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
John B. Garvey, Mary Lou Widmer