Chapter Five
January Twenty Five
Juniper
June sat down at station six thinking how sewing was very familiar because it was all that she knew. She didn’t know dating, she didn’t know islands or cars. June didn’t even know what having roommates was like or female friends as close as those three.
She had a sewing machine on one end of the workspace and the rest was for cutting, pinning, and drafting. June didn’t have the opportunity to design before, so this was new to her. She sat there doodling on paper printed bodies. Her dress was a strapless, cinched top with a bustle below. She thought about how beautiful it would look in dark green.
“Juniper!”
She stood hearing Golden, “Oh Junie babe.”
He sang from the front.
She recalled the door chime a moment ago and headed for the front. “Coming.”
“Are you ready to ring her up?”
He asked as she appeared from the back.
“Yes.”
She walked behind the counter and stood next to Golden to attend to a woman with her daughter.
“Okay, so press checkout.”
He pointed to the obvious. “So press it.”
June followed his directions. “Then you scan this code box right here.”
He pointed to the tag, “Then check out and get her chip scanned.”
June did as Golden instructed, but it wasn’t letting the sale finalize. No matter how she pushed the button, it wouldn’t work.
“I think I broke it.”
She muttered.
He attempted to push it too, “You sure did. I’ll call I.T. Michelle, you’re good. I’ll send you an invoice.”
She nodded and left with her daughter.
Golden pulled his phone out and after pressing a few buttons placed it to his ear. “Hey Max, our computer stopped, Can you send someone down here?”
He paused looking out the window, “We tried that.”
He turned, facing June, “I don’t know, it’s doing nothing.”
He paused. “Thank you so much! Bye bye.”
He slid his phone back in his pocket, “What is the point of having I.T. if they question you about coming down?” He pointed at June, “If they ask if we tried turning it off and back on, tell them yes. I am going to lunch, you can go back to work and please assist them when they get here.”
“Okay,”
June laughed to herself and walked back to her station thinking about her dress and how she could make it different from what everyone else had already seen or made before. It was hard, June didn’t want to seem like she was not being original, she wanted to make something different. This was her first opportunity.
She stared at her sketched on paper blankly as she could hear Golden microwaving his lunch and talking on his phone. The door chimed and she walked to the front to greet the customer.
“Hello?”
A deep voice echoed to her.
“Hello, are you from I.T.?”
Juniper entered the retail section where a tall man in uniform stood. He had a blue collared shirt with Wolfgang engraved on the chest.
“Yes, I got a call you needed your computer looked at, I was just down the road.”
‘There is no way this man is I.T.’ June thought to herself. His shoulders were broad just like Fade and appeared more muscular. His skin was sun kissed from the island sun. His dark, disheveled, undercut was lightened with gold streaks from the sun matching his overgrown beard.
“Yes.”
She motioned to the lone computer without moving and watched as he circled the counter.
“Okay, I shouldn’t be too long, I’m Wolfgang by the way.”
He extended his hand.
“Ro-”
She stopped herself, “I mean Juniper.”
She accepted his hand and his radiant green eyes made her cheeks warm. “I’m going to get back to work.”
She pointed to the doorway avoiding eye contact and scampered back to her station. She couldn’t believe she almost said her old name and grabbed her paper, sitting at a closer station, so she could see him when he was done. She forgot a pencil and held her paper up to study it instead and gazed past it. Wolfgang was pushing the screen rapidly and held down multiple buttons. His hair swooped forward as he looked down, brushing his cheekbone and she noticed his lips mouthing words from the screen. He bent to the floor and pulled the plug from the outlet and returned it shortly. After a few beeps and a chime, he had motioned that it had started, she pretended to be working with what little supplies she had in front of her.
He knocked on the door frame, “Juniper?”
“Yes?”
She acted startled.
His mellow caramel voice poured out.“It’s fixed so you shouldn’t have any more problems.”
“Thank you, I’ll try to refrain from breaking it again.”
Blood rushed to June's face, brightening her cheeks and neck.
“Call, if you need us again.”
He grabbed his phone off the counter and headed for the door as June followed him. “I’ll see you later, Juniper.”
He smiled and turned out the door.
“Okay, bye.”
Juniper stood in the middle of the store and her face started hurting when she realized she was smiling like an idiot. ‘Stupid, Stupid, Stupid,’ She called herself. ‘He probably thinks I’m such an idiot.’ She thought.
“Was that Wolfgang?”
Golden popped his head out.
“Yes.”
She spun to face him.
“Stunning man, it’s a shame he is straight. Maybe you have a shot.”
“Uh, I just embarrassed myself three hundred times just now.”
Golden shrugged as he came out of the break room, “Maybe he’s into it.”
Wolfgang
‘She had to be new.’ Wolfgang thought. He had never seen her before, her dark hair, pale skin and blue eyes, she was a siren and he was drawn to her. He closed the door to his Jeep and picked up his tablet. Wolfgang completed the paperwork for Sixth Street Clothing Company and he thought for a moment and then felt the need to fulfill his desires. Margaret’s personal persons was selected and he scrolled down slowly then stopped.
Juniper. Juniper Jensen. Contact Number: 672-323 Address: 24 9th street. He knew exactly where she lived. With Brittanya, which meant she also lived with Shianne. Wolfgang realized that was going to be a hurdle. He pressed on the notes tab and glanced over the bullet points. Seamstress, no living family, ex boyfriend. Guilt came over him and he exited her profile and then the application all together. ‘I shouldn’t be doing this.’ He corrected his action. Wolfgang muttered to himself, “I have to see her again.”
Juniper
Like yesterday, Brittanya was outside right at three. “Hey girl, how was work?”
“It was good.”
June didn’t plan on telling Brittanya about what happened with Wolfgang. He was straight but probably had a gorgeous girlfriend. Brittanya would be a beautiful girlfriend for him. “How was work for you?”
She pulled out of the parking lot, “Work was okay. I cut my knuckle because some kid turned his head in the middle of a haircut.”
She showed her bandaged finger.
“Ouch.”
June looked at the covered wound.
“I can’t wait to get home and wash all this hair off me.”
Brittanya pulled down their street and into their driveway.
“Do you think it’s too late for a nap?”
June asked Brittanya exiting the car.
“No.”
Brittanya placed her palm to the door and pushed the locked door. No beep. “What the heck?”
“Let me try.”
June stepped up to the door and placed her palm on it. Nothing.
“Wow, alright. Let me call Wolfie.”
She placed her phone up to her ear.
June’s heart dropped thinking, ‘Wolfie? As in Wolfgang? Please don’t.’ she was still recovering from her embarrassment from earlier.
“No answer.”
Relief.
“Maybe call Matt?”
“Max?”
She smiled at June’s mistake. “Oh, He’s calling me back. Hello? Hey, yeah. Our door is not even registering us. June and I can’t get in. Neither of us.”
She paused. “Okay great. Thank you, bye.”
She put her phone in her pocket. “He’s going to stop by, he’s not far.”
“How do you know Max?”
She set her bag on the patio table.
“Our computer froze today, I actually met Wolfgang instead. Golden called I.T. and I heard him say Max on the phone.”
“Oh,”
Her eyes widened, “you met Wolfgang? That’s Shianne’s big time crush.”
June’s heart sank at the news, “Oh.”
“She thinks that since they’re both Firstborn Silkies, they’re destined to be together. But I feel like he would have come around if he felt the same.”
Brittanya’s face spoke in annoyance for her.
“How long has this been a thing?”
A car door slammed and heavy footsteps grew louder up the driveway.
“Too long.”
She lifted her eyebrows.
Wolfgang appeared following the path to the front door, “Hello Brittanya,”
He did a double take to June, “Oh, June as in Juniper. Huh, twice in one day?”
He smiled.
“Hey Wolfie.”
Brittanya greeted him with a side hug and Juniper just faked a smile trying her best to stay cool.
“So it won’t register you guys even trying to get in?”
“No.”
Brittanya said with her arms folded.
Wolfgang placed his palm on the door and it turned green and unlocked. “Huh. Are you sure this is your house?” He joked.
“Are you serious?”
She dropped her hands. “Let me try.”
Brittanya repeated the motion and the pad turned green and unlocked. “Wow. We look dumb.”
“It happens.”
He smiled. “Call me if you need help unlocking your door again.”
“Thank you.”
Brittanya opened the door. “See you later.”
“Bye Brittanya.”
He stepped to the side, “Juniper.”
He smirked as his lips spoke her name and his eyes pierced through her.
“Bye.”
June exhaled in response.
“So.”
June closed the door behind her. “If that’s who that is, is he off limits?”
“Shh.”
Brittanya walked down the hall and looked in Shianne’s room. “Okay, I had to check. I’m sure she would have heard and been outside, he has such a deep voice.”
Brittanya followed June into the kitchen. “And no he’s not, that’s not fair to him. Shianne is a big girl.”
“So,”
June got a cup and filled it with water, “Can I like him?”
Brittanya gasped, “I thought I felt some weird tension out there.”
“What about Shianne?”
“Listen, they grew up together, Wolfie doesn’t like her like that at all. I am very aware that he doesn’t.”
“Why do you call him Wolfie?”
“Everyone does.”
“I don’t think I’m ready to date.”
June revoked her feelings.
“Why do you say that?”
“The day I came here, I woke up in a relationship. He knew nothing about me leaving and that was two days ago. He probably thinks I’m still in town somewhere, not that I left the entire continent.”
“Shouldn’t it be easier to move on, if he was abusive?”
“Not when he still has a grip on every thought.”
She tightened her hand around her glass zoning out. “You stay with someone like that, your brain gets reprogrammed.”
“I’m sorry June but I think if you two hit things off, you should go for it. He’s a really good guy, might be what you need.”
June placed her cup in the dishwasher, “We will see how it even goes.”
Her optimism was shot down by her thoughts of Ben and of Shianne. She didn’t feel like she deserved it. “I’m going to take myself up on that nap.”
“Alright June.”
Brittanya sat on the couch and turned the television on with her phone.
Wolfgang
Wolfgang ‘So, Juniper is your roommate?’
Brittanya ‘Are you kidding?! Can I set you two up?’
Wolfgang ‘I just wanted to know if she was crazy, and who said I wanted to be set up?’
Brittanya ‘Guys don’t bring girls up if they’re not interested and no signs of crazy yet. She’s sweet and pretty shy though.’
Wolfgang ‘I think I might ask her out. Don’t say anything though, I’m not one hundred percent sure yet.’
Brittanya ‘You’re killing me.’
Wolfgang ‘Sorry. I have got to play it safe, this place is too small to play games.’
Brittanya ‘That’s true.’
Wolfgang ‘Does Shianne still work nights?’
Brittanya ‘For the most part.’
Wolfgang ‘Alright, thanks.’