Wanna Buy a Book ... Anyone?

        He smiled and set down his coffee cup. "Please, call me Alex."
I returned the smile. "Well ... Alex ... I really appreciate you letting me set up shop in your store."
“Not a problem. I totally understand how hard it is to survive in the publishing world … especially these days.”
“Clara was right about you.”
Alex blushed slightly. “Speaking of Clara, I wouldn’t mind it if you could put in a good word for me.”
I blushed too. “You know that Clara is a friend of my uncle’s?”
“Oh yes. William. Clara has told me all about him.”
“Really? Do you mind me asking what she said?”
Alex picked up his coffee and took a sip. After a moment he set cup back down and said, “Well, she said that they had been dating for a while, but that it was fairly casual.”
“No, I mean, what did she say about Uncle Billy?”
“She said he was a … um … a ’complex person’ … that he would be outgoing and happy one minute and reclusive and introspective the next.”
“Introspective? Uncle Billy?”
“That’s what she said … oh and that he was often hyper-critical, but that he could be funny and self-deprecating, too.”
I nodded. "Hmmmm ..."
Alex continued, “Anyway, I find her to be a fascinating and lovely lady … I’d really like to get to know her better.”
“She seems to think a lot of you, too, Alex.”
“So, how about it? Can you help me out here?”
“Gee, Alex, I really appreciate the help you’re giving me … hosting this booking signing and the advance publicity and all … but the thing with Clara … it kinda puts me in a compromising position … something Uncle Billy does to me all the time.”
“I understand your concern, Chris … William being family... ”
“Honestly, Alex, I prefer to let these affairs of the heart work themselves out … without any involvement from me.”
“Fair enough.” He stood up and grabbed his coffee cup. “Now, let’s see what we can do about moving a few of those books of yours.”