She holds her hand out, “Hey big guy, I’m Anna, Izzy's bestie.” She thumbs over her shoulder. “And you are?”
Carlos’ face is crimson. He holds his hand out and mumbles, “Carlos. A pleasure to meet you.”
Anna grabs his hand and it’s lost in the size of his palm. “Holy shit! Your hand is huge!” She turns it over and back again, and then she looks up at him. Carlos’ face could not be more purple.
“Can I ask a favor?” She beams up at him.
“Ahhh… sure.” He looks at Alexander, who hasn’t once stopped watching in my direction.
“Cool. Give me your hand, just relax it.” She pats it and he does. She turns her back to him, taking a small step back, so she is up against his chest.
“Izzy! Check this out?” She takes Carlos’ hand and covers her face with it. Her entire head disappears; she pops back out to the side and back in, disappearing behind his hand.
“You could totally crush my head with one hand.” She keeps popping out and laughing. Carlos just stands there and lets her do it, a slight smile on his face as he looks down at her in amusement. I want to laugh, it’s so Anna. She doesn’t care and has no filter, but I know Alexander is glaring at them, just waiting to detonate.
Anna turns and drops his hand. “Hey Carlos, can you pick me up and put me on your shoulder like they do in wrestling?”
I watch the simmering anger pass across Alex’s face as I stand on the ladder watching the show down below.
Straw camel, snap!
“ANNA! Will you please have some decorum?” Alex barks at her, making her jump back into Carlos’ chest.
“This is not, nor will it be time to play around with Carlos. He has a job. One you might want to consider doing your own instead of shaking your ass for all to see.”
My insides shake. They are like two explosives ready to blow upthe room. I slowly back down the ladder, heading to my desk. Carlos is angry now, glaring at Alexander. Anna’s blue eyes are basically squinted ice and she stomps right up to Alex and jabs at his chest.
“You!” She lifts her left hand right in his face and points at her ring finger.
“See this? There is nothing on it, that’s right.EMPTY!Not your ring on it, is there?”
She pulls out her lanyard from her lab coat with her pass on it and shoves it in his face.
“Read this, oh that’s, right? It doesn’t have your name on it, does it? Cause you’re not my boss!” She drops her pass and steps closer, glaring at him.
She jabs at his chest with each word, “You. Are. Not. The. Boss. Of ME!”
Alexander leans slightly forward, pressing her finger harder into his chest.
“Remove your finger from my chest, little girl, before I am forced to remove it for you.” Alex’s voice is low and deep, the same one he used with me out on the patio the night I met him.
By this time, I have my purse and am walking around the massive rack of paintings, hiding me from the ensuing argument, which is growing louder.
I can’t see them, but I hear Anna say, “I may be little, but I am damn well a woman. What’s your plan, big guy? You’re going to bite my boob off as punishment, too?”
Oh God, she told him. She came right out and told him I spilled what happened last night. I die on the inside just a little bit, knowing what is coming once I get home.
I edge my way around the large rack of paintings and have my hand on the exit door. Carlos is stepping in between them, hoisting Anna up and over his shoulder while they both yell ateach other.
I push the exit door open and slowly close it behind me, softening the click. I can’t do this today. They want to fight and boss each other around, have at it. I’m out.
I make my way to the street and head left for the coffee shop. I grab a to-go cup and head past the jewelry store and turn left down the alley. A small little shop with one large glass window showcases books on broken-down chairs, giving it that shabby chic kinda vibe. They painted a nook for books in bright yellow lettering on the window. If you didn’t know it was here, you’d never find it. It’s the best little bookstore ever in my opinion.
I found it when I was trying to escape my father. I guess you could call it more like running away, but I couldn’t face going home and had no money for a hotel. I paid the price for my betrayal once they found me, but at that moment, Helen saved me from slipping into my head that day and I can never thank her enough.
I was seventeen and my father took us to the museum for the day since I had graduated and was heading off to university in the fall. I loved the museum and had planned on getting my degree in hopes I would get the opportunity to work there one day.
The day started off great. My sister was wandering around looking at everything without notice and my mother was hanging on my father’s arm, feigning interest.
