“No, that’s all right,” Carrie said. She sat with her arms and her eyes focused on her water glass. “I want to at least mention this thing, clear it up.” A respectful silence settled over the table. “I went to a resale place to put a few things on consignment. I know it sounds creepy, but it was a nice consignment store, the one on the corner of LaSalle and North Main."
Selene felt her back stiffen.
“I don’t know what part of this is more embarrassing, being picked up, or putting something on consignment.” Carrie took a small sip of the Pinot Noir the waiter had put in front of her. “Right before I left I asked to look at a bracelet that was in the case near the front door.” She took another small sip while Selene held her breath. “Anyway, it was still on the counter when I was leaving and somehow it got caught in this.” Carrie grabbed the red scarf off the back of her coat and waggled the fringe. “So it ended up walking out with me.” She put her hands over her eyes and ran her fingers through her short hair, “It just got worse from there. You don’t want me to go on.”
“You can if you want to,” Alicia said.
“I think we’ve heard enough,” Margaret said. “Right, Selene?”
Selene pulled herself together enough to nod. Margaret continued, “We all know you wouldn’t take anything, so let’s talk about something else and enjoy lunch.”
But there really wasn’t any lunch left to enjoy. The real reason for lunch had fallen off the agenda and no one had a big interest in eating. After a listless meal where a few hollow topics were introduced and allowed to politely collapse, Selene made serious noises about the check, and Alicia kindly provided back-up.
The bill was split four ways even though Carrie had had only one glass of Pinot Noir and a cup of soup. Everyone but Carrie outdid each over tipping, with Selene setting the bar. After awkward good-byes, Margaret and Carrie stopped at the top of the stairs, signaling a joint visit to the restroom, while Selene jostled out of the crowded restaurant with Alicia trailing behind. As soon as the two of them were on the sidewalk Selene made excuses to walk in any direction but the one Alicia was heading.
When she reached the corner she broke into a run. Four and a half blocks later, at the corner of LaSalle and North Main, she stopped, caught her breath, smoothed her hair, and opened the door to the consignment shop. Her bracelet, the one the hoopie had given her the last night they had spent together in the Motel 6 before he told his wife he was leaving her, the one she thought would help tide her over until she found her next job, was in the case near the front of the store just as Carrie had described it.
Selene brushed by a bored-looking sales clerk to hunt down the owner, an overweight woman in her early sixties with blond streaks in her hair. She asked the woman as calmly and reasonably as she could if there was any way someone could tell by looking who put something on consignment. The overweight woman assured her in fluttery conspiratorial tones that only she was privy to that information. Since Selene wanted and needed to believe her she left the bracelet on consignment and left her store. After taking only a few steps, she slipped on an icy patch of sidewalk and instead of easily righting herself stumbled and felt tears come to the back of her eyes.
After walking half a dozen blocks and feeling more and more ill at ease she stopped in an accessory store. The bracelets, scarves, and familiar fancy junk soothed her, and after a minute or two of wandering, picking up pieces and putting them down, she stopped in front of the big gold mirror in the center of the store. I’ll find another job, something much better, and make a grand announcement- at another lunch.
By the time Selene was back at the corner of LaSalle and North Main she was once again stepping along nicely and thinking of what she’d say to Margaret once she got her new job, something like- Yes, all those room service meals get old. It must be so much more gratifying staying home with three little kids under six- when she saw Alicia and Jack the Jobber just ahead of her on the sidewalk in front of the consignment store. She stopped so abruptly she nearly fell forward.
They were clearly together, their shoulders touching, their bodies in sync. They were waiting patiently, oblivious to the cold, for the owner of the consignment store- the overweight woman with blond streaks- to lock up and join them on the sidewalk. As soon the three of them were standing together it was obvious to Selene that this was a newly formed trio- still charmed with the new chemistry they had made.
When Alicia caught sight of Selene she shouted, “Selene! Selene!” and ran to her. “Look what I got!” Selene’s bracelet dangled on her wrist. “Jack bought it for me!” Alicia looked back at Jack while he waved politely at Selene. “He finally got a divorce!” She blushed. “He bought it for me from my aunt’s store!” Alicia pointed at the consignment shop as Jack and her aunt joined them on the sidewalk. “I tried to tell you my aunt owned this place at lunch when Carrie first mentioned it!”
For the second time today, Selene felt faint. Her cheeks burned. “Great, beautiful. It looks good on you.” She wanted desperately to get away from the three of them and into her car.
But Alicia wasn’t done talking yet. “You know, I’m taking over the business in a few years.” She put her arm around her aunt and made rapid and perfunctory introductions that somehow Selene got through. “She’s teaching me everything, everything.” Alicia waited for Selene to respond. When she didn’t, Alicia went on. “She’s teaching me everything and she tells me everything, really everything.”
When Selene was finally able to move on and was almost out of earshot she heard Alicia shout over her shoulder one more time, “Selene, she tells me everything!”
As soon as summer is over I'll start writing and posting again. I hope you enjoyed Four Women.
