Sloane Parker meets Arthur McLachlan on a typical work day at the library. She’s restocking the fiction section when Arthur accuses her of blocking his way. They get into a spat, and Arthur insults Sloane. Sloane wishes she could be more like her late sister, Emily, and know how to respond. She hasn’t felt like herself since Emily’s death years prior, but she talks back to Arthur anyway. Arthur is offended when she recommends books he doesn’t consider serious literature.

Afterward, Sloane and her coworker, Mateo Sharpe, talk about Arthur. Usually Arthur only lets the head librarian, Octavia, help him. Mateo avoids Arthur at all costs because of his bad attitude. Sloane knows that Octavia is the best librarian at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library. Sometimes Sloane wishes she could be more like her, too.

Arthur starts visiting the library on Sloane’s shifts every day. After two months, he loses “his power over [Sloane],” and she engages him in banter without feeling afraid (9). They begin to enjoy each other’s presence.

One day, Arthur notices that Sloane is upset and teases her. She reveals that Octavia didn’t give her the position on the library acquisition board that she’s been seeking for some time.