“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude and stare but your hair, but…”
“Freaky, yeah, I hear that a lot.”
“No, I was going to say gorgeous. I love it, truly I do.” Sassie grinned and held out her hand. “I’m Sassie O’Leary. I’ve fallen in love with that stunning mirror you have hanging outside. I think it’ll be just the thing for the big bathroom in my new house.”
“Hey, didn’t you just buy the old Barker place?”
“Guilty as charged.”
“Lulu Meeks. Meek by name, meek by nature.” She shrugged, took Sassie’s hand and gave it a vigorous shake before pulling away. “So, you want the mirror?”
“For sure, if it’s no trouble, but I want to look around a bit more first, if you don’t mind.” Sassie reached up and touched one of the wind chimes hanging from the ceiling. She brushed her fingers over the leaf-shaped drops and listened to them tinkle. “These are just gorgeous. Did you make them yourself then?”
“Everything in here is either made by me or one of our locals. I wanted to make the most of the talent in this town. So far, it seems to be working.” She chewed on her fingernail and glanced at Sassie. “I have the bigger stuff out back, furniture and things if you want to look.”
Sassie was getting a closer look at the bright hair. “Tell me, why such bright colors? Not that I don’t like it; I do, as I already said. I think it’s just fabulous, but why?”
Lulu laughed. “I never fit in at school for some reason. I was an outcast, which was fine with me. I didn’t care, but when I hit my teens I wanted to be different, you know. You see everyone copying everyone else like clones, nobody is themselves or unique anymore. Like sheep, they are following the leader.” She sniffed and scowled. “Damn sheep. Who’d want to be one, I ask you?”
“I get it, truly I do. Good for you. Now show me this outside furniture.”
Lulu walked out the back of the shop, her clunky boots stomping on the wide bare floorboards of the shop. At the door, a ramp sloped to the yard outside. Scattered around the fenced off area, garden seats, tables and chairs, and garden boxes filled to the brim with flowers took up every available space. Behind the collection stood an old set of stables where she did her work, if the machinery inside was anything to go by. The cluttered workbench was visible from the yard and Sassie found that Lulu Meeks owned a little slice of heaven she hadn’t noticed from the road.
“Wow.” She stood, staring at the furniture. The long bench seat with the heart shape cutout filled with green glass would look fantastic under the cherry tree where she’d first had sex with R.P. Either one of the three small tables with matching chairs would look fantastic on her front veranda. The problem was going to be which one she chose, because there was no way she was going home without choosing at least one of them.
“You made all of this yourself then?”
“Yep. Recycling old timber is one of my passions. There’s another guy in town who makes one-off pieces, too, but they’re in the shop. A little more refined than my stuff but still pretty good, I have to admit.” She pulled a long piece of grass and stuck it between her teeth. “If you decide that any of the timber in your house has to be replaced, I wouldn’t say no to a phone call. I’ll even pick up any wood you don’t want.”
“Well, funny you should say that because the front veranda needs all the boards replacing. How about doing me a deal on one of those table settings and we can call it yours?” She folded her arms.
“You really are a crafty Irish girl, aren’t you? Heard you did a deal with Sam as well. I’ll give you points for asking anyway.” She laughed, the sound making Sassie smile. She liked this young lady. “Tell you what, you can have it for half of what it’s priced at, give me the old boards, and you have a deal.”
“Done.” A quick handshake and the setting was hers. “Can you deliver at all? I don’t have a trailer, just my little car.”
“No problem. So long as you can wait until later this week when I can have a look at your timber while I’m there. That way, I can let it ferment in my head and come up with some ideas of what to make with it.” Lulu took the tag from the setting and returned to the shop with Sassie following her.
She put it on the register and moved over to a tall, slim bookcase with doors on the bottom shelf. “This is the one of the other guy’s pieces. He does a great job, but as I say, a bit more refined than what I make.”
Sassie ran her hands down the polished timber. Old nail holes were dark with age, staining the blonde wood with character. It was a beautiful piece and just perfect for the little nook in the hallway where she wanted to put a single chair. “I’ll take it, too.”
“Really? That’s…um…awesome.”
Sassie took her credit card out her purse and held it out. “Better take it before I come to my senses. Don’t forget to include the mirror.”
Lulu whipped the plastic out of her hand and rang up Sassie’s purchases. Once the sale had gone through, she handed her a sales slip and her card back. “Do you have a phone number in case I get held up?”
Sassie gave it to her. “See you later then. Thanks so much for everything.”
“Nice to meet you, and feel free to call in again.”
When Sassie left the shop, she called into the supermarket for steaks and salad and headed
