Pearl levitated across the floor all day, straightening up racks and bossing us around to basically rearrange the whole store. I couldn’t pick up a shirt without her changing her mind about where it should go. Her meeting with these high-profile people was soon, so I’d be out of the way in no time. 

I hid behind a display of cheap plastic jewelry and watched Ellie and Barb juggle customers and Pearl’s demands. They had to pull their weight, too, if Pearl had me keeping this place in top shape. But, Ellie knew all my hiding places and pinched me shortly after I lost sight of her.

“You can help out too, you know,” she said. 

“I did my share,” I replied. “Not all of us can sit and shoot the breeze with our girlfriends all day.”

Ellie twisted my arm toward the back of the store. “Why do you mean by that?”

“Could be nothing if you let go of me.”

Ellie inflated her round cheeks and dropped her hand. She glanced around and huffed. “You’ll keep your mouth shut, just like I don’t notice that actor guy who comes in here all the time looking for you.”

I never really liked her. Ellie stood tall and marched away when I didn’t have a rebuttal. After last night, the last thing I wanted to think about was Mathieu. He had the worst habit of showing up when I did, and I was busy playing invisible. But with Pearl’s last sweep around the hive, I crossed my fingers and disappeared. 

***

Barb knocked on the door and told me the coast was clear and that Pearl had left for the rest of the day, leaving me to lock up. Typical. I gave the girls a small list of tasks that I didn’t care whether they finished and got back to my alterations. Pearl’s absence was a good sign that she wowed them enough with our hard work, so I might be out of this stink. 

Two gowns and some trousers later, I let Ellie and Barb go home early. Ellie asked what got into me, but we deserved an early day off after our charity on Pearl’s behalf.

“You two go have some fun,” I said. “I’ll finish up some things.”

“Well, aren’t you in a good mood today,” Barb said. 

“Yea, too good of a mood,” Ellie remarked. “Someone had a swell weekend.”

“And you can have a better evening with all this free time.” I shooed them out of the store. “See you tomorrow.”

I helped the remaining customers and checked the register. Barb couldn’t count for shit. I did what I could and made some notes on the books, ignored the ones from Pearl that were none of my business, and closed up. 

One day down for this week, and I was amazed at how well it went. I got work done, and no Mathieu to throw me off. But I still wasn’t sure if I was mad at him—did I have a reason to?—or if this was normal. What was our normal? Then those questions typically summoned Lou’s voice in my head, and I couldn’t risk the headache.

“Darzsa.”

It already started.

“Darzsa.”

I couldn’t escape him. 

“Darzsa!”

I didn’t even get past the couch with Mathieu; why did I hear him? A tap on my shoulder almost shot me out of my shoes. I turned around, and Lou crossed his arms and glared those feline brown eyes at me.

“I know you heard me calling you,” he said. “I had to walk all the way over here, and you know I can’t get within twenty feet of this place. Also,” he jerked his head to a red pickup truck parked nearby, “you took me away from the love of my life.”

I couldn’t see who was in the truck, but I was sure he looked like the rest: some height-challenged geezer with more hair on his knuckles than his head. Lou had a type, and they were all those losers he met in West Hollywood or the laundromat. 

“You say that about any guy who smiles at you,” I said. “Why are you here?”

“My tío let me leave early.” Lou hooked his arm in mine. “Okay, it was boresville, so I split. But I came to invite you to dinner.”

A few people sidestepped out of our way, and I shoved him the allowable distance from the door. “I had dinner with my family yesterday, so I already have food. And unless you plan to perform in only stockings—which you owe me big time for—I need to start on your gown.”

“Oh, how did those go?”

“My dad hates my job, and I should bring my girlfriend back to the counter at Broadway to pick out some earrings.”

Lou thought it was a riot but sympathized with my other misfortunes. “My papa always says, ‘Mijo, no dipara un chícharo.’ But I like what I do. Make some change, fold some pants, and don’t pay to clean my dresses. Those threads get raunchy, and I do mean dirty. He still holds out for me to take over the restaurant with Renzo, but I don’t know the first thing about running a business.”

“You also don’t know how to cook,” I said.

“Point is, there’s no pleasing parents. You can marry some broad, pop out little monsters, and they still won’t be satisfied. They make impossible standards because they think that whatever they failed at is now on you. 

“Who needs all that back-breaking labor when you can have siestas or…become some agent’s mistress. Do what makes you happy. And if your dad wants someone to follow orders, get him a dog or something.”

Lou was unreal when he stayed on track—like dragging me to this truck. I wasn’t interested in meeting his Joe Doe of the week or going out. I was already in the dumps about Mathieu, and I didn’t need another reminder about how pathetic I was. 

“Darzsa, come here.” Lou crowded around the window. “This is Josiah. He flagged me down in the street just a few moments ago.”

“I got a little turned around and asked for directions,” Lou’s current crush claimed.

“Same thing. Remember how I was telling you we should go to Molly’s? He works there.”

“Good for him,” I said.

I’d have to give Lou some credit; he wasn’t a complete eyesore. He was the opposite of what I expected. The sun hued his deep skin in glints of bronze and reflected off his white t-shirt. He wasn’t some dreamboat—not that I was looking—but he could still be compensating with this F-1. 

“Don’t be rude,” Lou whispered to me. “So, Josiah, when you get to this next light, you make a right, then if you hang a left three blocks down at the gas station, you’ll be there. And if you leave now, you can make it back to the diner by the time we get there.”

“We won’t be there,” I added. Lou never amazed me how he could be this brazen. “So, if you don’t mind, I’m going home.”

“Darzsa, wait—see you, Josiah—don’t leave yet.” Lou waved him goodbye and followed behind me. “That’s the cook I told you about, and you just blew him off.”

“I didn’t do anything, and why does it matter anyway? Go fall all over the counter at Molly’s for him. I have your gown to finish.”

Lou blocked my way. “That can wait. We’re going to your apartment, so I can get my stockings, and then we’re going out. My treat.” 

“No thanks.”

“Darzsa.” Lou snatched my keys out of my hand. “You’re going out with me, and you’re not going to sit at home and eat some yucky reheated food. Live a little, please? Do it for your girlfriend.”

I needed better friends. Lou hammed it up when he begged me to come out, and it was close to working.

“Geez, Lou. It’s burgers and shakes. Don’t flip your wig,” I said.

Lou grinned and shaped his hair. “I’ll let Josiah do that later.”

He tossed me the keys and tailed me all the way home. I gave him the stockings, and he swatted me every time I tried to sit. We hopped into my car, and I drove to the diner. This had better be worth it.