Short Words, Big Love

Angel's Candy

"OH MY GOD! I swear that I have seen you before. Aren't you like famous or something?" says the excited girl in front of me while I ring her purchases.

"No. I'm sorry. You must have me confused with somebody else,"

"Yeah, how dumb of me! Like if you are famous, then you wouldn't be working at the till of a candy shop," she says laughing while handing me some money.

"Something like that. Thanks for your purchase and have a nice day," I say, giving her the bag with candy.

"You should seriously get an agent and some photos. You are quite cute. Oh, you should sign up for a reality TV show! I wouldn't mind seeing you shirtless laying by a pool,"

I feel a bit embarrassed at her suggestion. I look at my sales assistant Ilse, who is arranging a window display and trying hard not to laugh.

"I will consider it," I say, smiling at the girl.

"That was very direct," says Ilse, coming to stand next to me. "I should start keeping tabs on how many people think that you are a celebrity. You can thank them in your speech when you win an award,"

"Nah, that life is not for me," I say with a sad laugh while walking towards the storage.

Indeed, that life is not for me, at least not anymore.

I used to be a child actor. I started doing commercials when I was four years old and then got cast in movies. I got my own TV show in my early teens. It was a sitcom in which I was the only son in a house full of girls. I kept doing auditions for more mature parts in movies. Producers always found an excuse for rejecting me. I was either too young or too old, or because of the sitcom, people had trouble seeing me in anything different.

I got involved with the wrong crowd of friends. I wanted to desperately to fit in somewhere. So my money bought drugs and alcohol freely, and we all partied hard. I have been in and out of rehab more times than I can count.

I moved back to my parents in my late twenties. I gained a lot of weight, then lost too much. I had not won the alcohol and drugs battle yet. Dad suggested me to go to college with the money they saved for me. When things started going down, I made my parents my administrators. I congratulate myself on that decision, even though I was probably stoned at the time. I got accepted to college and studied business.

I opened Angel's Candy three years ago. Then a year ago I hired Ilse. It was love at first sight for me. She once made a joke that we look like twins in our uniform, as we both have straight blond hair and blue eyes. She is sweet and sassy and has a great sense of humor. She teases the hell out of me when female customers flirt heavily with me. If she knew that she is the only one in my heart and my thoughts. I don't dare to make a move on her. That means that I will have to eventually share my past, and that is the one thing that I want to forget. My mom says that I need to do it, or I'll never be happy.

"Angel? A woman is asking for you," Ilse says from the door of the storage, trying not to laugh.

I walk outside, and there is a woman, rummaging through her purse.

"Good morning. What can I help you with?"

"Are you Angel Lexmond?" she says, looking up and down at me.

"Yes. May I ask who wants to know?"

"My name is Caroline, and I'm a reporter for Scope Magazine. We are doing a special issue on child stars now-and-then. I would like to interview you,"

"Oh my God! Angel, who have you done wrong that they are playing this prank on you?" Ilse says between giggles.

The reporter looks at her with a puzzled face. Ilse registers my panic.

"Angel... wait... is this right?" Ilse says, all laughter gone.

"You really don't know that he used to be famous?" the reporter says to Ilse. "You should search online for him. I have been sent for an interview, but there is enough to write a book. Angel is the poster boy for a wild child,"

I try to talk, but my mouth has gone dry. The words are stuck in my throat.

"We have known each other for a year. Thanks for your trust," Ilse says then walks behind the counter, grabs her purse and leaves.

"Fuck my life!" I say, running my hands through my hair.

"Why didn't you tell her?" the reporter asks.

"Because she is the love of my life. Why would I want to tell her about my frustrations or my addictions? I was successful indeed. I won prizes, and my show was popular, but it made me miserable. I want to forget it all and start anew. This might look degrading to some, but I'm my own boss, and between the lollipops and the jelly beans, I found a woman worth living for,"

The reporter looks over my shoulder, a smirk on her face. I look behind me and see Ilse. Her hand is covering her mouth, and she is staring at me wide-eyed.

"I think you just told her," the reporter says.

"Ilse-" I say.

"I forgot my phone. I need some time to process this," Ilse says, unplugging her phone and leaving.

My mom's words repeat themselves in my head: share my past or I'll never be happy.

"Come back on Monday at ten in the morning and I get to see the interview draft and photos before it goes to print," I say in a firm voice to the reporter.

"That is super! Monday at ten it is. I will bring a photographer with me,"

The reporter leaves, and I'm left alone in the store. Customers keep me busy until closing time. I turn off the lights and lock the main doors. My eyes linger on the beautiful window display that Ilse made earlier.

"Angel,"

Now I imagine her voice. Am I obsessed with her?

"Angel, have you gone deaf?"

I turn around and there she is.

"Hey, Ilse," I say, feeling embarrassed.

"Sorry for bailing on you earlier. The food court is still open. Do you want to grab a bite and talk about what happened?"

I start walking together with her. I feel a bit awkward around her. After getting us some food, we sit facing each other.

"I searched online for you. There is indeed enough to write a book," she says, taking a bite of her pasta.

"You probably think the worst of me,"

"I'm still upset with you, but I understand your reasons. Now it was only one reporter. I imagine that you don't want any more press meddling in your life,"

"I made a fool of myself when I was younger. On a moment, there were more articles about me being wasted than about my show. I have tried my best to turn things around. I'm sorry that I hurt you,"

"Angel, did you really mean what you told the reporter? That you-"

"That I'm in love with you. Yeah, I meant every single word,"

Ilse looks around with a smile and shakes her head.

"What?" I say.

"I have had a crush on you since we met for the first time. You didn't make a move or anything so I thought that maybe you wanted to be friends. Also, because you are my boss, I believed that it was inappropriate to let you know how I feel,"

I feel my heart beating hard. She has feelings for me.

"What now? What do we do about this?" I say.

"I don't know. Maybe we should give it a try. Just don't fire me if it doesn't work," she says with a smirk.

I grab her hand and give it a soft squeeze. The reporter better prepares on Monday. I will give her one hell of an interview. The Angel of now is looking forward to a happy future.