An Annual Surprise

The bookshop discoveries always held some unusual at this time of year ...

WHAT are you doing for Christmas?" Belinda asked.

"Christmas Day with my parents, then Boxing Day with Doug's," I replied.

I sipped the takeaway coffee I'd just bought from Belinda's bakery.

"We got our Christmas shopping done on Monday.

Now all we have to do is wrap the presents." "Lucky you," Belinda replied, placing a tray of mince-pies in the display cabinet. "I haven't started yet. Are you organising the Secret Santa this year?" I was flat-out I hesitated.

 

in the lead-up to Christmas with running my secondhand bookshop, and with the various activities Doug and I had coming up.

We had tickets for "The Nutcracker" tomorrow night, and a couple of parties next weekend.

But organising Secret Santa would give me a chance to catch up with the other Haweshill shopkeepers.

"Definitely," I confirmed.

"Great," Belinda replied.

"Tell them that the party's here after we've all closed on Christmas Eve." I carried my coffee back to An Open Book.

Frost sparkled on the pavement and I was glad of the drink to warm me up.

Today I planned to decorate the bookshop for Christmas.

Sustained by the delicious buttery croissants I'd bought at the bakery, I set about making An Open Book look festive.

Between customers, I spent the morning arranging lights around the window, decorating the tree near the counter, and sorting out Christmas books for a window display.

I was about to pause for lunch when the door opened and a silver-haired man entered, carrying a box of books.

"You buy books, don't you?" he asked.

When I nodded, he put the box on the counter.

"Great. I thought about selling them online, but there's so much to do, what with the move and Christmas coming up fast.