Chemistry between people is the strangest science of all
—bridgett devoue
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AUDREY
If climate change isn't real then I don't know what could've possibly explained this sudden wave of tropical heat in late October. I was so excited for my favorite season of the year— oversized sweaters, bonfires, blustery days, and crunchy colorful leaves season. All glazed with a magnificent paint of bronze. Autumn.
Instead, I found myself standing behind the cashbox of Rivera Books in short sleeves and still feeling the need of fanning myself with something, as the flustered lady in front of me tried to read something off a crumpled piece of paper.
"Never let me go," she paused and her eyebrows drew together even more, "by Kas-Kazuo Eesee- eeshee—"
"Ishiguro," I filled in, helping her out. Nice choice, I thought to myself. "Hmm, I'm pretty sure we've got it available in stock. I'll be right back."
With those words, I left her behind and hopped up the stairs towards the stockroom as quickly as I could, feeling the first symptoms of exhaustion kick in.
Today had been pretty hectic. Normally when Lydia couldn't come there'd always be Dominic. I know that this claim will sound rather contradictory after what I've said about him— but I've got to say —Dominic had always been there to support me during the busiest and most stressful times. Clients could get to be beyond all bearing but I'd still feel alright with him beside me.
Today, however, he was nowhere to be found.
Sure enough, after almost no effort of seeking, a canary yellow paperback of 'Never Let Me Go' by Kazuo Ishiguro was staring back at me as I held it. I reappeared behind the cashbox once again, to finalize the purchase.
"Thank you for trusting in Rivera Books. Enjoy your read!" I repeated for perhaps the millionth time and received the reciprocal thanks and smile from the lady. The bells tinkled — a soft and familiar melody I loved and hated simultaneously — and the book shop, at last, turned client-and-need-of-attendance-free. Woohoo! I sighed dramatically, relief flushing through me like seamless silk.
Dominic's absence ended up having compensation. Right next to the entrance of the shop sat a cross-legged and very very bored Syd. She had been spiritlessly sucking on a straw of a Starbucks drink and vacantly gazing at a book in her hand.
As you may have already guessed, Syd wasn't here by cause of her love for books. She was waiting for my shift to end so we could've gone make-up shopping.
Now, before you label me as a person who treated 'make-up shopping' as a thing to organise a date for, let me explain. All I needed was to replenish my nude lipstick supply. And I made the unwise slip-up of mentioning it to Sydney Rae Foster — the queen of make-up and dramatizing every situation. So—of course— she offered me the special service of her tour through the best make-up shops in town, product explanation and recommendation inclusive. I could already preview our evening.
All I needed was one nude lipstick. . .
"You know, officially food and drinks aren't allowed here," I announced as I strolled towards her.
No reaction— she proceeded to lazily suck on the straw. "That includes coffee," I elaborated for her as I got close.
"Iced Caramel Macchiato, actually," she responded, mundanely.
"Sydney, sweetie, you're missing the point here."
She shot me a look, considering me through her long eyelashes. "You look fab," she suddenly came out with.
I'd actually put an effort into my outfit today. Was feeling this positive energy out of somewhere. I had on a pair of pale green linen overalls over a cream white blouse and my favourite pair of sneakers — Stan Smith Adidas. My hair was up in two neat french braids. No special event nor reason—just myself, wanting to look good for myself. Self-love or whatever you want to call it.
"Thanks!" I chirped. "Not better than you, though."
Syd's outfit was pretty but that was something characteristic of her: off-shoulder orange crop top, denim shorts, and white Nikes. Yes, it was that hot. I told you — climate change!
"Uh, no. Worlds better than me," she went on. "What've you been up to without me?"
"Oh, not much."
Just skipping class for the first time in my life to go dancing in the pouring rain with that new guy you told me about? Remember him? Something totally common for me. Everyday activities.
"Yeah? Oh, you know what? Noah asked me out today."
"Noah? Noah Corbyn?" I asked, wide-eyed. Noah was on the football team. His popularity wasn't towering, just mediocre, but still.
"Precisely."
"Woah. Did you say yes?"
She snorted.
"What? Of course not. Who do you take me for, Aud?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know that I'm not looking for a high-school fling. I'm better than that."
I'm not sure why but such a phrase coming out of Syd felt surprising. Probably because I knew her as an extrovert and a socially confident person in general. I tilted my head and furrowed my eyebrows at her. "What have they done to you in Columbus, Syd?" She shrugged, smiling. "What are you looking for then?"
She shrugged again. "Not that I'm looking for anything particular. I just keep an eye out for anything that could turn into something. . .mm let's see. . .meaningful. Something meaningful. That was the word I was looking for."
"Wow. Well, I'm impressed. Glad that your standards correspond to your worth, as they should."
That earned me a chuckle from her. "What did you think? I always knew my freaking worth," she flipped her hair and did a weird condescending hand and head gesture that looked like one of those dance moves only she could do."But I doubt that that's something I would easily stumble upon. I mean, unless he'd literally walk out from around the corner— "
A hoarse, recently awakened voice that had to belong to none other than Dominic Rivera himself, interrupted our little tête-à-tête. He had miraculously appeared from around the corner. Had he been sleeping in the stockroom? "Is your shift over, shortcake? Cause if so, it seems that I've just slept through it."
Confirmed, he had been sleeping in the stockroom.
I almost slapped my forehead but settled on rolling my eyes. Syd entered a sudden coughing fit— she must have choked on her coffee or something.
"It does seem so, Dominic," I said, throwing him an unimpressed look.
"My bad," he said. I turned around to face him. His dark messy curls were sticking up in every direction and he had a disoriented air about him. His eyes held a vulnerability I don't think I've ever seen before. I smiled. Turns out, a newly awakened Dominic is cute to look at.
We both turned our attention to Syd now, who was still coughing severely.
"You alright?" The concern made my voice fainter. She nodded tempestuously, but proceeded to cough even harder nonetheless.
"Something gone down the wrong way?" Dominic rushed past me, to where Syd was seating.
There was something frenetic about Syd now, and I noted that her cheeks were colored a red shade but not because of the choking. She was blushing. Blushing hard. She was evidently nervous. I felt the need to frown. Syd scarcely ever got nervous.
"May I assist?" He patted her on her back, ending her sudden, violent fit. It was strange watching Dominic perform acts of nobility, however small.
"Thank you," she cheeped. Wide-eyed, she gawped at Dominic, her manners suddenly freezing.
A patch of silence stood amongst them now. Dominic returned her intent look, cleared his throat, and lead his hand through his frenzied hair in an attempt to. . .brush it? Was he worrying about how his hair looked now? Now I felt urged to frown.
"I told you drinks weren't allowed here," I tried for some comic relief, in an attempt to cut through this weird silence and ease the tension.
"You are. . ." Dominic pointed subtly at Syd.
"Sydney. She's my best friend. My apologies, I didn't introduce you all. Syd, this is Dominic, uh. . ." I hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.
"What, cat got your tongue? This is Dominic, my charming colleague would've been sufficient," Dominic—or should I say Dominic's bloated ego —spoke up.
"More like, occasional colleague," I reworded his not quite accurate claim. Then, to Syd: "His parents own this shop."
She whispered a silent 'ohh' while nodding.
"Hey! Are you tryna discredit me in front of people, shortie? I'm a free spirit, okay?" He threw his arms in the air theatrically to reinforce his point. That action reminded me of Syd, who was laughing coyly at him. I never noticed how alike they were in that aspect. "And the idea of taking advantage of a family business is just insolent."
"Not insolent you work for it. . ." the words slipped out from my mouth.
"Is this how your work shifts go by? Sounds fun, I should sign up for this." Syd, who had been watching our banter like a circus show, burst out with.
"Oh, it is, isn't it, shortcake?" Ugh, I had to get out of here before I slapped the boy's nape.
"Stop. Calling. Me. Shortcake!" I shouted at him, sure that if looks could kill, he would've been dead from my glare by now. But he just shook his head, though I'm not sure whether it was in denial or just from his laughter at me.
"Okay, that's enough for today. Shift's over. Let's go buy this make-up already," I reached for my suede purse, intending to go out.
Dominic swapped a smirk with Syd. "Is she always this piqued?" he asked Syd in a whisper. She smirked at him even harder. Were they teaming up to annoy me now?
"Are we leaving or not?" My words were the strings that pulled Syd out of her seat.
"Alright, we'll get going," she stood up, clutching onto her empty plastic glass. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Dominic."
"I might as well join you, ladies," he suggested, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorway we were about to walk through.
"I highly doubt that," I responded, somewhat coldly. "Unless you feel like purchasing some nifty eye-liner, that is."
"Hmm. Next time it'll be. I've yet to close this place up."
"Good," I walked past him, fist-bumping his shoulder as a goodbye, adding: "peace out!" Wind showered on my face as I stepped out to the freshness of the outside.
"Bye Dominic," Syd sang out, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Her words traveled through the evening air like paper planes, till they hit Dominic's lips, making them curl. She was noticeably holding on to his presence, reluctant to let go.
"See you around," he did swift a finger gun gesture with both of his hands, accompanying it with a good-natured wink.
Probably unaware of it, Sydney continued grinning faintly for a good ten minutes after we left him. When we entered Sephora, our first shopping stop, was when I first dared to snap her out of her ecstatic trance by speaking up.
"You guys seem to have gotten along pretty well, huh?"
"You think so?" She looked up to me, disrupting her examination of powder blush colors.
"As long as you think so, I guess that's all that matters," I concluded, with a simple shrug. "Now where's that tour you promised? Don't tell me you're not down for it now."
"You didn't even want a tour, remember? You just wanted one lipstick."
"Well, your promoting strategies were successful enough to get me excited. So bring it on!"
She laughed, and the contagious sound floated up above us like a cloud that rained a genial atmosphere on us for the rest of the day.
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oooh, the beginning of a. . .new ship? is it? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
jokes aside, this is fun to write ;)
okey dokey then! got a couple of things to tell you this time:
firstly, thank you shanicewrites_ for the marvelous cover below!
by the way, follow vanillaworded (me) on instagram if you wanna stay tuned for any freefall updates/additional content! i post other stuff (quotes, prose, book reviews. . .) on there too!
until next time!!
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