Chapter Text
Nile had thought that a book club at a library would be a success by default.
Was it a last minute endeavour? Sure. Would it have been helpful if Nile had been told about it beforehand, if she had been able to get some planning done, if she'd been able to do some outreach, some advertising? Absolutely. Is Nile one to buckle in the face of a challenge? Fuck no.
The children's book club is the main event. It's been running as long as the library has been open. Some years when it's a younger crowd it's more like story time, picture books read out by one of the librarians while the kids either giggle along or dose off in their parents' arms. This year they happen to have a group of mostly 8-12 year olds, too old to need any hand holding from their parents but not old enough to be trusted to make their own commutes. Not in this part of the city, not in the dark. Not alone.
It was a good idea. An adjacent book club for the parents to attend while the kids mingle and then have a group discussion about the month's book. Let the kids feel independent, give the parents some valuable adult socialisation time, something productive and enjoyable to do in the quiet moments when the kids are in school, or otherwise occupied, or asleep.
Summer break's just ended, which means the club is starting up again just in time for the school year. Budget cuts are a bitch. The local elementary's extracurricular budget was slashed, so Nile's been occupied setting up a morning homework help program that will hopefully get approved for enough of a budget to offer breakfast to the kids who no longer will be getting it from school. Failing that, Nile's already been looking into potential donors.
Closer to home, the city's entire library network has seen some budget changes. The staff's been shuffled around a bit. Quynh just got moved to a different branch.
(Or, Andy said it was because of the budget cuts, more hours being available for Quynh elsewhere. She's not a good liar, though.)
It felt so sudden, but in hindsight the signs were there. Quynh had been taking a lot of time off. She'd been distracted, short-tempered at times. The bags under Andy's eyes and the way she deflated when Nicky and Nile tried to ask the million questions that arose from the sudden announcement suggested the truth, which was an ugly breakup in tandem with Quynh having a change of heart about what she might want her life to look like, if an inner-city library branch was really where she wanted to put down her roots, if Andy was really the person she wanted to do it with. It took Nile exactly two minutes to realise that it didn't really have even a little bit to do with the budget cuts, or else her or Nicky would most likely have been the first ousted or the first to have their hours cut, the two most recent hires, rather than one of the two pillars of the branch.
The thing that shocks her most is that Quynh doesn't even come back to say goodbye. Nile's only known her a few years, it's true. Nicky, however, has been her and Andy's little apprentice since he was in high school. He's been working with Quynh for a decade, first as a volunteer, then as a student placement, and finally as a full fledged library assistant. The look on his face when Andy tells him that no, there won't be a goodbye party, because Quynh's already had her last day makes Nile cringe.
As it happens, Quynh and Nicky were meant to alternate each meeting between running the kids' club, and the parents'. Andy can step in if necessary, but she's shit at reading kids' books. There's also the gloom that's enveloped her, so.
It appears that in all the last minute chaos of it all, nothing really got planned for the grown up book club at all.
Nicky, after emerging from a lunch meeting in Andy's office, exactly two days after Quynh's abrupt departure, and five hours before book club is set to start, asks her if she'd be interested in saving his ass and helping out.
Nile would never say no to the opportunity to slack off on the clock and talk about books, so. It's a yes, and it would have been even if Nicky didn't look as though he'd seen a ghost. Even if he didn't quietly let Nile know Quynh finally answered his text, and wouldn't be available for a goodbye dinner with he and Nile. Even if he didn't pull that big, sweet, sheepish smile of his and ask if Nile wanted to go used-bookstore crawling on the weekend instead.
(Another easy yes.)
The kids start trickling in at half past five, even though the meeting won't officially start until six. Nile chats with a few returning families, and puts some books into the arms of a few different eager children, the older ones who will happily devour much more than just a single book in a month. Andy sets up a few library cards, and Nile watches with incredulity as Nicky no-more-men-until-they-prove-to-me-that-they-can-be-trusted DiGenova twirls his metaphorical pigtails and giggles along to whatever friendly-curly-guy over there is saying to him, while miniature-curly-guy who can't be older than six clings to Nicky's pant-leg.
Before it's even a quarter to six Nile knows grown up book club won't be very packed at all. Parents come and go, citing errands that it's easier to complete without the kids, some excited to go on something like a date in the hour they have to kill, some simply walking two steps in the door, pushing their children forward, and darting out again without even saying hello.
Friendly-curly-guy and his son both settle down onto the mat in the circle where the meeting will take place, the very centre of the library. Nicky's begun to chat to some other kids and parents, but Nile watches his gaze dart to friendly-curly-guy every time he has a quiet moment. Friendly-curly-guy pulls a very worn and weathered copy of the month's pick from his backpack (impressive. The lineup for the whole year is on the flyers, but generally none of the participants have the first title before the first meeting, and they borrow the following ones from the library.) His son sits pressed against his side, smiling up at him, playing with the many rings adorning his father's fingers, and says something that makes friendly-curly-guy laugh and then flip through the book to find something to show him.
Nile watches Nicky's face go perfectly blank before he abruptly turns away to find somebody else to greet, the way it does when he just wants to gush. He holds eye contact with Nile in the way that means we-have-much-to-discuss-later, and then gets distracted with the arrival of a boisterous set of twin girls who are keen on giving Nicky a thorough review of the Neil Gaiman book he recommended to them the last time they were in.
Nile excuses herself to the separate meeting room where grown up book club will be held before the final wave of families arrives. She straightens out her small stacks of paper copies of the titles she's chosen as potential picks, and makes sure all the tablets are plugged in and charging up in case they get a bigger turnout, and she'll need to sign some out, to show anybody how the library's eBook platform works.
"-while you're all very welcome to stay," she hears Nicky saying, listening to the coffee drip into the pot she's started, opening up the box of pastries she grabbed on a last minute whim from the bakery next door, "as you may have seen on the flyers, my colleague Nile will be holding a very boring, very grown up book club in the next room over." Some of the children start to giggle, and Nile smiles to herself, imagining the face Nicky is pulling. "Anybody who is interested please feel free to make your way over there now. Not you, Arlo. Nine is not quite grown up. We'll miss you too much over here."
Nile waits. She pours herself a cup of coffee, and listens to Nicky summarising the events of Charlotte's Web. She nearly finishes an entire apple danish before it occurs to her that nobody is going to attend grown up book club. A rather damning turn of events, given that future meetings will hinge on somebody other than she and Nicky having read the books.
It's a bit disappointing, but not altogether a disaster. There's a lot more potential for the kids' club if two readers are available to do different voices, to play off each other and joke, make it fun. Or, her and Nicky both have other things to be working on, if he still wants to just take turns doing the kids' club.
Still, for the next hour Nile is being paid to sit in this room and enjoy a book, and that is exactly what she's going to do.
She picks up a copy of Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez and begins to read.
Fifteen pages in the light bulb flickers. Nile glances up absentmindedly, instinct more than anything else. Everybody already knows the library is haunted. But when she lifts her gaze, she is surprised to see that it wasn't a flicker at all, but the shadow of a man standing in the doorway, blocking the glow of the fluorescent lights from the hall.
She doesn't quite manage not to jump.
"Sorry," he smiles at her, hesitant. Everything about him screams tired, really. Maybe he's the ghost. He has bags under his eyes, and the worn, faded quality of his clothes gives him the air of being plucked out of a darker time. "Um, is this- maybe I have the wrong room-"
"Grown up book club," Nile interrupts, gentle as she can, trying not to wince. "First ever meeting. Probably the last." She smiles at him with her very best reassuring smile, honed and perfected through years of working customer service to put herself through college, and he seems to relax.
"Right. I thought I would have remembered hearing about it if it had been a thing last year."
Nile marks her place, sets down the book. "It's an older group of kids this year- and we are thrilled to see so many familiar faces. While we thought the parents might enjoy another activity, it's entirely understandable to want to do something else with the time. Can't say we didn't try."
The man smiles just as there's a chorus of laughter from the kids, eyes going all crinkled, and it occurs to Nile that he is a handsome ghost. "It's a lovely idea. I- uh, am sorry it didn't work out."
Nile stands, gets out another mug from the cupboard, since he doesn't seem eager to bail. "Don't be. The nice thing about libraries is that all the ingredients for a book club are always at arms' length. If you were going to attend, I will be thrilled to put you on your next read. And to pawn some of these pastries off on you."
The man steps properly into the room, busies himself draping his jacket over one of the chairs Nile has arranged into a little circle.
"Thank you. My tardiness has never been rewarded with treats before." He picks up a lemon strudel. The way he has of peering at Nile is funny. He's taller than her, but he has the demeanour of somebody who is always looking up, always more passive than he really needs to be, eyes soft and voice softer, posturing himself like he's the smallest in the room despite the broadness of him. Like Nicky, he's a man Nile has a good feeling about immediately. She only hopes her gut-feeling proves accurate. "I'll have to keep this a secret from my sons. They'll think it's a good idea to shoot a dozen Nerf bullets directly down the toilet drain at exactly the time we're meant to leave every month."
Nile slides the mug over to him once it's filled with coffee. Watches him shove the strudel into his mouth to hold while he sorts his sugar and cream, exactly like a harried parent who's used to never having enough time to do anything but multitask.
"Funny. My brother broke a light bulb shooting at it with one of those damn things when we were kids. How old are your boys?"
They settle onto the chairs, once the man has dumped an alarming amount of cream and sugar into his mug. "Five, eight and ten. I thought Riley- he's five -might be a bit disruptive, though. He's with his grandmother. Pierre and Ro both love Charlotte's Web. Joe- he's also here with his son, who is ten times as well behaved as any of mine -has had them all obsessed. We both teach at the school down the street. D'you have any kids?"
Nile sips her coffee. "Not unless you count my cat. You should bring Riley next time. I think he might be the youngest to attend, but that's not a problem. It's never too early to start them on a love of reading- which I'm sure you already know. What grade do you teach?"
"High school English. I have mostly twelfth graders this year, and one section of philosophy. You're a librarian, I take it?"
"Yep. I almost went the teaching route, but I find the flexibility in opportunities for outreach and community engagement in a position like this more appealing. High school English, though. Damn. You've probably already read everything I pulled here. Can I beg you to eat another pastry?"
She gets up, snags herself a cherry turnover. He follows, goes for a chocolate eclair, and then walks over to the table to see all the titles Nile's laid out.
"I've read about half. Haven't even heard of this one, though." He picks up a copy of The Evenings, scanning over the blurb.
Nile pulls out the sign-out binder before he can even ask, smiling just a little at the way his eyebrows give away his interest. "It's very strange. I was pretty sure I hated it, but I couldn't stop thinking about it once I'd finished, so I thought it would be a good one to discuss. Sorry, I didn't catch your name?"
"Sebastien is what my library card says, and my ID. Most call me Booker."
Nile looks up from the form with a smile. "Booker the English teacher, hanging out at a failed book club in the local library. Nice theme you have going, there."
He smiles down at the book, beginning to leaf through it. "Yes, I am a cartoon character. I've accepted it. Was that Scarborough you were reading when I came in?"
"Sure was. Usually I pick stuff I've already read for these kinds of things to make sure there's a good amount to discuss, but the reviews for it have been so promising. I thought I'd roll the dice."
"That was a good gamble. I have a group of my students writing essays on it. My own thoughts on it aside, it's always a great thing to find a book so many different people who aren't usually represented can see themselves in, and have such voracious discussions about. It's a shame this is the first and last meeting. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. The ending especially."
He looks so earnest, standing there, an open book (ha) as opposed to the shy stranger who'd peered in the doorway just minutes earlier. This, Nile thinks, is a good example of why she was drawn to this sort of work, aside from the opportunity to give back to the community that raised her, to be what she needed when she was a kid. Because she, at heart, is still a tiny being dazzled by humanity's penchant for storytelling, and there is no better job to connect with others who share that wonder. No faster or better way to meet interesting people and to truly get to know them than to bond over stories.
"I'll be around next month." She sips her coffee, hiding her smile into it when the lights actually flicker, and Booker glances upwards. "I don't think we can shell out for pastries or reserve the room again without a better turnout, but there's no shortage of quiet places to discuss books around here."
He grins at her, and Nile realises off of the sheer warmth of it that he's no ghost at all. He's just maybe a little over-extended, is all.
"I look forward to it."
The next half hour is spent in near perfect silence, Nile reading Scarborough, Booker reading The Evenings.
Nicky will later apologise for asking Nile to do him such an unnecessary favour given how poor the turn out was. He'll smile at her, and Nile will allow him to skirt around the more interesting topic of discussion, which is friendly-curly-guy, only because she knows it will be a long conversation better had over wine and trashy movies, most likely after their bookstore crawl.
Nile very truthfully tells him that there's nothing to be sorry for at all. After all, next month it's her turn to hang out with the kids, one of her favourite parts of the job, and she has what's sure to be an interesting discussion with Booker to look forward to.