Grapes Bridges and Stars

Chapter 4

The whole week was a blur as I thought of my date with Bryson that was coming up.  On Saturday, when I got to the kitchen, my parents were discussing something. 

"Hey Liberty, how are you feeling this morning?" My mother asked. "I feel great! How about yourself?" She smiled indicating things were fine. 

"Your cousin Rita is getting married next weekend and she invited us to the wedding." My father said, "but the list is already full so she only invited me and your mother," he said a little quieter. 

I was hurt. My own cousin wouldn't mark one of her friends off to let me come. We'd always been close. I hadn't even known she had a boyfriend. I had to ask her what that was about.

"We're leaving on Monday. I'm giving you a key to the store. I want you to have it open from 3 to 9. On the weekends 9 am to 9 pm." 

My sorrow and worry turned into excitement. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. They actually trusted me to run the store. By myself! 

"Make sure you lock the door. I mean, lock it, walk to your car, then go back and twist the nob to make sure it's locked," he said all serious. 

"Yes, sir!" I saluted. My mother laughed. "I'm serious, that store is my baby."

"Hey, I thought I was!" My mother crossed her arms. My father winked at me indicating he was messing with her. 

I knew it was going to be amazing. I already knew Lorise was going to help. It was going to be my first touch of serious responsibility. 

***
"Okay, what about this one?" Ava Grace asked while swinging side to side holding a green dress with polka dots. 

"No," I said thinking. "I think he'll like you in a white blouse with a brown skirt." She thought about that. 

"You think?" I nodded sure of my suggestion. I went to her closet to see if she had that. Indeed she did. I handed it to her. "Try it on."

She changed inside her bathroom. She came back out and looked like she was ready for a date. 

"Yeah, he'll like that," I assured her. "Thank you so much, Liberty! I knew I came to the right person." She hugged me. She went back inside the bathroom to change.

"So liberty, is there any guy on your mind?" She asked from inside the bathroom. I never talked about any other guys with except for James. 

"Umm, not really." Truthfully, when she asked, Bryson and that smile of his popped into my mind. 

"You're kidding! I've seen some fine men around here lately. Not finer than James of course." She smiled to herself. 

"I know they be looking at you. I see them boys. They be like, 'look there she go! Man, that girl is bad!'" She does the impression of the guys and I laugh so hard I get a stomach cramp. 

"You don't give yourself enough credit. You're pretty, smart, and thoughtful." I smiled and shook my head. "Now girl, I know somebody asked you out." Bryson wasn't the only guy that had asked me out, he was just the only guy I had said yes to. There was just something about him. 

"I am going on a date tomorrow," I admitted. She squealed and flopped next to me on her bed. "Tell me more about the mystery boy." I laughed at "mystery".

"His name is Bryson. I met him at the coffee shop on DebbleBerry. He's Mrs. Ivy's grandson." Her eyes widened. "Oh, I've seen him. He. Is. So. Fine! Tell me more!" 

I began to tell her about how we met and what I knew about him. 

"A senior in college?" She asked. "What do your parents think." I gave a sheepish smile.