Jo had clearly set off some sort of internal alarm for the man. She did pause to wonder just how many men Beauty had waiting to come to her rescue. Mostly without bitterness. Mostly.
The man behind the counter had a fierceness and a world weariness to his eyes that didn't quite match up with the quiet life of a bookseller. Jo wondered briefly what his story was but she supposed that everyone in the City seemed to be more than they appeared at first.
She put on a small smile, dropping any pretense and deciding to simply be honest. Sometimes that approach worked after all.
"Ted Earley. I'm Jo."
She didn't expect the man to have heard of her, but if he was a friend f Beauty's then he must have heard Ted's name at least once or twice. Right?