The Christmas Bookshop(34)

Emily had left to get coffee, and they were alone in the shop.

‘Are you all right?’ said Carmen wonderingly.

‘Don’t I look all right?’

‘You did two minutes ago,’ said Carmen. ‘Now you’re lying down in a shop.’

‘Uh, jet lag?’

‘I’ve had jet lag,’ said Carmen. ‘I could still lift my own head.’

He sighed.

‘Well, bully for you.’ He looked up at her suddenly. ‘Is there anywhere really cosy and lovely to eat around here?’

‘There are loads of places to eat around here,’ said Carmen. ‘I’m sure Emily will know them.’

His face fell.

‘I’ve spent thirty-five hours with Emily and I have another four days to go.’

Carmen raised her eyebrows.

‘Professionally,’ he mumbled into his hoodie. ‘Please. Could we go? Could you take me? Before she gets back.’

‘Um, I can’t really shut the shop.’

‘Fuck off,’ came the voice. ‘I just trebled your week’s takings and you know it.’

‘Yes but—’

‘Say I forced you into it.’

‘Well, I would have to,’ said Carmen. ‘Seeing as you’re trying to force me into it.’

He glanced up then.

‘Do you want me to go full Charming Blair?’

‘Not particularly.’

‘I will, you know. I’ve got low blood sugar and if I don’t get out pretty soon I’m going to throw a tantrum. So let’s try this first.’

She narrowed her eyes at him as he threw himself upright, pulled down the hoodie and shook back his hair. He leaned into her and stared right into her eyes.

‘It would be good and nourishing for the soul, underappreciated bookshop girl, if you were to let me take you out for lunch and add a little lustre to this grey miserable day and of course … ’ He grinned the grin. ‘It would be beyond my honour and pleasure to escort you and treat you.’

‘Is that supposed to be charming?’

‘It is fucking charming! Six million copies’ worth of charming!’

‘I think it’s creepy.’

‘It’s creepy, yes, okay, whatever. Please. Come on. Aren’t you hungry? I haven’t eaten for twenty hours.’

‘Why not?’

‘Calendar shoot.’

Carmen laughed aloud.

‘Seriously?’

‘I know,’ said Blair. ‘Oh well.’

He zipped his hoodie up again and gradually let himself drip back onto the table.

‘Hang on – is the only way I can get you off my cash register going to lunch?’

‘Uh-huh,’ came the muffled voice.

‘Oh, here comes Emily.’

Emily was clip-clopping up the road with a cardboard case full of coffee cups.

‘Oh no! I’m trapped! Please don’t let me do local radio.’

‘I love local radio!’

‘Who cares? Come on, take me out the back way. Come on. Now. Let’s rush.’

He gave her a sarcastic flash of that ridiculous grin. Emily was getting closer, poring over her phone.

‘Oh God, she’s going to tell me to do something extra. And I need some Dutch courage before the hospital. Come. Come. Please!’

He looked up at her then, and his brown eyes were yearning and sincere rather than attempting to be soulful.

‘Oh God,’ said Carmen.

At that point, looking bemused, Mr McCredie bumbled into view. ‘Ah, Carmen … ’

‘Lunch break!’ shouted Blair. ‘We’re just off for lunch break.’ He bounced up from his prone position. ‘I’ll bring her back in an hour … ish.’

‘A lunch break?’ said Mr McCredie, as if he’d said, ‘A swim in an aquarium?’

As he never left the shop himself, Carmen had drawn the conclusion that he couldn’t imagine a reason why anybody would ever want to.

That sealed it. She stepped forwards and looked up at Blair.

‘Seriously?’ he said, not looking at all like the confident salesman of earlier.

‘Hurry up,’ she said.

And at that, he grabbed her arm and ran through the shop just as Emily, still not looking up from her phone, dinged the bell behind them.

‘This place is insane,’ said Blair, tugging her along in the dark. Carmen couldn’t help it, she felt laughter bubbling up inside her, as well as something in the sheer daftness of running away from somebody. They charged up the twisting staircase, Blair pausing – he had hardly noticed it on the way down – to be impressed by Mr McCredie’s sitting room – ‘He has, like a bat cave,’ he breathed. ‘But the bat cave is just, like, mouldy old books. That is excellent!’ – and they charged through the little alleyway door at the end. Blair found himself looking up again.

‘This town is nuts,’ he said, looking at the towering buildings above and below him. ‘Did someone build it? Or did it just grow?’

Carmen didn’t know any restaurants properly around the place, so they went to the one in Blair’s hotel. It was a fish restaurant, extremely smart, in a glass box overlooking the street, with an iced bar full of lobsters and oysters. Carmen looked at them anxiously.