phone back to her ear. “Sorry, Peg, but Brook’s restocking our foot creams right now. She says she’ll call you back later.”
Amber drops the phone onto the counter as Brook swaggers toward us, her long red fingernails digging into her hip. “That is not funny, missy. I’ve only just convinced Ellery to not press assault charges against Ellie, and I don’t need you stirring the pot.”
“Assault charges? I’m the one who should be thinking of pressing charges against him. I’m the unwitting victim of a toe molestation!” I squeal.
Brook brings her talons up, waving her hands in front of her face to ward off further discussion. “Now I’ve heard enough. I don’t want to hear the words Ellery or feet ever again. Lord help him if Peg finds out her kid’s a sex-fiend. The woman would feed him to that snake of his before she’d let the preacher get wind of it.”
I nod solemnly at Brook and we both look at Amber who couldn’t look less interested in our conversation. “Whatever.”
“Good,” says Brook. “Now I’ve got to run and meet a guy about our booth at the Corn Festival this weekend. You two play nice and try to move some more of the body powders. Our booth is going to be the biggest success out there this year, and I want everyone talking about what’s goin’ on at Brook’s Bath and Body Shop.” Brook toddles out the front door on her canary-yellow heels, scrunching up her hair to stave off any flatness in the summer heat.
Considering that the uniforms stashed under the counter appear to be made for the stripper pole, I’m sure Brook will get her wish. Amber, clearly having this same thought, eyes the bag holding our uniforms with a lethal expression. She reaches down, yanks it out from beneath the counter and violently shakes the contents onto the floor. The hot-pink hot-pants float to the ground, the lightness of the fabric practically laughing in Amber’s face.
“We could burn them,” she says, prodding the t-shirts with one pointy black boot.
“She would never forgive us.”
“We could band together, refuse to wear them.”
“She would fire us.”
“We could switch out the shorts with a pair that are a couple of inches longer.”
“She would murder us in our sleep.”
I reach down, scoop up the uniforms, and toss them onto the counter. There’s hardly enough fabric to fold them. I run my hand over the gold-outlined letters stamped across the front of a t-shirt and cringe when I remember Tim will be at the fair. How on earth am I going to avoid him if I look like a back-up dancer for Lady Marmalade? I shove the uniforms into their bag and place it back under the counter, out of sight.
“I’m never going to forgive her for this,” says Amber, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
“I know,” I say, placing a cautious hand on her shoulder, “but look on the bright side. There’s bound to be a ton of new people at the fair you can practice your new curse on.”
“Don’t try to cheer me up.” Amber turns and stalks to the back of the shop.
As much as I want to avoid seeing Tim while wearing that ridiculous uniform, the idea of Sam stopping by the booth for a taste test puts butterflies in my stomach. I fell apart this morning, unable to trust him like I promised. Not that it matters much. After this morning’s exit, he probably thinks I’m certifiable.
The door chime brings me out of my thoughts and I look up to see ‘America’s Next Top Model’ examining our bath-salts display. She’s gorgeous with long chestnut hair, luminescent olive skin, and cheekbones that could cut through steel. I tuck a section of hair behind my ear and flatten the front of my plain black skirt with my hands, embarrassed by the wrinkles I didn’t have time to iron out this morning.
“Hi, can I help you?” I ask, giving the beauty a nervous wave from my position near the counter. The smile she throws back at me has me reaching for my Ray Bans.
“I’m just sort of browsing right now.”
“No problem. Let me know if you need any help.”
“Actually,” she says, smelling the top of a perfume tester, “maybe you can help me. I’m looking for a perfume or maybe a lotion that’ll drive a man crazy. Really bring him to his knees. Do you have anything like that?”
I walk over to her, giving my hair another tuck for good