Choices We Make

I walked outside, the icy wind slightly knocking the wind out of me. The temperature had plunged insanely within the past few days.

I gripped my thin jacket closer to my body as if it provided warmth and glanced down at my wrist watch. I was on time of course, I always was.

I unlocked the door to my boutique, hearing the soft jingling of bells as I walked into the building.

My father, a big shot corporate worker, had insisted on buying me a gift for graduating law school. The small shop I currently maintained had been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. My father astonishingly was not troubled by the fact that I had given up on his dream for me to be a lawyer, but was rather encouraging to let his only child live out her own dream.

I wandered behind the counter flicking the switches on the wall filling the room with light.

My boutique was a small clothing business; my only customers were classy elder ladies and stuck up snobby middle age women. On occasion I’d get a couple boisterous teenagers who typically tried to steal.

I glanced down at my watch once again. I may have been always early but my business partner/best friend had a knack for being tardy.

I sighed as I seen her bright orange hair flying across the front windows of the shop.

“I’m not late!” She yelled slamming the glass door behind her. The bells jingled out of control at the violent closing.

She looked up at the clock located at the front of the store on the wall.

“Shit! Only 12 minutes late this time! I’m definitely improving.”

I raised my eyebrows at her and rolled my eyes.

“Come on Audrey, don’t be that way! I had a busy morning!”

She continued talking but I tuned her out already knowing the conversation was headed towards her current boyfriend whom I didn’t particularly like.

Instead I looked at the girl in front of me.

It’s completely true when people say opposites attract. Only I believe it doesn’t restrict itself to only partners in a relationship.

Marisol was the complete opposite version of me. Her flame of bright orange hair, tanned skin and dark chocolate brown eyes were reversed from my dirty blond hair, sunburnt skin and blue eyes.

Her personality was also contrasting from mine. She was flamboyant and quirky, she had boys wrapped around her finger with her astounding ability to flirt. I on the other hand was quiet and soft spoken, boys only came around me to ask for Marisol’s number, and I definitely had missed the lesson on flirting.

My mind was instantly brought back to reality by the sound of the door jingling for the third time that day.

I motioned Marisol to the group of 5 boys entering the store with my eyes. She smiled back understanding the indication.

Marisol was the one who had to converse with the customers while I remained at the back and rung in purchases.

The boys walked around the shop clearly confused and overwhelmed.

“What can I do for ya’ll?”

“My mate here needs a gift for his bird’s mom. See, he really fucked up and said her haircut looks dreadful.”

“Max!” The boy seethed. He looked sheepishly at Marisol and tucked his long hair behind his ear.

She laughed as did the rest of the boys.

“So what’d you have in mind?”

“Honestly, no idea. What do bitter old women like?”

Marisol looked back at me her eyebrows raised as if she was asking for help.

“A hat.” I said my voice quiet and unsteady from being unused for so long. I nervously walked to the hat section and picked up a pastel pink sunhat and handed it to the long hair blue eyed boy.

“Genius!” His eyes lit up.

The rest of the boys muttered about approving the gift idea. I smiled meekly and went back into hiding in my corner.

As I reached the counter I felt a tug at my arm. I winced and turned around.

Josh.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to pull so hard!” He rubbed my arm sympathetically.

I pulled my arm away awkwardly.

“I was just wondering if you-.” He stopped mid-sentence and grabbed something off the rack behind him not bothering to look at what he had taken.

“-Have this in a larger size?”

I looked at him biting my lip to keep from laughing.

He stood there clutching a pair of enormous lacy women’s panties with a smug look of his face.

“I’m almost positive that’s the largest size we carry, but I can look in the back if you’d like?”

He finally looked down at the item he was holding. His face changed from a boastful expression into a look of pure horror.

“Oh my god!” His hand flicked back and the underwear landed on the table it previously sat on.

His face was red and the tips of his ears were turning pink.

I smirked at him.

He grinned at me so wide I could count every single one of his gleaming white teeth.

His smile was definitely contagious because I was immediately smiling back.

“I truly think we need to start over. My name is Josh, and yours is?”

I opened my mouth to respond to him but was cut off.

“Marisol, but everyone just calls me Mary.” She smiled and shook his hand.

Josh looked at me muddled, but shook her hand nevertheless.

“Oh Audrey! Can you go grab those things in the back room that lady is going to be here soon to pick them up.”

I gave her a confused look. We didn’t have any pickups today.

Marisol looked at me and shifted her eyes back to Josh and winked at me.

I got the message, she wanted me to leave so she could flirt with him.

I gave her a minor shy encouraging smile and left her and Josh alone.

Joshes eyes never left me until I was completely out of sight.

I attempted to distract myself with work that needed to be done in the back room but Joshes smile wouldn’t leave my head.

He was so fascinating.