||Wildwood Vol. 1||

"Colleen"

Sleeping behind the store is a comfort for me. The water heater out Back keeps me warm, and the loading dock protects me from the Elements. This pallet of paper bags beats the cold concrete under the highway overpass. A hot meal of discards keep me full most nights, the sweet young lady risks her job nightly to bring me deli food. She truly is a blessing. Tonight is macaroni and cheese with pan- fried grouper. I savor every morsel, because who knows when I'll eat next.Someone's opening the back door - gotta hide...

"Yvette" 

Ronald told me he wanted artichoke hearts with dinner tonight, so I guess I can stop at Wildwood to grab some fresh ones. I'm glad he didn't want asparagus again - because his piss smelled like death last night. Or maybe I'm just fed up with him again. Who knows?Any excuse to get out of the house is an appreciated one nowadays. I have grown tired of the personal assistant shopping at Neiman's - I am in need of real social interaction. Country Club wives have begun to bore me - where's the mental stimulation? Six years of college, and two Harvard degrees later - and I spend my afternoons discussing new Louis Vuitton patterns and Maserati interior design. How many times can one change the wood grain on a dash board before they decide to get a new car? I give up on them. I need more. 


The checkout lines are rather short this evening. I scan for the slowest moving one, and find my favorite clerk standing two lanes down. I wouldn't mind watching him work, so I calmly switch to his line, and watch him help an elderly woman put heavy bags in her shopping cart. His bicep muscles flex and contract with every move. I look away. I have to.

I step forward. His dimpled smile greets mine as he looks down at me. He asks about my day, and I struggle to find a coy rebuttle. I know they're instructed to make generic conversation, but something about his tone sounds sincere. I lose myself in his baritone - as he talks about school, work, and college life. His 6-foot-4 frame distracts me, and I drop my AMEX black card as it comes time to pay. I reach quickly to pick it up - afraid that he'll think I'm showing off. "I got it," he says slowly. His voice startles me, and my hand brushes past his gently. I blush. He blinks, and I die in his eyes - the brown of his irises remind me of my morning cup of mocha java - warm, inviting - and delicious. I pay and thank him, and try my best to saunter out the door in my Louboutin pumps. I check my reflection quickly in the glass, sure enough - he's watching...

"Maya"

Class was exhausting today, and of course, Professor Smith pops a quiz on us. Good thing, too - cuz I spent my lunch breaks all week studying crazy. I rush to clock in for work, slipping into my Wildwood shirt as I swipe my ID card. I brush past Nate on my way to the front. He grips my elbow, squeezes, and keeps moving. I wish I was brave enough to speak - to say hi even, but all I can do is giggle. He probably thinks I'm a dork, anyway. Whatever. In between work and school - I've got zero time for romance. I grab my register, pick up my money bag - put on a smile - and walk out into the store. Oh well, forget about the drama - It's time to make this money...

Next piece comign soon. Lemme know what you think so far...