“It wouldn’t last, anyway.” Olivier gave a bittersweet smile. “You really shouldn’t have helped me in the first place. It just prolonged the inevitable.”
“I shouldn’t have brought the business here,” Eric muttered, his eyes darkening. “But then I wouldn’t have met you, either.”
Olivier smiled wryly. “Maybe it was bound to happen, anyway.”
Eric sighed, his breath puffing in Ollie’s hair. “Maybe we need to look at it a different way. I have some savings left. You wanna give the shop a bit of a makeover?”
“Not with the rest of your savings!” Olivier cringed. “That’s too much risk, Eric. It’ll be better if I just... tried for a desk job.”
“But Ollie’s Strings is your pride and joy.” Eric took Olivier’s hand, kissing his knuckles. “And... it’s a bit of our history too, isn’t it? From when you stopped singing.”
It was. Olivier sagged, resigned. He was six months pregnant, and his pride didn’t matter anymore—not with the baby coming. “It might be easier if I got a stable job first. Raise the children, and maybe in the future... I can open another shop again.”
Eric sighed, nuzzling Olivier’s ear. “If my new job works out...”
Ollie’s phone buzzed. He jumped, turning to look around the bedroom for it.
Eric handed it over with a wry smile. “Speak of the devil.”
Olivier sighed, taking the call. Wasn’t hoping for much. “Levi?”
The background sound almost drowned out Levi’s voice. “Ollie! I called earlier but you weren’t picking up. You won’t believe what just happened. A whole crowd of people just came in! They’re buying all the things at full price. Brad convinced them to somehow. We’ve even sold three violins.”
“What?” Ollie said, meeting Eric’s eyes. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not. See you later. I’ve got to get back to the register.”
Levi hung up on him. Olivier stared at his phone, Levi’s words ringing in his ears. When Eric raised his eyebrows, Ollie said, “There’s people at the store. They’re buying things at full price.”
Eric’s eyebrows crawled up his forehead. “How?”
“I don’t know.” Ollie checked his phone, finding a text message from Brad.
Posted a pic of your closing down sale on the local music Facebook group. They’re pretty outraged at the store closure. I’m sending them your way.
Eric looked over his shoulder, huffing. “Haven’t tried that yet. See, Ollie, people love you. It isn’t just me.”
Eric looked at him with such certainty, that Ollie’s heart fluttered. “We should go back to the store. Just to see.”
“I’m driving,” Eric said.
They were at Olivier’s Strings twenty minutes later, Eric parking in the back because the lots out front were all full. When Ollie stepped into his store, he found it packed.
“Thanks for coming back,” Levi said, disheveled. “I just had to fetch a new box of strings from the backroom. Could you take over for a bit? I need to pee.”
“Sure,” Ollie said, staring dazedly at the customers queuing at the cashier, multiple items in their hands.
“It’s been a while since I visited,” an old beta said, her cheeks rosy. “I came all the way from Highton! Brad Saxon announced that he’d be here for an impromptu meet-and-greet. I hope you aren’t really going to close—are you?”
Ollie looked at her earnest, hopeful face, and wavered. She’d made an hour-long drive just for this. “Perhaps not,” he said. “I’m hoping not to.”
And Eric smiled next to him, squeezing Olivier’s waist.
One by one, the customers came up to speak to him. Ollie remembered most of them, and the instruments they played. A Clossney for a tall alpha, a Bavarian viola for the tiny, bouncy beta.
Brad was further back in the shop, Ian and their children with him, surrounded by a group of people.
At one point, the cash register ran out of small change. Eric pulled open his wallet, handing Ollie the bills so he could complete his transactions.
It was much later, when it became time to close the store, that Ollie sank back against Eric, exhausted with all the interactions.
He’d never seen so many people in his shop before. But to receive their smiles, their memories of being here, their gratitude for having Olivier’s Strings in their lives... it gave Ollie hope.
“Wanna reconsider closing?” Eric murmured, nuzzling his temple.
“Maybe,” Olivier said.
Eric’s smile lit the flame of hope in his chest.
Levi waved at the last customer, flipping the sign from Open to Closed. “Well, that was a day.”
“It was,” Olivier said, smiling when Brad and his family stepped up to the register. “Brad, I... I don’t have any words. I’m just... floored.”
Brad waved it off. “Just count it as me helping a friend. ‘Sides, I wasn’t expecting this crowd, either. Looks like people do appreciate having your shop around, Ollie.”
Levi squeezed Ollie’s shoulder, and Eric kissed Ollie’s cheek. Olivier held onto them both, grateful for the support he had around him.
“You okay, though?” Brad asked, eyeing Olivier’s bruised face. “When I saw you earlier... you looked fine.”
Then he glanced at Eric, his nostrils flaring. Olivier blushed. There was no mistaking the musk on him now, the heavy scent of cedar all over his skin. Even Levi looked askance at him.
“I’m fine—I ran into a spot of trouble earlier,” Ollie said, squirming. “I think you were gone when the police got here.”
“Things are fine now?” Levi asked, looking pointedly at Eric.
“They are,” Eric said, linking his fingers with Ollie’s.
“For real?” Levi still seemed doubtful.
“Yes,” Ollie said, and Eric’s smile warmed him to his toes.
“Okay, I didn’t need to see that,” Levi muttered. “That’s just too sappy for me.”
Levi rolled his eyes, but he was also smiling.
Eric reached for his phone, tapping out a message to someone.
“Well, see you around,” Brad said, waving. “Tell me if you need more help.”
“Will do.” Ollie watched Brad and his family leave, his chest full.
“Hey, is it okay if Cole drops by?” Eric asked. “I left Jenn with him.”
“Sure,” Olivier said.
Next to Ollie, Levi froze.
Ollie looked suspiciously at Levi. “What’s with you and Cole? Every time he drops by the shop, you pretend he’s not even there,
