Part 19 (1/2)

He paused, giving me that look that always made me turn away. ”About that-”

I didn't like his tone. The bad news voice. Was she his girlfriend? If so, how could I be mad? Hadn't I had the same chance? I wasn't ready to be with anybody-though my body kept sending signals to the contrary. ”You don't need to explain. It's your store.” And your life. I grabbed another handful of Altoids and stuffed them into my mouth.

That got a big laugh out of him. ”Oh...so now it's my store? If I recall, I stole it from you.” He tickled me again. The breath mints suddenly became an orange-flavored death knot in my throat.

”K-k-k.” I was trying to say help, but that's how it came out. The letter K K. Figures.

He tapped my back. ”Are you okay?”

I shook my head as the purples and peaches on the shelves melted before me. My knees buckled. My last thought?

Please, G.o.d, don't let me fall on him....

Pain exploded across my back as he slapped me across my shoulder blades. The choker gob of candy hit the floor. Right before I did.

”Dana! You all right?” Adrian went down with me and cradled my head on his knee. His gold cross dangled from his neck, grazing my nose. I took a deep breath of him, evaluating Adrian's new scent, as I always did in crisis situations. Leather, lime and new money. He smelled just like he looked. Suddenly choking half to death on a ball of breath mints seemed a totally wonderful thing to do.

”I'm okay,” I whispered, thinking how strange it was that I actually did feel okay. Better than I had in weeks. Maybe I needed to freefall on my head more often.

He took a deep breath and kissed my forehead, then my cheek, then...he stopped himself. To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement. ”That's what I get for playing with you. Your breath smelled fine-”

My finger touched his lips. Another mistake. ”Hush, you. I'm okay. Really.” I sat up and smiled, just to prove it.

”Scaring a guy to death. Is that any way to treat a customer?”

I dusted off my pants and stood. ”I don't know. You'll have to ask the guy across the street. He's got them all.”

”All except the one I want.” Adrian held my hand so I could balance.

If my head wasn't already throbbing, I'd have swooned. We both shared a goofy look, then Adrian turned his head sideways a little. ”Did you fall on your chin, too?”

I bit my lip, remembering how I'd yanked at my chin one last time to be sure right when he'd walked in. ”No. Why?”

”There's something...I thought it was a scratch before, but it's a...” He narrowed one eye.

I closed both of mine.

G.o.d, please. If he just doesn't say it...

”It's a hair!” He shouted it as though the Candid Camera Candid Camera team were going to shoot up from behind the displays and start taping. Before I could convey my embarra.s.sment, he s.n.a.t.c.hed it out and laid it on the counter. ”Got to get 'em at the root.” He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket. ”Here, get that blood.” team were going to shoot up from behind the displays and start taping. Before I could convey my embarra.s.sment, he s.n.a.t.c.hed it out and laid it on the counter. ”Got to get 'em at the root.” He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket. ”Here, get that blood.”

I was still too stunned to speak.

He frowned. ”What's wrong? Embarra.s.sed?” He smiled. ”Don't be.” He rubbed the top of his bald head. ”I'm happy to see hair any way I can. Brings back memories. Mom used to get them all the time.”

His beautiful mother? That did me in, and I doubled over with laughter. ”You are just crazy-”

His face went blank.

I covered my mouth. Crazy Crazy still wasn't a word he was fond of. ”I mean silly. Silly.” still wasn't a word he was fond of. ”I mean silly. Silly.”

”It's okay.” His smile reemerged. ”I'm kind of over that.”

”Right.”

Another awkward pause. The bell jingled at the door. Adrian tapped the Altoids on the counter. ”Is it safe to leave these?” he asked, starting to leave.

”I'd say so. That's the most fun I've had in weeks.”

The customer, an older Jewish woman who came in for my talc.u.m-free powder every week-who could use a whole tube of powder every week?-entered the store.

Adrian chuckled, then paused. ”The most fun you've had all week? Oh, Dane. Don't tell anybody that.”

I snorted. He needn't worry. I didn't have time to tell anybody anything. Besides, wasn't he the one with something to tell me? ”I won't. But hey, what were you going to tell me? About your, uh, employee?” I somehow felt ready to hear it now, whatever it was.

”There's nothing to tell really. Just that she's-”

The older woman turned and stared right with me.

Adrian moved a little closer to the door before finis.h.i.+ng his sentence. ”She's a single mom who came to me for a job. There's nothing between us. I just wanted you to know.”

A sigh whistled through the older lady's lips and she wandered back to the lavender section. I stared at her for a second and did a little mental dance of my own. ”No problem. That was nice of you.”

He swung the door open. ”Glad you think so. It's your sister.”

”It's for my bedroom and master bath. The drawers, the sheets, the carpet. Lavender keeps everything fresh...and special, you know?” She tipped her head across the street and cleared her throat. ”Have to keep things a little special, yes? That sister of yours, she knows that. But her eyes? Nothing good inside.” She pinched my cheek and wagged it back and forth. Ouch. Ouch. ”You? You are a good girl. You eat too much and work too hard, but you're a good girl. And he's a good man. Don't be stupid, eh?” ”You? You are a good girl. You eat too much and work too hard, but you're a good girl. And he's a good man. Don't be stupid, eh?”

And with that, she waddled down the avenue. I stared after her. How had things got like this? The week before Naomi fired me, I'd given away all my houseplants. The thought of a relations.h.i.+p with anything plant, mineral or animal, let alone human, was totally out of the question. Between making soap and stuff, church, work...there wasn't time for anything. And I'd liked it that way.

Or so I thought.

Now there was Daddy, Jordan, Dahlia, Sierra, Jericho and Shemika, Roch.e.l.le and her...whatever he was. Sprouting like weeds everywhere. Just like my chin hairs. Without me asking, here they had all come, trampling my safe little world to bits.

G.o.d, oh G.o.d. Deliver me from myself.

I stared across the street at Dahlia's slim form. She bent over to get something and then she laughed. I closed my eyes. It was a performance I'd seen so many times before. Why did she always have to take anything-everything-I had? And why did the men in my life always seem willing give it?

I could almost hear what Renee would say-”He believed in you. Why think the worst of him? He's just helping her.”

Reentering the day's numbers in my computer accounting program, I shook the thought from my mind. As usual, the accounts receivables and the accounts due didn't match. For some reason, the bank was still holding Tangela's last check. I'd been trying to call her...no matter. I had another of her ridiculous bridal functions this weekend. I'd talk to her then.

I closed my eyes for a second, remembering Adrian's lime-leather-money scent so close to my face. The bell broke my reverie. I'd never been so thankful for a customer. I swallowed when I saw it was Adrian. Again.

”This trip, I'm a customer. Sorry about earlier. I know I didn't handle that too well. I told your sister to come to you-”