The Wedding Circle by Ashton Lee

world around him, Barry sported a blue-green tattoo on his right forearm that read in big block letters: I’M STILL GROWIN’
    â€œMiz Peri, Mr. Place, Miz Mayhew,” Lalie began, acknowledging each of them with an exaggerated nod. “I want y’all to hear this from the horse’s mouth. Go ahead, son, tell ’em!”
    Barry said nothing at first, flashing on his mother all the while.
    â€œYou’re not goin’ anywhere until you tell ’em!” she insisted, holding firmly on to his arm.
    â€œWhat’s this all about, Lalie?” Periwinkle asked, putting her pen and paper aside for the moment and rising from the table.
    â€œHis sassy little girlfriend is what,” she answered quickly. “You tell ’em right now, Barry!”
    â€œI didn’t think it’d be such a big deal, Miz Peri. Honest,” he finally managed. “It was just one baked custard is all. I sneaked one to my girlfriend, Mollie, when she came in yesterday. I’ll pay for it myself if you want.”
    While Periwinkle seemed to take the confession without blinking, Maura Beth could not have been more surprised to hear it. She’d received nothing but glowing reports from Periwinkle about The Twinkle’s first home delivery boy. Indeed, the brand-new Twinkle in a Twinkle takeout service was catching on, and Barry Bevins was getting rave reviews from all over Greater Cherico in the form of unsolicited phone calls from satisfied customers. And so far, he had yet to run a stop sign or red light, been caught speeding, or made so much as the tiniest dent in The Twinkle’s white-panel van.
    Maura Beth sat back and marveled at the way Periwinkle skillfully handled the situation. “Well, Barry, you must be goin’ out with an invisible girlfriend because I didn’t see her in here yesterday, and my eye doctor says there’s not a thing wrong with my vision. So what’s the real story here?”
    â€œUmm . . . well, Miz Peri, Mollie came in the delivery door in back when you and Mr. Place were on a break.”
    Periwinkle raised an eyebrow. “Was this the only time you’ve helped yourself to food without telling us?”
    He appeared to be considering his options—his eyes darting around like pinballs before he finally spoke. “Well, there was one more time. But that’s all, I swear it. And please don’t blame Mollie. She didn’t ask me to do it. I was just tryin’ to impress her, I guess. But, well, she did tell me once that she’d like to try something that had sherry in it. She, uh, dares me to do things a lot.”
    â€œYou realize you can’t be sneakin’ food from the restaurant, young man. But if you’d asked, I would have worked out something for you—like maybe half price because you’re an employee.”
    â€œAre you . . . gonna fire me?” he asked, blushing bright pink and staring down at his sneakers.
    Periwinkle exchanged glances with both Maura Beth and Mr. Place but somehow managed a stern smile. “I believe in second chances because our customers have told me you’re gettin’ their food to them on time. Miz Connie McShay out at the lake swears by you.”
    Barry looked up, brightening considerably. “Yeah, she’s my biggest tipper. Same order every time—lotsa tomato aspics.”
    Periwinkle maintained her somber tone. “You understand that the second chance I’ll give you is based on no more freebies from the fridge when nobody’s around, don’tcha?”
    â€œI think you should dock him, no matter what, Miz Peri,” Lalie put in, her nose in the air. “He needs to learn him a lesson. I didn’t bring him up to steal from people, especially from someone who’s been as good to me as you have. It’s prob’ly ’cause his father and me got divorced when he was little. I’ve tried to do my best with him on my