Chapter 196 : Two New Friends

*Shelby*

I clicked the back door of the car closed, and the driver leaned his head out of the window to let me know he would come to pick me up as soon as I was ready. I thanked him before heading down the cobblestone street toward the village's one and only bookstore.

A little bell chimed overhead as I walked in the front door of the bookstore that resembled a cottage more than a shop. The top of the shelves brushed the ceiling, and the small windows let in the perfect amount of light to give the space a cozy feel.

"Bonjour! Comment allez-vous?" the blonde woman behind the counter asked. Her long hair was braided down her back, and she was wearing a long blue sundress.

"Bonjour," I responded with a smile.

"Oh, an American," the bookstore clerk said with a smile. "How can I help you?"

"Is it that obvious?" I asked with a laugh. "I’m just browsing."