Battle of the Bookstores

In the 24 hours after realizing that BookshopGirl is Josie, Ryan avoids her while brainstorming how to broach the topic with her. At work, Ryan vaguely describes his conundrum to Nora. He tells Nora that he met someone anonymously on BookFriends, developed feelings, but has recently found out that she’s someone he doesn’t like in real life and isn’t sure which version of her is real. Nora suggests he give the girl a chance to show him who she truly is.

A male customer comes into Happy Endings looking for a birthday gift for his girlfriend. While he likes literary fiction, his girlfriend likes romance. Ryan decides that the gift should encompass both of their preferences, so he brings the man into Tabula Inscripta, where he asks Josie to find Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake. The man purchases Tom Lake in addition to a few more books for himself, resulting in a big sale for Josie. That night, BookshopGirl messages Ryan to say goodnight. Ryan is reminded that he still must figure out a way to tell Josie the truth. He decides to ask her to meet in real life.