POLLY
“Seventeensignatures.Notbad for the first day we’ve had it out,”Carlysays, examining the petition on the counter.Shetips the clipboard sideways.
“Someone’seven written ‘Stickit toTheMan’ in the margin.”
I’mstill shell-shocked from yesterday evening’s revelation thatTheManisMr.Twinkles.Andfor the last twenty-four hours, my brain has been replaying the nanosecond whenIcaught his eyes snap from my left boob to my face asIreached back between the seats to open the van door.
“Ithought more people would sign.”Idrop the handful of dimesIjust counted back into their compartment in the cash register with a clatter. “Ithought there’d be more outrage.”Inote the dimes total on the end-of-day tally sheet.
Carlywalks to the other side of the shop and tuts at the radishes. “Thenew guy from the sandwich shop made a real mess of these.Herummaged for ages.Saidhe needed the perfect shape for garnish.”Shegets to work restoring order to radish world. “Anyway,I’mstill appalled that the hot potato-crusher dude from the other day is in charge of theYellowBarnnightmare.”
“Whatdifference does it make who’s in charge of it?”
Noneed to take the nickels out of the drawer to count them—there are five.
“Becauseof the way he looked at you,”Carlysays.
Anunexpected thrill runs through me.Helooked at me in away? “Noidea what you mean.”
Ipunch my list of numbers on the tally sheet into the old big-buttoned calculator, write the number at the bottom, and deduct this morning’s float.Imight as well put “not awesome” instead of the total.
“Don’tpretend you’re shocked and outraged.”Carlycontinues shuffling radishes. “Iwasn’t even that close, andIcould tell he had a glint in his eye when he was talking to you out there.”Shewaves the leafy green end of a bunch in the direction of the sidewalk.
“Isuspect he always has a glint in his eye.”Andhe probably gets a kick out of knowing he can turn a woman into a gibbering lump of jelly with one flick of an eyebrow.
Ipress a button on the register, and the daily report chugs out.
“AnddoesMr.Twinklesalways check out people’s butts when they turn around?”Accidentallyreferring to him asMr.TwinklestoCarlywas a big mistake.
Buthe looked at my backside? “Probably.”
Well,IguessIdid look at his butt when he bent over to pick up the potatoes.Mymind flashes back to the pin-striped fabric pulling across the firm round cheeks that sat on top of muscular thighs.Itwas quite an excellent rear end.
Irip off the report and check it against my register count.Aperfect match.AllhopesImight have miscounted by a couple of hundred dollars are dashed.
There’snothing leftIcould cut back to make up for the rent increase.Well, not apart fromCarly’shours.Butthe mere thought of that makes me want to throw up.Icouldn’t do it to her.She’salways been there for me.She’dnever let me down like that.Notto mention,Icouldn’t work all the hours myself, seven days a week, and be able to helpMomas much asIwant to.
Carlymoves some radishes from the bottom of the pile to the top. “Well, allIknow is, if some hot guy looked at me the way he looked at you,I’dbe pretty fucking happy about it.”
Ipaper-clip the report to the tally sheet, slide it inside the cash bag along with the day’s takings, and turn toCarly.
“Oh, come on.Areyou saying you’d be happy if that guy wore a fancy suit and traveled in a chauffeur-driven limo?Yeah, sure.We’veall seen the trail of destruction those people leave behind when they swoop into town for their own ends.”
“AndIknow exactly why you think that.Butsometimes,Poll, maybe the right person isn’t who you’d expect them to be.”
“Haveyou been sucking on some overripe kombucha?You’drun kicking and screaming from someone like that.”
“Ijust thought, finally, there might be someone to shake you out of your man doldrums.Maybeit’s time you get back in the saddle.It’snot as if you didn’t enjoy regular rides in college.”Shesteps back from the radishes, hands on hips, to check her artwork. “I’mpurely looking out for you and your lady fig.”
Ladyfig isCarly’sterm for figs.Andfemale genitals.It’sgrown on me.
“Meand my lady fig are extremely happy on their own, thank you.We’vebeen busy focusing on the shop and helping my mom.”Ifiddle with the zipper on the cash bag. “Anddon’t make it sound likeIslept around.Therewere only two, okay, three college boyfriends.Theywere fun.Ienjoyed them.”
“Sometimesloudly.”
CarlyandIwere roommates.Herart school and my university were close enough for us to rent a place together.
“Well,Isure as hell don’t have time to be entangled with anyone right now,”Itell her. “Leastof all one about to crush our livelihood.”
