“Well, now that you’re in a better mood, how about we take a quick stroll back through one or two of the outlet stores in Wrentham on our way home?”
“That’s not on the way home.”
“There’s a really cute Fendi bag at Sak’s that I saw. I have to have it.” She looked at me with big puppy dog eyes, batting them at me until I consented.
“I guess I could sleep on the way.” I was too exhausted to argue. Besides, Courtney really wanted to go and I had promised we would stay out the entire day. As crazy as it was, it had become a family holiday custom, something the Buckley girls did every season. It was a way for us to keep Mom alive in our memories and create some new ones with each other.
I was really in no hurry to get back home, anyway. David was off, and he would probably be sitting in front of the TV, watching college football previews on ESPN, drinking beer and waiting for me to come home to have sex. I already had an excuse ready to tell him about having a headache and being tired from shopping all day. He would just ask me if it was my period and I would say no, wanting to save that excuse for the next time he tried to seduce me.
We paused just inside the main entrance to button our coats and put on our gloves before exiting the mall. It had stopped snowing, but a light dusting coated the ground.
It really did look pretty.
****
The Wrentham Outlets were still jammed when we returned, and we had to park a good distance from Sak’s and walk over. Courtney quickly got the bag she wanted and we headed back to the car. As we neared the end of the plaza, I noticed a small shop sandwiched in between The Body Shop and Perry Ellis. At first, I thought it was an arts and crafts store. On display in the windows were what appeared to be dolls of some kind. They looked somewhat like Tiki idols or African figurines, brightly colored and exotic.
Whatever they were, they caught my eye. And more. There was something about the dolls that I found oddly sensual. I was starting to feel the way I did when I was in the shower earlier. My heart rate increased and my nipples became erect. They just sprang to attention like those pop-up turkey timers.
Self-conscious, and a bit uncomfortable, I pulled the front of my jacket out to try to alleviate the pressure on my sensitive breasts and looked toward my sister with guilt. I only realized that I had stopped walking when I saw that Courtney was five paces in front of me. She was still talking about her bag, and when she discovered that I was no longer alongside her, she turned around to find me standing in front of the store window staring at the dolls.
“What the hell are those things?” she asked, stepping next to me. “I don’t remember seeing this place when we were here earlier.”
“Me either.” I was unable to look away from the dolls on display.
“You want to go in?” Courtney asked, but I had already started forward.
There was no sign on the door or in the small front window to identify the name of the store or its product line. The interior was almost completely dark, only a dim light somewhere deep inside, too faint to see much of anything. The shop appeared closed, and for a reason that I did not understand I felt a deep disappointment, curiously similar to the way I did when Gossip Girl was cancelled.
My thoughts were all over the place, unfocused. What was going on in my mind and my body did not make a whole lot of sense. There was clearly something unusual happening, but it didn’t worry me. Then I noticed that the door was slightly ajar. It was barely cracked open, but it was enough. It was like an invitation. I was being drawn in, and I didn’t think I could stop myself from entering if I tried. I pushed the door open and took one step inside, then another, followed closely behind by my sister. My olfactory senses were assailed by a pungent, earthy aroma that was somewhat familiar, but I could not quite place it at first. On either side of the door were tall stacks of folded packing boxes. “Is that weed?” Courtney asked, sniffing the
air. “Is this one of those head shops?”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “Hemp, maybe.” It
was a musky smell. Hot, sweaty, passionate sex was what came to mind. I wisely kept these thoughts to myself, however. My sister would have a field day if I had revealed that to her.
The display cases and shelves around the room contained more of those colorful, strange dolls. Some were frightfully masked and costumed, but at the same time they were quite alluring. Many of them resembled animals and birds. And every single one was unique, ranging in size from a couple inches to no more than a foot in height. Some of them were secured behind protective glass, others were out in the open, mounted on wall hooks and reclining on countertop display stands.
“Um Waynuma.”
The words were unintelligible, but the voice was deep and sensual. I didn’t see anyone standing behind the counter until I turned and saw a tall, strikingly attractive Native American man with high cheekbones and dark hair and skin. His eyes, the color of cocoa beans, radiated a warmth and depth that was mesmerizing. He was wearing black jeans and a tight, lace-up cowhide shirt that clung to his arms and torso like a second skin, barely able to contain the thick rippling muscles underneath. The leather lacing was loose near the top and the shirt was open, exposing a swatch of dark chest hair.
“Wow!” Courtney whispered so only I could hear her.
If my nipples could talk, they would have said the same thing because they suddenly perked up again.