by Claire Angel
I missed those kisses she planted on my forehead before she bade me goodnight. This was like a mother-daughter ritual for me, and I missed it so much.
I had never felt this alone since her demise. Sometimes, I woke up feeling empty, asking myself why I didn’t listen to Aunt Penny five years ago. She had suggested to I leave Aspen and stay with her after I dropped college. I still remember what Aunt Penny had said, “You are just as strong-willed as your mother." And she kissed my forehead just like Mom.
"If you ever need anything,” still refusing to let go of my hand, “just give me a call. Promise me you will call, Ray." She and Mom used to call me Ray.
I just had responded with a nod, trying to make our goodbye short as I didn’t want her to see tears rolling down from my eyes. It had been three months after my mother’s death, and Aunt Penny was here with me every minute. And now she was leaving and I was for feeling alone the first time.
“Promise me, Ray,” Aunt Penny continued, lowering her glasses as she opened the car door.
“I promise I will call if I need anything, Aunt,” I hugged her and watched her car moving away from me until it took a right turn and hid behind the mountain.
She often said that I had my mother's attitude towards life. My mother always believed she could handle everything. She barely asked for help from anybody and solved things on her own.
When my mother’s health started to deteriorate, she sensed that she was not going to survive and she called her little sister. She wanted to see her sister one more time. And as expected, Aunt Penny came immediately a day after she received the call.
My mom had worked so hard to build this store in Aspen. Then she bought land and built this beautiful cottage. She took care of all my needs, and provided me with the best. I decided keep the store open as she had built both the cottage and the store with too much love and hard work.
I left the store closed for almost four years, giving myself enough time to get over my mother’s death. I was a few months from clocking twenty-two when she fell sick. I got the news in the middle of the second semester of my second year in college. Without bothering about the consequences, I had taken the next flight from New York to home.
A month before my mother’s death, I obtained a permanent leave from my school so that I could spend time with Mom. I lived on the little cash I had inherited from my mother for four years and finally reopened her store two years ago.
Everything seemed to be working perfectly for the first sixteen months after the store was re-opened. A lot of people in Aspen had started buying from smaller stores while my store was closed and they were glad when the store reopened. They trooped in to get all they wanted. They even left notes to encourage me to continue what my mother had started.
Aunt Penny had come to Aspen for a week and she couldn’t stop crying when she stepped into the store and noticed that I had made sales digital to fit current demands. “I am sure she will be so proud of you,” she had said that day, referring to my mother. “Oh, I am sure she would.”
She helped me a lot and I worked diligently with her to get the store back to its previous glory. She was here for a week but she lived with me for almost four months.
And now Aunt Penny had left and the store was in loss. Customers had started complaining. There were lots of online reviews for poor customer service and for sending products with a broken seal.
Martha, the storekeeper I had hired to assist me in the store, had become a matter of concern for me since Aunt Penny left. I was not l sure if I could take her lack of enthusiasm towards her job anymore. She always came late for work and left the orders unattended the moment I stepped out of the store. I didn’t know how to be as firm as my aunt, and Martha was obviously taking my politeness, for granted.
But it was all my fault I had been too preoccupied, romanticizing the coming of my new tenant and his children so much. I stayed oblivious of the damages Martha was doing to the store. I was away from work most of the time, supervising some parts of the cottage that needed to be fxed. The kitchen pipes and the master bedroom fixtures were leaking, probably because no one had used them in a while. I didn't need to be there since I had paid Romeo to do it. My mother had hired him for such work for years, and he rarely disappointed her. But I didn’t leave the cottage the entire time he worked, considering how much I was paid for the rent of the cottage.
And I missed my Mom so much today…
My carefree nature towards Martha and the distractions needs to stopped now. I ran my mother’s brush through my hair for the last time, patted the back that had her name ingrained in it, and whispered: "I need you, momma, I miss you.”
Philip, a boy I had hired to help with heavy lifting, peeped from behind the shelf as I stepped out of my office into the dairy area. He was probably arranging the things which he had unloaded early this morning.
“Good morning Philip!” I said, trying to sound cheery as I walked towards him.
“Good morning, ma…Audrey,” Phillip stopped himself before he finished. I had told them to address me by my first name, but he still made a mistake once in a while, when he sensed I was becoming strict.
“Please get Martha for me,” I said, gesturing towards the backdoor.
“Alright, Audrey,” he answered as he pushed aside the stock truck, wiping his hands on his apron, and walked out the backdoor exit of the store.
Urrgh! Not again. I rolled my eyes, stomping back to my office. I had explained the importance of keeping work aprons clean several times to Phillip. I had provided him several new, colorful napkins since he resumed work with me. I gave him instructions to move around with them in the pocket of his apron so he could clean his hands with one if he need one. I could not be harsh on him. He was a good man, and he worked efficiently.
Everything worked perfectly until my aunt had to go back to her life. I hired Philip shortly before she left. He was now in charge of the arrangements and heavy lifting around the store and had been excellent at his job, so far.
Martha cleaned the groceries and handled sales to customers that came by while aunt Penny moved the goods around in the small stock truck and stacked them in, piece by piece. I took the online orders and managed home delivery.
Phillip stepped into the office after five minutes, alone.
“Well, where is she?” I asked, expecting Martha to step in behind him.
"She is cleaning some groceries outback,” Phillip whispered. “She should join you soon.”
“Weren’t those supposed to be cleaned yesterday?" I asked frustratedly. "I thought we have agreed to clean the groceries on the same day they arrive and then stack them on the shelves the next day…”
Philip turned on his heels instantly, “I will go get her now,” he said, already out of the door before I could say another word. He returned nearly two minutes later with Martha.
"Martha, is there a reason you didn't clean the groceries yesterday before you left work? Ms. Gloriana also called to report you; what happened between you and the customer?" I asked.
Martha surprisingly stood rooted in front me with no answers to my questions.
"Alright, since you won't answer, please pick up your termination letter on my desk later today…" I sighed, feeling more frustrated than I was a few minutes ago.
"You can come for your cheque later," Martha left and I heard a familiar voice outside the office door. I stepped out to see who it was.
It was Lily Anderson. She ran into the store while her father held the door open, her wavy hair bouncing with each pace. “Why exactly are you running, Lily?” Elliot asked as he walked in, holding Elysha's hand. His second daughter was clutching her doll to her chest as usual.
I ambled towards the entrance and bent down to meet Lily as she ran into my arms smiling, as if she was meeting a long-lost friend again. She cupped her hands around my ear and whispered in my ear. "My daddy likes you," she said out loud.
I felt my face flush and blood rush to my ears as she giggle
d. "He blushes every time I mention your name."
I tried to regain my composure and I straightened my back. Lily went trotting into the store. I avoided Elliot's eyes and squatted in front of Elysha. "Hey, Elle," I whispered, giving her a high-five. She giggled.
“How are you and Barbie today?” I asked and my face was still hot. I could feel Elliot’s eyes on me and it felt like his intense gaze was going to burn my skin.
"Barbie say, ‘hi.' We are doing alright," Elysha answered, breaking my chain of thoughts. I could hear Lily running towards us again.
"Stop running!" Elliot said, giving her a firm look.
Elysha was already tugging at Elliot's hand while he spoke to Lily. Lily, on the other hand, kept talking about a big fish she had seen in one of the aisles. "It's so big, dad!” she exclaimed. “With large scales, too! You should come to see it,” she said, trying to pull him away.
“Well then, let’s go see the big fish Elysha,” Elliot said as he lifted Elysha off the ground and tickled her until she laughed badly. I continued to look at them as they walked off to the aisle.
Elliot had a great connection with his daughters. It almost felt similar likeI had with my dad. I still get flashes of images with him picking me up and spinning me around his head while I laughed hysterically. I had spent my whole life craving for that kind of connection with someone again. Seeing Elliot show his daughters that kind of love was adorable and so relaxing.
“Uhm, I will be in my office if anyone needs anything,” I whisper, deliberating pointing my finger to the door I had just stepped out from so that Lily and Elysha could know where it led to. Only Elysha bothered to glance over her shoulder at it, and that was all. I sauntered back into my office, distracting myself with my recent decision to let Martha go.
“Did he hear my exchange with Martha?” I thought to myself.
"He seemed normal when he came into the store. Maybe he heard it all and pretended. What would he think of me now? He must think I am a terrible person – a bossy woman who treats her employees unkindly...”
A soft tap on the door interrupted my thoughts.
“Yes?” I sighed, stepping towards the door to open it.
Elysha was in front of me, looking up imploringly. "Elle, what are you doing here? Where are your dad and Lily?" I asked, holding her by her hand.
"I don't want to shop; I want to stay with you," she answered meekly.
"Awww…, okay, come on. Give me a hug.” I hugged the little angel tightly and all my frustration vanished. “Let's go find your dad. He must be looking for you now."
We ran into Elliot and Lily as soon as we stepped into the store. “Oh my God! Where did you see her? I was worried for you.” Elliot pushed his cart aside and scooped her up into his arms, totally absorbed by his care for his daughter; he was barely even listening to me.
"Why did you take off like that without telling me?" he asked in a soft tone, trying to reprimand her. "Daddy and Lily were worried."
"I wanted to play with Audrey," Elysha answered innocently and had a sad look on her face.
Elliot looked at me. It was the first time I heard Elysha calling my name. I felt my chest tighten. I was not only attracted to Elliot; but his daughters as well. I hardly knew what to do with all these brewing affections.
I led them to the counter and packed their goods while Lily shared the candies Elliot bought them with Elysha. They both giggled as Lily recounted stories about the big fishes and lobsters she had seen at the seafood session.
"You should take them fishing," I said while packing the bags.
"Yeah," Elliot answered, not taking his eyes off his two little girls. “I have been thinking about that.”
A few seconds passed before he leaned towards the counter, gave me his card for payment and cleared his throat, "I couldn’t help but notice you were a little distressed when we came in." He whispered.
I froze and looked at him, trying to figure out how much he had heard earlier.
"I am sorry I heard the conversation between you and your attendant." He paused as if he was really thinking hard about what to say.
"Okay, he heard it all," I thought as I swiped the card, he had given me.
"I wasn't eavesdropping, I cross my heart," he said, placing his middle finger on his index and raising it. He saw the awkward look on my face and said: "Lily taught me."
I smiled awkwardly. The man was both cute and endearing.
"It's just a little problem with the store," I said, hoping that could end the conversation.
He looked at me with his eyebrows cocked, almost like he was expecting to hear more. There was a look of concern in his eyes as well, and I couldn’t help myself heaving a sigh.
"Maybe he is the help I need right now," I thought.
Maybe I could learn a few things from him since he is one of the most successful businessmen of the world.
"If you don't want to talk right now, you can come to the cottage, and we could discuss over tea. I am sure Lily and Elysha will be glad to have you around too."
I couldn’t believe my ears, wheat I just had heard. My head swarmed with so much excitement as I glanced up to notice him nodding slowly at me. I gave his debit card back and there was a spark as our fingers rubbed with each. “Okay,” I whispered trying to ignore what what was going inside me.
I packed more treats for Lily and Elysha and watched them giggle as they walked out of the store. Lily stopped short at the open door and asked with the sweetest look on her face, "Will you visit us tomorrow?"
“Yes.” I replied before I realized that I made plan without even checking my calendar.
“Okay, girls. These bags are heavy. We need to get going,” Elliot said, egging them out of the store.
He took one last brief look at me and said, “See you tomorrow, Audrey,” He flashed a smile at me.
And I could hear my heart palpitate dangerously…
Chapter 4
Audrey
Today I was so excited as I was going to meet Elliot Anderson, without any struggle to look for a reason to visit him. It was a beautiful morning and I was happy.
I called to inform Elliot that I would be at the cottage by 11 am. My dresses were littered all over the carpet which I had previously tried on. "Calm down, Ray.” I told myself aloud for the umpteenth time.
I discarded the dress I was holding and took another one off the hanger. I laid the dress on my shoulder, setting it against my skin and dropped it again. "This is too flowery – it looks like a summer dress." I stomped it back to the hanger.
Finally, I picked a plain dress and examined it, running my hands through the fabric as I thought about Elliot. I wondered how it would feel like having him run his hands down my dress to my thighs. “Oh, God! Focus, Ray!” I shook my head as if to throw the dirty thoughts back to where they came from.
Turning my little dresser clock on, I saw that it was almost 10 AM. I had spent nearly two hours trying to pick an appropriate dress and bouncing sexual thoughts involving Elliot in my mind.
I dashed into the bathroom to take my bath. My hair was already brushed and oiled to shine. I only needed to take the twist down, and I was good to go. I was so glad that I fixed it last night, despite my laziness.
I was out of the bathroom in a flash of time and dressed twenty minutes later. It looked like I could manage time after all. I slipped my comfortable flats on and wore the necklace my mom had planned to give me on my twenty-third birthday. I had left it in my drawer since she died. It felt appropriate to put it on now.
I was at the cottage in another twenty minutes. As expected, Elliot was in the garden when I got there. “I didn’t figure you out to be a garden man,” I said, speaking about the topic for the first time.
“I grew up in Florida before moving to Miami,” Elliot smiled at me as if that should explain everything. “My mother planted herbs and vegetables,” he said, smiling down at me. “It was my favorite spot in the house, and I duly enjoyed helping out.”
His sexy voice and the way his chest moved while he talked made my cheeks burn. “I would shake you, but…” I said, gesturing to his soiled body while taking off his gardening gloves.
“Excuse me,” he said as he walked off to the small tap to wash his hands. I watched his toned body as he washed his hands. Every time I looked at him, I was unable to reconcile his looks with his age. He pushed the door open and let me in. I looked around like I hadn’t seen the house ever, “You seem to be settling in fine. Where are the girls?” I asked, trying to make small talk.
“Lily misses her friends,” he said, walking towards the kitchen. “And I put them in a vacation camp since we might be out here for a while. They both need to make new friends.”
"I am making some pie for the girls; would you like to have some?" I heard him call out from the kitchen.
"Um…yes…" I returned.
"He makes pies?" I thought to myself. "Wow!"
He brought me tea and excused himself to take a shower. “I spent a long time in the garden because I thought you'd be late," he said, smiling.
“I keep to time, maybe a little too much,” I said, shrugging my shoulder.
“I need to take a shower,” he repeated. “I will be down before you know it."
I nodded, avoiding his eyes as I brought the cup to my mouth. He came back with some picture albums and took off again.
The pictures were beautiful. I saw pictures of a woman who must have been Lily and Elysha’s mother. She had a stunning figure with long hair, just like Elysha. Lily also had her facial structure and the woman was perfect. They seemed like a real happy family, and I wondered what exactly had happened to her. I had already read about her demise.
I was lost in my thoughts as Elliot came back before I finished the first album. He was wearing joggers and a casual t-shirt which perfectly hugged his toned body. I licked my lips when my eyes followed him. And I blamed myself for wasting hours to select attire together as he didn’t even notice what I was wearing.