Heartbreaker by Maryse Meijer Read Free Book Online Page A

security so we left. I don’t even like jewelry that much, but I’m thinking about it a lot, just what it would be like to go in there and talk to her, to have her show me stuff and then say, Yes, I’d like that one, or No, I’d better not, not today. Finally I just take my dad’s wallet while he’s in the shower and think, Fuck it, why not, and go.
    When I walk into Kessler’s the shop lady starts looking at my ripped-up jeans, my hair. I dyed it and it came out kinda orange. But she just smiles at me like it doesn’t matter. I sort of stand around like I don’t know what I’m doing, which I don’t, and she comes over to me and says Hello, can I help you with something?
    I mess with my bangs and say My mom is really sick, I want to get her something for her birthday, something nice. The woman makes a sound like she’s sorry about my mom and then she takes me over to some cases where some rings are stuck on velvet fingers.
    I take my time, saying something about each one, how the color is nice or I like the way the metal is braided on that one, it looks really good. What price range are you looking at? she asks, and I say it doesn’t matter, I’m not wanting to break the bank but it’s a family gift for my mom so we want it to be special. She shows me a few rings, holding them with a cloth, and she smiles and waits like she has all the time in the world for me to make up my mind. Finally I say Well, it’s between the purple and the ruby one, I just can’t decide, and she says after a little pause You know for an older woman the ruby can be an overpowering stone, while the lighter stones, the amethysts, they really complement any skin tone and are appropriate for everyday wear. I say I hadn’t thought of that, and then I say I want it, will she please wrap it up for me?
    It’s over $200 and when she runs the card through the machine I get a sick feeling in my stomach. But she doesn’t even ask for ID. We make small talk as she wraps the ring and puts it into a glossy bag, just the right size for the ring box. I say thank you and she says she hopes my mother gets well soon. As I’m walking out one of those husbands comes in, he’s got a giant bald spot and some nice suit on. Good luck, I say, and he gives me this look like he can’t understand English but I keep smiling, I’m happy for the first time in a long time and when I get to the bus stop I unwrap the ring and put it in my pocket.
    When I get home Dad is pissed; he’s like Where’s my wallet have you seen it? And I go, Uh no, where did you put it last, but he doesn’t listen, it’s obvious he’s been freaking out for a few hours. I dropped his wallet in the trash, I felt bad but he hardly had any cash in it and anyway I only bought the one thing on the card, he can probably get it all back from the company when he says it was stolen.
    *   *   *
    When Char’s mom ungrounds her we smoke in the park and then go downtown for coffee and Char catches me looking out the window. Why are you always looking over there? she asks and I shrug, playing with the straw in my drink. I don’t know, I say, and suddenly she’s not interested, she’s grabbing my arm with her black nails digging into me saying OhmyGod did I fucking tell you about this shit that went down last night at Josh’s? And I just stop listening.
    The thing is, I know the shop lady. I know the different dresses she has, what kind of coat she wears when it’s raining. I recognize her lipstick if another girl is wearing it, a kind of red brown like wet clay. When someone isn’t in the store and she thinks no one is looking she lets her face get tired but as soon as someone walks in she smiles again and the great thing is that her face smiles too.
    This is what I’m thinking when this guy comes in and Char’s looking at me like you like him? His hair has