Chapter 13: The Stakeout Revelation
The Tuesday morning after our stakeout, I arrive at the shop to find Sheldon already there.
He's at the counter with his laptop, three-ring binder, and color-coded tab system that would make a military quartermaster weep with envy.
"You texted," I say, unlocking the door.
"As per our agreement. I have six hours and thirty-two minutes before the shop opens. Sufficient time to implement phase two of the organizational optimization."
"There's a phase two?"
"There are seven phases. We've only completed preliminary structuring."
I make coffee—the cheap instant kind that tastes like regret but has enough caffeine to simulate consciousness—and let Sheldon explain his system. And it's brilliant. Genuinely brilliant.
He's analyzed three months of my sales data, identified which titles move fastest, created a hybrid organization system that combines alphabetical browsing with strategic product placement based on customer traffic patterns. He even has recommendations for which publishers to order heavier based on my customer demographic.
"How did you get my sales data?"
"Your register system emails daily receipts. I subscribed to the mailing list."
"That's... actually really smart."
"Of course it is. I designed it."
Leonard arrives around ten with breakfast burritos. "Sheldon texted me that he'd be here. Figured you'd need backup."
"Emotional support backup?"
"Sheldon's organizational presentations can be overwhelming."
He's not wrong. We spend the next two hours implementing Sheldon's phase two, which involves rearranging the entire graphic novel section by "optimal discovery patterns." Sheldon directs like a conductor. Leonard and I do the heavy lifting.
"This is basically free labor," Leonard mutters, carrying a stack of trades.
"This is friendship," Sheldon corrects. "Friends assist each other's pursuits. Stuart's pursuit is commercial success. We facilitate that success through organizational efficiency."
"We could also just let him organize his own shop."
"But then it would be organized incorrectly."
By noon, the section is transformed. And I have to admit—it's better. Way better. The flow makes sense. Customers can browse naturally, discovering new titles while finding what they want.
"Sheldon," I say, looking at his work, "you missed your calling. You should be a retail consultant."
"Retail is beneath my intellectual capacity. However, optimizing Stuart's establishment is an acceptable intellectual exercise and supports a friendship obligation."
"That's sweet. In a weird, Sheldon way."
"I don't understand the 'weird' qualifier. My actions are logically sound and emotionally appropriate."
Leonard and I exchange glances. Neither of us has the heart to explain.
Howard and Raj show up during lunch, immediately noticing the changes.
"Whoa," Raj breathes, examining the graphic novel section. "This is incredible. Did you hire someone?"
"Sheldon reorganized everything," I explain. "Turns out he's been doing it for weeks. We caught him last night."
"Caught him?" Howard grins. "Like a burglar?"
"More like a very helpful, slightly compulsive friend who happens to have a key."
Sheldon emerges from the back room—where he's been "optimizing storage space utilization"—and nods at the newcomers. "Howard. Raj. You're witnessing phase two implementation. Phase three begins Thursday."
"There's a phase three?" Raj asks.
"Seven phases total. Comprehensive organizational overhaul."
"Seven," Howard repeats. "You're doing seven phases of organization. For free. At 4 AM."
"Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 AM. And yes, without monetary compensation. Though Stuart did express gratitude, which provides adequate emotional compensation."
Later, after Sheldon leaves to teach an afternoon class, the four of us are sitting around eating pizza—because apparently we can't gather anywhere without pizza being involved.
"That was the most Sheldon thing ever," Howard says. "Breaking into your shop to organize it because the chaos bothered him."
"He had permission," I point out. "I gave him a key."
"You gave him a key to wait inside, not reorganize your entire business model."
"Potato, po-tah-to."
Raj is still admiring the changes. "You know what this means, right? Sheldon considers you a close friend. He doesn't do this level of helpful intervention for just anyone."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah," Leonard confirms. "He reorganized my apartment once. Took him all day. I was furious at first, but then I realized—he was trying to help. In his weird, boundary-crossing way, he cares."
"He reorganized my mother's kitchen when we visited last Thanksgiving," Howard adds. "She loved it. Said he was the most helpful boy I'd ever brought home. Didn't matter that I told her he's not my boyfriend."
We all laugh. The shop feels comfortable with them here. The afternoon sun coming through the window, highlighting dust motes. Comics surrounding us like colorful, papery bodyguards. This weird little sanctuary I've built.
"Wednesday night tomorrow," Leonard says. "You ready?"
"Always."
The tradition's been going strong for two months now. Wednesday comics, pizza, debate sessions that last until midnight. It's become my favorite part of the week.
After they leave, I walk through the shop looking at Sheldon's improvements with fresh eyes. The color-coded sections. The strategic product placement. The spreadsheet system that actually makes inventory management bearable.
He did this because he's my friend. Because my success matters to him.
The thought sits warm in my chest.
I pull out my secret notebook and add a new entry:
Sheldon reorganized the shop. Spent weeks doing it. Because chaos bothered him and he wanted to help. This is what real friendship looks like—even when it's weird.
Note: Phase three is Thursday. Brace yourself.
I close the notebook, smiling. The Inventory Angel mystery is solved. And somehow, the answer makes everything better.
Note:
Please give good reviews and power stones itrings more people and more people means more chapters?
My Patreon is all about exploring 'What If' timelines, and you can get instant access to chapters far ahead of the public release.
Choose your journey:
Timeline Viewer ($6): Get 10 chapters of early access + 5 new chapters weekly.
Timeline Explorer ($9): Jump 15-20 chapters ahead of everyone.
Timeline Keeper ($15): Get Instant Access to chapters the moment I finish writing them. No more waiting.
Read the raw, unfiltered story as it unfolds. Your support makes this possible!
👉 Find it all at patreon.com/Whatif0