some buzz about it on the internet, too. It’s supposed to be super healthy and provides energy without causing a crash.”
“Sold,” Amber said, picking up a dozen of the small bars. As she looked at them, she tossed back her beautiful blonde hair and read the ingredients on the back of the wrapper.
I turned and rolled my eyes as I made my way back to the register. I didn’t like how just seeing Amber made me upset and borderline angry. Had I really grown to be that bitter ever since Mike had walked out four years ago?
I tried to ignore this idea as Amber approached the counter and paid for her power bars. I attempted to look happy, knowing that any thoughts about Mike and the end of our marriage tended to make me look incredibly sad and, as a result, much older than my thirty-six years. I knew that I was pretty in a girl-next-door kind of way but when thinking of Mike and being in the presence of the well put-together Amber Dawson, there was very little that I liked about myself.
As I put Amber’s bars into a plastic bag, she gave me a sad look that made me want to punch her in her cute little forty-two year-old nose. You know, the look with the tilted head and the almost frown? That one.
“What are you doing for lunch?” Her crystal-blue eyes appraised me as she smiled.
“I pack every day.” It was a lie. I just wanted her out of the store. I even added some speed and zest to the comment so she’d think I was in a hurry. But she didn’t bite.
“I’m on my way to Deitrick’s for a smoked salmon walnut salad. Why not come with me? You need to get out of this store Mac.”
I bit my lip to keep from saying something that I'd regret. “You're probably right, but I'm good. Thanks.”
“If you don't mind me saying so,” Amber said with a frown, either not hearing me or not caring, “life is short. You should consider making some changes in your life… like maybe finding a man?”
I stopped what I was doing and stared at the counter for a moment, taking in a deep breath. “Hey, you know, I’ve heard of those,” I snapped. “They pass gas, think with their crotches and walk out on your after nine years of marriage. Not much there, really. I’m not impressed with what I’ve seen so far.”
Her mouth popped open. I don’t know what I said that took her off guard, but she took her bag and nodded. She took a step back and gave me that frown again. “Have a nice day,” she said. It was a simple statement, but she might as well have called me a bitch… at least that’s how it made me feel.
I raised my hand and almost called out to her as she walked away, thinking I should take her up on her offer. But in the end, I didn’t. I watched her leave the store, her perfectly sculpted ass looking as if the jeans that covered it had been painted on.
When she was out of sight, I could literally feel myself relax, tension leaving my chest and shoulders. But I also felt like a miserable old crone. I looked to the clock, saw that it was indeed lunchtime as Amber had suggested, and decided that I would go grab lunch somewhere. I could be spontaneous. I could be different…so long as it was within my meager budget.
Five minutes later, I was putting up my OUT TO LUNCH sign and locking the front door. I let the tension of Amber’s visit and all of the ugly thoughts I’d had about myself just melt off as I stepped out into the gorgeous Sitka afternoon. The sun was high and its rays felt amazing on my face as I smiled up at it. I glanced around the bay, taking in the shimmering cold water and the span of tall Douglas fir and Sitka spruce dotting the shore on the other side. I sighed. I did need to make some changes in my life.
I ended up grabbing a roast beef on rye at the small deli on the end of the pier two blocks over from The Pine Way. My store, as well as several others, were located on a long strand of side streets and business-centric piers. Teens would call the scene hipster while older generations would call it liberal. I myself