I pet Petunia, who’s content to sit in my lap. “Oh, you know. Difficult customers. No, actually, really fucking rude customers. One tried to get me fired today.”
“What? What the hell?”
“Yeah, well, Gordy laughed at her and told her not to come back. Tourist.” I shrug a shoulder. “The rest were just…rude. Maybe it’s the full moon or something.”
“That’s interesting, because Apollo mentioned that he had a rude client the other day, and I had a woman come into my gallery that same day and cause a scene. There must be something in the air.”
“Well, whatever it is, it can just blow right out of here. It’s mentally exhausting.”
“I agree. What can I do for you, Sarah?”
He shoves his hands into his pockets, the way I’ve noticed he does often. God, he’s handsome. Tall and lean, with muscles for days and tousled hair that just begs for my fingers.
I’ve missed him. Everything about him.
“I don’t think there’s anything to be done. Unless you can give all the tourists a stern talking to, that is.”
He smiles, and it lights up the patio.
“I’ll see what I can do.” He looks like he wants to say more, but he just sighs and starts to back away. “You have a good evening, Sarah.”
“Yeah, you too, Tanner.”
He walks into the house, and I lean down to kiss my cat.
“I love this house,” I say to her. “But I think I underestimated just how much it would hurt to be so close to Tanner, but yet, so far away.”
Maybe it’s time to stop fighting the feelings I have for him.
December 24,2001
Dear Diary,
Luna’s mom is the best. I hate Xmas. It’s the worst holiday. Scott always gets his hopes up that Santa will come, but I know he never will. He never has. We’ve never even had a tree in this house.
But Luna’s mom invited us to their house, and she told me privately that she wants to do something special for Scott. I love them so much. They treat us like family.
So, Scott and I are going over there today, and we will stay through tomorrow. Mom and Dad won’t even know we’re gone. They don’t give a shit.
I’m just happy that this year my brother will have a present to open that isn’t handmade by me. I know he says he loves those presents, because he’s the sweetest kid ever, but just once, I’d love for him to open something from the store, wrapped in real Christmas paper.
We get to celebrate a real Christmas! I’ll let you know how it goes.
TTYL,
Sarah
ChapterFour
Tanner
With Wayne out this week for a family reunion in Boise, I’ve been busy. I have two other part-time employees, but no one knows the gallery as well as I do, aside from Wayne.
And that fact is always glaringly obvious whenever the man’s on vacation.
I swear, he takes two holidays a year because each time he comes back, I give him a raise.
Smart man.