Crossing Paths

The Shopgirl

Before the sun inhaled its first morning yawn, her spring coiled heart lay at the ready. Moonlight tied off its final stitching. A sharp crackle from the fireplace sent its encouragement. Just then, and only seen with narrowed eyes looking off into the distance, a flickering glow from a carriage carving its path down the hillside appeared. It would wait for her at the place agreed upon.

In some ways, she would miss this hollowed out little room. It gave plenty of fieldwork for her pacing to and fro. Although her unequivocal decision had been made after her first week here, it was all the planning that tediously stole the incessant pacing. But tonight, she sat alongside stillness. Coiled. Ready to be set free. It would be the last time their lace laden laughter would scrape at her dignity. No more garish glances, sent like couriers across a room, delivered in a perfect pompous package. In fact, she was sure their garish faces would be in shock once they learned that she was capable of stepping forth on her own.

From the edge of the bed, a slow and steady breath inwards brought her to her feet. Her stillness was so calm that it made the room seem like it was fussing about, making everything ready for her departure. The letter that told the truth of matters lay on the side table. A packed bag of modest belongings rested at her feet. The coins in her pouch were tied closely to her body. Quietness. She could have turned it all into swirling dust with an exhale at this point. Those sleeping heads on soft pillows would not know where they faded off to. Instead, with a step and turn of her heel, she quietly slipped into the night.

Chapter 3

Being on foot was wearisome in this terrain. Endurance only mocked what little--

The brass bell above the door chimed. She reached for her bookmark and stood up in one motion, behind the service counter.

It was him. She could tell by the forehead and eyebrows moving behind the front display. It made her take a deep breath in and smile to herself. A sense of adventure filled her chest.

This local store sold specialty lights with customizable accessories. The layout was tight for space. And creaky floorboards would accompany patrons like a good host in conversation. People circled through just to admire the glowing displays. It was romantic. And oftentimes, the displays inspired customers to create their own versions as gifts or for home decor.

She recalled the first time he came in; it was Christmastime. He left with customized displays that spelled out the names of his niece and nephew. Since then, other common occasions brought him back a handful of times. One time, he placed an order that seemed to have a list of names. She imagined him to be a manager that treated his employees with kindness. But not too top banana to make arrogance as his primary trait.

After his last visit, she stayed late trying to find a vendor that would ship what he needed: something that twinkled to recorded music. She took delight in doing this for him. Before that, he stopped by once just to chat and took no interest in making a purchase. She even caught him looking at her ring finger, which was bare and free. She liked that; and found herself waiting for him to come back. This afternoon would bear witness to it.

Casually, she pretended to fix items that did not need her attention in hopes that he would walk over to her. Her heart was beating a little faster at the thought. It was almost closing time and maybe he knew that. Maybe today was the day he would ask her to go for coffee next door.

Just then, a woman’s voice murmured followed by a giggle—she looked over in his direction. Her eyes lowered and there she saw it, the union… he was holding this woman's hand. Leading her about the store. Giving her a tour of her workplace.

She could see that he explained things to this woman in closeness. It was sexy. He never spoke to her in that manner. She looked away.

The next thing she remembered was putting his special ordered items in a bag and smiling at him. She forced the crinkles of her eyes so as to appear genuine. She gave a friendly nod to the woman so as to appear innocent of any wrongdoing.

The woman appeared like she always got a certain level of positive attention wherever she went. She was va-va-voom in all respects.

After they left, she stood alone in the stillness; teasing came from all directions for her own silliness on this matter.

She scoffed at how serious she could make some things.

The Top Banana

Global sales managers garnered the most generous bonuses when closing deals on foreign investment accounts. Kickbacks could take care of a thing or two, twice over. These guys drove luxury, lived luxury, and played luxury. And at this level, some bona fide serpents vied for skin in the game.

As an engineer by trade, he handled some low-end sales out of the home base. He wanted to stay close to home to take care of his mother so a regional sales division was out of the question (never mind global sales). The flexibility in this position gave him what he needed at this time in his life. But his job description varied depending on company needs. This week, he was a trainer for a couple of new hires. Next month, the sole responsibility of quarterly inventory was his. And just this morning, he was tasked with finding a better insurance plan for the company. He reminded himself to be grateful.

In all honesty, he would never make anything close to a regional manager in wages. But he lived modestly.

This crossed his mind a few times as the beautiful woman sitting across from him asked a series of questions for the insurance quote. She seemed so nice, smooth and intelligent. He couldn’t help but to be curious about her. He let himself ask her out. What did he have to lose?

They began with a few coffee dates at the shop down the street from her office. On their third date, she wrapped herself around him unexpectedly as soon as they made their way back to his place. He knew the sexual tension was building and she came at him with passion unlike any other woman he had been with.

It was time she met his mother. As he carried a pink and white bouquet of flowers into the care centre, he had something else just as beautiful by his side: her presence in his life. The visit went extraordinarily well. She was so gracious and respectful towards his mother. Afterwards, his mother gestured him to come closer, she told him: take her by the hand and keep her close, she is a good one.

And with that, he felt relief in asking her to marry him. She adored the ring box with little glowing lights that twinkled to music. In fact, she adored everything about him. He would replay in his mind how the guys at work went on golfing trips and hiking excursions. And left him to take care of matters back at the head office. But now, he had something better than all of that.

When there were no appointments booked at her insurance office, they snuck into a back room. Once even on her boss’s desk. And when her clients were around, he’d take a stroll down the street visiting the nearby shops. They even tried it in the back of his company SUV in public. It had tinted windows.

Each time he finished inside of her, he felt a future that had once been out of touch for him, become so close. She gave that to him.

Within the week, he got a call from the district manager asking him about illicit use of company property. As a result, he could no longer take the company vehicle home. He also had to log any mileage used. He was degraded to having to claim mileage paperwork, now.

That’s when rumours started about him ‘scoring with some broad’ in the back of a company vehicle.

Then at the company barbeque, he could feel the lewd stares towards her from the guys at work. He began to hate his workplace.

But her comforting words always made things better. He craved her presence for this reason and found meaningfulness just being in her arms.

With this thought in mind, he immediately changed his route and instead of turning left in the direction of the care facility, he turned right. His mother could get flowers on another day. He had a fiancé now and she deserved a bouquet of flowers, too. In truth, he just missed his fiancé and knew the bouquet would make her smile. A purpose he longed for and found it in her. He felt like a top banana.

Ms. Va-Va-Voom

He snored in the other room while fresh coffee was brewing in the kitchen. Her hands were working busily, timing the hot breakfast to the fresh brew. While holding the phone between her ear and shoulder. She spoke quietly:

I am beginning to think he’s kind of a meat and potatoes guy in the bedroom.

Seriously, though. If I leave it up to him, we screw like his mom is sitting in the next room.

Audible laughter came from the other end of the phone line.

Oh, I can’t. We have his company barbeque this weekend. I think he wants to show me off or something.

How about next weekend?

Okay, for sure.

Bye now.

He stirred in bed and smiled at breakfast being served this way. As he sat up, the sheets fell to his waist. His bare shoulders and chest made him look so handsome that she kissed him good morning to his shoulder, his neck, and his cheek.

She really wanted to make this relationship work. He was the sweetest guy she had ever dated. She knew she ‘dated’ wasn’t the right word, now. She wore his engagement ring goodness sake. They were more than just dating. But, she thought, they all want you wear their ring, don’t they? That’s why she said yes, he left her with no choice. After he got up to have a morning pee, he came back to bed and they ate breakfast together.

She liked the sound he made when he crunched into his toast. She liked feeding him a piece of bacon. They clinked their coffee cups together for a cheers. The cheers was becoming their thing.

She knew she would have him in the shower later. She liked taking care of him that way.

Later in the week, after the company barbeque, they were sitting in the car and he expressed feeling like he was the one being grilled. She only wanted to clarify how when they first met, he made it sound like he was a regional manager in sales. But she learned from a conversation at the barbeque earlier that day that he was more administrative than sales. He said he never said anything like that. They had a quiet drive home.

When they got home, he sat at the kitchen table checking emails. She sat on the sofa texting:

I don’t think he’s been honest about some things. 1. He’s not even in sales!

Do you remember that LX car he was driving? 2. It wasn’t even his! (company property)

They took it away from him for some reason, so we ended up going the barbeque in his dad’s old beige sedan.

They decided to take a few days off from each other. After which point he initiated a phone call. Apologies were made from both sides.

She knew the guys at his work were jerks. He also didn’t seem the type to lie about things on purpose. She told him this. He told her that he didn’t want to lose her and that he hated being away from her for this long. They spent the night together in each other’s arms.

When they woke the next morning, she was looking forward to their wedding. In particular, their honeymoon. She always wanted a honeymoon in Europe.

To her surprise, he said that a honeymoon in Europe was not possible because he had to stay nearby his mother. She whittled it down from four weeks to two weeks in Europe. The answer remained the same. He reassured her that his love for her grew each day. And confessed that he even brought his mother’s flowers to her one day.

The morning conversation bothered her all day at work.

By the end of the week, she returned his ring and asked that he give her some space.

While locking up the office door in the following week, she saw a reflection of him sitting on the bench across the street. His held his head in his hands, slumped over. He looked so saddened.

She stood there with the key still holding in the door. She could turn and cross the street. She could kneel before him, taking his face in her hands. She could tell him that she missed him and hated to see him so sad. All of this would make him feel better.

But it would not be true for her.

With a step and turn of her heel, she walked towards the coffee shop down the street. The sign outside had her favourite latte as a Today’s Special. That was cheers enough.

Mistext

bouncing so good when I was on my tippy toes, I had to hold on to your oven door handle.

Jordan: Babe, what are you doing to me? I’m at work right now.

You: Come over after work, Babe. I want you, again. Just like that.

The brass bell above the door chimed.

You: Customer

She stood up and leaned on the counter, phone still in hand.

“Oh, it’s you… you look like you just came from a job interview.”

“No, this is how I have to dress at my new job. Do you know if my last pay cheque is ready?”

“Yeah, it should be in your mailbox.”

Jordan: You look so pretty, Shannon. Let me see you in just your bra. Are you comfortable with that?

“How has business been with the big closeout sale?”

“Christmas shoppers are clearing out the store. We only have a few orders left. Hey, some guy came asking for you.”

“For me? Who? Was he that quiet gentleman guy?”

“Yeah.”

“We don’t have anymore of his orders.”

“Yeah, I told him that. He said he just wanted to say hi to you.”

“Really? Was he with a woman? Hey look, someone forgot their gloves.”

“No, he came by himself. Those are his gloves.”

“The guy who asked for me?”

“Yeah, he put them down like this to get my attention. I was on my phone. He wasn’t rude about it or anything.”

She placed her hand on top of the leather gloves and let her fingers caress the smoothness of the leather. Quality lambskin she could tell. She gave them a squeeze.

She saw herself cuddling in bed with him. Looking up at his face while he caressed her hair and kissed her forehead. He was gentle not tug at her hair. Then he confessed to her that he purposely left his gloves at the light shop, hoping she would be the one to contact him about it. This made her smile and she kissed his mouth for telling the truth like that. A tingle between her thighs came about and she slid herself downwards on the bed, underneath the sheets. She kissed each side of his hips and used a professional voice to say from under the sheets, “Sir, I found this lovely item. Does it belong to you?” He chuckled and replied, “I think it belongs to you.” Their playfulness turned into squeezing passion.

Standing there in silence, she released his gloves from her embrace.

She scoffed at how serious she could make some things.

“What’s so funny?”

“No, I was just thinking about how many customers came through here. And now the store is closing. It’s kind of sad.”

“Yeah, that’s how things go. Paths cross and many may never cross again.”

"If he doesn’t come back for them, you should give these gloves to your boyfriend Jordan. They're a good quality leather."

They said their goodbyes.

You: Sorry about that, my coworker was chatting with me. Will you come over after work?

You: Wait, who is Shannon??

You: Who else are you texting??

You: Jordan

You: JORDAN

The footprints outside all seemed to cross paths. The snow was so flattened in some parts that no particular footprints were even visible.

She wondered which ones were his. She could still turn back and give him a call from his number on the customer file.

But with a step and turn of her heel, she disappeared into the afternoon.

***

18 FEB 2026