where his windows had been. “And my cousin, he’s a HVAC tech, so he’s looking at freezers for me right now. Nothing puts Manny out of business for long. We’ve been here for fifty years, and we’re not letting some punks close us down, even for a minute,” he said, winking at her. “Don’t let them have that power over you, either.”
Manny insisted everyone take home quarts of their favorite, and had showed her two he’d set aside of her favorite Watermelon Chocolate Chip. Jasmine had smiled and thanked him. She would never say no to that ice cream, or to Manny.
Looking around her, she watched everyone being happy, working together, and cast an eye over at her own shop, the pretty painting now complete on the front. They were all working between the two shops, Manny’s and the antique store, helping the businesses clean up and keep open.
They’d offered to help her too, but she had politely declined. Like she had declined Leo’s offer of help as well.
Why?
Several of the people in her classes had said they didn’t care if the studio was a mess; they just wanted their yoga time and were willing to help clean up to get it going again.
Jasmine had declined those offers as well.
Her tray of ice cream was empty, and she turned to have the teens working at the ice cream stations refill it, but she was lost in thought. She bumped into someone, nearly upsetting their full tray.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, snapping out of it.
“No worries, there are so many of us here working, we were bound to bump into each other eventually. Not that I’m complaining.” The handsome young man looked at her appreciatively.
He was waaaaay too young for Jasmine, but she offered him a smile and a murmured thanks as she stepped aside.
Retrieving another tray reloaded with full dishes, she nearly dropped it again as she found herself face-to-face with Leo, who stood just inside the door.
“Hey.” It was all she could think of to say. Why did she feel so guilty?
“Hey.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I saw the sign for free ice cream. How about you?”
“Um, I’m helping Manny out. He had to get this served or it would go to waste. Others are helping out with cleaning up, that kind of thing, so I thought I would pitch in, you know…” Her voice trailed off as she stood there dumbly.
“That’s nice of you. Offering to help a friend.” He took a dish from her tray. He didn’t say anything else, but turned and walked away, toward his car.
“Can you take this? Thanks,” Jasmine said to the young man who had been flirting with her. She didn’t wait for his answer, shoving the tray into his hands and taking off out the door after Leo.
“Leo, wait.” She hurried across the street and caught him as he got to his car.
Then, for a moment, it was his car that caught her attention.
“What’s all that?” she asked, noticing his back seat was stuffed with objects, legs of chairs and something metal poking out the back window.
“I needed to get out this morning, to do something, so I went to the flea markets.”
He didn’t offer more explanation than that, but ate his ice cream and waited for her to say something.
“Listen, Leo, I’m sorry. I did intend to do what I said, to try to work out something with contractors today, but then I got involved with this… But it was spontaneous. I didn’t plan on it.”
Kind of like I didn’t plan on you , she thought.
“That’s fine, Jasmine. You don’t have to explain anything to me.”
Strangely, she wanted to and touched his arm as he turned to get back into his car. Now he was the one putting some distance between them, and she found she didn’t like it much.
“Would you like to come join in? It’s kind of fun, and you would get more ice cream,” she offered with a teasing smile, hoping he took this as her apology for the cold shoulder she’d given him that morning. He’d said helping out, fixing things, made him feel useful. How could
Manny insisted everyone take home quarts of their favorite, and had showed her two he’d set aside of her favorite Watermelon Chocolate Chip. Jasmine had smiled and thanked him. She would never say no to that ice cream, or to Manny.
Looking around her, she watched everyone being happy, working together, and cast an eye over at her own shop, the pretty painting now complete on the front. They were all working between the two shops, Manny’s and the antique store, helping the businesses clean up and keep open.
They’d offered to help her too, but she had politely declined. Like she had declined Leo’s offer of help as well.
Why?
Several of the people in her classes had said they didn’t care if the studio was a mess; they just wanted their yoga time and were willing to help clean up to get it going again.
Jasmine had declined those offers as well.
Her tray of ice cream was empty, and she turned to have the teens working at the ice cream stations refill it, but she was lost in thought. She bumped into someone, nearly upsetting their full tray.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, snapping out of it.
“No worries, there are so many of us here working, we were bound to bump into each other eventually. Not that I’m complaining.” The handsome young man looked at her appreciatively.
He was waaaaay too young for Jasmine, but she offered him a smile and a murmured thanks as she stepped aside.
Retrieving another tray reloaded with full dishes, she nearly dropped it again as she found herself face-to-face with Leo, who stood just inside the door.
“Hey.” It was all she could think of to say. Why did she feel so guilty?
“Hey.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I saw the sign for free ice cream. How about you?”
“Um, I’m helping Manny out. He had to get this served or it would go to waste. Others are helping out with cleaning up, that kind of thing, so I thought I would pitch in, you know…” Her voice trailed off as she stood there dumbly.
“That’s nice of you. Offering to help a friend.” He took a dish from her tray. He didn’t say anything else, but turned and walked away, toward his car.
“Can you take this? Thanks,” Jasmine said to the young man who had been flirting with her. She didn’t wait for his answer, shoving the tray into his hands and taking off out the door after Leo.
“Leo, wait.” She hurried across the street and caught him as he got to his car.
Then, for a moment, it was his car that caught her attention.
“What’s all that?” she asked, noticing his back seat was stuffed with objects, legs of chairs and something metal poking out the back window.
“I needed to get out this morning, to do something, so I went to the flea markets.”
He didn’t offer more explanation than that, but ate his ice cream and waited for her to say something.
“Listen, Leo, I’m sorry. I did intend to do what I said, to try to work out something with contractors today, but then I got involved with this… But it was spontaneous. I didn’t plan on it.”
Kind of like I didn’t plan on you , she thought.
“That’s fine, Jasmine. You don’t have to explain anything to me.”
Strangely, she wanted to and touched his arm as he turned to get back into his car. Now he was the one putting some distance between them, and she found she didn’t like it much.
“Would you like to come join in? It’s kind of fun, and you would get more ice cream,” she offered with a teasing smile, hoping he took this as her apology for the cold shoulder she’d given him that morning. He’d said helping out, fixing things, made him feel useful. How could
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