Susanne held her breath. If she could sell that one, it might keep Paper Love afloat for another month. What could she tell the customer about it to entice her to buy it? If Frau Lamm had told her any details about it, she couldn’t remember, so she said the only thing that had stuck in her mind. “This one is like the BMW of fountain pens.”

The customer looked at her with an inscrutable expression, put the pen back down, and picked up another, less expensive one.

Damn. Susanne fisted her hands behind her back.

Finally, the woman seemed to settle on a fountain pen priced at two hundred euros.

Still nothing to sneeze at, Susanne told herself.

“Does this one take standard ink cartridges?” the customer asked.

“I think so,” Susanne said, even though she had no idea.

The customer lifted the pen. “May I?”

“Go ahead.”

The woman pulled off the cap and tried to unscrew the barrel, probably to see what kind of ink cartridge fit inside. “This doesn’t…” She grunted. “It doesn’t come off. Is it damaged?”

“Let me try.” Susanne took the pen and tried to unscrew it, but nothing moved. Then she noticed that there was another part at the bottom of the pen that looked as if it might unscrew. Maybe that was the way to open the pen. She twisted it with deft movements. It shifted. A triumphant grin curved Susanne’s lips. She really was getting good at handling—

Ink seeped from the pen’s nib and dripped onto her hand.

Oh shit. Susanne put the pen and her inky fingers behind her back to hide the accident and gave the woman the friendliest smile she could muster. “Let me go ask my colleague. I specialize in paper, but she’s the fountain pen expert.”

“Yes, of course.”

Gritting her teeth, Susanne rushed toward the back. God, she hated looking like an incompetent fool and having to ask for help. Too bad her uncle hadn’t come in yet, probably because the rain had delayed him. She would have preferred asking him for help rather than revealing to Frau Lamm—an employee—how clueless she really was.

But her pride wasn’t important right now. Making a sale that would help save the store was. She closed the door behind herself and went to the stockroom, where Frau Lamm was busy unpacking yesterday’s deliveries.

Susanne opened her mouth to explain the problem, but the sight before her made her close her mouth and pause in the doorway.

Frau Lamm stood in front of a shelf, an open cardboard box next to her and a thick notebook in her hands. She cradled it lovingly, held it up to her face, and sniffed it with a blissful smile that looked almost post-orgasmic.

Susanne leaned in the doorway and watched her with a grin. God, what a stationery junkie. It was weird but in a cute way.