The Rivendell Bookstore was located in a section of the city that had seen many changes. It was so named because the founder had been enthralled with The Hobbit and wanted to pay tribute to it, so he chose the name of the last homely house. When the current owner's parents had founded it shortly after World War 2 the area near the river in the downtown had been prosperus if not a bit tacky. During the 1980's the area had been at it's lowest ebb, and Anne and Will Henderson, had seriously considered giving up and either moving or just closing down altogether.
Their son Arthur who was then in his early thirties told them the planning commision had the area slated for redevelopment when the raliway lands were made available and if they held on a bit longer they would be fine. Turned out he was right but a bit optimistic about the timing, it took ten years longer than he thought for any real prosperity to come, but by the turn of the millenium the Rivendell Bookstore was more prosperous than it had ever been. Anne and Will retired in the early nineties well into their seventies and Arthur took over full management.
He was now into his early fifties and still unmarried. He kept in shape because he never learned to drive so he walked or rode his bike everywhere even in the worst winter weather. The area was full of nice restaurants and a lot of professional type offices and a green belt along the river bank. What this meant for Arthur was that he did not have to stay open evenings or Sundays as there was no business around anyway, he relied on the local offices to furnish most of his walk in business, and he had a long list of customers who had been coming there for years many all their lives.
It was one of those places that if you were not looking for it you would not notice it driving by. Arthur stocked the basic stuff most bookstores had but his star attraction was the back half of the store where he had his used book section. He had over the years made a point of meeting and knowing antique dealers auctioneers, and estate planners. He often as not got first refusal on some of the best collections within a hundred mile radius.
Many who did wander in would glance casually at the regular stacks, but Arthur would gently guide them to the back and then they were usually hooked. There were a lot of people who had been late back to work because of being sucked into the Rivendell's used book section.
Things had gone well untill two weeks ago, when Arthur's one steady employee Milly Schmidt had fallen and broken her hip getting out of the bathtub. She had worked there for Arthur and also Anne and Will for forty years since the early sixties, and was 74. Arthur was glad she was not permanently laid up, but she decided she would have to retire.
Thus Arthur had to hire someone fulltime, something he had never done. None of the students from the local university who worked for him part time wanted a full time job there, so reluctantly he placed an ad last week. He was absolutly amazed at the calls he had gotten. Many were by the sound of their conversation barely literate, and yet they wanted a job HERE. Many assumed they would be paid much more than Arthur was able to manage. He had taken two hundred and sixty seven calls about the ad, he had noted each call, and interviewed maybe ten.
None of them had seemed even remotely what he was looking for, until two days after the ad's run had finished he got a call from someone who sounded promising, she was married to a lawyer, well off he assumed, and she held an Honours Batchelor degree in English Literature, her specialty, and greatest love at least when she had been at school was the nineteenth century.
He thought to himself she sounded personable, intelligent, perhaps a bit desperate, maybe she was tired of being at home all the time, who knew, and her voice was very compelling. That he knew meant nothing, as the voice seldom matched the face. Anyone hearing old Milly on the phone always assumed she was thirty years younger, and much prettier than she was.
Arthur had considered, when he placed the ad, sprucing up his own appearence, but decided against it, after all he was interviewing them. He was near six foot but not quite, and he was a bit gaunt looking, as he was in good shape. His hair a sort of sandy brown was not ever dirty or greasy but tended to be a bit unkempt, no doubt because he seldom wore a hat when he walked or biked to work, and seemed in perpetual need of a haircut.
It was Friday, which was his only concession to modern customer practises as he stayed open till 8:00 rather than the usual 5:30, though he was considering stopping that to, as there was never anyone in the store. The lady who had sounded so promising was coming at 6:00 to be interviewed, but he had lost the slip of paper with her name on it, hopefully she would have a resume with her he could get her name from.
5:45 and he was just making a pot of coffee and half hoping she would work out as he hated this hiring process, then at 5:58 she came tentitively into the store.
(This is a closed post for myself and one other who will resond shortly, however feel free to send suggestions or questions via PM to myself or Maid Of MArvels should you so wish.)
Their son Arthur who was then in his early thirties told them the planning commision had the area slated for redevelopment when the raliway lands were made available and if they held on a bit longer they would be fine. Turned out he was right but a bit optimistic about the timing, it took ten years longer than he thought for any real prosperity to come, but by the turn of the millenium the Rivendell Bookstore was more prosperous than it had ever been. Anne and Will retired in the early nineties well into their seventies and Arthur took over full management.
He was now into his early fifties and still unmarried. He kept in shape because he never learned to drive so he walked or rode his bike everywhere even in the worst winter weather. The area was full of nice restaurants and a lot of professional type offices and a green belt along the river bank. What this meant for Arthur was that he did not have to stay open evenings or Sundays as there was no business around anyway, he relied on the local offices to furnish most of his walk in business, and he had a long list of customers who had been coming there for years many all their lives.
It was one of those places that if you were not looking for it you would not notice it driving by. Arthur stocked the basic stuff most bookstores had but his star attraction was the back half of the store where he had his used book section. He had over the years made a point of meeting and knowing antique dealers auctioneers, and estate planners. He often as not got first refusal on some of the best collections within a hundred mile radius.
Many who did wander in would glance casually at the regular stacks, but Arthur would gently guide them to the back and then they were usually hooked. There were a lot of people who had been late back to work because of being sucked into the Rivendell's used book section.
Things had gone well untill two weeks ago, when Arthur's one steady employee Milly Schmidt had fallen and broken her hip getting out of the bathtub. She had worked there for Arthur and also Anne and Will for forty years since the early sixties, and was 74. Arthur was glad she was not permanently laid up, but she decided she would have to retire.
Thus Arthur had to hire someone fulltime, something he had never done. None of the students from the local university who worked for him part time wanted a full time job there, so reluctantly he placed an ad last week. He was absolutly amazed at the calls he had gotten. Many were by the sound of their conversation barely literate, and yet they wanted a job HERE. Many assumed they would be paid much more than Arthur was able to manage. He had taken two hundred and sixty seven calls about the ad, he had noted each call, and interviewed maybe ten.
None of them had seemed even remotely what he was looking for, until two days after the ad's run had finished he got a call from someone who sounded promising, she was married to a lawyer, well off he assumed, and she held an Honours Batchelor degree in English Literature, her specialty, and greatest love at least when she had been at school was the nineteenth century.
He thought to himself she sounded personable, intelligent, perhaps a bit desperate, maybe she was tired of being at home all the time, who knew, and her voice was very compelling. That he knew meant nothing, as the voice seldom matched the face. Anyone hearing old Milly on the phone always assumed she was thirty years younger, and much prettier than she was.
Arthur had considered, when he placed the ad, sprucing up his own appearence, but decided against it, after all he was interviewing them. He was near six foot but not quite, and he was a bit gaunt looking, as he was in good shape. His hair a sort of sandy brown was not ever dirty or greasy but tended to be a bit unkempt, no doubt because he seldom wore a hat when he walked or biked to work, and seemed in perpetual need of a haircut.
It was Friday, which was his only concession to modern customer practises as he stayed open till 8:00 rather than the usual 5:30, though he was considering stopping that to, as there was never anyone in the store. The lady who had sounded so promising was coming at 6:00 to be interviewed, but he had lost the slip of paper with her name on it, hopefully she would have a resume with her he could get her name from.
5:45 and he was just making a pot of coffee and half hoping she would work out as he hated this hiring process, then at 5:58 she came tentitively into the store.
(This is a closed post for myself and one other who will resond shortly, however feel free to send suggestions or questions via PM to myself or Maid Of MArvels should you so wish.)
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