“No, it’s not!” I chirp. “If I ordered it, Juliana, I would’ve had to wait at least a day for it to show up. I’m not about to wait around for a whole day while a brand new Nathan Booker novel is just sitting on the shelf right up the road from me.”

“An hour up the road.”

“Oh, shut up. It’s not my fault you don’t understand how amazing this man is with the written word. His last book changed my entire life. I told you to read it, but you’re too good.”

Juliana scoffs. “Don’t start with me. I told you, I’m just not big into reading the way you are. I don’t have a favorite author or anything like that. I spend all my time writing anyway.”

“A sexist ‘Women’s only’ section in the Dover News Journal,” I blurt out with a laugh. “You say write as if you’re an author.”

“Oh, my god, I can’t with you today,” Juliana replies, practically rolling her eyes so hard I can hear it through the speakers in my car. “Anyway, Vance is gonna be pissed if he finds out you left for that.”

“That’s why Vance isn’t going to find out, is he? He’s coming over later for dinner, but you guys have a few hours until you’re off work, so I’ll have plenty of time to read a handful of chapters and get ready before then. So, I’m good. No worries.”

“Okay. Just be careful, girl. I know you guys have been on shaky ground lately, and he’s already walking around the office sulking like he misses your adorable little face. But go get your read on. Hit me up later.”

“You know I will.”

“Not about the book.”

“It absolutely will be about the book! How dare you?” I snip, laughing.

“I’m not starting this again, I’ve got work to do. Bye!” Juliana says, before ending the call.

I keep on smiling as I step on the gas and kick my speed up to seventy-five the rest of the way home. I know my boyfriend, Vance, has some time left at work, but I want to make sure I have plenty of time to myself before he comes over to make dinner. We’ve been going through a bit of a rough patch for the past month, and he’s so sensitive about things these days that any little thing could set him off, so I want to make sure I’m up and ready for him to arrive tonight. I plan on reading a few chapters before taking a shower and getting dressed for our night of food and movies on the couch. I just have to get home in time to read. Reading is priority one.