Cashmere beamed at her. “I’ve been saving for it for a long time. I’ve never gotten to see it up close. I’m so close to the amount I need. I thought holding it might motivate me to actually pull the trigger.”
The lady’s face melted into an understanding smile. The humble act worked every time.
“Girl, I get it. There’s a bracelet over there I’ve been saving for forever. Here, let me get that out for you real quick.” Cashmere kept a pleasant smile on her face as she watched the lady unlock the glass and pull the necklace out. It was beautiful. As soon as she handed it to Cashmere, Ivoree let out a yelp.
“I’m so clumsy!”
Cashmere tried not to smile as Ivoree fumbled around on the counter with the earrings before she dropped several pairs on the floor. The employee rushed over to Ivoree in distress. Cashmere kept an eye on them as she moved to slip the necklace into her pocket.
“Oh, that’s beautiful. Excuse me, ma’am? I would like to buy this necklace,” a voice said behind Cashmere just before she could slip it into her pocket. Turning bright red, Cashmere glanced beside her and noticed a woman whosmelledexpensive standing there. She was gorgeous with a few diamonds of her own on her ears and around her neck. Cashmere noticed she was glowing, and when she looked down and the woman looked ready to pop with a swollen belly, it made sense. She looked oddly familiar, and when she spoke again, a memory struck Cashmere. “A step up from trying to steal cars.”
The woman’s brows hiked up, and she smiled genuinely, letting Cashmere know she wasn’t a threat.
One year ago
Cold nights were the worst. Cashmere tried to snuggle into the oversized, dirty hoodie for warmth, but it was no use. She glanced at Ivoree, who sat on the bus stop bench with her knees to her chest. Pain shredded her heart as Cashmere looked at her baby sister with watery eyes. She never cried, and she wasn’t about to start now.
“Hey, wait right here. I’ll find us some food and shelter, okay?” Cashmere said before she stood.
All Ivoree could muster was a head nod. Cashmere looked at the McDonald’s parking lot across the street. After making a split decision, she crossed the street and scoped the area. There was one car that seemed to be full of items. Her eyes lit up. “Jackpot.”
She had never stolen a car before, but she picked up how to hot wire a car not long ago from some kids she knew that lived on the street. The only other choice she had was to freeze to death.
She crouched down and tried to remember how to open the car door without a key and without breaking a window when someone called out to her.
“Hey!” Cashmere instantly straightened and cursed under her breath. “You looking for something?”
The woman looked like she had been through hell and back too. Her eyes looked puffy, and her light skin looked pale. She had a single bag in her hand of food from McDonald’s, and Cashmere’s stomach growled.
The woman took a step forward. Cashmere stepped back. “This you?”
Cashmere nodded toward the car. She was a thief, but something about stealing from someone who looked to be down bad didn’t sit right with her.
Slowly, the woman nodded. “Yeah.”
Cashmere eyed her for a second before letting out a sigh. “Shit.”
Giving up, Cashmere turned to walk away. She would have to figure something else out. She would have to dumpster dive or something . . .
“You want something to eat from inside?” the woman called out.
Cashmere stopped and her shoulders tensed before she slowly turned to face the woman again. Her eyes flickered to the bag of food in the woman’s hand before she met her eyes again. She was hungry as hell and knew Ivoree was too, but her pride reared its ugly face.
“Thanks, but I don’t do handouts,” she whispered.
Cashmere turned again and walked away with tears in her eyes, knowing she would have to disappoint Ivoree once again.
Cashmere couldn’t believe this woman dripping in labels was the same woman from that cold night where she couldn’t even afford a damn McDonald’s sandwich.
“Why, yes. This item seems to be popular today,” the disgruntled worker said with a smile after she got all the earrings off the ground.
Ivoree looked at Cashmere with worry in her eyes. Cashmere slightly shook her head and shrugged before she handed the necklace over to the woman who looked like money. She turned to leave when the woman said, “Hey, wait up. I want to talk to you.”
Cashmere’s brows pulled in, and she screwed her face up. “About what? I don’t know you.”
“You want to,” the woman said before she held her finger up as if to tell her to hold on.
Cashmere was taken aback. Ivoree reached her and whispered, “What’s going on?”
