Terrible news from Alexandria, Va., where fire broke out Sunday night in the building where Friends to Lovers, the romance-only bookstore, had just celebrated its Thursday grand opening with festivities lasting through the weekend. Friends to Lovers and two other businesses in the building--Madame Coco's Emporium and Everything Chocolate--are closed.
On Instagram, owner Jamie Fortin said that the store sustained "extensive smoke damage.... While we're still waiting on details about the full extent of the damage, we do know our current space won't be operational for the rest of the year--and most likely longer.... We're working tirelessly to bring Friends to Lovers back to life because this community means the world to us. Thank you for your kindness and support during this time." Fortin has established a GoFundMe campaign that has already raised $13,000.
In another post, Fortin wrote in part, "To myself and I think to a lot of us, Friends to Lovers isn't about the building. We have already built the foundations for a beautiful, vibrant, and joyful community centered around love and friendship and storytelling and I'm thrilled for everything we've accomplished so far and everything we'll accomplish in the future."