“Wow, Eurydice, I can’t believe it’s your opening day. When you told me you were going to open a bookstore, I thought you were crazy.”

“People still read, you know .”

“I know, but a paperback costs sixty pounds minimum. My mom told me you could buy a paperback for five quid back in the days.”

“I know, my mother says the same.”

“Where should I put these books, Eurydice?”

“Oh, it’s THE PLAN; it’s the bestseller by Andreas Williams people are expecting it. Put them on the first display in the window.”

“Shit, I’m late, aargh not now,” Braxton said to his vibrating phone before pressing on reply.

“Hello, mom.”

“So did you get it?”

“No, mom, I haven’t had time to find a bookstore to buy Andreas’ book. Can’t I buy it online?”

“No, Braxton, you have to buy the paperback version for Andreas to sign it.”

“Mom, can’t Andreas give us his books for free? I mean we’re family, why do I have to buy them? He’s my brother for goodness sake.”

“It’s called support, Braxton.”

“Mom, you know how expensive books are since that tree cutting ban in 2060.”

“You have a lot of money Braxton, don’t be stingy.”

“I have money, which I would prefer to use to treat someone love to a romantic dinner or a trip around the world.”

“Speaking of which, how’s your heart, love?”

“Mom, don’t worry, I’m not miserable because Susan married my best friend, she wasn’t meant for me. I mean, you are the first person who told me she wasn’t the one.”

“You’re right, love; you’ll find better. I’m sure I can feel it in my bones.”

“Your bones tell you a whole load of rubbish,” Braxton heard his father yell in the background.

Braxton’s mom didn’t have to repeat it; he felt it too. He and Susan were not a match made in Heaven, Braxton knew it the day he presented his best friend Micheal a presenter who worked for Channel 4 to her. The way their gaze meant said it all.

A few months after Susan called it quits with Braxton, saying she felt the man was more a friend than a lover.

The surprise came when drunk as a cow, Michael begged Braxton forgiveness for dating his ex-girlfriend. The news did not shock Braxton, who wished them the best of luck, for something told him this was how things ought to be.

“Anyway, Braxton, get the book and bring it when you come over this weekend. Andreas wants to present his new girlfriend; she’s a model.”

“Yes, mom, I’ll buy the book, and I’ll have it with me when I come over,” Braxton said as he got in his car, wondering where all the flying cars in Blade Runner 2049 were. In the world he lived in, cars were hydraulic, but they still had wheels.

Braxton Williams, a 30-year-old single man. Second son of Alan and Catherine Williams a retired couple who lived in Oxford. Their first son Andreas was the best-selling author, whereas Braxton was a doctor in the children’s ward of Knights Hospital.

The man was happy with the life he led, his job was fulfilling and felt lucky to have loving parents and an older brother he was incredibly proud of having.

Despite all this, Braxton had the sensation he missed something important, and this pained him. The man couldn’t give the syndrome he had a name; all he knew was brokenhearted, which did not have anything to do with his ex-girlfriend’s.

Braxton had crossed three streets when he stopped at a red light; people passed amongst which there was a little girl with the brightest red coat he had ever seen, what was even more surprising was she wore an old fashion beret. Braxton’s eyes followed the girl who ran into what seemed to be a bookstore. It’s my lucky day, thought the man.

At the green light, Braxton pulled over his car parking in front of the bookstore. Good, he thought as he saw his brother’s book displayed on the window, he entered.

The little girl was at the counter talking to the shop owner, who to Braxton was the mostㅡ.

“Beautiful woman,” he murmured.

“Wow, I’m surprised someone your age is interested in Harry Potter.”

“Harry Potter is the best,” replied the girl.

“I’m glad to hear that, you know I wasn’t even born when it came out, and I love it, I think I’ve read it at least fifty times,” the shopkeeper replied under Braxton’s observing eyes.

The little girl smiled, “I bet you have read it at least that much; how much is it?”

Was it irony or sarcasm? Braxton could not distinguish what he detected in the little customer’s answer. All he knew was her reply gave him the urge to pick a quarrel.

“It will be 70 pounds.”

“Wow, that’s cheap,” the girl said with the brightest of grins.

“It’s a special price for you since you’re a fan.”

Please don’t do that; she’s a pest, thought Braxton, who queued up behind the girl to pay.

“Thank you,” the little girl said before turning to glare at Braxton and skipping away with her book.

“Eurydice, where should I put the Dysmorphia trilogy, Old loves die Hard, Lightning Girl, Love You To the moon and back and Stuck with Punk?”

Eurydice leaned a little over the counter to reply to Theresa, who stood in the middle of one of the store’s aisles, “leave them there for the second window display, I’ll do that myself.”

“Eurydice,” Braxton whispered, her parents must like Greek mythology thought the man who stepped up to the counter to pay.

“Hello, sir, did you find what you were looking for?”

“Yes, I think I found something priceless,” Braxton said, looking straight into Eurydice’s eyes, making her lower her gaze to look at the book the man held thinking it was to what he referred to as being priceless.

“Oh, THE PLAN, it’sー.”

“Have you read it?” Braxton asked, twisting the book from back to front in his hands as though it was an unidentified object.

“It’s new, and the critics are good. I’ll read it when I finish setting up the shop.”

“Are youㅡyou here? I mean, did you just open shop?”

“Yes, we just opened. It’s our opening day, actually, and you are our second customer.”

Braxton smiled, “Oh, hope I get a discount.”

Eurydice noted how his freckles appeared and how his cheeks sunk to reveal his dimples. Distracted by his features without knowing, Eurydice was twirling one of her curls around her finger. Braxton observed her without saying a word until she snapped out of her daze, “sorry, it’s a new book and a best seller, it will be 90 pounds, please.”

“90 pounds, this is insane, it’s almost a rip offー.”

Braxton stopped as he saw Eurydice lift an eyebrow.

“Okay,” Braxton emptied his pockets to find his card, which he beeped on the touchpad.

“Thank you, as a gift; I’m offering you a unique Vivre et lire bookmark.”

Braxton seeing the bookmark, was at least 30cm long proceeded to make the bookmark bend by holding the extremities, “thank you, how nice, it looks quite multifunctional, I might use it as a back scratcher, a ruler or a stone slinger.”

The remark which Braxton was sure to irritate had the opposite effect, Eurydice burst into a laughing fit gripping her ribs she giggled to her heart’s content.

Braxton loved how she laughed; he could have stood there all day watching her just as he did when she played with her curls.

“Don’t mind me. It’s the first day, it’s nervous,” Eurydice said almost in tears.

“It’s okay, thank you, I’ll be leaving,” Braxton said.

“Goodbye, sir.”

“Goodbye.”

Braxton walked towards the door, accompanied by Eurydice’s stare. As the door opened, Braxton looked back on the counter, where Eurydice turned away to arrange books on the shelves behind her.

The man sighed and stared at the cover of Andreas’ book. At least he would not go empty-handed to his parent’s house.

As soon as the doctor left, Eurydice sighed with relief. She had held her breath until Braxton walked out of the store