Must Love Books

by Shauna Robinson

“Are you a little bit drunk?” “I would call it tipsy-adjacent.”

“What’s your second job?” “Working in an ice cream shop. I’m an excellent singer.” She lifted a brow just enough to let on that she was teasing. He stopped chewing and delivered a frown. “You are unbelievably cruel.” Nora laughed, swatting the crumpled napkin he threw her way.

It felt like she was letting them in on a secret: books were more important than anything.

A soft smile lit Andrew’s features as he peeled another sticker off the roll and pressed it on her chest. Nora looked down at her stickers with more pride than she’d felt in a while. Was it stupid to be touched by something she bought as a joke? If that was the case, Nora thought, looking from the stickers on her shirt to Andrew and the three stickers he wore with pride, they were both foolish, grinning idiots.

“I was just thinking that…I miss seeing books for what they are, instead of how much money they’ll make.”