Avenging Alex by Lewis Ericson

you up anything?”
    â€œNo, I’m good.”
    â€œOh, and there’s a customer coming in to pick up some dresses she ordered last week. They’re marked in a bag in the back.”
    â€œNo problem. I’ll take care of it.”
    The woman breezed out of the store and Alex made her way over to assist a customer rifling through a rack of skirts. “May I help you with anything?”
    â€œI love this color. Do you have it in a sixteen?”
    Alex pressed her lips together and sized up the woman, who was obviously much larger than she admitted to. Still, she didn’t want to take her question for granted and decided to be tactful. “Is it going to be for you or a gift for someone else?”
    â€œNo, I’m buying it for me.”
    Alex assisted the woman with her futile search, knowing full well that, other than accessories, La Bella didn’t cater to fuller-figured clientele.
    â€œMa’am, may I recommend a few other stores that I’m certain will have what you’re looking for? I’d be happy to call ahead for you.”
    The woman gave Alex the once-over. “Are you insulting me?”
    â€œNo, ma’am. I just thought—”
    â€œYou thought what?”
    A bell clattered on the door and another patron entered, allowing Alex an escape. “Excuse me for minute.” She turned and rolled her eyes. “Hi, welcome to La Bella.”
    â€œI got a call from Margot. She told me that some dresses I ordered had come in.”
    â€œMargot stepped out for a while, but I’d be happy to help. Can I get your name?”
    â€œLorraine Chase.”
    â€œChase?”
    â€œThat’s right. Lorraine Chase.”
    â€œI’ll um . . . I’ll go get your things from the back.” Alex’s heart raced as she made her way to the back of the store. This can’t be John’s wife, she thought. There’s got to be more than one Lorraine Chase in Pasadena.
    She peered through the curtain separating the stock room from the rest of the store and watched curiously as the pristine redhead moved about, holding various items up to herself in front of a full-length mirror. Finding the dresses that had been set aside, Alex couldn’t resist opening the bag to check out the woman’s purchases.
    â€œSize four. Bitch.”
    Alex quickly zipped the bag back up and carried it out to the counter. The trendy female joined her, plopping down various accessories she wanted to add to her purchase; among them was the Italian scarf Alex had admired earlier. “Can I help you find anything else?”
    The woman opened her wallet to retrieve her credit card. “No. I think I have everything.”
    Alex caught a glimpse of a photograph of John that confirmed that this was indeed the Lorraine he was married to. She forced a smile and her throat constricted as she bagged the other accessories and handed the woman back the card. “Thanks for coming in. Have a nice day.”
    â€œYou too.”
    All the fantasies that Alex allowed herself to entertain with regard to John seemed to sashay out the door with his wife. Knowing that he was married was one thing. Putting a face to the life he had outside of protecting hers was quite another.
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    An hour later Alex’s coworker Margot returned. “Sorry that took me a little longer than I thought it was going to. Did Celeste ever come in?”
    â€œNot yet,” Alex responded.
    â€œDid Mrs. Chase come by?”
    â€œYes. She did indeed.”
    â€œThere wasn’t a problem was there?”
    â€œNo. No problem. She came in, got her order, bought some other pieces, and left.”
    â€œOther than that has it been very busy?”
    â€œNothing that I couldn’t handle.”
    The woman slurped the rest of her drink from its container before tossing it into a trash can behind the register. Alex finished folding a stack of assorted cashmere sweaters and announced