Chapter Six
January Twenty Six
Juniper
June had finally met her coworkers, two other seamstresses Summer and Kinlee, and two tailors Calvin and Levi. June was the youngest of the six employees, including Golden.
“Is there going to be a theme this year at the annual ball?”
Levi asked the group.
Summer shrugged, “If there is, I haven’t heard. They usually don’t announce it until next month.”
“I’m just glad they stopped doing extreme formal and now do a mix and match of styles. I think that is more fun.”
Kinlee added.
June leaned to Calvin, “What is this annual ball for?”
He lifted his foot off the pedal, “It’s like their Fourth of July mixed with Thanksgiving to celebrate their establishment and how far they have come as a society. They make announcements, enjoy a three course meal and have a band play. It’s sixteen and older but a lot of people look forward to it.”
June nodded in agreement and went back to work. Their sewing machines whirred in the room as the air conditioner kicked on repeatedly. June decided to make a basic satin dress. It was black, thin strapped and floor length with a cowl neckline. She decided accessories and what not can be added to as needed. She pinned her design together over the dressmaker mannequin and would sew it together tomorrow as three o clock was approaching and she spent all day cutting her design out.
“Golden, am I good to go?”
She stood near his station.
“Three already?”
“Yes.”
Her hands clasped together.
“Yes, I will see you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, goodbye Golden.”
She turned and grabbed her phone.
“Goodbye Junie babe!”
He shouted. “Goodbye Summer.”
He pointed out her dismissal too as her shift ended at three as well.
June got to the car Brittanya was waiting in. “How was your day?”
Brittanya repeated herself like yesterday.
“It went by pretty fast and I got to meet my coworkers.”
June buckled herself in.
“That’s good, I don't have any more scissor wounds from children.”
She announced. “How are you doing on food? Are you still good?”
“I should be, what are we doing for dinner?”
June had learned that most of the time the house makes dinner together, or takes turns.
“I think we are doing chicken tonight.”
She turned the vehicle down their street.
“How does Whitney and Shianne get around?”
June questioned.
“Shianne used the car mostly before you came. But our schedules are the same so we get priority and She could take the bus, but I believe someone gives her a ride. Whitney’s schedule is weird and half the time she is with Fade.”
“Oh,”
June acknowledged her answer as she opened the car door.
“Shianne usually has Thursday’s off but she stays up late when she doesn’t have work.”
Brittanya attempted to open the door. It didn’t light up. It didn’t unlock. “Are you kidding me?”
Brittanya pounded on the door. “This can’t be happening again. Shianne better get up, she is a heavy sleeper.”
She pounded again.
“Let me try.”
June stepped up to the door. Nothing.
“Can you call I.T.”
Brittanya asked, “I’m going to try the back door.”
“Okay.”
June pulled out her phone, opened it and swiped to her contacts list until ‘Information Technology’ stood out to her and pressed call. She sighed as the line rang.
“Hello?”
A chipper voice answered.
“Hi, um, is this Max?”
“Sure is, how can I help?”
“My name is Juniper Jensen, I am locked out of my house, twenty four ninth street. The pad won’t even turn on.”
“Didn’t that happen yesterday as well?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry, hold on.”
Max muffled on the other side. “Are you still there?”
“Yes.”
Brittanya appeared around the corner again shaking her head.
“We’ll be out there shortly. Sorry about that.”
“No problem, see you soon. Bye.”
June hit end call on her screen, “They’ll be out soon.”
“I’ve been here nine months and this has never happened.”
Brittanya declared.
“Maybe I broke it, like I broke the computer at work.”
“You broke the computer at work?”
Brittanya sat down at the small patio set.
“Well it just froze.”
She sat across from Brittanya.
“Maybe your chip is defective. And I don’t know how she sleeps through that. Her room is right there!”
She pointed at the wall along the door.
June shrugged and looked down at her arm, she could see her bruise outline but wasn’t noticeable to anyone else. She pushed it to see if it still hurt and felt nothing. She massaged the area after. They both watched a car drive down their street past their house and continue going. “So,”
Brittanya looked puzzled, “Yesterday you saw Wolfie, not once, but twice. And I’m going to bet, it’s going to be him again.”
“What?”
“I think this is more than a coincidence. It’s fate. I bet you.”
June rolled her eyes and looked away. “I don’t believe in fate, my last relationship was proof of that.”
They heard tires against the road and came to a stop.
Brittanya jumped up and leaned over the short privacy bush lining the porch to see the vehicle, “Red Jeep.”
She smiled, “You’re doing dishes tonight.”
“I never agreed to that.”
Her voice softened as she heard a door close and stood up.
“Again?”
Wolfie smiled as he walked up to the door in a black collared shirt and blue jeans. The front of his hair had fallen from being slicked back.
“Yeah, the guy they sent out yesterday didn’t do a good job.”
Brittanya joked.
“Wow. I see how it is.”
He took out a small screwdriver and removed the top plate, revealing wires and metal bits. “There’s a dead bug in here, I can’t see that being the problem though.”
He blew into the metal and replaced the top. June could smell an earthy musk and spice, thinking it had to be him. “I’ll let you try first.”
He motioned to Brittanya as she stepped forward and placed her hand on the plate.
Beep and the door opened without Brittanya touching the handle, “Wolfie, what are you doing here?”
Shianne had risen, finally. Her feet twisted as she swayed in the entry wearing short silk pajamas with half brushed hair.
“Oh, hey Shianne.”
He kindly replied. “Looks like it’s fixed.”
And gestured to the open door.
“Do you want to come in?”
Shianne ignored her roommates.
“I’m actually on the clock, so no, not this time. Thanks though.”
He said dryly.
“I should probably get dressed anyway.”
She waved, shaking each finger, “Don’t work too hard.”
Shianne giggled and closed the door.
June could tell that Brittanya was used to this side of Shianne. Wolfgang exhaled unamused and turned to the other two “Juniper,”
He said with a pause. Brittanya smiled at June slyly and slinked inside. Wolfgang grabbed June’s attention, “so, uh,”
he dragged her down the pathway with his eyes. Away from the house and away from Shianne’s window. “How is the shop computer?”
“Great I think,”
He stopped her in the driveway. “You haven’t had to come back.”
“No, I haven’t.”
He brushed his hair back and a few strands continued to rebel. “You’re new right? How long have you been here?”
“A few days.”
Junes' hands clasped together.
“Oh wow, you’re new-new.”
He looked down at her and she could smell him now confirming his fragrance.
“Yeah,”
June awkwardly chuckled.
“Well, if you’d like, I can take you out sometime.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
June declined, feeling crazy for doing so.
He adjusted his feet, appearing to step closer to June. “I want to.”
She began to bite the inside of her lip with worry. “Okay,”
She surrendered and smiled.
Wolfgang signed in relief. “Does Saturday at six work for you?”
He grabbed his phone out of his pocket.
“I might have to check my schedule.”
She smirked.
“Alright,”
He laughed, “Can we exchange info? I can show you how.”
“Okay.”
She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and it turned on as she placed it in her palm.
“Just hold down the bottom circle.”
She did as he told and he pushed his phone into hers, following a ding. His information popped up on her screen and hers onto his.
Name: Juniper Jensen
Contact Number: 672-323
Address: 24 9th street
Name: Wolfgang Montgomery
Contact Number: 203-239
Address: 72 8th street
“I’m going to send you a calendar appointment, you tell me if you have anything else going on.”
He smiled while fiddling with his phone.
Her phone beeped a moment later and a window popped open ‘Saturday: January 28th @ 6pm: Date with Wolfgang’ it minimized into her calendar.
“Does that work?”
His eyes played with the butterflies in her stomach.
“Yes.”
She smiled at him.
“See you then,”
he faced his car and turned back at her, walking backwards. “or maybe tomorrow when your door doesn’t work.”
June smirked at his comment. “Goodbye Juniper.”
June waved and walked up the path. Screw Ben. She thought, why should I punish myself for how Ben made me feel? I’m never going to see Ben again. Not so deep down, June knew she was out of love with Ben, she never knew if she really ever fell in love with him in the first place. She loved the small moments they had together where he acted like he was a good boyfriend and when he showed what love was supposed to be like. Her parents loved each other, she couldn’t remember much before twelve but she knew they loved each other. June had decided to move on. Ben wasn’t in control anymore.
She could faintly smell him at the door. The light turned green and opened up. The house was quiet as she turned down the hall, she could hear her shared shower running.
June opened her bedroom door and found Brittanya sitting on her bed with her finger over her lips to let Juniper know that Shianne was in the bathroom. Brittanya stood up and grabbed her arm, dragging her back through the house and out the back door. June hadn’t seen the back yard yet because the blinds were always closed. The yard was green, overgrown and small, the cement slab budded up to the back of the house with a large patio set and a small barbecue.
Closing the door behind her, Brittanya squealed and then exclaimed “Oh my goodness!”
as she grabbed June by both arms.
“What?”
She smiled, “I went into your room and cracked open the window when I saw him take you down the driveway.”
June didn’t know if she should be worried about how easy it was for Brittanya to eavesdrop, “So you heard all that?”
“Yes.”
Her hands covered her heart, “oh, I don’t know who I am more excited for, you or Wolfie.”
She hugged June again. “Wolfie deserves someone amazing, you better not break that boy's heart.”
She looked June dead in the eyes.
“How is Shianne going to take this?”
June worried.
“I have an idea Wolfgang knows what he is doing. She works late on Saturdays.”
“Oh, so she won’t know?”
“Not at first.”
June thought back, “How are you so close to Wolfgang?”
“It’s not what it looks like, as I’ve said, I am not interested in any men on this island.”
Brittanya became alert and opened the back door. “Psst!”
She hissed inside. She opened the door wider letting Whitney out and closed it behind her.
“What are we doing out here? The last time this happened you told me Shianne was pregnant and made me count tampons for two months.”
Whitney placed her cat eye sun glasses back on to block out the bright backyard.
“No, listen. June has a date.”
“Oh, and with who?”
Her head tilted towards June. Brittanya looked at Whitney with raised eyebrows and a swayed jaw. “Stop. You’re messing with me, right?”
“No.”
“I know it’s her first week here but Travis, the bus driver, is a little old for her.”
“Stop it,”
Brittanya scowled and smacked Whitney’s arm. “Try again, think more,”
She pressed her lips together. “I.T.”
Whitney’s red mouth split into disgust, speechless. “We’re going to have to deal with that!”
She pointed towards the house. “She’s going to be pissed.”
The back door opened, startling all three of them as Shianne came out. “Yeah, Juniper, I can’t believe you haven’t been back here yet, I want to get a hammock oh, hey Shianne.”
Whitney nudged Shianne as she joined the group.
“I’m going to go start dinner,”
Brittanya stepped away.
“I promised I would help,”
June followed.
Wolfgang
‘A dead bug?’ He questioned himself at his next job. He had hoped that they both were far enough away to not see that there was no bug. Wolfgang felt dumb for forgetting to turn that key pad back on during that time yesterday but was lucky enough to flip it back on before he got out of his Jeep. On a positive note he did get to ask her out. So that worked in his favor.
He continued with his mindless task he had done hundreds of times and let his mind wander. Juniper was damn gorgeous to Wolfgang. He found himself thinking about her eyes and lips more than any other girl on the island and he had only known her for a day. He was excited to see her in a few days and happy to not have to fake any more faulty electrical problems, although it was fun.
His phone buzzed and he removed it from his pocket seeing Brittanya’s name and carried on a conversation with her for the next five minutes.
Brittanya ‘I can’t believe you did it.’
Wolfgang ‘Did what?’
Brittanya ‘Asked out Juniper. So you like her?’
Wolfgang ‘She’s pretty, I don’t know her.’
Brittanya ‘Your mom is going to flip.’
Wolfgang ‘Do not talk to my mom about this please. I’ll never hear the end of it.’
Brittanya ‘I won’t. I’m just glad someone caught your eye. She’s nice too.’
Wolfgang ‘We’ll see how it goes.’