The Boy with the Bookstore

by Sarah Echavarre Smith

“You know, I am so sick of books written by wanky dead white guys a million years ago still being thought of as sacred, when in reality they’re boring as hell to read.”

“God, I hate how expecting to meet a decent man is seen as a fantasy,” Whitney says. “Like, is it too much to ask for a sweet, thoughtful, respectful, well-groomed, and honest guy?” I let out a sad chuckle. “I guess so.” Whitney shakes her head. “The bar is so damn low. All a dude has to do to be seen as a dream guy in this modern dating hellscape is to be halfway decent.