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25
Carm
“Ifind it funny that you tagged along.” Enzo sits on the bench next to me in the antique store with a bag of popcorn he bought from a vendor down the street.
“I find it funny that you’re doing the exact thing you stated was the sole reason for not being in a relationship. You’re spending your Saturday looking for the perfect throw pillows.” I put my hand in the bag of popcorn, but he moves it out of my grasp.
“Those who cast stones don’t get popcorn. At least I’m doing it for love. What are you doing it for?” He waits for me to answer and glances over to where Annie and Bella have just popped out of an aisle.
I blow out a breath and people-watch for a moment. I like Bella, and I like spending time with her, but I’m not going to admit that to my brother.
“I just want some quality time with my older brother,” I end up saying and ruffle his hair as if he’s the youngest.
He throws a kernel of popcorn at me. “Bullshit. We both know why you’re here.”
“No way, Annie, they were so expensive,” I catch Bella saying. It couldn’t be a better time to interrupt me and my brother.
“They were beautiful, and they’d look stunning on you,” Annie says, digging into Enzo’s bag of popcorn and taking a seat on his lap. She feeds him a kernel. It’s disgusting really.
“What are we talking about?” I ask, sliding toward the PDA couple to make room for Bella.
“There were these emerald earrings,” Annie says.
“I don’t even think they were real,” Bella adds, shaking her head at me when I look for a reaction.
“They made your eyes sparkle,” Annie presses.
Bella must’ve really liked them if Annie’s still going on about them.
I stand up from the bench, holding out my hand. “Show me.”
“No.”
Bella shakes her head, but I grab her hand and pull her up. She stumbles forward, but I catch her.
“We’ll be back,” I say to Enzo and Annie.
Annie smiles, kind of slyly, as if this is exactly how she hoped this would play out.
We weave through some other patrons, and as we approach, the man behind the jewelry case pulls out a pair of emerald earrings. She must’ve looked very interested.
“Carm, I’m not going to buy them,” Bella whisper-shouts.
“May I?” I look at them then at the man.
He nods.
I take one out and hold it up to her ear. “Annie’s right. Your eyes pop with these.”
She bites her lip. “And they’ll be a perfect reward when I win the Bond Street account.”
“Let’s get them early then.” I signal to the man that we’ll be buying them.
“No!” She puts her hand over the box, and the man looks up, apparently surprised that this beautiful woman won’t accept my gift. “Carm, we’re friends or whatever, but we are not at a place where you buy me expensive jewelry.”
She’s right of course. I’m not even sure exactly why I want to buy her them, but I do. It feels like the right thing to do.
“Please? I want you to have them and—”
