I lean closer to inspect the jewelry laid out on the table. It’s actually really cool, sort of gothic and dainty at the same time, like a delicate silver ring with a tiny skull carved into it, or a miniature medieval-looking sword hanging from a very fine silver chain.
“It’s awesome,” I say. “I like that one.” I point to the tiny sword. “It looks like something out ofZelda.”
“Oh, good,” John says, with a strange smile on his face. Then he gestures to the booth owner. “This is my sister, Kiara, by the way.”
All the blood rushes to my face. I smack John hard on the arm. “Oh my god.” I cover my face with one hand. “What if I said I didn’t like it?”
“I would’ve laughed.”
“You’re such an ass, John,” his sister says, laughing.
“He really is,” I agree. “Nice to meet you,” I add, holding out my hand. “I’m Emily.”
“Oh, I know,” she says. “John’s told me all about you.”
I raise a doubtful eyebrow. “He has?”
She snorts. “Okay, not really. Just that you two were coming tonight. He doesn’t ever tell me anything interesting.”
I grin. That makes more sense. “Did you make all this yourself?” I ask, gesturing to the table.
“Yep. I sell stuff on Etsy and in a few shops around town.”
“That’s awesome.”
Kiara shrugs. “Eh, it’s just a way to pass the time. I’m stuck on the island until my dumb husband finishes vet school.”
“Vet school,” I echo. “That’s so cool.”
“Maybe that should be your dream job,” John says.
I wrinkle my nose at him. “I don’t think I could ever put dogs down. I’d wind up crying as much as their owners every time.”
“Same,” Kiara says. “Unless they were tiny yappy dogs.”
“Hey!” I protest. “My parents have a tiny yappy dog, and the little maniac’s kind of grown on me. He’s, like, an overly violent, overgrown rat. But in a cute way.”
Kiara cackles. “Ooh, I like her,” she says to John.
“Oh, good, because your approval is super important to me,” he says.
“Shoo,” Kiara says, waving him away. “Unless you’re going to buy something, go bother someone else.”
“I’ll buy something,” I say. It’s not a great idea, given my current bank balance, but I really like Kiara’s stuff. Plus, it would seem rude not to buy something.
“Don’t give her money just to be polite,” John says. “She’s only pretending to be a hippie jewelry maker. She’s actually a drug rep.”
“Yeah, a Canadian drug rep for boring diabetes drugs,” Kiara says. “I’m not swimming in cash like the Viagra reps in the States.”
I laugh. “No, I want to. I really like the tiny sword necklace.”
“Yeah?” Kiara holds it up. “I made it after watching that oldSword in the Stonecartoon.”
“Ooh, I remember that movie!”
“Which one was that?” John asks. “The one with the depressed unicorn?”
Kiara and I roll our eyes in unison. “That wasThe Last Unicorn,” I say.
