“It’s all a matter of perception,” Mia said. “But what if you could benefit from this, admittedly, somewhat skewed perception in people’s minds?”

“How do you see this working in a practical sense?” Jane asked.

Mia explained the possibilities, which all came down to one thing: a shared space containing Annie’s Bookshop and the second Pink Bean branch.

“Please feel free to think about this as long as you like. I will also happily put you in touch with the Pink Bean owners, Kristin and Sheryl. This was just an exploratory conversation, a pitch made by two friendly faces, although Kristin and Sheryl are plenty friendly themselves.”

“And just so you know,” Lou said, coming to Mia’s rescue again, enhancing her presentation, “the Pink Bean is a gay-friendly place. It would mesh well with what you’ve always tried to do here. Because it always pisses me off when I do end up at Pages that they don’t have an LGBT section. Not even in their big branch in the CBD. I think it’s important.”

“Because that’s not where the money is,” Jane said. “I should know.”

Mia made a mental note to read one of Jane’s books. She had seen them in the shop, but Annie—perhaps out of false modesty regarding her wife—had never recommended them.

“It’s still important,” Annie said. “I agree with you on that.”

“Remember when you gave me The Well of Loneliness when I was eighteen?” Lou asked Annie. “That meant so much to me. Especially then.”

“The good old days, when teenagers came to bookshops and accepted the owner’s recommendations.” She moved her hand across the table and cupped Lou’s in hers. “Of course, you were always much more to me than just a teenager.”

Mia tried to ignore the throwback to Lou’s teenage years. She could only hope Lou had found some comfort in the books Annie had given her, not only regarding her burgeoning lesbianism, but also regarding other, more pressing and painful matters at the time.

“We certainly have a lot to think about,” Jane said. “Thank you for the opportunity.”

They said their goodbyes and when they stood outside Mia suddenly didn’t know what to do. Should she ask Lou for a drink to discuss the meeting? They had taken a taxi from Darlinghurst earlier, but Mia was not going back in that direction.

“So you live near here?” Lou asked.

“Yes. Just a few blocks that way,” she pointed to their left. “Very glamorously above a fish and chip shop.”

“Really? That must be a temptation after you come home from a boozy night out.”

Mia chuckled and before she had a chance to reply, Lou said, “I’d better go,” and started looking around for a taxi.