sweat from being in the sweltering heat and he was tall enough that if he jumped, he’d hit his head on the ceiling. I was just as awestricken as I was two days ago when I’d seen him. After the initial shock wore off, I remembered that I was also supposed to feel embarrassed because he’d caught me spying on him while he swam. I needed to get away.
While Ruthann engaged him in conversation, I did my best to ease into the back room and pretend to be busy with something until he left. I latched on to the door frame and inched toward the opening and just knew I was going to be able to disappear before having the chance to be humiliated for a second time. But with mere centimeters separating me from the back room, Ruthann called out to me.
“Solei, there’s someone else I’d like you to meet.” She didn’t know it, but I hated her for like two seconds for blowing my cover. There was no use in trying to hide from him now. When he first looked up and saw me, his eyes widened as if he were equally as shocked at seeing me again as I was by seeing him. I…..wanted……to…..DIE! There was no question that he knew who I was. I’m pretty sure that there aren’t many girls around here who fit my description: braids, about 5’6”, oh, and let’s not forget black.
Ruthann waited for one of us to speak, but when we both failed, she continued. “This is Jolon; him and his brother Elan own their own landscaping company. Two of my best customers,” she explained. “Comes in everyday around the same time, so you’ll be seeing a lot of him too.” She’d just made me that much more certain that I had to get out of this job.
When he didn’t say anything, I had to. “Hey,” I breathed timidly.
He continued to stare for a few seconds before responding with, “Hey.” Both his jaw and eyes were tense while his tone remained flat and unchanging. The only thing he’d moved since seeing me was his mouth, the rest of him was as still as a statue.
“Well, I’ll leave you to help him while I go and water the plants,” Ruthann stated. “And make sure you give him ten percent off whatever he buys,” she yelled from the back.
I was trembling from the inside out. All I could see was him in the nude and that didn’t help me relax much. But I thought about it; the sooner I get him out of here, the better. “Can I help you?” I blurted.
He bit down on his lower lip and squinted his eyes when he spoke. “Six bags of shredded mulch and 3 bags of one and a half inch diameter river rock.”
There hadn’t been much time to figure out where everything was, so I was about to have to wing it. I looked around trying to figure out where to begin my search for his items. I started off in the wrong direction and he cleared his throat, pointing the opposite way toward the green house. I smiled shyly and turned around to walk to where he’d instructed. There, beneath the wooden shelves lining the walls, were the bags of mulch. Some were in purple bags, some in a green, and to add even more confusion, there was a brand in a red bag too. I could hear him moving around up front as he paced the floors. Not wanting to say anything more to him than necessary, I just grabbed the wagon by the door and loaded up six bags and took them back up to the counter.
“Here you go. You did say six right?” I was sweating bullets by this point.
He pulled one bag closer and examined it. “I asked for shredded mulch. And this isn’t shredded,” he said in his same flat tone. I stared back at him and found that he made me more uncomfortable than I cared to admit. Was it his
While Ruthann engaged him in conversation, I did my best to ease into the back room and pretend to be busy with something until he left. I latched on to the door frame and inched toward the opening and just knew I was going to be able to disappear before having the chance to be humiliated for a second time. But with mere centimeters separating me from the back room, Ruthann called out to me.
“Solei, there’s someone else I’d like you to meet.” She didn’t know it, but I hated her for like two seconds for blowing my cover. There was no use in trying to hide from him now. When he first looked up and saw me, his eyes widened as if he were equally as shocked at seeing me again as I was by seeing him. I…..wanted……to…..DIE! There was no question that he knew who I was. I’m pretty sure that there aren’t many girls around here who fit my description: braids, about 5’6”, oh, and let’s not forget black.
Ruthann waited for one of us to speak, but when we both failed, she continued. “This is Jolon; him and his brother Elan own their own landscaping company. Two of my best customers,” she explained. “Comes in everyday around the same time, so you’ll be seeing a lot of him too.” She’d just made me that much more certain that I had to get out of this job.
When he didn’t say anything, I had to. “Hey,” I breathed timidly.
He continued to stare for a few seconds before responding with, “Hey.” Both his jaw and eyes were tense while his tone remained flat and unchanging. The only thing he’d moved since seeing me was his mouth, the rest of him was as still as a statue.
“Well, I’ll leave you to help him while I go and water the plants,” Ruthann stated. “And make sure you give him ten percent off whatever he buys,” she yelled from the back.
I was trembling from the inside out. All I could see was him in the nude and that didn’t help me relax much. But I thought about it; the sooner I get him out of here, the better. “Can I help you?” I blurted.
He bit down on his lower lip and squinted his eyes when he spoke. “Six bags of shredded mulch and 3 bags of one and a half inch diameter river rock.”
There hadn’t been much time to figure out where everything was, so I was about to have to wing it. I looked around trying to figure out where to begin my search for his items. I started off in the wrong direction and he cleared his throat, pointing the opposite way toward the green house. I smiled shyly and turned around to walk to where he’d instructed. There, beneath the wooden shelves lining the walls, were the bags of mulch. Some were in purple bags, some in a green, and to add even more confusion, there was a brand in a red bag too. I could hear him moving around up front as he paced the floors. Not wanting to say anything more to him than necessary, I just grabbed the wagon by the door and loaded up six bags and took them back up to the counter.
“Here you go. You did say six right?” I was sweating bullets by this point.
He pulled one bag closer and examined it. “I asked for shredded mulch. And this isn’t shredded,” he said in his same flat tone. I stared back at him and found that he made me more uncomfortable than I cared to admit. Was it his
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