Chapter One
Jen
“I s it Friday yet?” I sighed as I folded another sweater carelessly tossed back on the display by a customer. At least some of them tried to refold them. Kristen snorted a laugh as she walked back towards the counter, having just assisted one of her regular customers.
“Your first week back on the job and you already have a case of the Wednesday’s?”
Watching her move around to the register behind the counter, I couldn’t help but admire the natural grace and beauty of my best friend. Kristen was cheerful and tall with auburn hair and eyes of the clearest green I have ever seen.
“Are you even listening Jen?” Kristen asked, exasperated.
“What? Oh, sorry, just kind of zoned out for a minute there.”
Kristen’s sigh was clearly meant to be heard. “Jen, do you need something to distract you from Mike?” Her eyes searched mine for some kind of reaction.
“I wasn’t thinking of him!” Though now I was, which must have shown on my face judging by Kristen’s flat stare.
“Mmmhmm... well it’s his loss, throwing away a catch like you for that whore. Oh, don’t look at me like that. You are a catch. Beautiful, smart, funny. He’s an idiot and you’re better off, you just don’t know it yet.”
Shaking my head I continued folding clothes. A catch? Me? Kristen was lying through her teeth... no, that wasn’t fair. She’d always been there when I’d needed her most, she’s just trying to cheer me up. But funny? Awkward more like. Smart? Average maybe, but let’s face it, what guy finds smart sexy? And beautiful?! Ha! Kris has been telling me that for years and I believe her as much now as I did then. Not at all.
“Jen, maybe you should take your break. I think you need to unwind a bit.” Kristen’s voice held a note of concern.
Her words broke through my thoughts like a needle popping a balloon. “I’m fine...” I replied automatically.
“No Jen, you’re not fine. You’ve been holding that same sweater for almost three minutes now without moving!” Kristen’s exasperation was so thick in her words that she could have just been holding up a sign that said ‘You’re full of shit Jen!’
She was right of course, I was definitely not fine, but there was no way I would admit that. Not even to her. “Sorry!” I ignored her concern and quickly finished folding the sweater I was holding before turning to her. “I really am all right though.” The lie tasted bitter on my lips and it was clear Kris didn’t believe me. She was the most perceptive person I’ve ever met and, as my best friend, she knew me inside and out. Thankfully she let the lie slide this time.
“Jen, what you need is a new man in your life.”
“I’m not ready for a relationship, Kris.” Mike had been my first real love and I wasn’t sure I was ready to let that go just yet. Even though it had been ages since I'd talked to him. Sometimes I wondered if leaving him had been the right thing to do, even though he had been cheating on me. Better a bad, one sided relationship than none at all? Right?
Kristen rolled her eyes. “Maybe I should have been clearer. Jen you need to get laid.”
My blush was so fast and obvious that Kristen clearly couldn’t help but laugh. “Kris!”
“What?” She laughed even harder. “It’s the truth!”
“I can’t do that! I wouldn’t even know where to begin!” My mind was racing.
“Well... when a girl meets a guy...” Kristen’s eyes positively twinkled with laughter.
“Oh ha ha, very funny. You know what I meant. I can’t just do... that .” I shook my head. “Besides, where would I even meet someone?”
Kristen snorted and gestured out the front door with one hand while wiping tears from her eyes with the other. “Oh, I don’t know Jen, maybe outside ?”
I followed her pointing hand to the people walking around on the outdoor walkways between the various boutiques of the shopping plaza. Far more than half were men, stunning men, men
Jen
“I s it Friday yet?” I sighed as I folded another sweater carelessly tossed back on the display by a customer. At least some of them tried to refold them. Kristen snorted a laugh as she walked back towards the counter, having just assisted one of her regular customers.
“Your first week back on the job and you already have a case of the Wednesday’s?”
Watching her move around to the register behind the counter, I couldn’t help but admire the natural grace and beauty of my best friend. Kristen was cheerful and tall with auburn hair and eyes of the clearest green I have ever seen.
“Are you even listening Jen?” Kristen asked, exasperated.
“What? Oh, sorry, just kind of zoned out for a minute there.”
Kristen’s sigh was clearly meant to be heard. “Jen, do you need something to distract you from Mike?” Her eyes searched mine for some kind of reaction.
“I wasn’t thinking of him!” Though now I was, which must have shown on my face judging by Kristen’s flat stare.
“Mmmhmm... well it’s his loss, throwing away a catch like you for that whore. Oh, don’t look at me like that. You are a catch. Beautiful, smart, funny. He’s an idiot and you’re better off, you just don’t know it yet.”
Shaking my head I continued folding clothes. A catch? Me? Kristen was lying through her teeth... no, that wasn’t fair. She’d always been there when I’d needed her most, she’s just trying to cheer me up. But funny? Awkward more like. Smart? Average maybe, but let’s face it, what guy finds smart sexy? And beautiful?! Ha! Kris has been telling me that for years and I believe her as much now as I did then. Not at all.
“Jen, maybe you should take your break. I think you need to unwind a bit.” Kristen’s voice held a note of concern.
Her words broke through my thoughts like a needle popping a balloon. “I’m fine...” I replied automatically.
“No Jen, you’re not fine. You’ve been holding that same sweater for almost three minutes now without moving!” Kristen’s exasperation was so thick in her words that she could have just been holding up a sign that said ‘You’re full of shit Jen!’
She was right of course, I was definitely not fine, but there was no way I would admit that. Not even to her. “Sorry!” I ignored her concern and quickly finished folding the sweater I was holding before turning to her. “I really am all right though.” The lie tasted bitter on my lips and it was clear Kris didn’t believe me. She was the most perceptive person I’ve ever met and, as my best friend, she knew me inside and out. Thankfully she let the lie slide this time.
“Jen, what you need is a new man in your life.”
“I’m not ready for a relationship, Kris.” Mike had been my first real love and I wasn’t sure I was ready to let that go just yet. Even though it had been ages since I'd talked to him. Sometimes I wondered if leaving him had been the right thing to do, even though he had been cheating on me. Better a bad, one sided relationship than none at all? Right?
Kristen rolled her eyes. “Maybe I should have been clearer. Jen you need to get laid.”
My blush was so fast and obvious that Kristen clearly couldn’t help but laugh. “Kris!”
“What?” She laughed even harder. “It’s the truth!”
“I can’t do that! I wouldn’t even know where to begin!” My mind was racing.
“Well... when a girl meets a guy...” Kristen’s eyes positively twinkled with laughter.
“Oh ha ha, very funny. You know what I meant. I can’t just do... that .” I shook my head. “Besides, where would I even meet someone?”
Kristen snorted and gestured out the front door with one hand while wiping tears from her eyes with the other. “Oh, I don’t know Jen, maybe outside ?”
I followed her pointing hand to the people walking around on the outdoor walkways between the various boutiques of the shopping plaza. Far more than half were men, stunning men, men
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