Chapter four pt. two

Maggie sat in her mother's shop every Wednesday afternoon and all day on Saturdays.  When she wasn't helping her mother measure customers for their alterations, she was sitting at the front desk behind the register.   Most days she sat and read or did homework.    She was rarely without her nose in some kind of book, and if you happened to see her when she wasn't reading, she was probably thinking about what she just read.

School had just let out and this was the first summer she opted out of summer school.    She wanted to have just one summer that was actually a vacation from her studies.   It was almost a wash though, because now that she didn't have school to go to, it left her "free" to work more hours in her mother's store.    She was made to run errands, get lunch, call customers and put price tags on the clothes that no one picked up after dropping off.   She imagined her mother loved it when she was out of school because that meant less work for her and more time to taunt Maggie.

"Maggie?" her mother's voice came from the back room.
"Yes?" 
"I need you to go next door to Keith's and ask him if he has an upholstery needle.  Mine just broke and I have to fix these jeans."

Maggie rolled her eyes at the thought of having to be in the presence of that pre-Madonna one minute longer than necessary.

"Fine.  I'll be right back."

Maggie walked next door and entered the clothing store.  She didn't see Keith there, and hoped that she got lucky and he decided not to come in that day.

"Hello?  Keith, are you here?" 

"Yes, I'll be right out.  Who's there?"

Maggie let out a sigh of doom, imagining what his response would be when he found out it was her.

"It's Maggie, Joan's daughter.  You know, from next door.  I can come back later if you're busy."

"No, I won't be a minute.  Just have a seat and I'll be right out."

Maggie almost fell out of her chair when Keith came out from the back of the store.  He was wearing a black curly wig, his eyes looked like a glittery rainbow, and his lips were painted magenta purple.   As if that could be topped, he was wearing an orange and yellow silk smoking jacket with an orange cummerbund and a pair of green bell-bottom jeans.  No shirt.

As he was walking out he was yelling "You'll have to excuse my appearance, I wasn't expecting anybody.  I'm not technically open for another half-hour."

Maggie didn't know what to say.   So, doing what she does best, she just blurted what was on her mind.

"Do you REALLY dress like that?  I mean...don't you CARE that you look like you just walked out of the circus?"

"Honey bear, life IS a circus."  His voice was mocking and when she looked up to say something she laughed until she almost peed her pants.  His eyes were crossed, and he was wearing a pair of sunglasses as wide as the doorway he just walked out of.

Keith was laughing heartily, too.

"Your mother called me to say that you were coming over.  After our first encounter I thought I'd really play it up for you.  I was just trying to break the ice."  Pausing for a moment, he looked at her in all seriousness and continued, "You have a really beautiful smile when you use it."

"Now," he said seriously, "tell me, what was it you came in for?" He looked at her as he bobbed his curls up and down with his right palm.

"Mom sent me in for some kind of needle.  She said she's sewing a pair of jeans and the one she has broke."

"Ah yes.  Jeans are so hard to sew.  She said she uses the upholstery needles because they are curved, larger and easier to use on the thick denim.  I think I might have one in the back.  You can come back too, if you like."

"That's ok.  I'll just wait here.  Thanks."

Keith came back out with the needle, and he saw how unhappy Maggie truly was.   She was sitting at the front window looking out past the cars with indifference pasted all over her face.  Her eyes looked almost hallow.  He walked up to her with a smile on his face, but suddenly his heart felt very heavy.

"Here ya go, sweet lips.  Take this back to your mom.  I'll give her a call and tell her that I need some help in the back."  He paused hoping to see a glimmer of hope.  "She'll send you, and we'll sit and visit some more."  

Keith handed her the needle and placed his hand on hers, squeezing affectionately.
 

"Ok.  I'll come back if I can."  Maggie smiled as she walked out the door.  Loathe as she was to admit it, she was beginning to see why her mother liked him so much.

 

Reviews

[Dezaraye]

Keith is so tenderhearted and that really comes through in this chapter. I like having a deeper look into him ... people fascinate me.

[Arthur Henn]

Speechless on this part, I like what Ken said below about Keith. I can see that there is a little of a good side that Maggie sees in him also. It would be nice to see if these two could get together later on and maybe Keith would see another whole world of being the real man he could be.

Just a thought. You know how we think as we are reading a novel and then its completely different than we expected.

I like this very much. Keep them coming.

Art

[Ken Simm.]

Maggie is getting friends and this serves to build up the tension very well. She has started to get support but is it all just a house of card? Wonderful suspenseful writing. I do like Keith. (In a very positive masculine way, group hug anyone?)