Chasms of Copper

Chapter 2

[Edited]

Morgan

Bright blue eyes were one of the first things that Morgan noticed about the old woman. The lady also had coarse, curly gray hair. Her wrinkles mostly gathered around the corners of her eyes, mouth, and forehead--they were figments of the expressions she wore in all her years. She was tall, for an elderly person, and moved with such spirit; one would have assumed that she was in the prime of her life, rather then her sixties. But her eyes showed still more spirit and spunk. They held intelligence and stubborn kindness. And, right now, they held a more judicial light as they surveyed the younger woman before her.

Morgan Gray was exceptionally good at her trade. She was a master bargainer, a perfect middle-man, and most of all, she knew how to work with a tough customer. That was why she had the desk job. Because, although not an introvert, she knew how to work through people's walls and to see what they needed.

Mo met Josephine Jasper's blue eyes with her own. Her green-hued eyes held as much stubbornness as she gave the elderly woman an appraising look---trying to see if she could wait out Mrs. Jasper's defenses. 

At last, Mrs. Jasper smirked and eased her stare. She leant forward and placed the stack of books on the counter.

"I believe you are right, young lady," She admitted, finally. "These are just the purchases I need."

Morgan let out a small sigh of relief.

"I'm glad you think so, Jo," she said, and rang up the items. "That'll be twenty dollars."

"Oh, hush, girl," Josephine Jasper said. She reached her age-worn hand into her purse to retrieve her wallet. "There are at least six books, there. You and I both know that should be at least sixty dollars." She withdrew the amount and tried to hand the dollar-bills to the brunette.

"No need," Mo said, waving the elderly woman's money away.

"Yes need!" Mrs. Jasper insisted, and whacked the small stack of bills on the other woman's hand. "You're much too thin! Go use this money on food and put some meat on those bones!" The woman with shoulder-length brown hair laughed at the older lady's remark.

"Thanks, Jo, but I'm doing fine. I have plenty of junk food at home, believe me." Morgan smiled and lightly pushed the excess money away. "Besides," she said. "I know that the majority of these are for Noah. Consider it my birthday gift to your grandson. He was always very energetic about the 'I Survived...' book series, so this is my treat, to him."

At last, Mrs. Jasper lowered the extra wad of cash in defeat. She met the brunette's green eyes with her own.

"You're a very stubborn girl," she mused and stuffed the money beck in her wallet. "It's an admirable quality, but it might take you too far, one day."