Page 30 of Playoffs & Promises

A store employee with a blue apron and hair braided into Princess Leia buns chose this moment to approach us and asked. "Is everything alright?"

He smiled at her, and she fanned her face before paying him a compliment on the cut of his bicep. Immediately I knew that things were not going to go in my favor as she flirted with him. His smile was the same politely dim one that he gave me by the eggs which made me feel moderately better.

Pointing to the now empty lemon display he told her that we both needed lemons.

"Oh yeah, the delivery driver got caught in the storm. The truck ended up tipped over and spilled everything all over the highway. It's a mess."

"There's nothing in the back?" I asked hopefully.

She shook her head. "No we won't have any for at least a week, and the other stores are out too. Lemons aren't a high-demand item."

"But we both reached for the lemons at the same time," I told her.

My heart started to beat fast, and my chest started to squeeze as the early stages of a panic attack quickly rose.

"And I got them." He held up the bag proudly.

In my panic, my temper flared and I snapped out, "Only because you have ridiculous gorilla arms."

His eyebrow lifted, "And you think insulting me is going to convince me to hand them over?"

Wincing, I bit my lip, and tried to take calming breaths. In for four, hold for four, out for four. They helped just a little, even if I felt ridiculous doing them, and I could see the growing look of judgment in the store clerk's eyes. The look wondering if I was about to burst into full crazy or something.

I looked away from her, but I didn't dare look to see what his eyes said. "You're right. I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." He started to walk away.

"Wait!" I yelled.

He paused and looked back at me. His honey eyes were curious as he looked at me.

"Can we split them?" I asked him in desperation. There had to be at least ten in the bag.

He looked at the bag, counting them briefly. "Sorry Lady, I need them."

I started to go after him, but the store clerk blocked my path. She held out her arms like she'd be just fine tackling me like an NFL defensive lineman if it would result in getting his number.

"Do I need to get security?"

He didn't bother looking back at me as he walked away without a care in the world. After all, why would he care that he'd destroyed my future over a bag of lemons? The panic attack rose up and swallowed me whole.

Ten

LOU

Cinnamon keeps me company as I lounge on my oversized couch, a controller in my hand, immersed in the latest video game my sister Missy and her husband Gabe got me for Christmas. The couch takes up more room than my apartment can really handle, but it's the one place I indulged myself. It's big enough that I could invite my friends over for a game if I wanted to, but I never do. It used to be different when Hannah and Matt lived here, But now, it's just me and Cinnamon. She's curled up on her blanket beside me, with her head on her paws, eyes half closed from our run earlier. Running in the park wore her out.

I'd needed something to help get the extra energy out. Cake may not have been on the trainer approved breakfast menu, but it tasted even better this morning. I'd thought about going to the bakery to see if I could get one of the croissant things Nate always gets, but the way Maria shut me out last night makes me hesitate.

Everything had gone so well up until that stupid scorecard in her office. Those judges were downright wrong and I couldn't understand why she would keep it. She'd shut down at seeing it, and that invisible barrier slammed right back into place between us. The one that had slowly been coming down.

I was an idiot for reminding her of what was clearly such a terrible memory. I'd be upset if someone brought up one of the worst days of my life to me too. Ironic that the date on the scorecard was the same date I'd ended up in the hospital from that game.

Fists pound on my door, startling both me and Cinnamon. She springs to her feet, barking like crazy as I fumble with the controller, trying to calm her down. In the chaos, my avatar on the screen takes a hit and drops like a stone. Game over.

"Open the door, Lou. We know you're in there!" Hannah's voice blasts through the door, followed by more pounding.

I sigh, switching off the TV and setting the controller aside.

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