Page 96 of Beautiful Harmony

“Hi there. Are you looking for something specific today?” Emma asked.

“No, thank you.” The woman’s gaze dipped down her body before landing on her birthmark again.

It’s just a mark.

“Well, let me know if you need any help,” Emma said, keeping her voice cheerful and welcoming.

She joined Cora, who stood behind the counter. “Cora, can you - what’s wrong?”

Cora looked sick to her stomach. “Emma, Mrs. Walters just told me -”

“Oy, there you are!” The familiar thumping of Mrs. Walters’ cane sounded behind Emma. “I guess I shouldn’t bother trying to set you up with my grandson again, huh?”

Emma turned around. “What do you mean, Mrs. Walters?”

“You and that Lucas boy. Everyone in town is talking about how the two of you are dating. Awful strange that a boy that good looking would date someone who looks like you, isn’t it?”

“Be quiet, Mrs. Walters!” Cora snapped.

“I don’t mean no harm,” Mrs. Walters said. “Just stating facts.”

Emma gripped the counter's edge and tried to keep her voice from shaking. “Lucas and I are just friends.”

“Is that right? Because Seo-Jun’s been telling everyone who’ll listen that she saw the two of you sucking face in the Willington Whole Foods parking lot on Sunday. You know her daughter moved there last year to work at the Walmart. Bullshit excuse for moving to Willington if you ask me,” Mrs. Walters said.

She leaned against the counter and rubbed at her hip. “We got a Walmart right here in Harmony Falls, and I can tell you for a fact it’s better than the Willington one. Mark my words, Seo-Jun’s daughter moved to Willington because she’s hooking up with that lady lawyer… oh, what’s her name? She’s got that stupid commercial they’re always playing on the local station. Anyway, we all know they’re banging. A real shame it is. If I were Seo-Jun, I’d be embarrassed that my daughter was dating someone from Willington.”

“Seo-Jun is mistaken. It wasn’t us,” Emma said faintly.

Mrs. Walters harrumphed loudly. “No, she ain’t. Kind of hard to mistake you, what with your birthmark and all. Anyway, it’s all over town. You know what a gossip she is.”

Emma stared at Cora, who looked as nauseous as Emma felt. Shit. She knew how Cora felt about Lucas. She’d be lucky if Cora didn’t quit on her.

Mrs. Walters carried on relentlessly. “Then there’s that mean girl, the one who thinks her shit smells like roses… Penny or Pam or something like that…”

“Pheobe,” Emma said, her urge to vomit growing bigger by the second.

“That’s the one! You should know she ain’t been shy about telling everyone who’ll listen that you’re punching above your weight with Lucas and how pathetic it makes you. She says that you’re a pity fuck. Which is just an awful term if you ask me. But is it true? Is he sleeping with you because he feels sorry for you?” Mrs. Walters asked.

“Excuse me, please.” Emma pushed past Mrs. Walters and fled down an empty aisle to the back of the store. She pushed past the employee’s only door and ran into her office, shutting the door behind her and nearly falling into the chair behind her desk.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

She buried her hot face in her hands, trying not to cry as panic, embarrassment, and anger jockeyed for spots in her body. Oh God, poor Lucas. She could only imagine the shit people were saying to him. She needed to call him.

She yanked her phone out of her pocket, hesitating with her finger over Lucas’s number. What the fuck was she supposed to say? Sorry that you’re the laughingstock of the town now? Hell, she’d be lucky if he ever spoke to her again.

Her phone rang in her hand, making her jump and nearly drop it. She stared at the number and hit the answer button. “Hello, Caroline.”

“Hi, Emma. How are you?” Caroline asked.

“Um, good. You?”

“I’m good. I’m great, actually. I just finished reviewing the store assessment you sent me, and the numbers look amazing. I’m all in.”

Emma swallowed hard, and after a few seconds of silence, Caroline said, “I know you haven’t come to a final decision yet, but I thought maybe we could meet and -”

“I’ve made my decision,” Emma said. “I’ll sell the store to you.”

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