Something about the Bookstore | simon riley x plus-size female reader
Chapter 4: First-name Basis
You're back from vacation, preparing for Valentine’s Day. What better way to set up string hearts than with your favorite customer helping you out?| AO3 . MLIST
a/n: Hi everyone!!! Again, thank you all soooo much for your patience. I know it’s been forever for an update, and I am so sorry. I have no excuse but laziness and writer’s block. After uni break started, I’ve just been resting and recharging, but I am back to writing, and I might be working on another fic as well… Anyways, I will tell y'all more about it later. For now, enjoy this chapter!
Please like/share/comment/repost! I’d really appreciate it!! <3
“Okay… please don’t fall,” you whisper to yourself as you carefully step down the ladder, your arms lifted just in case you need to catch your display.
The holidays had finally come to an end, and now it was time to switch everything over to Valentine’s Day. You loved decorating the store, every ribbon, every heart, every strand of lights. Your coworkers never understood it. Most of them hated dealing with the big displays that always got knocked over or the tangled lights that never worked the way they were supposed to. But not you. You liked being in charge of things. You liked knowing that when everything looked perfect, it was because of you.
As you got older, you thought you would have more control over your life in general. Instead, things rarely went according to plan. So you took control where you could, like volunteering to handle the decorations, as long as you got to decide how they were set up. Your boss had never minded. In fact, they seemed relieved to hand the responsibility over to someone who actually cared.
You adjusted another hanging heart, what felt like the millionth one of the day, though in reality, it was only the fifth. Still, your arms were already starting to ache, and you knew you had several more to go. The store was painfully quiet. Between the rain outside and the post-holiday slump, hardly anyone had come in all day. A perfect time, you figured, to get all the overhead decorations finished without anyone in the way.
You had only returned to work yesterday after your vacation with your mom. It had been just as fun as the last trip, sunny skies, warm air, and a much-needed break from the freezing cold you were now back in. The snow and strong winds felt even harsher after spending time in the sunshine. Still, the tan you came back with made it worth it. Your coworkers had already commented on your glow, teasing you about how refreshed you looked.
And they weren’t wrong, you did feel refreshed. Recharged. Ready to slip back into your routine.
You told yourself that was the only reason you were glad to be back at work.
Not for any other reason at all…
You dragged the ladder over to another section of the store, already annoyed by how difficult it was to move. This wasn’t some nice, lightweight ladder; it was old and stubborn. You had to fold it up just right, making sure the latch clicked into place so it wouldn’t collapse on you. You’d been meaning to tell your boss they seriously needed to replace it, but for now, you worked with what you had.
After setting it down in the new spot, you climbed back up, heart decoration in hand. You lifted your arms toward the ceiling, trying to hook it into place, but you were just a little too short to reach properly. You stretched onto your tiptoes, fingers brushing the hook.
That’s when the ladder started to shake.
A normal person would have climbed down immediately. A normal person would have played it safe. But you were determined. You were so close. You reached again.
The ladder wobbled harder this time, tilting just enough for your stomach to drop. Your heart raced as the realization hit.
And in that split second, you braced yourself for it. The embarrassment. The pain. The moment everyone would talk about later. You squeezed your eyes shut.
Instead, the ladder suddenly felt steady again, solid beneath your feet, as if it had never moved at all. Confused, you slowly opened your eyes and looked down. There, holding the ladder firmly in place, was a tall man, easily over two hundred pounds, strong enough to keep the old thing from tipping any further. He wore a hoodie, the hood pulled low enough that you couldn’t see his face.
But somehow… You already knew who it was.
You couldn’t explain it. You just felt it in your chest, in the way your heartbeat suddenly changed.
Your fate hadn’t come after all.
It had been caught instead.
Your hands tighten around the edge of the ladder as you slowly look down at him.
He’s still holding it steady, one hand gripping the side like it weighs nothing, the other braced against the bottom rung. For a second, neither of you says anything. The store is so quiet you can hear the rain tapping against the windows.
“Uh…” you finally breathe out. “Thanks.”
He chuckles softly, low and warm. “Yeah. No problem. But maybe you should come down before you give me a heart attack.”
You let out a nervous laugh and carefully climb down, your legs a little shaky as your feet hit the floor. When you straightened up, you saw him.
Ghost. With his typical black surgical mask and dark clothing.
“I should’ve known it was you,” you say, trying to sound casual even though your pulse is racing.
He smirks. “You always get yourself into trouble when I’m not around?”
“Only the dangerous ladder-related kind,” you tease.
He shakes his head, arms crossing over his chest. “You know, you could’ve asked for help.”
You shrug. “Where’s the fun in that?”
“Fun?” he repeats. “You almost fell.”
“But I didn’t,” you say softly, looking up at him. “Because you were here.”
For a moment, something shifts between you. The air feels heavier, warmer, like there are words neither of you are ready to say yet.
He clears his throat. “So… Valentine’s decorations, huh?”
You glance up at the hanging hearts above you. “Yeah. Figured it was time to make the place a little more romantic.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Romantic?”
You meet his eyes. “Don’t you think so?”
He hesitates just a second too long. “Yeah,” he says quietly. “I do.”
You grab the next heart decoration and hold it up. “Since you’re already my hero of the day, want to help me finish these?”
He steps closer, taking the heart from your hands. “Only if you promise not to climb that ladder again without me holding it.”
“So… where have you been?” Ghost asked sheepishly, shifting his weight as he stood across from you.
“What do you mean?” you replied, tilting your head in confusion.
One of your coworkers had mentioned it earlier, how a tall, broody man had been coming into the store almost every week. He never bought anything. He never seemed to find what he was looking for. And he always left after wandering around for a while, refusing help from anyone else.
You didn’t need them to say his name.
You already knew it was Ghost.
You weren’t sure why, but the thought of him coming all this way just to look for you made your heart flutter. No one had ever been that persistent before. No one had ever come back again and again just to see you. The attention felt new… and nice. And it didn’t hurt that Ghost was…well…Ghost.
You still weren’t sure what he looked like under the mask, but judging by his height, the way he carried himself, the quiet confidence in every movement, you could already imagine he had to be handsome.
And now, standing here with him, you realized something else.
Why had he really been coming so often?
Was it just for the books… or was it for you?
You had too many questions, and thanks to years of listening to true crime podcasts, you decided it was time to put your detective skills to work.
“I didn’t see you last time I came,” Ghost said simply, keeping his tone casual.
What he didn’t say was how hard it had been to stop himself from coming every single day just to check if you were there.
“Maybe that was my day off,” you shrugged. “I don’t work here every day, you know.”
You kept your voice light, intentionally vague, hoping he might slip and reveal something.
“It was Thursday,” he said. “You work on Thursdays. You weren’t here.”
That caught your attention.
You smirked, hugging the hearts you were holding closer to your chest as you looked up at him. “And how do you know I work on Thursdays?”
Ghost cleared his throat, suddenly feeling awkward. Was this flirting? He honestly couldn’t tell.
“Well… the past two Thursdays you were here,” he said. “So I just assumed you’d be again.”
You raised an eyebrow, your smile growing. “And how many Thursdays have you checked, Ghost?”
Had you already figured it out? That he’d been looking for you? That he’d been coming just to see if you were working? A normal person would probably be scared. A random man showing up over and over, asking for the same employee.
So why were you teasing him instead?
Maybe he really was being creepy.
There was no point in lying now.
“Four,” he admitted quietly.
“Wow,” you said, eyes widening in mock amazement. “You are a very persistent man. I must be an incredible bookseller if you’ve been coming here four Thursdays in a row just to get my help.” You placed a hand on your chest dramatically. “I mean, wow. I am just so good at my job and recommending books that you simply cannot survive without me. I’m honored. Truly. I feel knighted.”
Ghost rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips beneath the mask.
“Alright, princess, calm down,” he said. “I promised I’d tell you about the book you wanted to read, and I meant it. You’re the one who tried to escape your promise.”
That was… partially true.
“Hmm,” you teased. “Was that the only reason you’ve been stalking me?”
He scoffed, trying to hide the embarrassment creeping up his neck. “I am a man of my word.”
You laughed softly. “I’m messing with you, big guy.” Then you tilted your head. “So? How was the book?”
“First,” Ghost said, crossing his arms, “tell me where you’ve been. Then I’ll tell you.”
“Well, if you must know,” you replied, “I was on vacation with my mom. We were celebrating the anniversary of her business. She’s wanted to start her own company for years, but she was always scared. And after she had me and my siblings, she gave up on that dream to take care of us.” You smiled sadly at the memory. You loved your mom more than anything. She was the strongest woman you had ever known, raising you and your siblings on her own, sacrificing so much so you could have everything you needed. “So when we got older, we pushed her to finally chase her dreams,” you continued. “Now she has a pretty successful small business, and every year we celebrate the day she started it.”
Ghost felt his shoulders relax instantly.
Not a relationship anniversary.
Not a marriage.
That didn’t mean there wasn’t a boyfriend… but at least it was a start.
“Just you and your mom?” he asked. “No siblings? Or… boyfriends?”
He immediately cringed at himself. He sounded like a sixteen-year-old trying to work up the courage to ask a girl out.
“No, just my mom and me,” you said. “My siblings each get their own trips with her, this one was special just for us. And… no. I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Something warm settled in Ghost’s chest.
“Alright,” you said, smiling up at him. “Now you have to keep your word.”
And just like that, he started telling you what he thought about the book, what he loved about it, the characters that stayed with him, and even the small details that almost made him stop reading altogether. He talked in that calm, thoughtful way of his, the kind that made you want to listen even when you already knew the ending.
As he spoke, he helped you finish putting up the decorations. He held the ladder steady while you climbed up to hang each heart, making sure you were safe the entire time. Every now and then, you’d pause and ask him what he thought.
“Should this one go higher?” you’d call down.
He’d tilt his head, studying the space. “Yeah… a little to the left. There. That looks perfect.”
It felt easy being with him. Natural. Like this was something you’d done a hundred times before instead of something new and unexpected. The quiet store, the soft glow of the lights, the sound of rain outside, it all made the moment feel almost peaceful.
You found yourself smiling more than usual, laughing at his comments, teasing him when he pretended not to care about certain parts of the book. Somewhere between hanging hearts and talking about plot twists, you realized how much you liked standing there with him.
And for the first time in a while, you didn’t want the moment to end.
You finished hanging the very last heart and carefully climbed down the ladder, stepping onto the floor with a small sigh of relief. For a moment, you just stood there, looking around the store. Everything was finally done. The decorations were up. The task that had kept you busy and had given him a reason to stay was over.
And suddenly, you realized something that made your chest tighten.
There was no more excuse for him to stay.
No more decorations to hang. No more ladders to hold. No obvious reason to keep him there without making it painfully clear that you just… didn’t want him to leave.
Before you could think too much about it, he spoke.
“So,” Ghost said, breaking the quiet, “what’s your favorite book?”
You blinked, surprised. “My favorite book?” you repeated. “That’s so hard. I have so many favorites, I can’t just pick one.” You laughed softly, trying to buy yourself time to think. “Okay… well, my most recent favorite would have to be Daydreamer by Hannah Grace.”
He tilted his head. “What’s it about?” he asked, and you could tell he genuinely wanted to know, not just making conversation, but really listening.
“Well,” you began, “it’s a romance about this really smart girl, always taking care of everyone else. Her whole life, she’s been a people pleaser, and she feels like she hasn’t really lived yet. Then she meets this guy, a hockey player, and they make a deal. He helps her start living her life, and she helps him with school.” You smiled. “It’s really cute. Honestly, it might be one of my favorite romance books ever.”
Ghost leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, watching you with a soft smile. He could tell how passionate you were, how your eyes lit up when you talked about the things you loved. And he wanted you to keep going.
“So,” he said gently, “why is it your favorite?”
You hesitated for a moment.
“Well… I guess I really see myself in the main character,” you admitted quietly. “She spent her whole life taking care of other people, always trying to be what everyone expected her to be. And she felt like she hadn’t really lived for herself. I… I relate to that a lot.”
Something in Ghost’s expression softened.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said. “But I hope you know you can be yourself around me. You don’t have to feel like I expect anything from you.” He wasn’t used to comforting people; he knew that, but for you, he wanted to try.
“Thanks, Ghost,” you said softly.
“Simon,” he corrected gently.
“Excuse me?” you asked, confused.
“My name,” he said. “It’s Simon. Ghost is just… a nickname.”
You smiled and held out your hand. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Simon.”
He took your hand, his grip warm and steady. “It’s nice to meet you too, sweetheart.” Then he glanced toward the aisles. “Now… where’s that book you were talking about?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I think I need a new one to read.”
“Uh… it’s in the romance section,” you said, still a little unsure.
“Then take me there,” Simon replied with that same serious tone of his.
You smiled and led him toward the romance aisle, secretly hoping you still had the book in stock. When you finally found it, you pulled it from the shelf and handed it to him.
“Are you sure you want to read this?” you asked shyly. “It’s a cheesy romance. Might not really be your style.” You worried for a second that he was only doing this out of pity. But Simon just looked at you and shrugged.
“Your recommendations have been good so far,” he said. “So if you like it… I’m sure I will too.”
And just like that, you realized he wasn’t just staying for the books anymore.
