“Needle, pour me a bit more coffee, won’t you? I want to stay sharp.”

“Nervous?”

“A little. We’re finally presenting the book — and at our own event, too.”

“Trust me, it’ll be sold out in the blink of an eye.”

Midweek brought good news: their first party was confirmed. In the time the shop had been open, it had already grown its own little ecosystem — merch, interior posters, collectable cards. Tonight, all the ingredients would melt in the same pot to treat the diggers to something special. Plate slipped stickers into box sets while cross-checking the guest list. A couple of final touches, and they were ready to head out.

“Almost forgot — we need to swing by the print shop.”

“Yeah, that would be funny: the author and the artists are here, the presentation has started… and the books we did all this for are missing. By the way, have they called you?”

“They’ll come by after lunch.”

By opening time, a few people were already waiting. With eager eyes and open smiles, they greeted the owners at the door — a good sign for a night like this. The crackle of the shutter rolling up was ever more teasing with every second passing. Tonight, there would be something for everyone.