Page 9 of Throw Away the Key
“Yes, ma'am. I hope I see you again soon.”
“Count on it.”
Sadie turned to leave as Emma made her way back down to Granny to offer her arm and help her to the second floor.
Granny's eyes lit up as she grinned at Emma. “She's a fiery one!”
Emma smiled ruefully. “Fiery is one word for it. She seems to like you though.”
“She likes you too.” She patted Emma’s arm.
Emma chuckled. “I am not seeing what you’re seeing at all. I think I’m already on her bad side, and I really love this building. She seems to like her space. Maybe I should just leave her alone and she’ll warm up to me?”
Granny eyed her strangely. “Let’s see how that works out.”
CHAPTER SIX
“Hi, would you like to sample our cheese?”
The Saturday morning farmer’s market on H Street was bustling well before 9am. It was Emma’s first weekend since moving into her apartment, and she’d been acquainting herself with the different shops and restaurants near her in Union Market and along H Street.
Emma wandered around, hoping to grab some fresh items before heading to work to open the store. Tented table booths carried everything from dairy products and produce to fresh fish and handmade pasta. She’d noticed a long line forming at the artisanal cheese booth and joined before the crowds grew even thicker.
“Ooh, what kind do you have today?” Emma asked brightly, surveying the table filled with miniature signs and samples.
The woman behind the table gestured to one end of it. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore a black and white striped apron over her cothes. “We have our special chevre goat cheese and a sharp cheddar left–some of the others went quickly about an hour ago. Later today, we’ll have a triple cream brought over from our store–we’re located on 14th Street.All of our cheeses are made with fresh products from local, sustainable farms.”
“I'd love to try the cheddar!”
The woman nodded and removed a clear plastic cloche to let Emma select a piece with a toothpick. “This one is smoked with applewood and it has a little bit of jalapeno added to it.”
Emma popped a cube of cheese into her mouth, the sharp and creamy cheese had a slight hint of smoke and a tang from the pepper. “Oh, this is so good,” she nodded as she chewed. “Could I have maybe that size right there?” She pointed to a small block of the cheddar.
“You sure you don't need more?”
“Oh, I'm sure. It's just me at home. I’m trying to make sure that I don't have a lot of food waste.”
The woman nodded. “I can appreciate that goal! We try the same in our house,” she gestured to her daughter who sat in a foldable chair, her knees to her chest with her cell phone inches away from her nose. The girl gave a little wave without looking up.
“Well, thank you. I'm still getting it all figured out–I’ve just gotten a new apartment, and it’s my first time living alone.” Emma smiled bashfully.
The woman’s expression brightened. “Oh, well, I'm gonna drop a little sample in here of our chevre as well as a housewarming gift. I hope you enjoy it and maybe we'll see you back here next week!”
“I’m sure you will, thank you so much.” Emma paid for her cheddar and turned toward the produce tents, bumping into someone as she moved. “Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!”
As the person turned around, Emma saw that it was Sadie in a monochromatic jogger set. Iced coffee dribbled down the front of her hoodie. Emma immediately reached to dab at the damp material with a napkin, but Sadie grabbed her wrist to stop her.“It’s okay, I got it.” She accepted the napkin from Emma and pressed it into the material.
“My fault, Sadie. I should have been watching where I was going. I didn't know you came here–we could have walked over here together!” She tried to make light of what had just happened, though nothing about Sadie’s expression hinted that she was looking for someone to walk with her.
“Yeah, I was here to meet friends, so that probably wouldn't have worked out.”
“Right,” Emma frowned slightly, feeling like the shadow of a rain cloud had rolled in.I wonder if her friends have the same temperament.She had never cared much for confrontation, so she held back, though everything in her body screamed for her to ask Sadie to identify the chip on her shoulder. “I hope you find them. It seems really busy here today. Any particular booths that you recommend?”
“Uh, well, I see you've already found the cheese table,” Sadie looked behind Emma.
“There's a great place that has local honey, if you go further down that way,” she pointed in the opposite direction of the produce booths. “But if you go back that way, they just got in some white nectarines, if you like those.” She fidgeted as if she were itching to leave.
“Ooh, those would be perfect. Thank you. And I feel like all of those things go together, right?” Emma rambled nervously. “Nectarines, honey, and cheese makes for a great party. You know, kind of a girl-dinner vibe.”Ugh, shut up, Emma! This chick does not care.
