Nora closed her laptop when the first customer of the day walked into Rossi’s.
Mrs. Darwin. Mint chocolate chip, single scoop cup, asked for extra napkins even though there were napkin canisters every two feet on the counter.
Mrs. Darwin smiled way too sweetly for the fifty cents she dropped in the tip jar, but before the coins even tinkled at the bottom of the glass Nora reminded herself she’d have her cosmetology license in three months and be working at the Aveda Salon near the theater.
There wouldn’t be any fifty-cent tips at that place.
Mrs. Darwin left, the door closing slowly behind her.
It was unseasonably chilly.
It was going to be a slow day.
Nora opened her laptop, and before she got deep into her tint lift homework, she opened her photo file, glancing at pictures of her and Eldon at the beach.
She looked hot in the bikini he had bought for her.
Of course you look hot, Nora the Aura, you’re twenty years old and you work out constantly.
Eldon better hope he knows how lucky he is, I mean, he’s gotta be pushing 40.
She checked her phone. He still hadn’t responded to her text. Weird.
Setting her phone down, she remembered to fill the sprinkle dispensers. Old man Rossi hated when the sprinkle dispensers were half full.
When the sprinkles were level to the top, Nora replaced the rectangular plastic cover in the colors of the Italian flag.
Maybe me and Eldon could go to Italy some time.
If he would return my fucking text.
A strange fear took Nora by surprise. She felt it in her abdomen, like a menstrual cramp. Oh shit ...what if he’s married?
***
Photo by Heather Barnes on Unsplash