Alice's Umbrella

Chapter 4: Floyd's

Alice needed help buttoning her coat and wrapping her scarf, and then we were walking down the ever-crowded sidewalk towards the head of town. We didn't live in a bad neighborhood. It certainly wasn't top-of-the-line, but there was a plus. Alice even stopped to pet a friendly dog on the way. It wasn't a bad life, but I knew I'd have to work hard if I wanted to keep it.

I stopped in almost with a "Help Wanted" sign in the window: a boutique, a Starbucks, a deli, even a barbershop. Each place gave me an application to fill out, but none of them seemed like they were jumping to hire me. My palms grew sweaty with anxiety even in the cold weather. Alice seemed to notice, because at one point, she looked up at me.

"Are you looking for another job?" She asked.

I cringed. She probably remembered doing this a few years ago when I'd first moved back out of my dad's house and was looking for one.

"Yep," I told her in what I hoped was a lighthearted tone. "And we're going to stop at just a few more places before we head home, okay button?" She nodded, but I could tell she was getting tired. After I filled out applications at a dry cleaners and a small bookstore, I finally had to pick her up and carry her.

"I'm hungry," she said, leaning her head on my shoulder. I couldn't deny that my stomach was growling too. The apple cinnamon Chex seemed ages ago.

"Alright, let's find some place to eat." It didn't take very long walking down the sidewalk to find something that peaked my interest. It was the smell of fresh bread and coffee. I had to stop myself from pausing to visibly inhale the delicious scent. The name on the store was printed on the door in neat, curly white letters: Floyd's. I smiled, thinking what a lovely ring it had to it before stepping inside.

A little chime above the door tinkled upon our entrance.