when he had no right. And while she might have been gratified to hear him grovel and beg to get her back, she wasn’t going to listen to him call her names and try to justify his behavior. “Good-bye, Jerome. Don’t call me anymore.”
Chapter Seven
Janelle smiled and thanked their last customer of the day, a woman in her early twenties shopping for her first professional wardrobe. Dionne flipped the open sign and locked the door behind the woman’s retreating back. She stretched her arms over her head. “I’m exhausted . I had a nightmare last night I was being chased by a doll. That’s what I get for watching Twilight Zone before bed. I was supposed to meet a guy for drinks tonight, but I’m thinking of canceling.”
“You never know. He might be the one,” Janelle teased. “How’d you meet him?”
“I ran into him getting my morning coffee.”
“You can leave now if you want to go home and change.”
“Are you saying I’m not glorious as I am?” Placing her hands on her curvy hips, she struck a pose. She’d worn her hair straight today so that it fell over one eye. Her rust blouse and floral skirt accentuated her honeyed skin. She’d refreshed her makeup after lunch and it was still perfect.
“You look—” There was a loud banging on the glass that caused them both to turn. A small, light-skinned old lady with a large pink hat had her face and hands pressed against the door. Janelle gave an involuntary jump.
“Who’s that?”
Janelle groaned. “It’s Jerome’s mother, Glenda.”
“Run out the back. She may not have seen you.”
“No, might as well see what she wants. She’s almost seventy, and she rarely leaves her house except for church. If she’s here, it’s important to her.”
“Okay, then I’ll head out back.”
Janelle waited until Dionne had disappeared into the back with a wave before opening the door to Mrs. Wilson. “Hello, ma’am. We’re closed, but if you tell me what you’re looking for, I’d be delighted to—”
Mrs. Wilson bustled past her. “Janelle, please, we both know I’m not here to shop.” She clutched her oversized bag to her bosom as her eyes bored into Janelle. She was dressed smartly in a pastel-pink suit that matched her hat. Her shiny pumps with the two-inch heels elevated her height so that the top of her head reached Janelle’s shoulders. “I’m here to talk to you about Jerome. What’s going on with the two of you?”
No sense in prevaricating. “We broke up,” she stated simply.
“That much is clear. I don’t understand why. Jerome is heartbroken. He says you left him for another man because he lost his job. I told him you weren’t the type of girl who would be so shallow. Tell me I’m not mistaken.”
Sighing, Janelle rolled her eyes and shook her head. How could she have dated Jerome so long and not seen what kind of man he was? Maybe it was because they hadn’t actually spent much quality time together. “I’m not seeing anyone else. Jerome and I broke up because of his actions. Out of respect for you, I won’t tell you what he did.”
She harrumphed and opened her purse. Rambling around through the contents, she came out with a plastic-wrapped mint. “Do you want one?”
“No, ma’am.”
“If my Jerome cheated on you, he’s very sorry. You didn’t see him, Janelle. He’s a mess without you.”
She hated to disappoint such a nice old lady, but she wasn’t going to be dragged back into a relationship with Jerome. “Breaks are most difficult at the start. He’ll be fine.”
With shaking, wrinkled hands, Glenda twisted the wrapper of her mint before popping it into her mouth. “You underestimate how much my boy cares about you.”
Janelle smiled. “See, even you can’t say it. He ‘cares’ about me, but he doesn’t love me. He sees me as a respectable and pretty woman to have on his arm. An asset . But not a love.”
“I only know what I saw and I know that he’s never felt this way about
Chapter Seven
Janelle smiled and thanked their last customer of the day, a woman in her early twenties shopping for her first professional wardrobe. Dionne flipped the open sign and locked the door behind the woman’s retreating back. She stretched her arms over her head. “I’m exhausted . I had a nightmare last night I was being chased by a doll. That’s what I get for watching Twilight Zone before bed. I was supposed to meet a guy for drinks tonight, but I’m thinking of canceling.”
“You never know. He might be the one,” Janelle teased. “How’d you meet him?”
“I ran into him getting my morning coffee.”
“You can leave now if you want to go home and change.”
“Are you saying I’m not glorious as I am?” Placing her hands on her curvy hips, she struck a pose. She’d worn her hair straight today so that it fell over one eye. Her rust blouse and floral skirt accentuated her honeyed skin. She’d refreshed her makeup after lunch and it was still perfect.
“You look—” There was a loud banging on the glass that caused them both to turn. A small, light-skinned old lady with a large pink hat had her face and hands pressed against the door. Janelle gave an involuntary jump.
“Who’s that?”
Janelle groaned. “It’s Jerome’s mother, Glenda.”
“Run out the back. She may not have seen you.”
“No, might as well see what she wants. She’s almost seventy, and she rarely leaves her house except for church. If she’s here, it’s important to her.”
“Okay, then I’ll head out back.”
Janelle waited until Dionne had disappeared into the back with a wave before opening the door to Mrs. Wilson. “Hello, ma’am. We’re closed, but if you tell me what you’re looking for, I’d be delighted to—”
Mrs. Wilson bustled past her. “Janelle, please, we both know I’m not here to shop.” She clutched her oversized bag to her bosom as her eyes bored into Janelle. She was dressed smartly in a pastel-pink suit that matched her hat. Her shiny pumps with the two-inch heels elevated her height so that the top of her head reached Janelle’s shoulders. “I’m here to talk to you about Jerome. What’s going on with the two of you?”
No sense in prevaricating. “We broke up,” she stated simply.
“That much is clear. I don’t understand why. Jerome is heartbroken. He says you left him for another man because he lost his job. I told him you weren’t the type of girl who would be so shallow. Tell me I’m not mistaken.”
Sighing, Janelle rolled her eyes and shook her head. How could she have dated Jerome so long and not seen what kind of man he was? Maybe it was because they hadn’t actually spent much quality time together. “I’m not seeing anyone else. Jerome and I broke up because of his actions. Out of respect for you, I won’t tell you what he did.”
She harrumphed and opened her purse. Rambling around through the contents, she came out with a plastic-wrapped mint. “Do you want one?”
“No, ma’am.”
“If my Jerome cheated on you, he’s very sorry. You didn’t see him, Janelle. He’s a mess without you.”
She hated to disappoint such a nice old lady, but she wasn’t going to be dragged back into a relationship with Jerome. “Breaks are most difficult at the start. He’ll be fine.”
With shaking, wrinkled hands, Glenda twisted the wrapper of her mint before popping it into her mouth. “You underestimate how much my boy cares about you.”
Janelle smiled. “See, even you can’t say it. He ‘cares’ about me, but he doesn’t love me. He sees me as a respectable and pretty woman to have on his arm. An asset . But not a love.”
“I only know what I saw and I know that he’s never felt this way about
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