That looks more blue than teal.”
“Are we going to debate blue and teal?” Mia asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“It looks teal to me,” she said. “It’s the lighting.”
“It’s your eyes,” I said.
“It’s your ass,” she said and fake laughed.
I stood up and circled the order. “If we send that and get a complaint, you’re handling it.”
Mia looked at it again. She sighed. “Fine. I’ll have Barb choose a different color.”
“Thank you,” I said.
I grabbed my coffee and walked away from the busy desk.
The front of the shop was a small retail area.
We did get foot traffic, which amazed me.
People loved to come in and look around and get ideas that usually they would try on their own only to end up back here to buy something professional looking.
As I walked through the front, Jess rushed to my side. “The meat guy wants to talk to you.”
“Meat guy,” I said. “Sounds dirty.”
“Ew. You have a dirty mind.”
“Sometimes,” I said. “What’s he want?”
“He wants to talk about seasonal meats,” Jess said.
“Tell him to send us a catalog like always. I don’t need a meat pitch.”
“Maybe you do,” Mia said from behind me.
I turned my head.
“Jess, go tell the meat guy what I said.”
Jess walked away.
“Something wrong?” Mia asked.
“What was that comment for?”
“What?” she asked.
“Did you forget I’m with Ethan?” I asked.
“That’s casual.”
“Casual meat is the best,” I said.
Mia laughed. “Everything is casual for you. Ever since your dream boy bolted to become a famous rock star.”
I felt my face turn red. “No. That was a long time ago.”
“Sure thing. Did you see one of the band members died?”
“The guy that was kicked out,” I said. “Not a current member.”
“Oh, so sorry,” Mia said. “I should brush up on my FILTHY LINE knowledge before I talk to you.”
I sighed. “You’re the worst person I know.”
“Because I’m always right. How often do you talk to Sab?”
“He texts me,” I said. “He text me last night.”
“Really?” Mia asked. “What did he say?”
“Just drunk stuff. I ignore those.”
“Drunk texts from a rock star?” Mia asked. She whistled. “Does Ethan know?”
“No,” I said.
“That’s risky.”
“Ethan and I are casual.”
“You never fail to amaze me,” Mia said.
“Just because I’m not settled doesn’t mean I’m not happy,” I said.
“Of course not,” she said. “Come on, let’s have a cigarette.”
“I don’t smoke. And you should quit for real. I can’t believe you stopped smoking to have two kids but then started again.”
Mia pointed at me. “Two kids will make you start smoking again.”
There was no use in arguing with her.
We snuck out back and Mia smoked a cigarette.
When we were teenagers, we used to sit out on the roof outside her bedroom window and smoke together. And then I’d wait until after midnight for Sab to come. I’d climb down the vines and we’d run off together for a few hours.
Just as friends though.
We were always good friends.
And at that time, Sab didn’t really exist.
It was Sebastian.
That was his real name.
Sebastian.
I guess that wasn’t rock star enough.
It made me laugh to myself thinking about it.
That he left this Oregon town and went down to Los Angeles and wrote his own book for himself. Sebastian became Sab. And Sab became the drummer for one of the biggest bands in the world.
I looked at my phone again.
I reread the text.
“Stop looking,” Mia said. “You’re going to end up confusing yourself.”
My phone vibrated.
“Well… here’s one for you.”
“Another text from Sab?” Mia teased.
“No. It’s from Ethan.”
“Oh? Is it a dick pic?”
I looked at Mia. “No. It’s not a dick pic. Do you and Ted… never mind.”
“Hey, you have to keep it spicy,” Mia said. “We send pics all the time. Plus, if someone wants to get into my phone and see lopsided boobs from breastfeeding two kids plus a flabby stomach and stretch marks… have at it.”
I loved Mia.
Her fair skin, lots of freckles, and one eyebrow that was always higher than the other, forever made her look like she was a bitch. Which she generally was. But she was fierce and afraid of nothing. Something she learned from her mother thanks to her father.
“No dick pic,” I said. “Not that you’d want to see Ethan’s… it’s… nah.”
“Nah?” Mia asked.
“It’s like a little hairless rodent.”
Mia shook her head. “Maybe you should get some of that rock star dick then.”
“Maybe I should,” I said. “Ethan just broke up with me. In a text.”
Mia burst into laughter.
She waved her hands.
“I shouldn’t be laughing…”
I tried to keep a straight face.
But I laughed too.
Ethan - and his dick - was a