AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Come on in, Charlotte,” Paula waved me in, throwing away the remnants of her lunch in the trash can under her desk. “I don’t make a habit of eating at my desk, but we’re taking a two-week Alaskan cruise this year for Christmas, so I’m trying to fit a month’s worth of year-end tasks into two weeks.”
“Noted,” I smiled. “I do very much appreciate the commitment the IBA has to work-life balance.”
Paula smiled back. “I know you mean that sincerely or else I’d tell you to stop sucking up. You already have a permanent place here if you want one. We just need to figure out what.”
I felt some of the tension go out of my spine. Now I could enjoy most of this conversation, even pitching my heart and soul in project form.
“So, before we get into the specifics, I’ve been really excited to hear about any ideas or initiatives you’ve been dreaming up during your months with us.”
“Well, I do have something. It’s probably a bit bigger than what you may have had in mind for me to bring to this meeting, but…” I trailed off.
“Everything has to start somewhere. I can’t wait. Please, dive right in,” Paula smiled encouragingly.
I looked down at my notes, but knew I could do this by heart, so I looked up and met Paula’s eyes instead.
“As you know, my parents own a bookstore. Ridge Reads.”
Paula nodded.
“Well, unfortunately, it looks like the store isn’t going to survive. Getting into the why and how isn’t important. Talking with my parents, and my boyfriend’s stepmother, who’s a big supporter of our store, made me realize that there may be an opportunity for the IBA to help stores beyond the Bookstore Future Fund. My parents received money from the fund within the last five years, so they’re not eligible again. But what if the IBA was able to step in with funding and support a transition to a community co-op owned business? Of course, there would have to be parameters—a maximum amount of debt, a minimum number of years in business, interest and availability from members of the community—but I think this could work. I think this could help keep bookstores in communities that really need them and love them when circumstances just don’t allow for stores to stay open under traditional means.”
I handed Paula a copy of my proposal and my research and she flipped through it for a few brief moments.
“This is a great idea, Charlotte. It’s a leap forward for the Bookstore Future Fund and the IBA in general. And I love the idea of creating a community co-op board for a handoff after a certain timeline. We wouldn’t want it to seem like the Independent Bookstore Alliance was getting into the business of creating a block of stores.”
I nodded. “Indie bookstores are all about serving the community they’re in, so I figured why not use that focus to ensure stores can continue to serve their communities for years to come?”
Paula tapped her pen on her desk.
“This will take a significant increase in the Bookstore Future Fund, if not the creation of an offshoot fund all together. But there is a grant we were awarded that the use for hasn’t been decided yet. Do you think your parents would be open to something like this?”
I felt my heart rate increase.
“I haven’t mentioned it to them at all. I didn’t want them to get their hopes up. They are very much talking about closing and not finding a buyer, mostly because they have no leads on someone who would keep Ridge Reads what our family has built it to be. But this, being spearheaded by the community, I have to believe they would go for it.”
Paula nodded, her face still pensive.
“And these projects? This is what you would want to work on?”
I paused for a moment before answering.
“You know, until you actually asked me that question in real time, I thought my answer would have been yes. But I think knowing Ridge Reads has a chance would be enough. I want to take the fundraising job. I would still be supporting this initiative, because, like you said, it’s going to take a lot more funds than we’ve had before, but I would be helping more than just Ridge Reads, which is what I came to DC, to the IBA, to do.”
Paula nodded, a proud smile crossing her face.
“I do think you’d be perfect for the fundraising role, because you’ll be fueled by the passion of the potential for all the good the fund could do.”
I nodded, a bit speechless.
“So, forgive a bit of personal probing, but you mentioned a boyfriend and his stepmother who knows Ridge Reads… is this a boyfriend back at home, who’s going to hate us for taking you away from him?”
“Oh! No.” I felt my cheeks turn red. “You remember my roommate, Hayden, the CIO from Brandt Investing International, who was at the gala? He and I are… together. Well, I think so. I mean, we are, but I hope we still will be, now that I’m staying here?”
Paula looked pleased to hear this news.
“From what I saw at the gala, that handsome young man was a big Charlotte guy. I bet he’ll be thrilled to hear you’re staying. But if you met him here, how is his family connected to Ridge Reads?”
“Right! His stepmom and dad live in Holly Ridge now and she’s a big supporter of the store. She’d actually be an excellent person for the co-op board, if things do move forward in that direction for the store.”
