Dogs were a good icebreaker.
‘Hi.’ She walked over in a friendly but unobtrusive manner, holding a book in one hand so she looked as if she was on her way to put it somewhere rather than accosting him. ‘Look at you. You’re a lovely boy, aren’t you?’
‘Thanks,’ joked the man, and Emilia laughed, bending down to rough up the dog’s ears.
‘What’s his name?’
‘Wolfie.’
‘Hey, Wolfie.’ She looked up at the bloke. ‘Were you looking for something in particular, or are you just browsing?’
He grinned at her and gave a little shrug of his shoulders. She could tell he was on unfamiliar territory. People unused to book shops had an awkwardness about them. An apologetic awkwardness.
‘It’s a bit …’ He trailed off as she searched for the word. ‘Embarrassing.’
‘Oh.’ She tried to sound reassuring. ‘I’m sure it’s not. I’ll help if I can.’
She watched him move his weight from one foot to the other. He was cute, she thought. Faded jeans and a white T-shirt with a soft red plaid shirt undone over the top. His hair was dark and scruffy and he had a six o’clock shadow, but both of these things were by design rather than neglect: she could smell baby shampoo and something else more manly.
‘Don’t tell me – your girlfriend’s sent you in for Fifty Shades of Grey,’ she grinned. On impulse, because her mind had suddenly gone that way.
He looked startled. ‘God, no.’
‘Sorry. Only you wouldn’t believe how many women send their boyfriends in for it. Or how many men think they might spice things up a bit.’
‘No. It’s even more embarrassing than that.’ He scratched his head and raised his eyebrows, looking sheepish. ‘The thing is, my little boy asked me the other day what my favourite book was. It was for his homework. And I realised – I’ve never read one. I’ve never read a book.’
He looked at the floor. It was as if he was waiting for a punishment.
‘Never?’
He shook his head. ‘No. Books and me just don’t get on. The few times I’ve opened one I just glaze over.’
He made a glazed-over face and Emilia laughed. Then stopped.
‘Sorry. I’m not laughing at you.’
‘No, I know. It’s OK. Anyway, I’ve decided. I’m a really bad example to him. I want my son to get on and do really well. And I don’t want to die, never having read a book. So I want to start reading with him. So I can encourage him. But I don’t know where to start. There’re bloody millions of them. How do you start to choose?’
He looked round at all the shelves, baffled.
‘Well. I can sort you out with something, I’m sure,’ said Emilia. ‘How old is he, for a start? And what sort of thing do you think he might like?’
‘He’s five, nearly six. And I don’t really know what he’d like. Something short, preferably.’ He laughed, self-conscious. ‘And easy. I mean, I can read, obviously. I’m not that thick.’
‘Not reading doesn’t make you thick.’
‘No. But his mum’s going on at me for not getting involved with his homework.’ He looked sheepish. ‘She likes any chance to have a go. I’m not with her any more.’
‘Oh,’ said Emilia. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be. It’s a good thing. Mostly.’ He ruffled his hair, looking awkward. ‘But I just want to show her I’m not as rubbish as she seems to think I am.’
‘Well, let me see what I can come up with. Give me a couple of minutes.’
Emilia walked slowly up and down the children’s bookshelves, turning over possibilities in her mind. Every now and then she would stop, pluck out a book, study it, then put it back. She wasn’t sure she had ever met anyone who had never read a book before. Which made the choice even more difficult. She was determined not to put him and his son off for life. She had to hook them in. And she didn’t want to patronise him. He might not be a reader, but he clearly had a lively mind. She mustn’t judge.
‘What’s his name? Your son?’
‘Finn.’ The bloke smiled proudly.
‘Ah,’ said Emilia. ‘That makes the task a whole lot easier.’
She picked out a book, and walked back over to her new customer, who looked at her with an eager curiosity.
She laid it on the counter in front of him.
‘This is one of my absolute favourites of all time. Finn Family Moomintroll.’
‘Yeah?’ He picked the book up and eyed it warily.
‘I think you’ll both like it. It’s a bit mad, but it’s cool.’ She paused. ‘It’s a bit quirky. It’s about this family of Moomintrolls who live in a valley, and all their crazy friends.’
‘Moomintrolls?’
‘They’re kind of big, white creatures who hibernate in the winter.’
He turned the book over to read the back, not saying anything.
‘Honestly, it’s really cute. I’ll give you your money back if you don’t like it.’
‘Really?’
‘As long as you don’t spill your tea on it.’