It was funny, really. I hadn't imagined my life turning out like this four years ago. My eighteen year old self wanted to travel the world, not settling down anywhere. Then again, my eighteen year old self had a boy with a contagious smile at her side and lived on the wild side. Now, I've settled into this life happily. The routine of it is peaceful, and I can't imagine myself anywhere else.
I want to grow old with the music shop, much like the previous owner did. I'll see how many people how come and gone through these doors, leaving their marks on this business. This place has made me grow up, made me want to never leave. All thoughts of the dark-haired boy with the contagious smile are far in the back of my mind.
I've been owner of this music store for a little over a year now, and everyone around here had grown accustomed to seeing the 'Danes and I patrolling the streets. Much like we reside over the music shop, we reside over the blocks around it. Few people who work around my shop don't know us. Along our daily walk, bowls of water are always set out for my dogs, and workers are eager to converse with me. Every other Wednesday, I'll bring my beat up red six string along, playing for everyone around me.
Today, it's a quiet summer Saturday. It's just myself and one other employee in the shop. The 'Danes, joined by the employee's little terrier, are basking in the front window. I'm sitting on the counter, tuning and fixing up a ukulele for a customer. So engrossed in my work was I that the chimes over the door didn't register in my ears. The figure that walked over to stand in front of the counter startled me our of my reverie. I set down the small instrument on the counter next to me, and quickly swung my legs over so I could stand behind the glass case.
Looking up, I narrowed my eyes at the man. He wasn't too tall, and had light brown hair swept to the side slightly. Reflective sunglasses hid his eyes, and he wore a black t-shirt and black skinny jeans. A typical visitor to my store, I would say. He smiled at me, slightly awkward. I gave him my warmest smile, and asked him what he needed.
"Well, I need a few pairs of Zildjian's. My friend Josh keeps breaking them while he's playing, and he sent me to buy some new ones." He rubbed the back of his neck, blushing slightly. Was he embarrassed?
I laughed slightly. This guy's friend must play rather hard to be breaking drumsticks. After I'd given the guy some drumsticks, a few pairs of natural drumsticks, and one pair of black natural, he thanked me. Before he left, he turned back to me, a smile on his face.
"This store is great, I'll make sure to send my friend Josh in here. He'd be in here for hours looking at all the drum accessories you have. You're the owner, right?" I nodded, smiling.
"Yeah, but my name isn't Thress, it's Aya." I said, in reference to the shop's same, Thress's Music.
"Cool, I'm Mark." And with that, he left. We didn't have any more customers the rest of the night, and I finished a few instruments repairs that were being picked up the next day. I sent my one employee home early. I could handle any more customers that came in for the next hour until closing. If anyone came in, I would hear the door chimes. I had paperwork to do, and now was the best time to get it done.
Sitting in my office, I called the dogs in. They lay on their beds next to my desk, noses touching, and dozed off once more. Stretching, I retrieved the paperwork from my bottom drawer. There wasn't much, just some signings on new shipments of appliances. A few papers in, I heard the door bells jingle at the front of the shop.
The customer who had come was a man, with dark curly hair, and sunglasses. Sunglasses, even though it was dark out. He was dressed similar to Mark, who had been in an hour or so ago. Maybe, I thought, this is his friend Josh. It was unlikely, but who knew. He smiled at me, and my heart stopped.
That smile. That contagious smile. That contagious smile I knew all too well. It was Josh, alright. And now just any Josh, my Josh. My dark-haired boy with that contagious smile.
I fought to smile back. I wanted to run into the back room and curl up behind my dogs. Instinctively, I thumped the floor with my foot, four times. In a second, the two 'Danes came into the main area of the shop, alert and ready to protect me. Warily, they circled to my side, and peaked over the counter.
Josh laughed, nervously. Good. They gave me strength to act like he was a normal customer.
"Hello, welcome to Thress's music shop, how may I help you today?" I asked, trying to sound as warm and welcoming as possible. Josh looked away from my dogs, and up at me. He studied my face, frowning. He recognized my voice, maybe.
He shook his head, and placed the drumstick set on the glass counter top in front of him. It was the black pair. Josh couldn't stand having sticks that weren't tan. If I had known it was this Josh Mark had been talking about, I wouldn't have given him the black pair.
"Um, yeah I'd like to return these and get a tan standard pair?" He cleared his voice, and looked away from my face. I nodded, and scanned the items. I nodded at him, indicating he could go a retrieve a tan pair. I turned to put the sticks behind me, and when I looked behind my shoulder, Josh was watching me.
Before he left the store with the exchanged drumsticks, he looked at me once more. Studied me. Maybe he recognized me, maybe he didn't. I just hoped he wouldn't be coming back again.
Just as he began to open the door, he stopped dead. I blanched. The mark. It was on the door frame, right at his eye level. And I knew, at the pit of my stomach, that that was why he had stopped. Slowly, the boy, now a man, with a contagious smile turned to me. He took of his sunglasses, and the mocha eyes I knew all too well were studying me for the last time.
I flinched under his gaze, and my dogs sensed it. Their chests rumbled with a threatening note, but Josh didn't hear. He took a step towards me, an incredulous look on his face.
"I-Um. Aeryn?" I looked down, not daring to meet his gaze. I had tried so hard to forget him, he had no right to show up in my life now. But here he was, in my shop.
"It's Aya now, Josh." He looked so torn. I was conflicted as well. I wanted to hug him, to kiss him, to slap him. So many emotions ran through my mind. I couldn't tell him to leave, could I? That would be against the store rules I had set in place.
"God, I have some explaining to do, don't I." I frowned at him. He was right, but I didn't want or need to hear it. Not now, not ever.
"No, Josh. You're out of my life. I'd appreciate it if you stayed there. It's closing time, I'll have to ask you to leave my store, please." My voice lowered at the last demand, and the dogs at my side bristled. I reached down, and clenched their collars in my hands. Closing my eyes, I made myself relax the tenseness throughout my shoulders, dropping them down, and letting out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. When I opened my eyes, he was gone.
And I hoped he was gone for good.
