Jane Arnold's P. O. V.
"When are you going to his studio again?" Jessie asks checking out some clothes in the shop for the party, her boyfriend will throw up on the coming weekend.
"I do not know. I asked him when should I come to learn next time. He said he would call me." I tell her, removing a silvery dress with no sleeves from the display.
"So the numbers are already exchanged." She pokes me with the finger and grins. I shove her hand away and thrust the silvery dress into her hands.
"Yes. Because he is now my tutor. He will need my number to call me and tell me about our schedule. Our numbers were exchanged the day I went into his studio. By the way, you should only focus on the party. Take this dress and try it out. Go hurry up." I push her into the try room and close the door.
"You sometimes overreact. Do you know that?" She shouts from the try room.
"I have been reminded of this quality of mine by you millions of times.No need to repeat." I get close to the door and raise my voice enough for her to hear me.
"I am sure that he must have called you right after getting your number. So what bedtime story did he tell you?" She nudges my arm after she exits the try room. A playful smile dances across her lips.
"No, Neither he called me nor I did. You should read less romantic novels." Her face falls and I fake an offended look on my face.
"Anyway, enough of Nathan for today. Tell me how do I look?" She flicks her straight black hair and spins like a diva. I take in her appearance and my eyes are filled with appreciation. The dress fits her so well as if it is made just for her. Her collarbone is on the display and her toned arms too. Jessie loves to workout and now I can see why it is worth it. A below-knee slit on the right side of the dress makes it more stylish.
"Will you just keep gawking at me or say something too?" She flicks her fingers in front of my eyes. I blink and look at her. I make a serious face and begin to pace around her in a circle.
"Come on tell me. Do I look bad?" She looks concerned now about it and I have to suppress the smile. There is no fun in this world without teasing your best friend.
"Alright. I will give you an honest opinion."
"Shoot it. I look good or bad?" I can see her fighting the urge to throw something at me. She is doing her best to hold back her frustration.
"Jessie. Trust me, with this dress and the smile you wore when you spun around, you would turn the heads, sweetie." I keep my voice soft and she seems to be taking in my words.
"Awwwww thank you. You know I love your honesty but you took so long to be this much honest." In an instant, she has her arm around my throat and she is shaking me with happiness or anger, I do not know.
"I gave you my...honest...opinion. Now have mercy on me. Leave my...throat." She finally looses her grip on me and I can breathe. This whole drama catches the attention of the shop owner and her helpers. One of them comes to us and asks very politely;
"Is there any problem going on ma'am?"
"No. There is not. We were just messing with each other. All is fine. Thank you." She nods and walks away. I turn back to Jessie and give her a dirty look which she mirrors and flicking away her hair goes back to the try room to change the dress.
When Jessie comes out we buy that dress and head out of the shop. We step into the sunlight of the afternoon and start walking on the pavement. We both walk for a moment in silence and then all of a sudden we burst into laughter at all the drama that had everyone in the shop concerned for a moment.
"They thought I was going to kill you." Jessie throws back her head while laughing.
"Yeah, right and I am sure that they will not let us in, next time." I replay their shocked faces in my mind.
"Hahaha. No, I will show them the money and they will say, we are sure we have never seen you, girls, before." She mimics the speaking style of a designer shop owner.
"By the way, I have to visit a new book shop today that just got opened a week ago. Do you want to join me?" I ask her while she is typing something over her phone.
"No, sweetie. I can not, I have to head back home because Chris is waiting for me. Mom just texted that he has been waiting for half an hour."
Jessie and Chris have been together for two years and anyone can tell that they are in love by just looking at how much they care about each other. He is our classmate too but Jessie always sits with me and Chris never objects to this, as since the beginning of their relationship he has known that Jessie and I are soul sisters, nothing can part us. I have also always respected Chris because he is the reason behind my best friend's smile.
"Sure. No biggie. Just do not forget to say my hello to your mom and Chris."
"I will not forget." She hugs me and gets into the Uber after waving me goodbye. I wave her back and as the car speeds away I also turn towards my next destination.
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I enter the newly opened bookshop and the scent of books, new paint and coffee welcomes me. It is decorated with flowers, and historical paintings and there is also a coffee machine set up near the counter. The hazel-coloured walls, bookshelves and a set of tables and chairs, all look pleasing to the eyes.
I take a moment to appreciate its elegance and move to the counter. A woman in her late 30s turns from the bookshelf behind the counter and faces me. She has a long Bob haircut, her hair is colored platinum blonde, has a round face and green eyes. A pair of glasses reclines her nose which slips from time to time and she adjusts it back with her fingers.
"Hello, how can I serve you, dear?"
"Hi, Miss Elizabeth." I see her pendant with her name on it hanging down her neck and touching her rosy loose top.
"Oh, dear. Just call me Beth. This Pendant is a gift from my husband and I love it so wear it. But I prefer to be called Beth." She touches her pendant with a giggle and holds out her hand to me.
"Ok. Miss Beth. Can I check out some books?" I hold her hand and give it a gentle shake. I feel delighted to meet her. She seems Jolly and I do not like rude people. For a moment a face pops up in my mind and I shake him away.
Why am I thinking about Eric? I shake my head twice.
"Are you fine, darling?" Miss Beth asks me dragging down her glasses with her forefinger over her nose.
"Yup. I am good. I was just going to a bookshelf." I point towards a row of bookshelves.
"Sure, sweetie. Look for what you like."
I nod with a smile and walk toward a bookshelf which has a full display of poetry. My eyes flick through them, spotting books by Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, William Whitman, W.B.Yeats and Shakespeare. I grab a copy of Shakespeare's sonnets, I am about to check through some of its pages when in a blink someone snatches it from my hand and turns his back towards me.
I stand in my spot stunned by this action and stare at his back. He raises his hand which holds the book, in the air and gains Miss Beth's attention.
"How much does it cost?"
"15 dollars." She shouts from the counter.
I fight back the urge to yell at him. He just snatched that book from my hand and is now buying it? I follow him, as he walks toward the counter.
I can not see his face, as his back is still towards me. I tap his shoulder and ask in a cold voice;
"Excuse me, can you give me back my book?" I keep my expressions stern and watch him turn around.
"You?" My eyes pop out with shock. He smirks handing out the money to Miss Beth.
"Hello to you too, Jennifer."
What, Jennifer? I look at him perplexed and he continuously watches me with a smirk. I squint at him, he will pay for spoiling my happy mood today.
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