Jillian Chantal

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After Levi and my grandad debated which apostle was on the spoon and couldn’t reach a consensus, Levi left with a promise to Grandad to do some research on that as well as the research he’d already committed to helping me with.

Grandma got home almost soon enough to have passed Levi in the driveway. I stayed and chatted for a while but took my leave within about twenty minutes of Levi.

I stopped at Walgreens on the way home as I remembered I was almost out of toothpaste and I wouldn’t have time the rest of the week to do much for myself until that reception for the visiting Spanish dignitaries was over. My boss was a prime jerk as well as a perfectionist so I knew what my week would be in advance. If I didn’t need to keep working this job in order to make my resume look better, I’d quit. Sadly, in this day and age, leaving a job after less than a year was frowned upon. It made one look like they were hard to get along with. Even if the boss was an utter jerk, it would look like sour grapes to have to explain to a prospective employer that you left a job because the boss was an ass. They might wonder what I might say about them someday. And of course, this politician I worked for would put on the charm campaign if the prospective employer called him for a reference. So, for now, I stay where I am.

All this was running through my mind as I walked toward the oral care aisle. I might as well grab mouthwash while I’m here. I glanced down toward that part of the aisle.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough to see that coming toward me was exactly who I didn’t want to see. Annette.

Too late to duck to the dog food aisle and hide behind a jumbo bag of kibble, I had no choice but to acknowledge her.

Not wanting to lead off with, “Oh, congrats on not being in jail,” instead, I said, “I popped in for toothpaste. What’s your Sunday afternoon pharmacy emergency?”

“Oh, so you’re going to play it like that?”

Okay so the girl is still unstable and ready for a fight. Trying to keep her on an even keel, I shook my head slightly. “I’m not playing around. I just asked a question. Sorry you’re still angry at me for some reason. I’ll let you get on with it.” I indicated the Colgate section just past where she stood at the Crest section. “Let me grab this and I’ll get out of your way.”

She reached for my arm, but I twirled away from her, pulling my body out of her reach. “You’re in enough trouble so I suggest you keep your hands to yourself.”