Fairy Tales and Cappuccinos (Everyday Love #1) - Taylor Rylan Page 0,26

it and get it ready for the grand opening. I love the idea of having it be the Friday after Thanksgiving. It’s the official kickoff of the shopping season, and around here that means…”

“Tourist season.”

“That too,” I chuckled. “But we’re killing it with the front window display, and your sales are up fourteen percent in store, and I can’t keep up with the online sales.”

Hudson sighed. “So maybe I should close shop and just sell online.”

I glared at Hudson. Harshly. “No. You should do both, and I’ll tell you why. Like any tourist town, Pleasant Grove will have its influx of tourists during peak seasons. But in the off-seasons, you’ll rely on locals more than anything. That’s where your online presence picks up. If you already have a customer base, all the better.”

We weren’t selling new stock online. Just older books that, although new, had been in the store for several years. Silvia had a fondness for romances, and although they had their own following, they needed to be moderated.

“Yeah, okay.”

“Good. Now, what did the teens want?” I asked, changing the subject. It worked because Hudson turned around and looked at the door.

“Oh, they wanted to know if I received a new shipment of comic books in yet. I told them no.” Hudson took a deep breath, and when he let it out, he bit his bottom lip before he looked back at me. “I don’t want to become a comic book store. I wanted to add comic books to Fairy Tales, but I don’t want it to overtake the store.”

“So it won’t.” I tugged on Hudson’s arm, pulling him along with me to over to the counter where I had my laptop set up. The contact sent tingles through my fingers, but they stopped as soon as I let go. “Small-town bookstores have charm, and yours has plenty of that. And I’m not just referring to the owner. But comic books have their place. This isn’t a comic book store. You have books for your customer base.” I clicked on a PowerPoint I’d been working on since I’d gotten here.

“What’s that?” Hudson asked. He leaned forward from behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder. When his hands landed on my hips, I struggled to focus.

“It’s your store and everything it involves. Remember, this is what I do. Marketing and public relations. It’s my job to make clients look good.”

“Except I’m not paying you for that. You’re my clerk. You help around the store.”

“I do that too. But this is actually a fun thing for me. It’s why I majored in these fields. I enjoy doing this sort of thing—when I’m not under so much stress and pressure from my dad, that is.”

I clicked on the presentation and started showing Hudson what I’d put together for Fairy Tales. “Okay, here we are. This is your shop, Fairy Tales. You have a few key groups of customers.” I clicked to the next slide.

“You have your older generation. These are what I’d assume were your grandma’s friends and people who have been coming here for decades.”

“Yeah, mostly I think. I mean, I wouldn’t necessarily consider them close friends of mine. There are only a few of Grandma’s closest friends left.”

“Yes, but they have children that I’d put in this category.” I clicked to the next slide, changing it from the group to what they were looking for. “They’re into knitting, crocheting, craft-type things. Cookbooks are also good for this group because they have more time to bake, and although they have tried-and-true recipes memorized, they’re not above trying new things to impress the ladies at quilting club. These are the people that are still reading all of those romance books Silvia was so fond of,” I said as I pointed out each bullet. Hudson nodded in agreement.

“Next you have your teenagers and young adults. I wouldn’t necessarily say they’re your second-biggest paying group, but they’re large in numbers.”

“They are. The fifteen-to-twenty-five age are in here a lot.” Hudson’s right hand wrapped around to my stomach and gently pulled me back into him. His body was hard and warm behind me, and I was having difficulties keeping a clear enough head to focus on the presentation. With a quick breath, I found my spot and continued on.

“Young adults, yes. They’re going to be in here more with the coffee counter in place. They drink coffee, and if they can do it while browsing for their next book, they’re likely to pick something