Page 5 of Always There For You

Always. Always. Gods, what a sight you are, with your jasmine-scented hair and your crop tops, and passport so full you’ve had to buy three more. The beads you bought in Sri Lanka around your neck, and the little sketching pencils you keep in your bag, the ones that leave blue dye on your fingertips. Those fingertips pressing into me now, making me want to float away because I know you’ll be my tether.

“Stay here. I’ve got the space.” It was never a question in her mind. Never, ever once.

“Ames…”

Amelia leaned over and put a finger on Hadley’s lips. “No arguing.” When Hadley shook her head and then playfully snapped teeth at her finger, Amelia turned her face into that hair and said, “I’m glad you’re here.”

Hadley’s arms wound tight around her. “So am I.”

Chapter three

Four weeks to opening

Hadley had trained a lot of new staff in all the jobs she’d had over the years. Despite her ever-present wanderlust, it was hard to travel when you were working for peanuts, so she’d made the effort over time to cultivate what she called her Wanderlist. A list of people who would either hire her, know where to point her to a role, or otherwise have info on the next place she’d be for more than six months. If she was just bouncing from town to town or country to country, she’d do odd jobs. No commitments, quick money. But she’d stayed in beautiful places across Europe and Central America, places she’d wanted to stay for more than a season or two. So she’d found an apartment, a bike or scooter, and solid employment.

Running small teams in seaside shops, art galleries, and community centers had given her a lot of insight into who would sink or swim in a role. Somehow (though not to Hadley’s surprise), Amelia had landed some pretty talented people. The curly-haired shift manager who was learning the cash system from Amelia was a quiet one, but Hadley could see a gleam in their eyes. She liked the determination, the intense stare as they peered over Amelia’s shoulder.

“Do you want to give it a try?”

The trainee nodded. “Yeah, I learn better when I do things.”

“Great.” Amelia waved at Hadley. “Hey, Hads, are you free? Can you play customer for me?”

With a grin, Hadley ambled over to the counter, plucking up a random wine bottle as she passed. Hooking two fingers around the neck of the bottle, she held it aloft and smiled at the trainee. “Hi Sara,” she said, noting the name and they/them pronouns on the name tag. “I’m ready to check out.”

“Great!” As they’d been trained, Sara waited for Hadley to put the bottle down on the counter before reaching for it. Never take a bottle from someone cashing out, Amelia had said. It can be fumbled or dropped. And if they’re an asshole, they might drop it on purpose. It’s happened before. Sara carefully picked up the bottle (they’d get more confident with the more bottles they handled), scanned it with a flick of their wrist, then read off the total. When Hadley handed them a twenty, Sara did everything right, from marking the bill with a counterfeit pen to making change and wrapping and bagging the purchase.

But when Hadley winked at Amelia and said, “Okay, I bought this, right? First sale!,” Sara laughed while Amelia rolled her eyes. “I definitely bought this,” she faux-whispered to Sara. Then she handed Sara the bag. “And now I’m giving it to you. Congrats on a successful training day.”

Sara looked a little flummoxed, but then gently took the bag. “Thanks. I’ll enjoy it tonight.”

“You did good, Sara. And it’s almost time for you to leave, so feel free to go claim a locker before you head out.” Her friend’s smile was small but encouraging. Exhaustion kept it from fully unfurling. Hadley instantly started making a list of things to do when they got home.

And she tried not to let the when they got home part of her thoughts rattle around too much. She didn’t need to put any extra meaning behind it when just being near Amelia was enough.

It was enough. It had to be.

Brown curls bouncing, Sara waved to them before disappearing into the back hallway, bag swinging from their left hand. “I like them,” Hadley said, smiling. “You have a good eye for talent, babe.”

Amelia shrugged. “Honestly, they were one of the best applicants and that’s saying something. I actually had a really great pool of people apply, so if someone falls through, I’m hoping I can recall some of the folks I turned down. And most of them I only turned down for a lack of schedule flexibility or experience in retail.”

As if an invisible hand pushed her down, Amelia leaned heavily on the counter and sighed. Hadley saw her wince, then watched her friend use her right hand to massage her left. Amelia’s hands bothered her a lot some days; redness, swelling, pain. She’d described it as a persistent, dull ache that sometimes flared hot or felt like she was being stabbed in the thumb. Hadley knew better than to apologize. Amelia used to brush off those sincere, but ineffective words so instead, Hadley had started to ask what Amelia needed. And now years later, Hadley usually had a game plan in mind.

“Was Sara the last one today?” Hadley asked as she rounded the counter and pulled Amelia in close with a firm arm around her waist. Amelia mumbled something but didn’t raise her head from where she was resting it on stacked forearms. “Can you stand up straight?” Another mumble and Hadley snickered softly. “Okay, now you’re being stubborn.”

Amelia’s arm shot up, middle finger in the air.

“Well, if that’s how you want to be, then none of my special tea for you.”

Very slowly, Amelia turned her head until Hadley could see one hazel eye narrowed. “How dare you.”

“I can be just as stubborn as you.”

“You’re so mean.”

“I am. Very mean. Grrr.”

Laughing, Amelia pushed off the counter, wobbled, and Hadley caught her with both hands. “Thanks.”

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