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own coffee.
    Phyllis brings pastries from her bakery on Saturdays and
    Millie brings the best deli sandwiches ever on Wednesday
    afternoons. That empty cold case by the counter is where
    you will put them. We always sell out of them or pretty
    close to it anyway.”
    “If the pastries and deli sandwiches do so well,
    why don’t you sell them every day?” I asked, curious.
    “Nah, that’s too much work, besides I don’t want
    people hanging out in here every day,” she teased.
    I did like Starlight and Lauren was right, the lady
    was as Bohemian as you could get. I don’t think the devil
    could have pissed her off.

    ***
I was slowly beginning to relax and fall deeply in
    love with my new life. I would almost say I had a
    delightful routine going. Wake up and laugh to Lauren and
    Levi in the morning, laugh some more with Starlight during
    the day, drink too much coffee, eat dinner with Lauren, and
    walk on the beach. By the end of the week I knew
    everything that I needed to know to be able to keep the
    shop up and running, not that any monkey couldn’t learn it,
    but still. I liked my job other than the fact that it needed a
    good cleaning which I was planning to talk to Starlight
    about that day, her last day with me. I didn’t want to step
    on her toes, but come on, I didn’t know how in the world
    she kept her books up with the mess in the office.
    It was well into the afternoon when I finally
    worked up the nerve to ask.
    “Starlight, I was wondering if it would be okay if I
    done some cleaning and organizing while you were
    away,” I asked, really fast. I always had a problem with
    asking for things, even growing up, and it was worse with
    Drew. He always made me earn it one way or another.
    Why was my heart beating so fast? It wasn’t like I asked to
    remodel the place or anything. The worse thing that could
    happen was she would say no.
    “Honey, you do whatever you want to do here. I
    don’t plan to spend much time here, now that I have you.
    You’re going to be running the joint, so make it your
    home.”
    I smiled, relieved as I relaxed.
    Friday was the busiest day I had seen since I had
    started. I sold some of the clothing articles to some high
    school girls and some of the Indian figurines to some
    tourist. The coffee had to be replenished throughout the
    day and we opened up one of the boxes in the back and
    restocked the shelves with figurines.
    “Where do you get these?” I asked Starlight,
    unwrapping a family of picnicking figurines.
    “I go to this trade show in Las Vegas twice a year.
    I will take you some time. It’s the coolest thing ever.”
    My heart sped up at the mention of Las Vegas. I
    wouldn’t be going anywhere near that trade show.
    “How do you get the things here?” I asked.
    “They ship it to me after the show.”
    “There isn’t a website to just order the things?”
    Starlight shrugged her shoulders as she continued
    to unpack the little knickknacks. “Maybe, but the trade
    show is too much fun for that,” she smiled at me.
    Starlight showed me where to find the petty cash,
    once she remembered where it was herself. She explained
    that I could use anything from the storeroom that I wanted
    and to replenish the shelves with whatever I wanted. I was
    looking forward to getting my hands on the rat race.
    Lauren and I ate the meatloaf special for supper at
    Millie’s, and it reminded of my Grandma Joyce’s. We got
    the warm apple pie for dessert and then I let her talk me
    into going to the town bar. I had never been to a bar in my
    life. I’d been to elaborate restaurants and fancy clubs, but
    never to a bar. I didn’t want to go to a bar. I just wanted to
    go home to my little house, sit on my deck and gaze at the
    beautiful sky overlooking the ocean.
    “Come on, please,” she begged.
    I acquiesced, against my will. Why not? I had done
    things against my will my entire life, at least Lauren had
    my best interest at heart, sort of.
    It was just a small bar