Page 4 of Grumpy Spring Sunshine
I stopped at my first business, took the mail out, and then ran inside, pausing for just a second as I felt a pair of eyes on me.
I looked around, seeing two men standing by the window, and waved to one of them, smiling at Keith.
“Hi Brittani,” someone called, and I turned to wave at them, that smile still on my face.
Let him be the grump he wanted to be, he wasn’t going to dim my smile.
Chapter 3
Keith
Afew days later, I was alone in my shop. I didn’t want to go home, didn’t want to hear anything from my best friend about the chick he couldn’t get out of his head, because that chick was my cousin. That was all an image I didn’t need.
But I also had no clients, at least not this late at night. Occasionally, though, we had walk-ins come in. So, we all said that every so often, one of us would stay later, just in case.
And that was what I chose tonight.
Not that I was holding out hope, personally.
I sighed, standing up to relieve the pain in my lower back. Sitting hunched over for hours at a time could really do some damage that no one probably thought of.
I flipped the TV on, going through the channels, hoping something would pop on to keep me entertained for the next few hours. I found an old war movie, figuring that would last long enough.
Twenty minutes later, the front door opened, scaring me half to death.
“Holy shit,” I cried, clutching my racing heart. Brittani stood there, her lips pressed together, struggling to hold in the laugh I knew wanted to come out. “Get it over with,” I told her.
She doubled over, her arm clutched around her stomach, as she laughed loud and hard.
“I’m sorry, Keith. I didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t think you’d be so into the movie that you wouldn’t hear someone walking up.”
“I wasn’t supposed to,” I muttered, turning down the volume. “But it’s a favorite of mine and just got drawn in. What are you doing out so late?” I glanced at the clock on the wall, my brow crinkling. It’s half past ten.
“I just got off work. Lots of mail today. I saw the light on and thought I’d swing by.”
“Were you thinking we left them on? Or were you thinking that you wanted something?”
“Maybe a bit of both?”
That was new.
“Sure. Come on in. Do you mind locking the door behind you? I think you might be my last client tonight.”
“Yeah, sure.” She turned around and flicked the lock, then followed me back to my studio. “I like it, it’s spacious.”
“Thanks. Not your first time in one?”
“Uh, no. I have some ink, and some piercings.”
“Besides your ears?”
“I had my eyebrow, had to take it out. But I have my belly button, even if I’m not a size six.”
She wasn’t, that was for sure. She wasn’t a big girl either. Brittani had some curves and that was nice, not that I was thinking about her like that.
“Don’t need to be to get what you like. So, what are you thinking?”
“I don’t know. I just…got this whim and thought I’d come see. Do you have a book I can look at, maybe get some ideas?”
