Pick Your Poison, Thursday

[witchoftheflesh]

Adrian knew that he was supposed to be doing work at work, but his sister Colette had just released the next book in her lesbian shifter erotica mystery and Adrian couldn't do anything but read it until he finished. Mostly to make sure that the MC made the right romantic decision, instead of hooking up with her horrible ex, even if she was going to be the next alpha of the neighboring pack.

"Great Forest, Coco, if you have Therese hooking back up with LuAnn and missing out on everything the Christy has to offer, I will cross Groves just to throw this book at your head," he muttered, glaring at the makeout happening on the pages in front of him. "This had better be a scheme to further the investigation of the boarding school, or so help me ..!"

Pick Your Poison was open, but very distracted.

Comments

[joan_of_bark]

After a long walk and some fresh air, Pam returned to the store around noon.

"Still?" she said, amusement in her voice as she closed the door behind her.

[witchoftheflesh]

"Ugh, she's only gotten worse!" Adrian complained. "I'm pretty sure Coco wrote this whole section just to aggravate me, personally."

[joan_of_bark]

"Hm," Pam replied, sliding her hands back into her pockets as she approached him. "I can see why."

[witchoftheflesh]

"Wait, huh?" Adrian asked, glancing up at her from his book. "What do you mean?"

[joan_of_bark]

"You're easy to rile up," Pam said, "And funny when you are aggravated."

In some respects, she was also easy to rile up. It just didn't tend to end well for the other party.

"What did she write this time?" she added.

[witchoftheflesh]

"No, I'm not!" Adrian protested. "I mean...maybe about a few things..."

The environment, slavery, and generally not abusing or exploiting one's fellow people! Perfectly normal things to get upset about.

"And LuAnn and Therese had this whole heated, like, dance sequence," he added, sounding disgusted. "And then LuAnn pretended to talk on the phone in the womens' room about Therese, knowing that Christy was in the last stall."

[joan_of_bark]

And lesbian romance storylines, apparently...

"Sounds like the author likes petty drama," Pam commented. "And women who act like teenagers."

[witchoftheflesh]

Being exasperated by choices characters make was a time-honored tradition, Pamela.

"My sister is in her mid-fifties, I assure you she doesn't like women who act like teenagers," Adrian said. "She does, however, like selling books."

[joan_of_bark]

Pam snorted. "I'd say I can't believe what people are into," she said, "But I can. And I wouldn't be surprised if Harley--"

Well.

She cleared her throat.

"Why keep reading?"

[witchoftheflesh]

"Well, for one thing, it was written by my sister," he said, like that was the only reason he really needed and was surprised that it needed saying. "Of course I'm going to support her. But also because her books are genuinely compelling and entertaining, even when she has everyone making absolutely terrible choices."

[joan_of_bark]

"What I'm hearing is that you're a glutton for punishment," Pam said dryly.

(Also something he had in common with Harley, but she had succesfully ended that thought and didn't want to go back into it.)

[witchoftheflesh]

"I mean, the books themselves are engaging and well-written," he said. "Coco's a really great writer. It's just that the romantic antagonist is the worst."

[joan_of_bark]

"Howso? Besides being extremely loud in bathrooms," Pam said.

She leaned her hip against the counter.

[witchoftheflesh]

"The trifecta of terrible," Adrian said, holding up three fingers. "She's entitled, she's manipulative, and she's spoiled."

[joan_of_bark]

"Sounds like half of the world's population," Pam said dryly. She looked over at him. "I must not be working you hard enough, if you have the time to get this into a novel."

[witchoftheflesh]

Adrian raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that a request that I don't do my reading on the clock?"

It was a reasonable enough request and he'd set the book aside if she said yes, but that was drawing awfully close to passive-aggressiveness.

[joan_of_bark]

And once he knew her better, he'd know that was a sign she didn't actually mean it. But for their current level of acquaintance, it was a reasonable assumption.

"No," Pam said, shooting him an amused look. "It's what I call 'gentle ribbing'. With maybe a spot of jealousy."

[witchoftheflesh]

"Oh." A pause. "...Do you wanna read the first book? I've got them all."

[joan_of_bark]

"It doesn't really sound like my speed," Pam said delicately. "I just... miss being able to get lost in something other than my own problems like that."

That part was wry.

[witchoftheflesh]

"Mmm, yes, too intellectual for the lesbian shifter mystery erotica," he teased. "Far too low-brow." He leaned back in the chair. "What's keeping you from doing just that? Putting your own problems aside for a bit and focusing on something else?"

No judgment, simply asking.

[joan_of_bark]

"The earth is hurting, and I have a responsibility to help," Pam said. "And to avoid doing harm, myself." With that, she pulled away from the counter, moving past him and into the back room to grab some coffee.

And Harley was at least 60% of her impulsivity.

[theworst_verine]

"This is where you work?" Logan, stop making a face, you worked in a book store.

[witchoftheflesh]

"Oh come on!" Adrian snapped, only to glance up a moment later as an actual voice penetrated his bookish haze. "Hmm? Oh! Logan! Hello, yes. Welcome to Pick Your Poison!" He arched an eyebrow. "Here for a bath bomb?"

[theworst_verine]

Read your smut in the off hours!

"A what?"

But also, yes, get him to buy one. It'd be great.

[witchoftheflesh]

Shan't.

"A bath bomb," he repeated, mouth kicking up in the corner a bit. "One of our highest selling items."

Come smell like a princess, Logan!

[theworst_verine]

"Why the hell would I want one of those?"

To smell like a princess, Logan. The narrative just said it. God.

[witchoftheflesh]

Don't pretend like you were too good to be a princess, Logan. Nobody would believe it.

"Because it's a bathing experience," Adrian said with a very solemn nod.

[theworst_verine]

He had the heaving bosom of a princess, that was for sure.

"I think I'm fine without that experience," Logan replied dryly. "Thanks."

[witchoftheflesh]

"Sounds like something a man intimidated by taking a bath would say," Adrian said sadly.

[mustbeawitch]

Lydia's arrival was announced by the bell, if there was such an object, and a, "Good morning, Mr. Blackwood," that was in itself rather distracted, although she did find herself shooting looks toward the counter as she browsed the shelves, trying to see what was so very fascinating. She had always found reading quite dull, herself.

(I love Adrian's sister Colette already.)

[witchoftheflesh]

"Morning, Miss Bennet," Adrian replied, setting his book down to pick up his phone. He called a number, waited impatiently for a minute, and then said, "I know you're letting this go to voicemail because you know I'm mad at you for page 351, Coco! You'll be lucky to get a blanket the size of a place mat for Yule!" before hanging his phone back up.

And then back to Lydia. "Anything in particular you're looking for today?"

[mustbeawitch]

"Is everything all right?" Lydia had to ask, because...what happened on page 351?

"Oh, yes, I'm just looking for some things for Kitty, you know. For Christmas and the like." She had a specific issue in mind, but a lady couldn't simply ask a man, 'Do you have anything for stretch marks?' could she?

[witchoftheflesh]

COCO KNEW WHAT SHE DID.

"Oh yes, I'm just having a literary debate with one of my sisters," Adrian said, a little airily. You know, like he hadn't just called said sister up on the phone to deliver a threat. "Anything particular I can help you find for Kitty? Will she have had the baby by then?"

Ask him for stretch mark cream, Lydia. Unless you wanted him to bring up remedies for nipple chafing.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey had actually been meaning to stop in before, but the last few weeks had gotten away from her.

"Are you busy?" she checked. What with all the book distraction and all.

[witchoftheflesh]

"Not too busy for a customer," Adrian said, though it did take him another second to lift his eyes from the page. "Or a friend," he added with a warm smile.

[thatwaslucky]

"Good, because I came here as both," she said with a smile.

[witchoftheflesh]

"My favorite kind," Adrian said with a laugh, as he set the book aside. "What can I help you with today, Rey?"

[thatwaslucky]

"So you said there would be a plant I can't kill if I'm not around all the time," she said.

[witchoftheflesh]

"I can think of several, actually," Adrian said with a warm smile. "Though I admit, I don't have them here and there are several varieties I can suggest that I don't have in my greenhouse, so if you're interested in those, I'd suggest checking with the local plant stores. Do you think a plant that only needs to be watered every other week would be fine? Or are you more likely to need a plant that can go closer to a whole month?"

[thatwaslucky]

"I'm usually only gone for about a week at a time, at most," she said. "More than that is pretty rare."

[witchoftheflesh]

"Oh, then you've got plenty of options available to you," Adrian assured her. "Even some orchids which are nowhere near as finicky as people will lead you to believe. We can definitely figure you out a sturdy, hard to kill little plant that can stand up to a bit of neglect every so often. Really, the most important thing here is now a question of aesthetics. Are you looking for something delicate? Colorful? Smells nice? Looks interesting? What is it that would make you come home and smile?"

[thatwaslucky]

"I love that criteria," Rey said with a smile. "I think something delicate. Pretty. Maybe not extremely colorful."

Said Little Miss Dresses In Neutrals.

[witchoftheflesh]

Adrian looked at her thoughtfully. "A peace lily," he said after a moment. "I think you'd like a peace lily. It's not delicate in a traditional sense - you might want an orchid or an air plant for traditionally delicate looking plants - more...graceful, I think might be a better word? These very long, elegant white flowers, surrounded by glossy dark leaves."

He pulled out his phone to show her what he meant.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey peered at it, quickly deciding, "I like that. And it doesn't require a lot of care?"

She was really more worried about killing it than most people.

[witchoftheflesh]

"They're very simple," he assured her. "The most important things are to put it somewhere that gets a lot of light, but not directly in the sunlight, so it doesn't get too hot, and to not over water it. If the top inch of your soil isn't dry, it's too soon to water it. If you're really fancy and want to make sure it blooms twice a year, you can give it fertilizer once a month in the spring and summer, but even that's not really required. Basically, find it a bright spot, check to see if it needs to be watered once a week ago - maybe twice in the summer when it gets really hot - and otherwise just leave it alone."

[thatwaslucky]

"That sounds easy enough. And easy to tell if something's wrong," she said. "I'll have to go to a plant store for this?"