But Rinn didn’t shout. Didn’t kick up a big fuss. She said it at a normal volume, and then she stood there, silently waiting for everyone to quiet down.

And then they did.

It was like watching a magic trick, that quiet assumption of power. It took patience, but the crowd slowly went silent, like a ripple that traveled from the front of the line all the way to the back. The last person to notice, the last person still talking, looked visibly embarrassed when he realized that everyone else had been silenced.

Imogen was in awe.

Rinn smiled. “Thank you all so much for being here. Unfortunately, Brock Harvey has had to cancel due to a scheduling conflict.”

Everyone looked visibly disappointed. And, given that none of them knew what Harvey had done in the break room a few hours ago, Imogen couldn’t quite blame them.

“But he just posted that he was going to be here today.” This was from the guy in the back who had been the last one to stop talking.

Imogen looked out in the crowd. That girl that she’d spoken to earlier gave her a sly smile and rolled her eyes at the guy in the back. Imogen smiled back, an involuntary reflex.

And this was where Imogen was thoroughly impressed by Rinn. Because Rinn did not roll her eyes as she said, “Yes, there has been a change in plans. He will not be here. But I did want to let everyone know that there is signed stock copy if they would like. And we will also be having a huge bookstore celebration and poetry festival instead. You really should stick around. There’s going to be a live reading, and our resident poet—Daniella—is going to be writing her poems across a whole series of fake Air Jordans. It’s basically bookstore community and poetry performance art at its finest, people. All of the proceeds are going to go directly into this amazing local bookstore.”

A few people were nodding their heads along with Rinn. That Imogen understood. She was a rallier. A go-getter. A girl who just wanted to believe Rinn. Though a few of the disappointed audience members and skeptics still showed their displeasure.

The dude at the back was still not having it. “I don’t understand why he’s not here. He made it all the way out here to Chicago for the first time in like three years and he cancels an hour before? That doesn’t make sense.”

Rinn put her hands on her hips. “What’s your name?”

The dude stuck his chin out. “Warren.”

“Well, Warren. I’m going to tell you something. Everyone put down your phones. No recording. I don’t want to get sued for libel or slander. Not that I’ve got anything worth suing.”