Shoe Strings

She’s…” annoying, a gossip, after her man, “competent.   I’m sure she’d love to get her hands on
your hair.   It’s so…bouncy.”
    Angelita let out a hearty chuckle.   “I guess that’s one way to describe
it.”   She picked up the green
candle.   “I think I’ll go with your suggestion
and tell Cal you recommended it.   He
adores you.”
    “Yeah, Cal’s the best.”
    “You know, I’d love some company.   Why don’t you and I play hookie and
spend the day at the salon?   I
haven’t had a girls’ day in ages.”
    Was she kidding?   Kerri Ann hadn’t had a girls’ day…ever.   “Well, I don’t know.   I’ve got to get back to the restaurant.”
    “Oh, come on,” she prodded.   “I’m sure you’ve got people who can
cover for you for an hour or two.   It’ll be fun and my treat—for your help with the gift.”
    She looked so excited and Kerri Ann felt an eager sensation
in the pit of her stomach.   Maybe
this would cure her mood.   She
hadn’t done something so…spontaneous since high school.   She shrugged her shoulders.   “Okay.   I guess one afternoon won’t kill me.”
    Angelita clapped her hands and grabbed Kerri Ann by the
shoulders.   “Great.   Just let me pay for this and you can
lead the way to the Hair Barn.   Do
they do nails?   Or facials?” she
asked over her shoulder with an animated grin.
    “I don’t really know.”   Kerri Ann followed Angelita to the checkout counter.   What had she gotten herself into?
    ***
    Lita couldn’t believe her luck in getting Kerri Ann to spend
the afternoon with her.   She had
liked her from the moment she’d seen her flinging glassware around her
restaurant in a fit of jealous rage; Lita felt a kinship with her she couldn’t
explain.   Now that she didn’t have
to pretend she didn’t know who Kerri Ann was anymore, they could relax and get
to know each other.   As much as she
could relax around Jesse’s ex-wife after the unexpectedly intimate dinner she
and Jesse had shared two nights ago.
    She’d thought of nothing but him since he’d left her
cabin.   Because
I intend for us to be more than friends, I’ll call you Angelita .   His words echoed in her mind
constantly.   She thought of him with
a mix of anticipation and dread.   He’d sparked her interest from the very moment she’d laid eyes on him
and yet she knew she couldn’t trust herself in matters of the heart.   She’d wanted so much to dismiss him as
an arrogant slacker, but he’d revealed himself, in only one evening, to be so
much more.  
    Jesse was comfortable with his life and his mistakes.   With the proverbial monkey on his back,
he worked hard to repair his relationship with both Ty and Kerri Ann.   For all she’d witnessed, and learned
from Cal, Ty seemed unscathed by his parents’ divorce and his father’s
temporary absence.   For being such
young parents, they certainly did a hell of a good job.
    Jesse had been persistent in his pursuit of Lita, and
constantly around, until he’d announced his intention on the way out the
door.   A very calculated move and
quite a successful one.   For she was
certain his goal was for her to think of him.
    She’d see today, hopefully, how resilient Kerri Ann proved
to be.   As hard as it was for Lita
to be comfortable around men, particularly men who were good-looking and
interested in her, she loved the companionship of females.   It sounded very much like Kerri Ann had
the dream high school experience—before her pregnancy.   Lita’s experience couldn’t be described
as a dream.   She hadn’t had any
close friends or boyfriends, until Marc and her own unplanned pregnancy.  
    It was Sophie who’d changed Lita’s life.   Their friendship and partnership had
allowed Lita to open up to another person and experience a truly loving
relationship.   Kerri Ann stopped
under a bright red awning that hung over the sidewalk like a giant
strawberry.   Lita blew a curl from
her face and stutter-stepped to catch up.   “Here we are.”   Kerri Ann
opened the glass door and ushered Lita inside with an impatient wave of her
hand.  
    A woman wearing a startling amount of makeup and a too-tight
wrap dress moseyed over to where they stood by the door.   “Well, Kerri Ann Bloodworth.   Twice in one week.   How’d I get so lucky?”   The woman eyed Lita suspiciously.   Despite the southern music that played
in the background, she obviously didn’t believe in