Contents
4: The Mouth
Overview
January recalls her fraught college history with Gus Everett, establishing their long-standing rivalry and his gravedigger-to-author mystique. In the present, they meet at Pete’s Books, spar over their genres, and confirm they are neighbors. Pete embraces the coincidence, while a call from Anya gives January an exit, cementing ongoing tension.
Summary
January reflects on college, explaining how her unspoken rivalry with Gus Everett began. Gus, older and once a gravedigger, wrote stark, cemetery-centered stories that contrasted January’s romantic, hopeful work. His talent and magnetism, plus his cutting first comment—“Let me guess: Everyone lives happily ever after”—shaped their adversarial dynamic.
Through school, January and Gus alternated winning prizes, rarely interacting beyond workshops where Gus often targeted her stories and borrowed her pens. Their paths overlapped socially, including Gus’s brief flings with two of January’s roommates and a hazy night at a frat party, reinforcing tension and fascination.
In the present at Pete’s Books, Gus arrives and recognizes January as his neighbor. Embarrassed yet defensive, January braces as Pete introduces them. When Pete steps away, Gus asks what January writes; she says romance. He responds with a loaded “Ah,” prompting a sharp genre skirmish: January mocks his brooding literary archetypes, and Gus teases her about tropey love stories.
Pete returns, thrilled that two published writers live on the same street, predicting they’ll connect all summer. January’s phone rings—Anya calling—giving her a timely exit. She excuses herself, and Gus calls, “See you at home,” underscoring that their rivalry and unresolved chemistry will now unfold as next-door neighbors.
Who Appears
- January AndrewsRomance author narrator; recalls her college rivalry with Gus and trades sharp banter upon meeting him at Pete’s Books.
- Augustus (Gus) EverettLiterary author and January’s college rival; now her neighbor; engages in pointed genre debate and recognizes her at the bookstore.
- PeteBookstore and coffee shop owner; delighted to discover her two neighborhood authors and encourages their connection.
- AnyaCaller whose timely phone call lets January escape the awkward encounter with Gus.