Story: Love Between the Lines

Prompt: "Stop harassing our customers with mistletoe, not everyone wants to fall in love in a bookstore!"

"Actually, that's what everyone wants"

Couple: Emilie x Fionn

***

Three weeks before Christmas and MaCleod's Book Emporium was teeming with wintry spirit. I smiled as I wrapped another set of books in brown packaging, tying off the stack with red, white, and green ribbon.

"Happy holidays!" I called out after the customer. The sting of cold air tickled my nose as they left the store, whisking the door open and letting in a delightful swirl of the outdoors.

The peaceful moment didn't last too long, however, punctuated by grunts from my fiance as he struggled to carry more stacks of books than I cared to count from the back room.

"Em," he huffed, nearly tripping over his feet, "do you think you can give me a hand."

I grabbed a few from the top of the stack, one of the covers catching my eye. "Oooh I didn't know we got a new shipment of these!" I whirled around.

"Emilie!" Fionn grunted again, and this time the stack of books did fall over.

"Oops." I bit my lip. "Sorry, let me help with these. I didn't even realize you were here, we've been so busy, I thought you were still out running errands."

"I got back a bit ago," Fionn replied, finally relieved of the stack of books. "Been working on some new sketches in the back, but I have to restock now because apparently everyone loves Finley. D'ya think you can give me a hand here?"

The twinkle in his eyes told me he was teasing and knew I would love nothing more than to cuddle with some new romance novels.

I leaned up on my toes and kissed him. "Absolutely. Take the desk? I'll start restocking."

"You better be actually restocking this time," he said in a mock warning. "Not like last time when I found you ten chapters deep after putting you in charge for an hour."

"Can you blame me?" I scoffed. "You know I love Finley's books."

"More than me apparently." Fionn bopped my nose. "I love you, bookworm."

I smiled at him. "I love you too, Grinch."

We switched roles for a while, with me stocking shelves and Fionn the cheery face that greeted our customers coming out of the cold for some warmth and a good book. The back part of the ship was under construction, as Fionn had decided adding an extension in the form of a coffee shop was going to be a secondary money-maker.

And how many people could say their fiance designed their place of work?

"How do you feel about hanging up some more decorations?" I called out to Fionn during a slow period when we didn't have too many customers.

As I rummaged in the back, I found a bag labeled 'Mistletoe'. The corners of my mouth turned up into a smile. The ideas were brewing and I just hoped Fionn would forgive me for my mischievous alter ego.

***

Cheers erupted as another duo was caught beneath the hanging green leaves that were hidden around the shop.

"That was so sweet," Catriona, Fionn's best friend from childhood and my former college pen pal, said. "Just be lucky Fionn isn't here right now. He'd bug out if he saw it."

I laughed. "I'm betting on it. I have plans."

"I'm sure you do." She bumped me with her hip and jutted her chin in the direction of the next couple who walked in.

I glanced over as the couple giggled while the man dipped the woman under the mistletoe, peppering her cheeks with kisses.

"Oy for goodness sakes, Emilie!" Fionn called out to me, fast-walking over and crossing his arms over his chest. "Stop harassing the customers with mistletoe."

Catriona and I stood next to each other like two mischievous children caught in the midst of mischief.

"Come off it, Finnegan," Catriona said, using her affectionate nickname for my fiance that she'd called him since they were kids. "She's just havin' a bit o' fun." Whenever Cat talked with Fionn, her natural Scottish accent came out.

"Maybe so, but this is our place of business, Em," he scolded. "Not everyone wants to fall in love in a bookstore."

"Actually," I said, stepping closer and wrapping my arms around him. "That's what everyone wants. Without that, I would've never met you."

Fionn clucked his tongue. "I guess I can make an exception for you then." He glanced up at the ceiling. "And would you look at that, we're under the mistletoe, courtesy of you."

"I guess it's good for something," I said. "Kiss me?"

Fionn grinned. "You? Always."

My fiance spun me around, holding tightly to my waist, and dipped me in the middle of the bookstore. We were surrounded by random patrons who'd gathered during our conversation and who now cheered as we kissed beneath the mistletoe with Catriona throwing gobs of cotton at us and yelling "pretend it's snow!"

I broke from the kiss, burying my head in Fionn's chest and laughing.

"Let's close up early," Fionn murmured in my ear. "I deserve more than a minute with you under the mistletoe."

I squeezed his hand. "Lucky for you, you get a lifetime with me."