8
“Thanks for coming in!”Audrey waved at Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, who owned the old-fashioned ice cream parlor downtown, as they walked to the door to leave with their granddaughter Beth.
Beth had visited the doctor that morning and had to get shots. They’d asked her what treat she wanted for being brave and she’d said a chocolate croissant from the coffee shop. The couple thought it was hysterical and ironic that, of course, their granddaughter had chosen something other than ice cream as her treat when so many other kids chose Two Scoops as the place they wanted to go for a treat.
As the door shut behind the trio, Audrey’s mind played the same sentence that had been running through it on repeat all day.
I can’t believe I told Josh that I was a virgin.
She still had no clue what had possessed her to make such a personal confession. For some reason having the blindfold on had given her the boldness to make the intimate declaration.
And he’d said…nothing.
But, then again, what could he say? There wasn’t really a good response to that. Sure, she would have loved it if he’d offered to help change her status, but that wasn’t really Josh’s style. He was quiet. He processed things.
There’d been so many times when she’d said something and then he’d commented on it days later. He didn’t say much but when he did speak, it was usually insightful and profound. She wondered if he was processing what she’d told him. Or if he even cared.
Maybe she was making too much of this. Maybe he’d forgotten she’d even said it.
“Aud?”
Audrey turned and saw Carly standing in the doorway that led to the back of the store where the employee break room and storage rooms were, she was holding her jacket and had her backpack on. It was clear by her expression that she’d been talking but Audrey had no clue what she’d said.
“Sorry, what?”
“I was just saying bye.”
Audrey looked up at the clock. She saw that Carly’s shift ended five minutes ago. Wow. The day had really gotten away from her.
“Oh, right. Bye. See you Friday.” Audrey was proud of herself for remembering when Carly was scheduled next. She’d been so scatterbrained all day she’d take the small victory.
“Babe, you’ve seemed…distracted all day. Do want me to hang out until Viv gets here? I totally can,” Carly offered.
“Sorry, no I’m good. I just… have a lot on my mind.”
Carly smiled widely, causing the deep dimples on her left and right cheeks to appear, both of which were pierced. “Have you read The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse?”
“No.” Audrey shook her head.
Carly walked up to the counter beside her and set her jacket down. “That book changed my life. It taught me a lot of important lessons, but three in particular that I keep with me. And when I see someone is going through something, like you seem to be, I share those lessons with them, and it usually helps.”
Audrey was all ears. She would take all the help she could get.
Carly lifted her hand that was covered in henna tattoos and held up her pointer finger tipped with a bright pink nail. “The first is when the horse and the boy are in the forest and there is like a bunch of fog all around them. The boy tells the horse that he can’t see his way through. The horse asks him if he can see his next step and the boy says yes. And the horse tells him to just take that.”
She raised her middle finger to join her pointer. “The second is when the boy asks the horse what the bravest thing he’s ever said is and the horse answers with one single word, help. He tells the boy that asking for help isn’t giving up, it’s refusing to give up.”
Her ring finger joined her middle and pointer. “And the third is when the horse tells the boy when things get difficult, he needs to remember who he is. And the boy asks him, ‘Who am I?’ And the horse tells him ‘You are loved.’” Carly stared at her for a moment before lowering her hand and picking up her jacket. “Just some things to think about.”
“Thanks.” Audrey said as Carly pulled her into a hug before heading out the back of the store.
Audrey wasn’t sure if the things Carly had told her helped but she did think there were good lessons in them. Sometimes you just need to take the first step even if you can’t see your way out of a situation. That asking for help is a really brave thing to do. And that, no matter what else you are, you are loved.
She’d guessed she’d done the first one last night. She might not be able to see a way out of the virginity forest, but she’d definitely taken the first step. She’d told Josh that she was a virgin.
Audrey returned to her task of inventory and was trying to concentrate, but her mind was a scrambled mess thinking about the dinner the night before.
It had felt…intimate. Not just because she’d revealed something so personal, but also because of it feeling like a real date.