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My head jerks up in surprise at him knowing my name. He lets out a laugh. “No need to panic. This is Fraser; everybody knows everybody.”
My breath escapes with awhoosh, and I laugh. “Of course.” It’s all I can manage in hopes I don’t embarrass myself any further.
“Okay, your total is $124.67,” he tells me. There’s still a hint of amusement in his voice and expression.
Only nodding, I take out the money and pay. Once he hands me my change, he holds the handles of my bag out for me to take.
“Here you go. I apologize for startling you. Jack mentioned an ‘Andi’ being new in town. You’re the only new person I’ve seen in a while.” His tone is apologetic, but I can’t focus on that.
Jack mentioned me?
I let that thought flutter away, trying not to dwell on how it gives me that flighty feeling in my belly. As I stuff those emotions down, another rises. Guilt settles in for making the kid feel bad.
Hoping to salvage the moment, I perk up. “That’s okay. I’m still getting used to all the kindness in this little town and how interconnected everything is. No worries. I’ll see you again soon, I’m sure. Have a good night.” Taking my bag, I head for the door.
“Enjoy the rest of your day!” he says as I reach the door.
Before I step outside, I turn back. “Hey, what’s your name?”
“Jeremy,” he replies.
I smile. “Till next time, Jeremy.”
On the sidewalk, my thoughts from this morning come back to me. Cutting my hair off is out of the question while I’m still covered in bruises like a giant red flag. I could color it though! Especially if I do it myself. The thought of that makes me smile.
I’m unsure what has gotten into me, but this lighter version of myself is refreshing.
As I walk, I recall seeing a hometown pharmacy on the main street. I’ll circle back and see if they carry boxed hair dye. I’ve never colored my hair by myself before, but there’s a first time for everything, right?
Pushing through the door of the little pharmacy, simply called Franklin’s Pharmacy, I take in the mom-and-pop feel. I grab a basket and walk around, seeking out the hair color. This trip will have to be quick if I want to color my hair and paint before night fall. I prefer to paint with natural light.
When I find the hair dye, I stand there milling over my options. I’ve always been blonde or sandy blonde. Other than highlights over a few summers, I’ve always left my hair natural.
Hmm. Well, I think it’s time to go darker. Hopefully, this will make me a little harder to recognize, too. A chocolate brown color catches my eye.
I pick it up, reading over the directions on the box. It sounds simple enough, so I place it in my basket. Just before walking away, I hesitate, thinking about how much hair I have in both thickness and length. Just to be safe, I grab a second box, tossing it in the basket with the other.
Nobody wants a patchy dye job, and since this is my first time doing it myself, I need to be safe rather than sorry.
Satisfied with my choice, I turn to head up front. Rounding the end of the aisle, I nearly bump straight into a tall figure. Jack.Of course, it’s Jack.
I take a step back, looking up at him. Now that I’m not completely stunned from nearly falling on my face, I notice he must be a full foot taller than me. With the counter between us at work, the height difference doesn’t seem as significant as it is when standing this close.
He eyes my basket and the bag in my hand from the craft shop. “Andi.” He nods.
“Detective,” I reply with a nod of my own.
Ugh, God! Why do I keep doing that?I mentally kick myself.
I’d hoped to avoid yet another awkward encounter with anyone after the craft shop, but avoiding one of those withhimwould be at the top of the list of “Shit not to do.”
“See you in the morning… uh, for my coffee,” he says before striding away.
“Sure thing,” I reply, unsure that he even heard me.
He probably saw the paints in the bag and thinks I’m going to be a damn creeper and paint his eyes.Shit.
Back at the motel, I set my bags on the bed. Tearing this pesky scarf from my neck, I discard it on the chair. I look out the window, gauging how much light I have left. Unfortunately, it’s not much. Definitely not enough natural light to get a good start on a painting. Dyeing my hair, it is then.
