Chapter 9: A Lesson in Books
501 Words
Emma should have known Aiden had no idea what he was doing.
The next morning, she found him standing in the fiction aisle, staring at the bookshelves with the same confusion as someone trying to decipher ancient text.
She crossed her arms. “You have read a book before, right?”
Aiden glanced at her with a smirk. “Of course. Scripts count, don’t they?”
Emma groaned. “Unbelievable.”
Lily, who was organizing the front counter, called out, “I’d pay good money to see Aiden Carter struggle with literature.”
Aiden sighed dramatically. “You two have no faith in me.” He grabbed a random book off the shelf and flipped it open. “Let’s see… The Art of Beekeeping. Sounds thrilling.”
Emma snatched the book from his hands. “First of all, that’s non-fiction. Second, you are not recommending a beekeeping book at a signing.”
He grinned. “Why not? Maybe I have a hidden passion for bees.”
Emma ignored that. “If you’re going to do this, you should at least recommend something good.”
Aiden leaned against the bookshelf. “Alright, expert. Educate me.”
Emma sighed and pulled a book from the shelf. “Fine. Let’s start with something simple. The Night We Met. It’s a contemporary romance—charming, emotional, and has great character development.”
Aiden eyed the cover. “So, this is the kind of stuff you like?”
Emma hesitated. “I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite, but it’s a solid recommendation.”
He smirked. “Not much of a romantic, huh?”
She shot him a look. “Are you planning on picking a book or just standing here teasing me all day?”
Aiden laughed, then reached for another book at random. “Alright, what about this one?”
Emma glanced at the title and barely held back a groan. The Billionaire’s Secret Mistress.
“No.” She grabbed it from him. “Absolutely not.”
Aiden chuckled. “You don’t approve of steamy billionaire romances?”
“I don’t approve of you recommending them.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. What do you suggest, then?”
Emma scanned the shelf before pulling out another book. “Try this—The Wanderer’s Diary. It’s a coming-of-age novel about self-discovery.”
Aiden flipped through the pages. “This actually looks interesting.”
Emma crossed her arms. “See? Not all books are about secret mistresses and bee colonies.”
Aiden chuckled. “Alright, Miss Bookstore Owner, you win. I’ll take this one.”
Lily peeked over the counter. “Look at you two bonding over books. It’s adorable.”
Emma shot her a glare. “We are not bonding.”
Aiden smirked. “She’s in denial.”
Emma groaned. “I don’t get paid enough for this.”
Aiden grinned. “Good thing I’m working for free.”
Emma wasn’t sure how she was going to survive this book signing.
- Writer
