Lightning

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After a delightful breakfast with the girls, we left the house promptly at eight thirty to start our shopping spree.  First, we were going to the furniture and hardware stores with Lia.  The three of us climbed into her pick-up and she drove us into town.

“It will take about half an hour to get to to Burchard’s Furniture Store.  We’ll shop there first so you can find the large items you like and then we’ll head to Robeson’s Hardware to buy paint and lamps and any other major accessories.  The girls will have lunch ready for us when we get home,” Lia smiled at us.

We drove in near-silence along a winding road from the farmland into town.  Lia pointed out landmarks and the small shopping mall where Char and I would shop for clothing later that afternoon.  It was a comfortable town, with a central area of older homes with picket fences and flower gardens surrounded by newer housing and shopping developments.

The furniture store was an old converted warehouse.  They had added a glass entry along the front, making the building much more welcoming.  We were one of the first cars in the parking lot and I saw one of the sales people unlock the front door as we came to a stop in an outlying parking space.

“The humans are usually quite lazy, so I park on the outskirts of the lot so I don’t have to deal with all of the traffic close to the entrance,” Lia mentioned as she put the truck into park and pulled the emergency brake.

The salesman who had unlocked the door was waiting for us.  He looked to be in his late forties, his dark hair scattered with bits of grey and sparkling brown eyes.  He looked comfortable in his suit and tie, even in the hot weather.  “Good morning, Miss Lia,” he smiled warmly as he opened the door for us.  “Who are these lovely young ladies with you today?”

“Good morning, Bruce.  I always think it’s funny when you call me Miss Lia,” she giggled back at him.  “May I introduce Charlotte and Zinnia.  They’re the nieces I told you about.  They will be staying with me until they finish high school in a few years, so we’re moving them into the second floor of the house and need a good bit of furniture to fill it up for them.”

The sparkle in Bruce’s eyes grew brighter.  He had just won the biggest commission of the day, I was certain.

“Come right in, ladies.  Can I offer you something to drink?” Bruce smiled even more warmly at us.  He had a genuine, confident smile that was welcoming and perfect for a furniture salesman.

“Bring them some of your sweet tea, if you don’t mind,” Lia answered for us.  “It’s quite delicious, darlings.”

“Of course, I’ll be right back,” he smiled and scuttled over to a nearby drink station.

“You girls take your time.  Bruce and I have known each other for a few years, so we won’t bother you.  Pick out whatever you like, maybe take some pictures with your phones to help us at the hardware store, and meet us in the sofas when you’re finished,” Lia smiled as Bruce came back with two glasses of sweet tea.

“Here you are, ladies,” he grinned broadly at us again.

“Do you mind if we just let the girls wander and find what they like?  We can catch up over coffee on one of those comfy sofas while they do all the work,” Lia gestured toward a large seating group on the right.

“That sounds just fine,” Bruce laughed.  “Just let me know if you have any questions.”

“Thank you,” Char replied as Lia led Bruce toward the living room section.

“Where should we start?” I asked my sister.

“Let’s see...”  She pulled a piece of paper out of her back pocket and unfolded it.