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Irene.
Of course, he had someone. Magaskawee forced a light tone into her voice.
“Please, take those earrings for Irene or pick out another pair if you think she would like something else. My gift to you … as a thank you.”
“I’ll take a pair for sure, but I want to pay you for them.”
“I won’t take your money, Jack,” Magaskawee replied. Then she asked with an honest curiosity, “So, Irene? Tell me more about her, and I will help you pick out the perfect pair. Each pattern and color variation have meaning and appeal to different types of people.”
“Well, Irene is my eighty-year-old great aunt, and the coolest woman on the face of the planet. She’s a real fireball.” Jack scrubbed a hand over the bottom of his face. “Hmmm, they’re all really pretty, Maggie, and Aunt Irene would like every one of them. Which ones are your favorites?”
Magaskawee felt a surge of relief, one she had no right to feel, but still… eighty-year-old aunt… was music to her ears. She rocked back on her heels and smiled at him as his words danced and fluttered like beautiful butterflies all around her.
“Maggie? You’re favorite?” He teased. “Earth to Maggie … Earth to Maggie.”
Maggie reddened with embarrassment and forced herself to focus. “Actually, that’s hard for me to say. I put a lot of care and thought into them, and I love them all equally but for different reasons. If you want to know what my favorite ones are, they would have to be these blue ones right over here. See? They’re shaped like little birds.” Magaskawee gently took them off the display and handed the delicate earrings to Jack. When his calloused hand touched hers, a pleasant charge radiated through her and did something funny to her insides.
She stood still in rapture-filled fascination as Jack brought his hand up to Magaskawee’s hair, tucked the heavy strands behind her ear, and held the earring up to her lobe. He looked from her face to the earring and back again.
“Beautiful,” he said softly. “Most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my whole damn life.”
And looking into Jack’s handsome face, Magaskawee couldn’t have agreed more.
Jack moved his hand from her hair and pressed the earrings into her palm. “So, how long do you have to stick around here?”
Maggie wanted to grab Jack’s hand and hold on forever. She forced herself to concentrate on wrapping up the earrings.
“A few more hours, at least. It’s a holiday weekend and there will be more tourist buses coming through.”
“So, you stay until you sell everything?”
“Everything?” Magaskawee’s eyes went wide.” I wish! Hopefully, I’ll leave with a few less items than I started the day with. But I have never come even close to selling out.”
“Well then, today just might be your lucky day,” Jack said. “Do you believe in luck?”
She smiled at him. “I’m Lakota Sioux. I believe in fate. I believe in mystery and magic and dreams that tell the future. And I believe things are written in the stars.”
“Well, I believe that people are in control of their own destiny, but I also believe in a little bit of luck, and Maggie, this is your lucky day.”
“It is? How so?” She smiled at him.
“Because you just sold your inventory.” Jack reached into his back pocket and took out the wallet that was chained to his belt loop. “Two hundred enough?”
Maggie looked from Jack to the small fortune in his hand and back again. “No …”
Jack grinned and reached into his wallet again. “Two fifty?”
“No!” Magaskawee was horrified that he actually thought she was bargaining up. “Please, Jack, put your money away.”
She placed her hand over Jack’s in a stop motion and he immediately grabbed on to hers, then his thumb brushed the soft skin of her palm. In that moment, Magaskawee’s entire being was transformed. With infinite care, his hand left hers and reached around to the side of her hip. Maggie held her breath as he slowly unzipped the small pouch and carefully placed the money inside. After Jack had zipped the pouch closed, his hand lingered on her waist. It was the singular most erotic moment Maggie had ever experienced. It made her tummy do flip-flops and her breasts tingle. It had taken her a moment to recover, and when she did, she realized Jack was speaking to her.
“Now, the only thing left to do is to take all your display cases down and get them packed up. After that, the rest of the day is ours.”
Magaskawee stuttered and stammered and watched on as Jack began to dismantle the merchandise. Then she glanced at Nizhoni, whose eyes danced with approval. Nizhoni nudged Mato, who was standing next to her with a grin splitting his lined face.
Maggie looked at both of them helplessly.
“Magaskawee, providence has truly smiled on you!” Nizhoni said with reassurance. “Mato will pack all your things up and drive the truck home for you. Now give him the keys and run along. Go take advantage of the generosity and good fortune that the spirits have blessed you with on this glorious and fine day!”
