“I wanted an unadulterated view.If you were close, myverdict might be skewed by your loved-up vibes.I had to experience himundiluted.This, I have done.My takeaway, by the way, is he…is…fine.”
Archie looked to the ceiling.
As funny as this was, and as cool as it was to meet one ofArchie’s crew, Jag was done with it.
“We don’t do this,” Jagger said to Archie.
She turned her attention to him.“Do what?”
“I show and you don’t come right to me and give me yourmouth.”
“Oh…my…God,” Joany groaned.“He’s abossyhotbiker.That’s more than fine.So much more, I think I just came a little bit.”
Fortunately, Jagger didn’t have to respond to this sinceArchie walked to him, put both hands to his stomach and tipped her head back.
He dipped in and kissed her, a stroke of tongue, and thatwas it, seeing as she was at work and they had an audience.
“Yup, just came a little bit more,” Joany declared when helifted his head.
“I like her,” Jag told Archie.
“That’ll fade,” Archie replied.
“Excuse me,” a new voice entered the mix.
Archie moved to his side, Jag threw an arm around hershoulders, and they both saw that a customer had approached Joany.
“Do you work here?”she asked Joany.
Joany looked down at the nametag on her cropped tee.
The tee saidIt’s a beautiful day to leave me alone.
Her nametag said,Hi, my name is…but didn’t have aname, though it did have a black piece of that shiny tape you could punchletters in.There just weren’t any letters.
And although the nametag declared her employment, even if ithad no name, Jag read the two as Joany being someone you didn’t approach to doanything but take your money at a cash register.
The customer didn’t have this same bead.
She lifted up a lamp and asked, “Will you take ten dollarsfor this?”
“Oh shit,” Archie mumbled.
But before Archie could do more, Joany reached out, nabbedthe price tag on the lamp, inspected it, dropped it and asked back, “Does thislook like a flea market?”
“All prices are as marked,” Archie called out quickly.“Sorry, we don’t barter.”
“It doesn’t hurt to ask,” the woman said to Joany.
Joany opened her mouth.
“Joany,” Archie warned.
Joany shut her mouth.
Archie relaxed.
Joany opened her mouth again and said, “Do you haggle whenyou’re at Pottery Barn?”
