“Nah, just markin’ her territory. I totally get it.” Caroline brushed her hands off, ready for business. “I’m ‘bout to do the same thing. I’ll see y’all in a bit.”
“And I’m gonna dance with my wife. How ‘bout you show me your moves, Edwin,” Dakota said cheerily, pressing his lips to Sadie’s before dragging her, more than willingly, onto the dance floor.
Ginny perused the table, looking for a treat and doing her best to ignore Ryan’s presence at her side.
“So, you, um…” Ryan paused. “You looked like you were having fun out there.”
“Yup. So much fun.” She grabbed an oatmeal cookie that was sure to taste like heaven and shoved it in her mouth. Definitely notcute. “Nothin’ better than wedding dancin’.”
“And you know that guy?” Ryan flicked his head in the direction of Liam, who was doing the Cupid Shuffle with Mrs. Woodhouse, likely charming her into oblivion with his twin dimples. She’d probably never recover.
“Yup. Liam. He’s so nice. Great dancer. Very hot pilot.”
“Good. Good to know. Seemed like a bit of a jerk to me, but as long as he’s a hot pilot, I guess that’s all ya need.”
“Well, he’s not a jerk, actually. He has terrible taste in quite a few ground breaking things, butheactually asked me to dance, so… that’s all I needed, Ry,” Ginny snipped and grabbed another cookie, clearly deep in the stress-eating portion of the night. “And you throwin’ darts with your angry green goblins over there,” she pointed at his eyeballs, feeling the undeniable desire to poke him directly in each as her temperature rose, “doesn’t help anything, ya know? If you want to dance with me, ask me!”
“I… I didn’t say I wanted to dance with you,” he stumbled, suddenly finding the dance floor far more appealing than Ginny.
“Right. Sure. Of course you don’t.” She wanted to stomp on his foot. Instead, she threw back a praline and mumbled through the chewy goodness. “You just want to throw private temper tantrums and brood in the corner every time I come into the room.”
“I don’t brood.” He grabbed his own cookie and shoved it in his mouth as angrily as she had, entering into another food-eating contest Ginny would certainly not let him win. “And why do you keep introducing yourself as Virginia to everyone?” he asked accusingly, daring to look at her straight on.
“Because it is my name, Ryan!” A crumble of pecan caramel cookie sat in the crook of his lips. Ginny decided she wouldn’t tell him.
He harrumphed and rolled his eyes. “It’s not you, though. You’ve been Ginny since I’ve known you. I dunno why all of a sudden you’re tryin’ to be something you’re—”
Ginny interrupted him and was now actively envisioning herself stomping on both his feet, throwing a drink in his face, and loudly pointing out the crumb shedid not want to kiss off his mouth.
“My name is Virginia, Ryan Hood. I am a grown woman, and I can introduce myself any way I please, thank you very much. If you have a problem with that or who I dance with or who I bring to town functions, then maybe you should man up and take me instead. Until that day, you don’t get a vote or a say.”
Before he could respond, Ginny grabbed another cookie, took a vengeful bite, and stomped away. She joined her family on the dance floor, and decided she wouldn’t give another second of her time or thoughts to Ryan.
Instead, she danced like a fool with her siblings, let her daddy sway her around for a slow song, and took joy in a few more friendly dances with the handsome Lieutenant Holder, paying little mind to the way she caught Ryan’s gaze throughout the night. And disregarded completely how much she wished hehadasked her to dance.
The next morning, Ginny did what she always did when she was overwhelmed and annoyed and just a little bit flustered by life. She drove outside of town and arrived at For the Recordas soon as the doors opened, walking down the aisles and running her fingers over album after album. She was due to help lead worship that morning at Living Hope Church and knew she wouldn’t have as long as she liked to meander around but perused a section on borrowed time, humming along to the music playing in the shop.
The Epic Duos section had obviously been mishandled. They were no longer in alphabetical order, as Ginny had arranged them earlier in the week, but were instead completely shuffled across the shelves, all willy-nilly. The Civil Wars, Simon and Garfunkel, and The Righteous Brothershad all been brought to the front of their rows and definitely not where she’d left them.
Maybe she was still feeling a little raw from the evening before. With her brother and best friend leaving for their honeymoon… Both sisters, happily married and going home with families of their own… And a certain clueless man, who’d been in her life for as long as she could remember but, in the past couple of years, couldn't bear to approach her with anything more than condescension…
On that Sunday morning, with cheery music playing overhead, her precious album friends out of order, and the annoyance of the night before, Ginny suddenly felt agitated and just a tad bit passive-aggressive.
She was gonna speak her mind. She’d stand up for injustice. Fight for law and order and for cardboard record covers thatcouldn’t fight for themselves. She was gonna write a sternly worded letter, dang it!
Ginny whipped out a notecard and pen, scribbling a note to the perpetrator behind the disorder.
To the monster(s) who obviously doesn’t appreciate the artistry or design of organization,
It may seem bonkers to some, and maybe even arbitrary, but these albums have been arranged in a careful alphabetical/sometimes color coordinated pattern. I’d thank you to make note of these details in the future. Please stop the madness and keep your sticky fingers to yourself.
Truly,
A concerned patron
P.S. I’m not sure what you were doing or if it was intentional, but The Civil Wars are arguably the greatest duo of all time, so we may be in agreement somewhere, but if not, reread all of the above.
She tucked the letter carefully in the front of one of the rows where the guilty party in question would hopefully see and takenote. She left the shop feeling productive and vindicated, which helped her morning considerably.
