the shopkeeper appeared.
“Can I help you?” he smiled at Helen.
“My friend is in front of me,” Helen gave him a good-natured smile and nodded towards Lily.
The shopkeeper coughed slightly, glancing at Lily before addressing Helen. “We don't serve her sort here,” he stated simply.
Both Helen and Lily's eyes widened, Lily opened her mouth but before she could say anything Helen had dumped her clothing on the desk and was squaring up to the shopkeeper, “You have something against her because she's a woman? Or 'cause she's from Florida?”
She stood with her hands on her hips, her face hardened with fury.
The shopkeeper flushed as he pointed towards a sign behind the counter stating in stark black lettering 'No Mexicans'.
“What's going on?” Adrienne asked, sauntering up to the desk with her pile of items.
“He won't serve me,” Lily said quietly trying to maintain control over her anger at the situation. Adele wandered up with Marjorie and Lucy in tow and the Bay Four women formed a protective circle around their wronged bay mate.
“How much do you make off us Avenger girls?” Helen asked narrowing her eyes. “'Cause I will guarantee that unless you apologize to my friend here and serve her, the WASP won't spend a dime in your store again.”
The impact of her words saw the rest of the women dump their items onto the counter and glare at him.
The man looked at the gathering of angry women across from him; the full rank of the Bay Four six having been quickly reinforced by others in the class yet to pay for their provisions.
Calculating the impact his next action, he plastered a smile on his face, “I'm sorry about the mix up, let me work out how much you owe.” He held out his hands for Lily to pass the clothing across, and then proceeded to tally the items on a bill pad.
Adele stood on her tiptoes and peeked over Lily's shoulder, “That's real nice of you sir, to not charge for those pants.”
The shopkeeper jerked his head up to look at the small face peering at him from behind the dark haired woman.
“As a good will gesture n'all,” she added, giving him a toothy grin.
He scowled begrudgingly as he removed the cost of Lily's slacks from her bill. Lily handed over the money and relevant pages from her ration book, trying not to laugh at the look on the man's face as she did so. She took her items now neatly wrapped in brown paper, tied with string, and leaned across the counter, “For the record, my grandfather was Cuban, not Mexican and my father was born here and fought in the Great War for the country he loves.” She gave him a final look of disgust before turning and leaving.
Still seething from the treatment that she had received, Lily closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the seat as she waited for the others in Marjorie's white Plymouth Convertible.
“You okay?” Helen tossed her clothing package into the car, swung her legs over the side of the car and dropped onto the back seat beside Lily.
“Just angry. I had hoped that with everything that's going on in the world that things might be different,” she wiped a heated tear from underneath her sunglasses resting on her cheek. “I'm just so mad,” she growled angrily.
“Things will change,” Helen rubbed her arm comfortingly. “And until they do, you've got us,” she smiled.
Lily felt her skin tingle where Helen had touched her. She placed her hand over her forearm and frowned slightly, unsure of why her body had reacted that way. The frown disappeared as she caught sight behind Helen's head of the others leaving the shop. “Thank you,” she smiled gratefully.
“I'll see you back at the base,” Helen grinned, before hopping back out of the car. Lily pulled Helen's and her own packages onto her knee to make a space for Addison and Adele for the journey back. She turned at a loud engine roar as Helen pulled up beside the convertible.
“You want to blow off some steam?” the blonde-haired woman
“Can I help you?” he smiled at Helen.
“My friend is in front of me,” Helen gave him a good-natured smile and nodded towards Lily.
The shopkeeper coughed slightly, glancing at Lily before addressing Helen. “We don't serve her sort here,” he stated simply.
Both Helen and Lily's eyes widened, Lily opened her mouth but before she could say anything Helen had dumped her clothing on the desk and was squaring up to the shopkeeper, “You have something against her because she's a woman? Or 'cause she's from Florida?”
She stood with her hands on her hips, her face hardened with fury.
The shopkeeper flushed as he pointed towards a sign behind the counter stating in stark black lettering 'No Mexicans'.
“What's going on?” Adrienne asked, sauntering up to the desk with her pile of items.
“He won't serve me,” Lily said quietly trying to maintain control over her anger at the situation. Adele wandered up with Marjorie and Lucy in tow and the Bay Four women formed a protective circle around their wronged bay mate.
“How much do you make off us Avenger girls?” Helen asked narrowing her eyes. “'Cause I will guarantee that unless you apologize to my friend here and serve her, the WASP won't spend a dime in your store again.”
The impact of her words saw the rest of the women dump their items onto the counter and glare at him.
The man looked at the gathering of angry women across from him; the full rank of the Bay Four six having been quickly reinforced by others in the class yet to pay for their provisions.
Calculating the impact his next action, he plastered a smile on his face, “I'm sorry about the mix up, let me work out how much you owe.” He held out his hands for Lily to pass the clothing across, and then proceeded to tally the items on a bill pad.
Adele stood on her tiptoes and peeked over Lily's shoulder, “That's real nice of you sir, to not charge for those pants.”
The shopkeeper jerked his head up to look at the small face peering at him from behind the dark haired woman.
“As a good will gesture n'all,” she added, giving him a toothy grin.
He scowled begrudgingly as he removed the cost of Lily's slacks from her bill. Lily handed over the money and relevant pages from her ration book, trying not to laugh at the look on the man's face as she did so. She took her items now neatly wrapped in brown paper, tied with string, and leaned across the counter, “For the record, my grandfather was Cuban, not Mexican and my father was born here and fought in the Great War for the country he loves.” She gave him a final look of disgust before turning and leaving.
Still seething from the treatment that she had received, Lily closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the seat as she waited for the others in Marjorie's white Plymouth Convertible.
“You okay?” Helen tossed her clothing package into the car, swung her legs over the side of the car and dropped onto the back seat beside Lily.
“Just angry. I had hoped that with everything that's going on in the world that things might be different,” she wiped a heated tear from underneath her sunglasses resting on her cheek. “I'm just so mad,” she growled angrily.
“Things will change,” Helen rubbed her arm comfortingly. “And until they do, you've got us,” she smiled.
Lily felt her skin tingle where Helen had touched her. She placed her hand over her forearm and frowned slightly, unsure of why her body had reacted that way. The frown disappeared as she caught sight behind Helen's head of the others leaving the shop. “Thank you,” she smiled gratefully.
“I'll see you back at the base,” Helen grinned, before hopping back out of the car. Lily pulled Helen's and her own packages onto her knee to make a space for Addison and Adele for the journey back. She turned at a loud engine roar as Helen pulled up beside the convertible.
“You want to blow off some steam?” the blonde-haired woman
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