Christmas, not practical. “I guess not, though.” She wished again for the ribboned cashmere. It had been such a find. The thrift stores up the coast were sporadic treasure troves.
“Ah, this one.” The woman held out a long winter-white mohair. “This was Amanda Bier’s, special order from Saks. I’ll swear she only wore it once. She’s dreadful in white. But with your height and coloring …”
Alessi gathered the sweater into her hands. Soft as the goats it came from. “Do you have a changing room?”
The woman brought her to the back and flipped the light switch on in a tiny booth with a wavy mirror slanting to the left. Alessi closed the door and pulled off her shirt. This pearl-dotted white one rivaled her ribboned favorite. Probably even better quality, certainly less wear. She pulled the mohair over her head and let it fall.
“How’s it looking?” Granny asked outside the door.
“It’s really nice.” Amanda Bier might not look good in white, but she did. She flipped over the tag dangling from the sleeve and sighed. $39.99. She should have checked before she tried it.
“Let’s have a look,” Granny said.
Alessi opened the door.
“Oh.” The woman clasped her hands. “It’s perfect.”
“It’s really pretty. But I don’t have that much money.”
“Amanda paid almost two hundred dollars for it new.”
Alessi nodded. “I’m sure it’s worth your price, but I need something under ten dollars.” She’d part with half the windfall from Steve’s pocket, but not all. He hadn’t even said what he’d pay her for working the store. Maybe he didn’t mean to pay her at all—just let her stay there.
Granny tapped her chin with a finger. She looked into Alessi’s face, then down at the tag. “Oh, it’s a green tag? That’s fifty percent off.”
Alessi hadn’t seen anything about a green-tag sale, but that did make a difference. Unfortunately not enough. She groaned softly. All Steve’s money. Her whole windfall.
Granny flicked a fleck of lint from the sleeve. “That’s only twenty dollars, a steal for that quality.”
It was true, and she’d be tempted under other circumstances. She knew a good thing when she found one. She sighed. “I’d sure like to say yes. But my purse was stolen with my car, and I only have twenty dollars to my name. Do you have anything under ten?” Alessi absently petted the softness of the sleeve.
Granny’s features shifted. “All right, you can have it for ten since you’re new in town. And Amanda doesn’t need the money.”
Alessi wrapped herself in her arms. “Wow. That’s great. Are you sure?”
The woman adjusted the shoulder. “It’s a very nice sweater. But Amanda’s things always linger.”
Alessi could not imagine why, but she sure was glad.
“I’m Stacie, by the way. Since we’re neighbors, by shops at least.” Alessi held out her hand. “Alessi Moore.”
“Well, Alessi, you have the long waist to do that sweater justice. Do you want to wear it or sack it?”
Again Alessi petted her arms. “I’ll just keep it on.” She ducked into the changing room and scooped up her old shirt and Steve’s jacket. She paid for the sweater and smiled hugely. “Thank you so much.”
“I’ll bag that other for you.” Stacie tucked Alessi’s shirt into a sack. “Tell Steve hello.”
Alessi noted the gold-and-diamond band on Stacie’s hand. “I’ll tell him.” She scooted back out to the snow falling in earnest. Stacie certainly had the Christmas spirit, and Alessi found a kindling of her own. She turned her face up, recapturing some of yesterday’s wonder, and nearly walked into a heavyset man with a paper bag. “Excuse me. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
He said nothing, just scowled as he passed her by. Scrooge. “Are there no work-houses, no prisons,” she mouthed after him. Then almost as if he’d heard her, he turned and mumbled, “Pardon me.”
She gave him a wave and went back into the bookstore,
“Ah, this one.” The woman held out a long winter-white mohair. “This was Amanda Bier’s, special order from Saks. I’ll swear she only wore it once. She’s dreadful in white. But with your height and coloring …”
Alessi gathered the sweater into her hands. Soft as the goats it came from. “Do you have a changing room?”
The woman brought her to the back and flipped the light switch on in a tiny booth with a wavy mirror slanting to the left. Alessi closed the door and pulled off her shirt. This pearl-dotted white one rivaled her ribboned favorite. Probably even better quality, certainly less wear. She pulled the mohair over her head and let it fall.
“How’s it looking?” Granny asked outside the door.
“It’s really nice.” Amanda Bier might not look good in white, but she did. She flipped over the tag dangling from the sleeve and sighed. $39.99. She should have checked before she tried it.
“Let’s have a look,” Granny said.
Alessi opened the door.
“Oh.” The woman clasped her hands. “It’s perfect.”
“It’s really pretty. But I don’t have that much money.”
“Amanda paid almost two hundred dollars for it new.”
Alessi nodded. “I’m sure it’s worth your price, but I need something under ten dollars.” She’d part with half the windfall from Steve’s pocket, but not all. He hadn’t even said what he’d pay her for working the store. Maybe he didn’t mean to pay her at all—just let her stay there.
Granny tapped her chin with a finger. She looked into Alessi’s face, then down at the tag. “Oh, it’s a green tag? That’s fifty percent off.”
Alessi hadn’t seen anything about a green-tag sale, but that did make a difference. Unfortunately not enough. She groaned softly. All Steve’s money. Her whole windfall.
Granny flicked a fleck of lint from the sleeve. “That’s only twenty dollars, a steal for that quality.”
It was true, and she’d be tempted under other circumstances. She knew a good thing when she found one. She sighed. “I’d sure like to say yes. But my purse was stolen with my car, and I only have twenty dollars to my name. Do you have anything under ten?” Alessi absently petted the softness of the sleeve.
Granny’s features shifted. “All right, you can have it for ten since you’re new in town. And Amanda doesn’t need the money.”
Alessi wrapped herself in her arms. “Wow. That’s great. Are you sure?”
The woman adjusted the shoulder. “It’s a very nice sweater. But Amanda’s things always linger.”
Alessi could not imagine why, but she sure was glad.
“I’m Stacie, by the way. Since we’re neighbors, by shops at least.” Alessi held out her hand. “Alessi Moore.”
“Well, Alessi, you have the long waist to do that sweater justice. Do you want to wear it or sack it?”
Again Alessi petted her arms. “I’ll just keep it on.” She ducked into the changing room and scooped up her old shirt and Steve’s jacket. She paid for the sweater and smiled hugely. “Thank you so much.”
“I’ll bag that other for you.” Stacie tucked Alessi’s shirt into a sack. “Tell Steve hello.”
Alessi noted the gold-and-diamond band on Stacie’s hand. “I’ll tell him.” She scooted back out to the snow falling in earnest. Stacie certainly had the Christmas spirit, and Alessi found a kindling of her own. She turned her face up, recapturing some of yesterday’s wonder, and nearly walked into a heavyset man with a paper bag. “Excuse me. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
He said nothing, just scowled as he passed her by. Scrooge. “Are there no work-houses, no prisons,” she mouthed after him. Then almost as if he’d heard her, he turned and mumbled, “Pardon me.”
She gave him a wave and went back into the bookstore,
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