“Why would you do that?” she asked.
“Maybe he can explain these weird dreams I have.”
She shrugged in a very relaxed way, but her eyes expressed otherwise. Something had changed about her.
After we ate, Myra dragged me next door to Allison’s Boutique. She dug through rack after rack of clothes. Things she wanted to try on, she threw on top of me. It sucked to be her shopping bitch, but we had made this agreement a long time ago. If I “assist” her shopping, then she can only spend thirty minutes shopping for clothes. She had never held up her end of the agreement. I would never expect her to, either.
“Let’s go to the bookstore after we leave here,” I said from the outside of the fitting room door.
Myra was trying on a jean skirt. “How is this?” It was medium-dark denim with the broken-in and torn look.
“It’s cute. Bend over.”
She did as I ordered. That was one good thing about being her shopping bitch. She had to obey. “Length isn’t too bad, just wear shorts underneath. I can almost see your butt when you bend over.”
“Eh, extra tips.” She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and continued her quest for the perfect shirt from her pile to match the skirt.
We looked at every rack, and I swear she tried on everything she thought might fit her. Her philosophy was, and I quote, “What? Every manufacturer’s size differs. I have to try on everything.” Yes, she always said it exactly like that. I quoted her word for word. I never understood why sizes and measurements couldn’t just be universal. I know I’m a girl, but really, clothes weren’t my thing.
I found myself daydreaming about Demien. I wondered what he was doing at that moment. My mind drifted to his face. That smug, ornery face with those eyes you could get lost in for hours. I wanted to see him. I wanted him to bother me right at that moment.
“Zanj,” Demien whispered. “Help me find...” His whisper trailed off.
My eyes shot around the store looking for him. I quickly scurried through the racks to find if he were playing a game of hide-and-seek with me. There was no sign of him anywhere, but he had to be there somewhere. I heard him call to me. After searching the small boutique and realizing that the bell above the door never rang, I knew he hadn’t been there at all. I must have imagined it. That was weird. I shook it off and headed back to the dressing room just in time to see Myra step out.
“Okay, I’m done. Let’s check out, then off to the bookstore.” Myra’s voice brought me back to reality.
As we entered the bookstore, the aroma of coffee in the air aroused my senses. “Ah, let’s grab a cup of coffee on the way out.”
Myra nodded her head in agreement. “What book are you looking for?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the new releases will have something worthwhile. I have to find something different to keep me entertained.”
“Isn’t that what TV is for?” Myra’s tone was snarky.
“No,” I said.
She let out a rough, throat-clearing laugh. “You know how much I love you, but it sounds like I need to go on and grab a magazine. I’ll wait for you at the coffee shop. I know better than to get between you and books.”
“Okay, I’ll try to be quick.” I let out a short-lived chuckle. She and I both knew that was a lost cause. I tended to get lost, losing track of time and reality when it came to books. Of course, I was even worse in a bedding store.
“No hurry. I have a lot of catching up to do with pop culture.” Myra headed toward the magazine rack.
I turned toward the “Just Released” section and began to browse. A few books seemed to be promising. I took a mental note of the titles and decided to browse the other sections. I started in history and worked my way down aisle after aisle of towering bookshelves. The chatter from shoppers and the soft hum of various machines from the coffee shop quieted into a low buzz. I became increasingly more isolated from the reality going on around me. I was suspended in the bliss that this heaven had to offer.
“Excuse me,” I said when I bumped into another shopper. In my daze, I had forgotten anyone else could be around. I had completely lost myself amongst endless shelves of books. Coming back down to Earth left a strange feeling of alertness that had seemed so far away just a few moments earlier. I could feel the weight of gravity again. The hushed noises from the machines seemed louder and more annoying. The fact that I was able to sense the person who I had bumped into, made me angry. My back arched, bringing the hair to a straight stance as my body recognized that feeling. I didn’t have to turn to view the body close to mine... Demien... Somehow, I just knew. The awareness of this soul must have been built into my DNA at conception. I was overpowered by a warm, familiar feeling; the same warmness and belonging I felt at the bar. At that point, I was well aware that nothing else, no one else mattered, just him and me.
I turned around and very rudely asked, “Are you following me, Demien?” I meant for that to sound dramatic, but it was closer to a love-sick teenager, trying to sound tough. Someone please kick some sense into me. I didn’t want to give him any indication of the feelings I had when he was around… or the cold loneliness I felt when he wasn’t.
“What do you mean?” He simulated false innocence. His
