Social Knitwork was my first stop. It was easy to simply head into the yarn shop, drop any mail in the basket Loetta Goldey left on the counter, and grab anything she had stamped. Most of the time, I delivered the mail around the same time, and she was always teaching some sort of craft class.
Once I’d gotten the big idea from the Front Porch Ladies to take a knitting class. It turned out that I should never listen to the Front Porch Ladies.
The next stop was Tranquility Wellness. I knew I didn’t have to worry about seeing Peaches because she had a standing hot yoga class every day at this time. Thank goodness my class was every other night because I’m sure I’d not be walking if it was daily.
Peaches Partin was a brilliant business owner. She knew when she opened the spa that her clients wanted to feel pampered and relaxed. There was a correlation between the brain and the smell, or so she claimed after I’d once asked her about the amazing smell that not only filled her shop but flowed outside, spilling into the open air.
“You smell that?” she had asked me with big bright eyes the first day she’d opened. “That’s a big smiley.” I could recall how her mouth spread across her face in a huge smile. But it was the big deep breath she had me take that made me feel so calm. “That.” She’d pointed her finger at me. “That calm feeling is because of the fresh tropical, lavender scent I purposely have pumped through the ventilation that makes you all calm and relaxed.”
I’ll never forget how amazed I was that you could pump any smell you wanted through a ventilation.
I loved delivering the mail. I had my routine with every shop. Tranquility Wellness was one of my favorites since no one was in the reception area. I was able to step inside, take a few deep cleansing breaths of that fabulous smell, and it was like a reset to my brain.
Just like every morning, I took a big deep breath, curled my hand around the handle, and opened the door, ready to finish off the inhale with a nose full of calm.
“I’m telling you to get out!” Peaches’s long red braid was pulled around her shoulder and dangled down past her chest. The light-blue one-piece yoga outfit had a shimmery sheen to it. “I’ll call the sheriff,” she warned the similarly built brunette.
“You can’t just kick out a customer. I’ve paid up a full year.” The young woman was standing her ground. “I’m going in there to do hot yoga, so call the sheriff.” Her voice was much calmer than Peaches.
“Over my dead body or yours.” Peaches slid her body between the door of the studio and the other woman.
“Ladies”—the voice of reason came from China Gordon—“this is ridiculous. We are all women of light and love. We want nothing but the best for all of us.” She had a pashmina shawl in her hands and put it in the young woman’s hands. “Sarah, this is from my new line. Why don’t you go and enjoy this today?”
“It still doesn’t get me my hot yoga class or my money. I’ve got a good six months left on my membership.” Sarah rested her hands on her hips, shifting her small frame side to side.
“You want your money back?” Peaches was acting so out of character; her actions made my insides tense up. She caught my eye when she marched to the counter and poked her finger on the fancy electronic tablet, making a drawer pop open underneath the counter. She grabbed a fistful of money and stalked right back to Sarah, throwing what looked to be all one-hundred-dollar bills into her face.
My jaw dropped watching all those Benjamins fall to the floor.
“You’ll regret this,” Sarah said with a smack of bitterness in her voice. She reached down and picked up the money. “Simon always said you were a big pill to swallow, and this little Zen den of yours was all an act. He mentioned how you are one of the worst gossips in Sugar Creek Gap, but I refused to believe it. You seemed so nice, and well”—Sarah’s eyes drew up and down Peaches—“let’s just say it appears you walk your talk of love, happiness, kindness.” Sarah held the money in one fist and shook it in the air. “But you’re all talk. You disgust me, and I’ll tell everyone I know.”
“Good! Get out!” Peaches screamed when Sarah walked past the counter to go out the door. I took a step aside so I wasn’t in the way.
“Forget her.” China was trying to be a good friend and calm Peaches down. “Let’s take a look at these samples. You’re going to love them.”
“Not now, China.” Peaches pushed her hand aside. “I have to go meditate and get Simon and that… that…” She stormed back to one of the massage rooms.
I carefully laid the mail on the counter and went to turn around, but China started talking to me.
“I’m not sure if Peaches will ever be right, now that she and Simon have broken up.” China shook her head and placed her garments back in the bag. “That was his new girlfriend. She never took a yoga class before Simon. Now she’s signed up for all sorts of classes, and I bet it’s just to get Peaches’s goat.”
“That’s a shame because I saw the same girl in here the other day, and they were having words then.” I couldn’t help but notice China’s shirt looked like a yoga shirt but a little looser fitting around the bottom. “I guess I can relate to Peaches.”
“You should tell her that.” China shrugged.
“Can I ask where you got your shirt?” I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.
“It’s one of mine. It’s a tented bottom so it flows when your moving from position to position.” She held her arms out to the side.
“I love it. Will Peaches be selling it here?” It was definitely something I could wear and feel some confidence in until I got the Lucy Drake body.
“That’s why I’m here this morning. We are trying to go over some final choices, but poor Peaches just isn’t in the right frame of mind to even think about any big business decisions.” She sat down on the stool behind the counter.
“Are you working here?” I asked when I noticed her getting comfortable.
“Oh no. I have to head out of town this afternoon for my real sales job, but I figured I can wait a few more minutes until Peaches comes back.” China placed the palms of her hands together and bent her head down. “Some good meditation will make her feel a million times better.”
“If you do get that top in the shop, please hold one for me. I’d buy it today.”
“I can probably fit you for one at my house and make you one, if you want.” She took something from her bag of clothes, and leaning on the counter with her elbows propping her up, she held a small business card between her fingers. “Give me a call.”
“Really?” I was so pleased. “That would be great. I’m just not so comfortable wearing all the tighter-fitting clothes just yet.”
“Then you are the perfect customer for my line.” She sat back and crossed her arms. “I keep telling Peaches that the older woman is who will love my line of clothing.”
“Thanks.” I snickered with her card in my grip and headed out the door. “Older woman,” I groaned, rolling my eyes and heading into the next shop, the Wallflower Diner.
I about knocked over one of the customers walking out of the Wallflower because my mind was all knotted up in trying to figure out what on earth about me said “older woman”.