The Bookstore Clerk Read Online Free PDF Page A

rarely happened. The feeling was heavenly—then there was a loud rapping at the front door.
“Timmy, can I see you? It’s important.” a voice called.
We broke in frustration from each other.
“That’s Henry, he lives downstairs,” he said, wiping his mouth and pushing himself up.
“Oh, yeah, he was just here looking for you.”
Timmy looked at me.
“Wonder what he wants,” he said, adjusting his clothes and opening the front door.
Henry looked through the door at me, still on the couch, then reddened and turned to Timmy.
“Mom passed away last night; I’m flying to Chicago for the funeral.”
“Oh, my,” said Timmy. “My condolences. I’m so very sorry.” And he put his arm around Henry and said, “Anything you want or need, don’t hesitate to call. You know I’m always here.” He turned to look at me. “Or Billy, he’ll more or less be here, too.”
I stood up from the sofa and went to the doorway.
“Sorry to hear about your mom,” I mumbled.
Henry shrugged.
“The cancer did mom in, but she’d been suffering for the past two years. It’s better that she’s gone; she can rest now.” He nodded his head, turned, and walked down the stairs.
“Anything you want,” Timmy called, “we’re always here.”
I heard Henry mutter something but Timmy just nodded and locked the door. Timmy looked at me and I shrugged.
“Never really knew my own mom,” I said, “I was just a kid when she put me up for adoption.”
I lowered my head; Timmy put an arm about me. He cleared his throat and changed the subject.
“How about spaghetti tonight, kiddo?” he said, unpacking the grocery bag. “And with very nice olive oil.” He looked at a slim bottle he had also retrieved from the bag.
“What, no sauce?”
He looked sternly at me.
“You never had it with olive oil? That’s the sauce, and it’s heavenly!” He put his thumb and first two fingers together and smacked them in a kiss. “Absolutely divine. Just wait till you try it.”
My mouth watered. I smiled.
“Can’t wait.”
We ate our meal, spaghetti with delicious olive oil and garlic—I didn’t think I’d ever eaten such a scrumptious meal and asked for seconds. Timmy quickly ladled it out for me. And the glass of excellent white wine was putting me in a good mood.
“Do anything special today while you were out?”
I shook my head.
“Just walked downtown to my place and had words with the landlord.”
He looked at me.
“Oh, really? Anything bad?”
“He didn’t like that I was leaving.”
“Oh, bosh. So what?”
“He just wanted another twenty-eight dollars. He even stood up and tried to scare me.”
Timmy shook his head.
“Just forget it, that meager amount isn’t worth getting riled over. I know honest money is important, but sometimes it might be best to forget it and go on with your life. How much do you make in the basement?”
“A dollar twenty-five an hour.”
“That’s all? You can make almost double that amount on the selling floor.” He nodded his head. “Just you wait until Monday. I’ll have a word with the upstairs office, you can be sure of that.”
“Wow, they’ve been ripping me off!”
“How much were you supposed to get?”
“That price. I had asked for it and they said yes, so we left it at that, one twenty-five an hour.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll talk to them.”
We’d put the dishes in the sink. Timmy decided to leave them for tomorrow.
“Can’t stand washing dishes after I just ate, can you?”
“I know what you mean, but I never had to do my own dishes. Got my food in cheap restaurants and they washed the dishes for me.” I smirked and shrugged.
He slowly shook his head and put his arm around my shoulder; I snuggled into him.
“You have so much to learn, I can see that.”
I looked up at him.
“You’re the supervisor, but you’re going to be my teacher, too?”
He nodded.
“Certainly, I’ll teach you.”
We kissed.
Making love was beautiful that night; I had never felt the kind of peace and