much. It was too much fun to riff on them after.
"Some can be surprisingly good though." Expections to the rule existed. Every now and then she'd come across a hidden gem that, while still trashy in its own right, had a fairly good story within. "They even have honest-to-god plot going on occasionally. Miracles really can happen." She joked with another chuckle.
"But it's definitely not something everyone would enjoy, I'll admit. I just get a laugh out of it." With a shrug she tested her coffee again. By now it had officially gotten lukewarm, making the taste not nearly as good. She'd previously needed it to stay awake, but now? The presence of decent company was doing the job well enough. "So: why surrealism? I haven't heard that answer often."
