Page 12 of Unlikely You

“Oh,” she said softly, pulling one of my book sleeves out of the basket. It was one of the simpler fabrics and just so happened to be yellow hexagons that might look like honeycomb. Of course.

“You’re really into the bee thing, aren’t you?” I said before I could consider if it was smart to talk to her like a regular person.

“What can I say? I love them.” She pulled her necklace forward which, you guessed it, had a bee charm.

“I’ll take this one,” she said, tapping it with one of those pink nails.

Was this a joke? Was she messing with me? I narrowed my eyes and then decided she was way too sweet for that. Way too nice. The earnestness just dripped off her. I had to get her away from me as soon as possible.

Normally I would have chatted with a customer as I processed the transaction, but I didn’t do that with her. I simply pointed at the tablet where she could swipe her card and didn’t ask her if she wanted a bag or to have a good day.

She declined the receipt and put her card back in her leather wallet (which had a bee stamped on the front) and gave me a smile as if I’d made her entire day.

“Thanks. I’ve been meaning to get one of these for ages. Have a great afternoon.” With that she flounced back to her table and I was left wondering what the actual hell had just happened.

Why donice people make me want to stab something?I sent to Melliferal later that night when I’d gotten home.

Every nice person? Or just certain nice people? Because that would be a lot of stabby thoughts to have on a daily basis.

I guess it’s just certain people that make me want to stab. And you know I don’t REALLY mean stab.

Joking about murder and fantasizing about it in detail were two different things. With someone online, you never knew exactly where they were coming from, so it was important to clarify for her that I didn’t actually mean stabbing.

I know. You’re not really as mean and stabby as you want me to believe you are. I know we’re just internet friends, but I think I know you pretty well. Not details, but I know important things.

As much as I’d tried not to tell her personal details, she knew other things. For some reason it was easier to talk to a stranger on the internet about truly intimate things than speak to someone you’d known for years. There was no baggage, no history that might cloud the advice. I trusted Melliferal with more of myself than anyone else. I’d given her far too much already, but there was no putting all of that back in a box or pretending I hadn’t opened up to her.

As long as I didn’t share too many other personal details, I wouldn’t sink deeper. She wouldn’t get any more of me than what I’d already given.

You don’t really know me, Melliferal. And I don’t know you.I regretted the message the second I sent it.

I’m sorry. It’s just been a long day. I don’t think I should be talking to anyone right now.

There.

I waited for a response, but one didn’t come. Sighing, I set my phone down and went to check on my printing machines. I was working on a new set of stickers that I was really excited about. The designs were super cute, which was different than my usual more dramatic and darker style, but I wanted to have a range for my customers.

To be honest, I’d tried to channel Honey Holloway when I was designing them. She’d want cute, rounded shapes and fonts and bright colors. I hadn’t known how much she was truly into bees until today. I’d figured most of it was just because of the business, but it seemed like she was really into them. So I might have just finished a little bee sticker and was printing it out with the others.

It didn’t mean anything. She’d just given me an idea. I also had some flower stickers, so the bee went along with them. Besides, bees were popular. Lots of people liked them. Didn’t mean that I’d made the stickers just for her.

It didn’t meananything.

Melliferal didn’t get backto me until much later that night. As much as I knew it was my right to put up boundaries with her, I hadn’t needed to be such a bitch about it.

I wanted to apologize again, but I’d wanted to wait for her to reach out first to see if she was still interested in talking with me. Melliferal and I hadn’t really had that many disagreements in the past. There had been no need to. She’d backed off whenever I’d told her things were getting too personal for me.

I don’t know why, but I wanted you to see this.The message was attached to a video of a little girl sitting beside a fence with an accordion. An adult (probably a parent) encouraged her to play, so she did. Within moments, cows started appearing in the background, as if drawn by the music.

It was adorable and silly and made me smile.

Thanks, I did need to see that. Sorry about snapping at you earlier.

It’s okay. I’m used to you being a little bit prickly. I can handle it.

She was always like that. Always smoothing over my rough edges and saying she would take me as I was.

Well, the parts of me she knew. Melliferal would never know all of me.

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