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A Big Personality
Lexi
I last ten minutes after Luna leaves, before the melancholy hits me. I kept a stiff upper lip as she packed the rest of her belongings and dragged her suitcase and a large duffle bag into the hall. She chatted away about how excited she was and was making promises to call every chance she got. I nodded at each one, my cheeks hurting as I kept my smile in place.
It wasn’t until we were both down on the street, waiting for her ride that Luna got quiet. She reached for my hand, taking comfort for herself and giving me some in return. The last hug we gave each other was long and tight. Our arms squeezed one another, memorizing the feel. I couldn’t tell her I loved her enough as her bags were thrown into the trunk. It took everything in me to wave goodbye until the car disappeared.
Now, alone in our too quiet apartment, it all begins to sink in. I’m alone. For the first time in over a decade I am alone. The logical part of me knows that Luna will come back at the end of summer. She hasn’t abandoned me or left me to fend for myself. But there’s a deep ache in my chest that tells me this is only the beginning. She’s taken her first steps out into the world and I have to let her go. I’ve been her guardian for so long I can’t help but want to always protect her.
My phone buzzes and the devise is in my hand a second later, thinking it’s Luna.
GRANT: Good morning Pixie. Thinking of you.
I feel my lip quiver. Part of the fortress around my heart breaks off, sending ripple effects through my body. Too much is happening, I can’t keep up. My emotions are all over the place this morning. I’m ricocheting back and forth between sadness and elation like a ping-pong ball. Not able to think clearly, I respond with a simple message before dropping my phone back on the counter.
LEXI: Morning. Thank you.
Standing straight, I clap my hands, trying to snap out of the mood I’ve fallen into. It won’t be a great day, but I can still make it a good one. Reaching for the cold mug of coffee I had poured myself before Luna left, I down the liquid before getting ready for the day. I’m grateful for the mid-morning shift I have at the bakery to distract me.
Dressed and semi-caffeinated, I head out, trying to keep my sad thoughts at bay. As I stroll through the back doors of Bake, Rattle & Roll I’m hit with the amazing scent of baking dough. Oh mama, is that good. Cassidy is standing at the fryer, watching her creations bob in the boiling oil. I bet any money that she is counting down in her head. Waiting for the perfect moment to flip those babies so they stay a nice golden brown. I know better than to interrupt her, so I make my way over to the schedule that is posted at the far end of the commercial kitchen to see what the specials of the day are.
“Lexi, awesome, you’re here.” Harrison says as he walks through the swinging door that separates the kitchen from the front of the shop. “I need to run out and grab more tarps and cleaning supplies for when the drywall guy comes. Can you man the front with Belinda?”
“Sure.” I have a few things to say to that meddling snoop.
“Thanks.”
Waving his thanks off, I pour a coffee for myself and doctor it with Cassidy’s vanilla creamer. She eyes me as I pour a generous amount but doesn’t say anything. She knows if she does, I’ll counter with a question about the man she was swapping saliva with in her kitchen days ago.
We talk for a couple minutes more about the repair work and what still needs to be done before I make my way to the front of the shop. It’s Friday morning so the bakery has a couple customers enjoying a coffee and treat at our tables and window bar, but the lunch crowd hasn’t started yet. Pulling off a hair tie that is around my wrist, I gather my hair in a low ponytail and secure it. Can’t have hair getting in the way of serving the masses.
Belinda is at the far end of the counter, serving up a cup of coffee for a patron who is already munching on a brownie. I like their style. I skip to the little sink we have off to the side and wash my hands before greeting the next customer.
This is exactly what I needed. A little interaction with people and an afternoon of hustle to make me feel like myself again. I’m not going to think about Luna leaving me for longer than the summer. I’m not going to think about Grant. Or the fact he hasn’t texted me back yet. Nope, no sir-ee. I’m not going to think about the little dimple in his chin or the way his arms looked in yesterday’s t-shirt. And I definitely am not going to feel bad anymore for running out of his apartment after he kissed me with more heat than I could handle.
I’ve come to peace with my encounter with him. I met a celebrity! What a cool experience. The end. I need to get over myself and forget about him. Which is going to be really hard because I swear I keep seeing him throughout the day. Like now, the man outside talking on his phone looks a lot like Grant.Quit your shit brain. Stop playing tricks on me.
Shaking off the ridiculous thought, I try to get back to work but my eyes keep straying to the stranger on his phone. There’s something about the way he’s standing and his baseball hat.
“So,” Belinda sings at me, “anything interesting happen yesterday?”
Side eyeing her as I refill one of the display racks, I shake my head. “You’re a menace, you know that right?”
“You love it.”
Laughing at her sass, I nod. “I do. But you can’t keep a secret to save your life.”
“This is true.” She pauses to take a drink from her water bottle. “But seriously, tell me what it was like to meet Grant Helms. He sounded dreamy on the phone. His voice is like, really low,” she wiggles her eyebrows.
“Is a low voice an indication of something?”
“Well, no. But it doesn’t hurt.”
She had a point. His voice was deep and melodic. I could listen to him all day.
“He’s a great guy,” I answer her original question, hoping that will be enough for her and we can get back to work.
“And he’s really in to you. Like,reallyin to you. Enough to find out where you work and call.”
