Page 21 of The Promise Of Rain
Her whispered words echoed in my head.
Thank you.
Like I’d given her something she desperately needed.
I inhaled deeply, my chest filling with air before expelling the threat of violence bubbling in my veins.
Because I’d just out and out lied to her.
Not a great start.
“Fuck.”
4
Cocoon
Jenny
“You have yourself a wonderful day, now,” Maxine chirped brightly.
I flopped over the counter, my hands dangling over the far edge as I lightly banged my forehead off its polished, marble surface.
Life in a small town was not always what it was cracked up to be.
There were gems like Maggie’s mother, Laurie Raynor.Miller’s mother was also a treat.I held great admiration for Sergeant Elliott, and most of the women in the town had long ago accepted that I had not in fact seduced Miller that night nor had I scammed Ansel out of his business.
But there were still those who couldn’t resist the taste of poison on their tongues.
One of which had just left with an armload of cinnamon buns and two loaves of Ansel’s famous sourdough bread.Far colder than the current February freeze, she didn’t deserve Ansel’s bread.But her personal distaste of me didn’t stop her from indulging her culinary weaknesses.
As much as I needed every single customer, I hated ending the week with one of those encounters.
Maxine laughed and lightly scratched the back of my head.
Over the past couple of weeks, she and Maggie had taken to showing up at closing time on Saturdays for ‘girl time.’
I resisted at first, but they made it so I couldn’t say no without being unbearably rude.
A lady is never rude or outspoken.
I pushed my mother’s voice out of my head as I acknowledged the real problem: I’d begun to look forward to their visits which made me all kinds of uncomfortable.
Good things didn’t last.Even as I laughed and joked with Maggie and Maxine, even as I accepted their readily offered comfort, I grieved the end when it would inevitably all fall apart.
“You need to learn to ignore people,” Maxine stated.
I lifted my head and snorted.“Easy for you to say, lady.You’re the town cheerleader.I’m the town wh—”
Maxine’s eyes snapped blue fire as she pointed her finger in my face.“Do not say it.”
I pushed myself back up, waved my hands in the air, and squeezed my eyes shut for a moment before facing her.“You’re right, I know you’re right.I just get tired of fighting everyone.”
“Why do you need to fight anyone?”She shrugged.“Not much you can do about ignorant people.”She frowned.“And a little nookie wouldn’t hurt you in the slightest bit.When was the last time you got laid?”
I rolled my eyes.
She’d keel over if I told her.
