AROUND THE HEART IN 80 DAYS

Twenty Nine

She didn't confess at all for the days that passed between that day down to the present Saturday. Alex's American Thanksgiving day. It seemed the thought of being in his crowded family house had him muddled seeing as he was always in front of his laptop from the moment he got home to whenever, for she always went to bed with him still up and punching into a calculator. Not like he wasn't making time to eat or talk with her, he just appeared... really distracted.

She spared him the benefit of the doubt. The year was rounding up and most companies were at it's busiest. And she already got her hopes up to bare out her feelings to him.

"This one." A gloved finger tapped on a great chunky piece of her family's famous 'Mantecada' (famous for its secret recipe, family secret) through the display glass. The small cardboard square card stand had a '$4.50' printed in dark ink in front of it.

"Packaged or you'd eat here?" She slid open the display door on her side.

"Packaged," the male voice replied.

Yes, she gave her workers the entire day off, Imogen included, so only she had to man the shop. Quite tasking, but the silence had helped her think.

"Keep the change." A twenty dollar bill skidded across the glassy surface over to her. She looked up. A tall fair skinned man in a cocoa brown winter jacket smiled down at her.

Perks of being a pretty lady running a business. Oh, the amount of 'keep the change's she's had.
Putting up her very elated smile reserved for such occasions, she reached out a hand to place upon the note. "Thank you so very much sir."

"Please. I'm Gabriel."

Oh God! "Okay. Thank you Gabriel. Hope to see you again soon."

"We could just, maybe exchange numbers. Would be a shame to walk out on a pretty lady during this festive season."

She invisibly cringed. But she had heard worse in less than a month. Then she offered her usual lie. "You might want to take that up with my husband." Good Lord, forgive her for lying. But it was an emergency.

"You're married?"

"Newlywed."

"No ring?"

She rolled her eyes at once.

"Cool." He slid in. She backed up. What a bad time to have all her workers away. Not that this man wasn't easy on the eyes, but all her pent up feelings were moving in one direction. "We could know each other better still. I'm not pushing anything, but you never know what you might find."

"I honestly appreciate your flattery. Makes a girl feel special. But I truly love my husband."

The emotion in his eyes didn't falter. He stood upright. "You're beautiful."

"Sir. You're handsome too. But please, I'm very taken and in love and married."

Jacqueline clutched at her chest when he finally but reluctantly left. Most of these men needed repellents in their names. After attending to a few more customers, her long awaited person called her on her cell.

"My God, Edrei I thought you'd never call. I would have needed you like an hour ago, I'm not joking!" she panted.

"Are you ready though?"

"Now more than ever. Are you outside?"

"Yeah. Black car."

She ensured the shop was empty before flipping off her apron and turning on the temperature mildly for her leftover pastries then turned off all the lights and reached for her jacket.
She didn't know what to wear to meet his family knowing she wasn't the most stylish. But, it was winter anyway so she knew focusing on fashion wasn't necessary. She bought new dark blue jeans and wore with it a large dark sweater with her hair in two big cornrows pulled into a rolled bun at the back of her neck. Her internal demons argued over wearing makeup, the intelligent part of her won when she decided against it.