Read Online Amethyst by Heather Bowhay - Free Book Online Page B

of us still have boxes to unpack,” Ally responded, giving me
a sideways glance. “But everyone we meet seems really friendly.”
    “We’ve got a
great mix of people in this town,” said Laci, who we’d learned was a long time
family friend and appeared to be Max’s girlfriend. “Lots of retired folks,
young families, and of course you can’t forget all us college students who keep
the town rockin’ when classes are in session.” She spoke with her hands, and
her natural blonde curls bounced around, sometimes covering her sparkling, blue
eyes. “We enroll around 13,000 students at Western each year.”
    “Laci works at
the Viking Union up on Western’s campus, so she’s a great resource if you have
any questions,” Madison jumped in, like she didn’t want to be left out of the
conversation.
    “That’s great, what
do you do up there?” Ally asked.
    “She does all
kinds of things, like….” Madison started to say.
    Max stopped her.
“Madison, I think Laci can speak for herself.”
    “Sorry,” she
said nonchalantly, examining her white-tipped nails.
    “No worries,”
Laci said with a wave of her hand. Swiping a couple loose curls away from her
face, she told us all about her job. Not long after, all our pizzas arrived.
They looked gourmet and the white sauce smelled wonderful.
    “This is really
good pizza,” Ally said after a couple bites.
    “I told Lexi
this place was great,” Jessica said.
    “I prefer La
Fiamma myself.” Madison announced with a sigh. “Very upscale.”
    “Maybe when mom
and dad are buying, but this place is my favorite,” Jessica said
good-naturedly, taking a sip of her soda.
    Ally and I
exchanged glances. Suppressing a smile, Ally changed the subject. “I’m
surprised at the number of Canadian shoppers we have at the mall. I’m still
trying to get accustomed to this exchange rate stuff and how it fluctuates from
day to day.”
    Max smiled
knowingly and seemed genuinely interested. “The Canadians are great for our
small economy, especially when the exchange rate favors their dollar.” He was
full of information and offered Ally all kinds of tidbits as she questioned him
about Canadian currency.
    “So Ally works
at Macy’s, and Lexi you work at the store with Jessica, right?” Laci’s big eyes
flashed my way, and I nodded in affirmation.
    Madison dabbed
her mouth with a napkin. “And now Max will be there, too.”
    I looked
curiously at Max and said, “You work for the grocery chain? Are you
transferring?”
    He nodded
slightly, and I studied his solemn face. In a business-like tone, he said,
“After much deliberation, I’ve decided to accept the Assistant Manager position
at the Sehome store. So yes, I will be working with you and Jessica soon.” His
traditional crew cut fit his serious demeanor perfectly.
    Jessica reached
over and patted him on the shoulder. With the adoration of a younger sister,
she said, “I’ll be soooo glad to have you around.”
    A family next to
us began singing happy birthday to a young girl with pigtails. She blushed
brightly, shrinking back in her chair.
    “What about you
Madison?” I said when the song was over. “Do you work at one of the stores?”
    “Are you
kidding?” She rolled her eyes and grunted, like I’d just asked her if she
worked at the garbage dump. “I’m a real estate agent. I also attend Western
where I’m pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management.” She
nodded her head once and looked expectantly at Ally and me.
    Ally did not
disappoint. “Wow! That’s great. You must have had a clear vision of your career
path at a young age. I can relate with that.”
    “Definitely,”
Madison said, tilting her sharp nose upwards. She proceeded to tell us all
about her clients and current listings. Afterwards, we spent some time sharing
stories with Madison dominating most of the conversation.
    Dusk settled
heavily around us as we stood outside on the sidewalk and said our good-byes.
All at once,