Page 67 of Crystal Iris
Akira asks, huffing and puffing, “What’s on the agenda for today?”
“I have some business crap to deal with this afternoon. Do you guys want me to drop you off downtown? I’m going that way anyway.”
We say yes.
Whitefish is a picturesque town. The main street is lined with artisan shops, cozy restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. On one end of the street, I can see the mountains and a sign for the main resort. I’m sure it’s a great place to go skiing. The equipment stores are calling my name.
“So… what happened last night?” Akira asks, eyeing a couple of vases fromWildflower Ceramics, a local pottery shop.
“Nothing happened,” I tell her.
“I saw you guys going upstairs together.” She’s checking the price tags.
“Can I help you?” asks a middle-aged woman wearing an apron.
“Did you make all these?” Akira asks.
“Yes, all except those.” She points to a row of glass vases. “My daughter works with glass.”
“They’re beautiful,” I say.
“Thank you. Feel free to look around, and let me know if I can help with anything.”
“Nothing happened, and nothing could have happened, even if I wasn’t engaged,” I say, continuing our conversation.
“And why not?”
“We can’t even touch each other.”
Akira stops walking.
“Because of the burning thing?” she asks.
“Yeah.”
“Can’t you guys just take the necklaces off? For a little bit?”
“No, it doesn’t work like that. They feel… part of our bodies. It’s unbearable to take them off.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that before?”
“Because I didn’t want you to freak out. Anyway, did something happen between you and Broc? I saw you two having a good time when I went to bed.”
“No. He wanted to, but no.”
“You didn’t want to?” I ask as we walk out the door, bags in hand.
“We live too far apart. It would be… stupid.”
I pull out my phone to look for a place for us to eat lunch. There’s a text from Aaron.
I know why you’re there. With whom.
What? How does he know? He can’t know.
I quickly reply:I’m here with Akira, Aaron.
I show Akira my phone.
