One particular Wednesday the shop had been exceptionally busy. A local man had self-published a book about the town's closed railway line. Agnes had ordered 50 copies on a sale or return basis. They were priced on the cover at £15 but Agnes had marked them down to £10. The author would receive £6.50, which just covered his costs.

He was in the shop signing the books and so it was full of enthusiasts. She could have sold 70 copies. However she turned a deaf ear when the author took orders from those who had come too late and had found that the book had sold out.

Over 80 enthusiasts had come in and she had sold a further 60 or so railway books. Every 6 months she'd raised the price on this stock otherwise some items would have been priced at £1.75p!  Several persons had told her that some of the books were now collector's items as they were out of print. Overall she sold about £1200 worth of Railway Books.

At noon the owners had come out of the back, emptied the till and then shooed all the Anoraks out. They counted the take, shrugged then walked out without a word. Normally counter sales for a week would not exceed £2000.



Agnes locked the front door and turned the sign to show that the shop was closed. She went into the Erotica alcove for she was on a high. She walked straight into a man who was engrossed in a particularly explicit book.

She giggled and said, "Isn't she beautiful If I was a man I'd stare at her just like you are! Have you read Angelica and the Insurance Man.?"

He laughed, "I must confess I have."

Agnes suddenly grabbed hold of him and kissed him. Both of them were plot perfect in word and action. Within 30 seconds they were inflagrante indelicito on all fours, just like in the book. However the plot was strayed from when the man suddenly stopped.

"No don't stop," Agnes shouted, "Not now!"

The man sadly said, "I suppose I've failed again."

"Oh no," said Agnes, "I've had lots but I've waited so long for this that I don't want it to stop."
 
Thus encouraged the man encored until Agnes moaned, "I can take no more, well not just yet anyway."
 
Having got over the lusty bit the two became slushy. They gently dressed each other, kissed and cuddled and showered endearments.

"Oh god" exclaimed Agnes for she had remembered that a CCTV camera covered the Alcove. She turned to the man and continued, "We will be on on the videotape. "



"Well I'm a spinster, was until a moment ago a virgin, and live at home with my ancient parents. My name is Agnes Day."

Chris chuckled, "So you're a lamb of god! I'll not go out with an Agnes, so I'm going to call you Lammy. What time do you finish today?"

"6pm."
 
"Right I'll be knocking on the door at 6pm." She let him out of the shop and locked the door.









She was startled out of her reverie by a banging on the shop door. It was Chris. He wrinkled his nose, smiled, blew her a kiss and pointed to his watch. It was dead on 6 o'clock. She checked that the shop's side and back doors were locked, put out the lights, switched on the Burglar Alarm, then quickly opened the front door ran out and closed and locked it. She put the keys into an envelope and pushed them through the letterbox.

Chris asked, "Don't the owners work on a Wednesday Afternoon"

"No they go out apparently looking for new stock. "

Chris asked, "Do you like Italian food Lammy?"

She answered, "I'd go down a Salvation Army Soup Kitchen if you were taking me! "

They embraced passionately. When they broke apart Lammy noticed there were tears on Chris's cheeks, she kissed them away and said, " Now stop that or you'll get me going. Were you talking about the new Italian Restaurant that has opened in the Mall?"

"Yes," said Chris, "That's the one."

Lammy told him to leave his car parked outside the shop, for they would walk there.

To be continued.