A Lesson to Learn

Chapter 2

 Rey Dameron had had a horrible day. As the owner of a small local bookstore and café in Philadelphia, this was to be expected. Every customer she served today at the café had been cold and barely gave her a second look, making her feel the way many retail workers did - unappreciated, used, and generally invisible (unless it was to be objectified). It didn't help that some of the men that came into the store felt entitled to the "pretty ladies attention" and would get their usually stroked fragile egos up in a huff when she didn't return their unwanted advances.

Today a rather greasy looking man had ogled her as she handed over his coffee, looking pointedly up and down her torso before licking his lips and stating that, "I could show you a good time darlin'. Just let me know when you get off work and I can take you wherever you want to go.". It had taken everything in Rey not to roll her eyes before she politely responded, "Thank you, but my boyfriend is picking me up from work." - knowing full well that her "boyfriend" was nonexistent. However, it was usually an efficient way to get out of sticky situations and Poe (or his boyfriend, Finn) were always more than willing to play the part by standing intimidatingly by her and sending a good glare over when needed. She thanked her lucky stars that the man took the hint from just her words and paid for his drink with a surly, "I'm sure I can give it better than he does", before exiting without any further conflict.

Customer service and retail were truly the worst of the worst and she kicked herself in the butt every time she thought about how this had been her dream since she was a little girl. As a young book nerd she hadn't had set her sights on anything other than owning a small bookstore, and as she grew to be a steadily caffeinated teen she soon realized that the addition of a café to her bookstore dream was only natural. It helped that her brother, Poe, was easygoing and would do anything to help her chase her dreams. After their father had died, leaving them essentially orphans with a small yet substantial inheritance, they had joined together into this business venture: First Order Books and Coffee. Her own little slice of Heaven.

Or more like my little slice of Hell, Rey mused bitterly as she recounted her day. She didn't mean to sound unappreciative or ungrateful for the store that had brought her so much joy and a steady income. It was just that working and owning a store could definitely be a hassle some days. It wasn't unusual that some days would pass in which she was harassed or simply ignored throughout the day. That didn't make it any easier to handle, even as she developed a thicker skin over time. As she left from her shift, handing the reins over to Rose and picking herself up a warm chai latte before heading out the door, Rey thought about what she could do to rid herself of this bad energy. She liked to go on walks and in this fall weather, as the leaves began to turn all of their beautiful autumnal shades, she figured it would be worth a bit of a chill to go wander around Philadelphia. She walked out of the First Order, holding her chai latte tightly in her hands, and began to walk. It didn't really matter where she went - as long as she was able to enjoy the crisp fall weather and clear her mind.

Rey found herself walking until she got to an old cobblestone dead end road that seemed to draw her in. She had been to Old City Philadelphia before, and was surprised that there was another similarly historic looking street where she had ended up now. Rey liked that Philadelphia had a lot of historic areas, it was part of the charm of the city. She realized she didn't recognize the area, though, as she looked down the street and her eyes settled on a sign that read: "Resistance Thrifting and Goods Boutique". A little retail therapy never hurt nobody, she thought. Even if it is in this weird little store with a ridiculous mouthful of a name. Rey ditched her empty chai latte cup in the garbage can at the entrance to the dead end street and then set off on her way to the store.

She entered the musty cramped store with a chime from the door and looked around. The store wasn't much to look at and she figured it probably didn't get that many customers. It was completely empty except for an older gentleman at the checkout counter who briefly looked up to nod at her with a small smile and then went back to his crossword puzzle. There seemed to be a light layer of dust on everything, including in the air - she could see the spots dancing around in the dim lighting. Well, if there's any place to find a hidden gem, this is definitely the spot. With that thought, Rey stepped further into the store and began to peruse. She let her hands lightly touch the clothes on the racks that lined the store as she headed to the back. She didn't know why, but she felt as if her "hidden gem" would be buried away near the back corner.