Secrets of the Night
Inside the store, everything was as she remembered it as a child. Some of the brand names had changed a couple of them had opted for brighter packaging, or added a smiling cartoon character. The shelves however, remained the same slightly rusting manila envelope color they always had been. The lighting though surely the bulbs had been replaced was the same dim yellow it had been in her youth. Even the woman at the counter with a name tag proclaiming herself to be "May" hadn't changed except a few gray hairs mingled with the brown.
Annalise was "holding up the counter" which is to say leaning heavily against it and jabbering with May. Brenna smiled at May, but the look she got in return was a dismissive glance as all eyes focused quickly on the hunky guy behind her. Brenna felt rather than saw Jason take a step toward her- he was a good boyfriend. If they were going to gossip anyway, he would give them a reason. She shivered when his lips brushed the nape of her neck and turned to smile at him. It had been a classy gesture; he could have opted for blatant sexual promiscuity.
"We need more whipped cream, we ran out last night," he said winking lewdly at the women. Brenna could have melted into the spotted linoleum tiled floor. His point system was not operating as usual.
"Brenna," Annalise called after giving May the "I told you so" look. "Come say hi to Miss. May, she just loved your grandmamma from here to Texas."
"Oh yes, we all just loved your grandmother. As I live and breathe you look just like your mama. She used to come in here with boys just like, -" she trailed off. Apparently Brenna wasn't the only one aware of her mother's little indiscretions. May's smile had that uncomfortable "my foot's in my mouth" appearance.
"Well, now, that handsome fellow of yours is just about the finest things I've seen round here on two legs in a mighty long while," Annalise piped in with a noble attempt to redeem her friend.
"Brenna, do you want to use chocolate too tonight? I'm going to start looking."
BAD BOYFRIEND! Brenna gave him a look trying to demand he stay without being so obvious as to be offensive. It didn't make any difference, he waltzed off in his sexy jeans that made his butt look absolutely divine the way girls dream of making their own butts fit. His shoes squeaked on the floor, and she noticed with satisfaction that he was leaving black marks that would have to be removed later. She hoped May was forced to scrub them.
"Now, did you hear about those two little boys out in Edenton?" May asked in a too loud whisper. "They were foster kids, brothers, and they both got attacked last month. You know- like the others, but these boys- they disappeared right out of the hospital the next night. I hear they expect the little one died, but the older one no one really knows. And, I heard from Eloise Mitchell AND Donna Short, -" she paused and turned her attention to Brenna "that's not her last name. She married Elwood Schweitzer back a year now, and his sister's name is Donna and rather than Donna 1 and 2 we call em Donna Short and Donna Tall."
"Get on with the story May," Annalise said exasperatedly.
"Well, I thought she should know, so's she doesn't tell it wrong in the retelling. People might panic you know?" May defended clearly affronted at the reprimand. She recovered quickly and obediently relayed the rest of what she had heard. "Those girls said some of em over there think that real live werewolves are running loose. I reckon it's because it was a full moon and the boys said the thing that got em was really big- but have you ever?"
"I do declare May, that's the biggest cock and bull story I've ever heard." Annalise said her voice dripping with distain.
"Now, you just wait till you hear those howls tonight Annalise, you know those ain't natural." May snapped and whipped a bag open. She pushed a button and leaned into an old metal-capped microphone. "Evan, we need someone out here to clean the floors."
"Brenna, I can't decide what brand to get!" Jason shouted from the depths of the grocery store. "Her Pleasure, or Warm to the Touch?"
"He found the condom aisle," May giggled like a schoolgirl even as Brenna broke out in a dead run nearly knocking over an old woman with a walker. Very Bad Boyfriend.
Annalise was "holding up the counter" which is to say leaning heavily against it and jabbering with May. Brenna smiled at May, but the look she got in return was a dismissive glance as all eyes focused quickly on the hunky guy behind her. Brenna felt rather than saw Jason take a step toward her- he was a good boyfriend. If they were going to gossip anyway, he would give them a reason. She shivered when his lips brushed the nape of her neck and turned to smile at him. It had been a classy gesture; he could have opted for blatant sexual promiscuity.
"We need more whipped cream, we ran out last night," he said winking lewdly at the women. Brenna could have melted into the spotted linoleum tiled floor. His point system was not operating as usual.
"Brenna," Annalise called after giving May the "I told you so" look. "Come say hi to Miss. May, she just loved your grandmamma from here to Texas."
"Oh yes, we all just loved your grandmother. As I live and breathe you look just like your mama. She used to come in here with boys just like, -" she trailed off. Apparently Brenna wasn't the only one aware of her mother's little indiscretions. May's smile had that uncomfortable "my foot's in my mouth" appearance.
"Well, now, that handsome fellow of yours is just about the finest things I've seen round here on two legs in a mighty long while," Annalise piped in with a noble attempt to redeem her friend.
"Brenna, do you want to use chocolate too tonight? I'm going to start looking."
BAD BOYFRIEND! Brenna gave him a look trying to demand he stay without being so obvious as to be offensive. It didn't make any difference, he waltzed off in his sexy jeans that made his butt look absolutely divine the way girls dream of making their own butts fit. His shoes squeaked on the floor, and she noticed with satisfaction that he was leaving black marks that would have to be removed later. She hoped May was forced to scrub them.
"Now, did you hear about those two little boys out in Edenton?" May asked in a too loud whisper. "They were foster kids, brothers, and they both got attacked last month. You know- like the others, but these boys- they disappeared right out of the hospital the next night. I hear they expect the little one died, but the older one no one really knows. And, I heard from Eloise Mitchell AND Donna Short, -" she paused and turned her attention to Brenna "that's not her last name. She married Elwood Schweitzer back a year now, and his sister's name is Donna and rather than Donna 1 and 2 we call em Donna Short and Donna Tall."
"Get on with the story May," Annalise said exasperatedly.
"Well, I thought she should know, so's she doesn't tell it wrong in the retelling. People might panic you know?" May defended clearly affronted at the reprimand. She recovered quickly and obediently relayed the rest of what she had heard. "Those girls said some of em over there think that real live werewolves are running loose. I reckon it's because it was a full moon and the boys said the thing that got em was really big- but have you ever?"
"I do declare May, that's the biggest cock and bull story I've ever heard." Annalise said her voice dripping with distain.
"Now, you just wait till you hear those howls tonight Annalise, you know those ain't natural." May snapped and whipped a bag open. She pushed a button and leaned into an old metal-capped microphone. "Evan, we need someone out here to clean the floors."
"Brenna, I can't decide what brand to get!" Jason shouted from the depths of the grocery store. "Her Pleasure, or Warm to the Touch?"
"He found the condom aisle," May giggled like a schoolgirl even as Brenna broke out in a dead run nearly knocking over an old woman with a walker. Very Bad Boyfriend.