The Book Waitress (Book 1, The Book Waitress Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

shape ever from all the walking she’d be doing while on the island .
    Never had shopping been such a pleasure. It could have been her hunger talking, but they had everything she needed and it all looked scrumptious. Before sh e knew it, her cart was filled.
    “Would you like help out to your car?”
    Her fantastic shopping trip just went down the toilet . She thought briefly to drive her car to the island , but something about keeping it in her driveway at home solidified in her mind that this transfer would be temporary. And when she found out how close everything was to each other, it seemed silly to bring her car only to drive a minute down the road . However, s he didn’t anticipate the shopping . How would she get her groceries back to the house ? Call a cab? Possibly, but that would be silly as she lived just down the street. Maybe, they w ould let her wheel the cart home if she promised to give it back.
    “Um, actually, I don’t have a car. Quit e frankly, I don’t know what I should do. Do you think maybe I can walk the cart to my house and return it? I only live down the street a bit . A five minute walk. ”
    The cashier gave her a strange look, as though people didn’t ask that question all the time . She didn’t think it ridiculous at all to borrow the cart for a short walk home.
    “I’ll have to ask my manager. I’ll be right back.” As she walked over to Customer Service, Camille leaned against the stack of bottled water and stared at her forlorn cart of groceries. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave here without you.”
    “Are you talking to your food? ” Derek asked as he ambled over to her with a few bags in his hands.
    “ You know what they say about people who talk to their food , don’t you ?” She walked over to her cart and pulled out a box of Goldfish from one of her bags.
    “ No, what?”
    She tore into the box and shoved a handful of crackers into her mouth. “They’re hungry.”
    Derek chuckled. “Good one. Are you waiting for someone or are you just exhausted from the shopping workout you’ve had? Geez, I don’t think I’ve seen a cart so loaded since I lived with my parents.”
    “Are you calling me a pig, Derek?” She stared him down with a look she’d patented years ago. The look that said, “Gimme your best shot. I’ll still win.”
    His eyes widened and he waved her off. “No! No, I didn’t mean it like that. I just thought that’s a lot of food for one person and … . ”
    She rested a hand on her hip. “So you’re calling me a hoarder now? ” His face , as pale as it had been, turned even whiter.
    “Oh , God! T his conversation has gotten way out of control. I’m sorry. I … . ” She couldn’t hold her laughter in any longer.
    “I’m busting your chops, Derek. Relax.”
    He hung his head and then looked up at her with a sparkl ing gaze and a dimpled grin .
    “Nice, Camille. Real nice.”
    “Hey, when you got it, you got it .”
    “ And you got it all right.” They laughed together, and she completely forgot why she had been standing amongst the cases of water.
    The cashier returned to refresh her memory. “I’m sorry, but store policy is the carts have to stay here.” She didn’t wait for Camille’s response, but instead, returned to her register.
    “ That bites.” She nibbled on her bottom lip, trying to come up with another solution.
    “What’s the matter?”
    “I left my car on the mainland, thinking I wouldn’t need it for anything. Well, h ere’s ‘ anything ’ , and I need it. How am I going to get these groceries home? A cab is just silly. I only live down the road a bit. ” She took another handful of crackers before she fainted from hunger.
    “I got my car right outside.” He jiggled his keys in the air. “I’ll tak e you and your groceries home.”
    “You would do that for me? But y ou barely know me.”
    “Your name’s Camille. You’re a librarian who loves having a stocked kitchen. I can tell that if you don’t