𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐬

♡︎8♡︎

Saturday morning at work was busier than I would've liked, but I didn't see anyone I knew. so that was good. Nemuri taught me to use the register, and by Tuesday she had the nerve to leave me alone for an hour while she had dinner. I told her if I gave away all the money in the register it was all on her. She told me she trusted me and my math abilities. I didn't mention that I sucked at math. 

Thirty minutes into my alone time with the register, Momo came running in from the back. Her hair was now in a different hairstyle than before. It was now let down and wavy. She even had half-up space buns with braids wrapped around them. She had on a flowy, robelike shirt, much like one of the shirts Nemuri had me buy that I hadn't dared to wear yet, and was holding a pair of boots in her hand, calling, "Mama Night!" She slid to a stop on the hardwood floor and looked at me. "Hi, Y/N. Where's Nemuri?" 

"Eating." 

Her shoulders slumped. She held up one of the boots. "Do you see that?" 

I wasn't exactly sure what she wanted me to see. I obviously saw the big black boot she held up, so there must've been some detail about it I was supposed to notice, but for the life of me, I didn't see anything but a boot. "Uh. . .no?"  

"I tried on the left boot at the thrift store. This is the right boot. I didn't even notice it was missing two lace hooks right in the middle. A total rookie mistake." 

I smiled at her use of a sports analogy. 

"You don't know where to fix it do you?" 

I still didn't even know what she was talking about. 

"Duct tape?"

She laughed. 

"Nemuri can fix shoes?"

"I don't know. She always has some creative solutions for my problems. How long has she been gone?" 

"About thirty minutes." 

"Maybe I'll wait." She wandered over to a hutch and started squirting herself with a glass bottle that I thought was just for show. 

I straightened some hanging shirts. "I think I saw you the other day, walking with someone holding a guitar." 

"Shoto. My boyfriend. He plays for a local band. Well, I shouldn't all them local anymore- they're getting some statewide gigs. It's pretty amazing. They still play here sometimes, though." She picked up a different glass bottle and walked over to me. "Can I use your arm? I don't want to mix scents." 

I held up my arm and she twisted it, palm IP, then sprayed a small amount on my wrist. 

She smelled my wrist and curled her lip. "No on that scent." She replaced the bottle, then sighed. "I think I will try the duct tape idea after all. It could look really good with these boots." 

"Will you be able to get them off?" 

She laughed. "Eventually." She headed toward the back. 

I wondered why she always came that way. She obviously had a key, but if she was coming from her shop a couple of doors down, wouldn't it be just as easy to walk in the front door? 

"Thanks for the good idea, Y/N." She paused for a moment. "By the way, you look really cute." 

She left, and I looked down at my outfit- a pair of jeans and a satiny black shirt with a little lace around the neckline. I had worn my tennis shoes in to work and Nemuri immediately called a friend, who brought over a pair of black sandals. Apparently, I had committed a fashion foul with my shoes. All I cared about was that the sandals were super comfortable.