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Juniper
The door chimed as June walked into work. She started to realize that she was too busy to make a dress for herself. "Hey, golden," she said.
“Oh hello, Junie babe.” He responded.
She set her bag on her station, “I have a question.”
“What is it?” He answered without looking up.
“With the ball being less than a month away, I was wondering if I could maybe wear that black sample dress I made?”
" Well, I don't see why not."
"Alright, can we make sure it doesn't go anywhere?"
"Why don't you grab it and take it home today? Most of our orders have been taken."
"Thank you, golden. Do I need to pay for it?"
"No, thank you, how are things going with you and Wolfgang?"
"They're going good.” She smirked. “The days we do get to see each other.”
"That's too bad, things will lighten up after the ball. Some days I wish it was close to the ball because of how slow it can get throughout the year."
*****
June sat at her station and ate her packed lunch while staring out the windows along the front of the store at people coming and going. Two women left the diner a few doors down and passed a group of gruff men, four of them. She took note of their faces as they followed one another. An older man with a hat, a tall man with a beard, She smirked thinking of Wolfgang before her eyes followed the third man, the only one who looked in the shop. The freckle under his eye and his birthmark on his elbow made it real. ThatwasBen.
Not able to catch her breath, she watched him vanish into the diner. June wanted to leave, run and hide to process this but was afraid he would watch from the diner. She didn’t know if he saw her or he was just looking around for her. She thought about texting Wolfgang but her mind was in a tug of war with her just seeing things, her mind playing tricks on her and the information that Wolfie had access to, did not describe Ben. The other part was that she unquestionably saw Ben.
Thirty six minutes later, the group of men returned to their vehicle, none of them paying attention to the shop. June grew furious, all she wanted was to move on and live a normal life. She had traveled thousands of miles to escape him and here he was, he couldn’t leave her alone, he couldn’t let her be happy. She stood, slowly crossed to the window in the shop and peered slowly to the glass to see no sign of him or the men he was with. Returning to her desk, she grabbed her bag, shoving her phone into it and phone and paced to Golden in the back, “Can I leave?”
“Is everything okay?” He looked at the panic and worry on her face.
She lied, “I don’t feel good.”
“Oh,” He backed up. “Yes, keep me updated so I know how you’re doing or if you’re contagious.”
“Thank you.” She turned and darted out the door as quickly as she could. June ran, tears forming in her eyes. She ran north, knowing those men were headed south to the farm land. She ran past her street and she ran past Wolfie’s street. Exiting the residential streets, she stopped doubled over, catching her breath while sobbing, her lungs were on fire.
“No, no, no.” She stood on the side of the road where the sidewalk gave out with her face, neck and chest wet from sobbing and let out the most guttural scream her body would allow, “No!”
Wolfgang
Brittanya ‘Is June with you?’
Wolfgang ‘No?’
He couldn’t wait for a reply and pressed the call button, “Hello?”
“What do you mean? Is June not at home?” It was almost six and he had seen the shop close at five fifteen.
“No, she never got back to me about needing a ride.”
“Is she not with Whitney?” He headed towards the front door of his apartment.
“Whitney has been at Fade’s since sunday.”
