Unexpected kindness
1548 Words
(Mira)
I woke up to someone knocking on my door. Again.
For a second, I thought it was Tyler. My heart started racing before I remembered where I was. Crosswell. The Spoke. Not there anymore.
"Mira!" Harlow's voice came through the door. "I know you're in there. Open up!"
I got out of bed and unlocked the door. Harlow stood there with two coffee cups and a huge smile.
"Good morning!" she said, pushing past me into the room. "I brought caffeine and a proposition."
"It's eight in the morning."
"I know. Perfect time for shopping." She handed me a coffee. "Get dressed. We're going to the mall."
"I have to work later."
"Not until five. Hank told me. So we have plenty of time." She sat on my bed like she owned the place. "Come on. It'll be fun."
"I don't have money for shopping."
"That's okay. I do."
"Harlow, I can't let you buy me stuff."
"Sure you can. I have a closet full of clothes I never wear. You'd actually be doing me a favor by letting me buy you things so I feel less guilty about my shopping addiction."
I almost smiled. "That doesn't make any sense."
"It doesn't have to make sense. It just has to get you to say yes." She took a sip of her coffee. "Besides, you need more than three shirts. And those jeans have seen better days."
She wasn't wrong. Everything I owned was falling apart or stained from work.
"I can't afford to pay you back right now," I said.
"I don't want you to pay me back."
"Harlow."
"Mira." She stood up. "Look, I know we just met. But I like you. And I haven't had a real friend in this town in forever. Everyone here has known me since I was five. They still see me as the little rich girl who cried when she fell off her bike. You're different. You don't know anything about me except what I've told you. So please, let me take you shopping. As friends."
I wanted to say no. I'd learned a long time ago not to accept gifts from people. There were always strings attached.
But Harlow seemed genuine. And I really did need clothes.
"Fine," I said. "But nothing crazy expensive."
"Define crazy expensive."
"Harlow."
"Kidding. Mostly." She grinned. "Get dressed. Wear something comfortable. We're going to be walking a lot."
She left and I got ready. Put on my least worn jeans and a black tee. Pulled my hair back in a ponytail. Looked at myself in the mirror.
My hair was lighter than I wanted it. I'd dyed it blonde a few months ago thinking it would help me blend in. But now I just looked washed out.
When I went downstairs, Harlow was waiting by her car. A nice SUV that probably cost more than I'd make in five years.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Yeah."
We drove to a mall two towns over. Bigger than anything Crosswell had. Harlow parked near the entrance and we walked in.
"So," she said as we passed the first few stores. "Where do you want to start?"
"I don't know. Wherever's cheapest?"
She laughed. "We're not going to the cheapest stores. We're going to the good stores. The ones with quality stuff that'll last."
"Harlow, seriously, I don't want you spending a lot of money on me."
"Too bad. I'm spending it whether you like it or not." She stopped in front of a clothing store. "This one first."
Inside, everything looked expensive. The kind of place where a single shirt cost what I used to make in a day.
"Pick out whatever you want," Harlow said. "And I mean whatever. Don't look at price tags."
"I have to look at price tags."
"No, you don't. Because I'm paying." She pulled out a black card from her wallet. "See this? Millions on it. And I'm dying to go shopping. So please, for the love of everything, let me buy you some clothes."
I stared at the card. Millions. She said it like it was nothing.
"Harlow."
"Mira. Please. I'm begging you." She actually looked like she might get on her knees. "I haven't been shopping in weeks and I'm going through withdrawal. Help a girl out."
I sighed. "Fine. But I'm paying you back."
"No, you're not."
"Yes, I am."
"We'll argue about that later." She waved me off. "Now go pick out clothes. I'm thinking jeans, shirts, maybe a dress or two."
"I don't need dresses."
"Everyone needs dresses."
I started looking through the racks. Found a few pairs of jeans that actually fit. Some tees that weren't stained or worn. A sweater that looked warm.
Harlow kept adding things to the pile. More than I would have picked myself.
"This would look great on you," she said, holding up a dark green shirt.
"It's nice."
"So get it."
By the time we were done in that store, I had two bags full of clothes. Harlow paid without even looking at the total.
"Next store," she said.
"Harlow, this is already too much."
"Nonsense. You need shoes. And a jacket. It gets cold here in the winter."
We went to three more stores. Each time, Harlow insisted on buying more than I needed. I tried to argue but she just ignored me.
"You know," she said as we sat down for lunch in the food court. "You never talk about yourself."
"There's not much to talk about."
"I don't believe that. Everyone has a story."
"Mine's not very interesting."
"Try me."
I picked at my salad. "I'm just a girl who needed a fresh start. That's all."
"Running from something?"
I looked up at her. She wasn't judging. Just asking.
"Yeah," I said. "Something like that."
"Does Ridge know?"
"Some of it."
Harlow nodded. "He's good at keeping people safe. If you're in trouble, he'll help."
"I don't need help."
"Everyone needs help sometimes." She took a bite of her sandwich. "But I get it. You're not ready to talk about it. That's okay. Just know that when you are, I'm here."
"Thanks."
We finished eating and went to one more store. This time for basic stuff. Socks, underwear, things I actually needed.
On the way back to the car, I said, "I'm thinking about dyeing my hair."
Harlow's eyes lit up. "Really? What color?"
"Darker brown. Closer to what it used to be."
"Oh my god, yes. We should do it today. I know a great salon."
"I was just going to buy a box dye and do it myself."
"Absolutely not. You're going to a professional." She was already pulling out her phone. "I'm calling right now."
"Harlow, I can't afford a salon."
"Good thing I can." She put the phone to her ear. "Hi, this is Harlow Dalton. I need an appointment for my sister in law today. Hair color. Can you fit us in?"
I froze. "Your what?"
Harlow waved me off, still talking on the phone. "Great. We'll be there in twenty minutes. Thanks."
She hung up.
"What did you just call me?" I asked.
"What?"
"You said sister in law."
"Did I?" She looked confused for a second, then laughed. "Oh, I meant sister. Like, you're like a sister to me. You know, because we're friends."
"That's not what you said."
"Well, that's what I meant." She unlocked the car. "Come on. We don't want to be late."
I got in the car, but something about the way she'd said it bothered me. Sister in law. That's what you called your brother's wife.
Or in MC terms, your brother's old lady.
Harlow drove to a salon in the next town over. Fancy place with marble floors and expensive looking chairs.
"Harlow, this is too much," I said.
"It's hair dye. Relax." She pushed me toward the receptionist. "She needs a color. Darker brown. Make her look amazing."
The stylist took me back and we picked out a color. Rich, dark brown that looked more like me than the blonde ever had.
Two hours later, I looked in the mirror and barely recognized myself. The brown made my eyes stand out. Made me look less like someone running and more like someone who belonged somewhere.
"You look beautiful," Harlow said.
"It's just hair."
"It's not just hair. It's a fresh start." She paid the stylist and we headed back to Crosswell.
On the drive home, she said, "Ridge is going to lose his mind when he sees you."
"I don't care what Ridge thinks."
"Liar."
"I'm not."
"You so are." She grinned. "But that's okay. You'll figure it out."
"There's nothing to figure out."
"Keep telling yourself that."
When we got back to The Spoke, Harlow helped me carry all the bags upstairs.
"Thank you," I said. "For everything. I really will pay you back."
"You really won't." She hugged me. "Now go get ready for work. And wear one of your new shirts. The green one."
She left and I stood there surrounded by shopping bags. More clothes than I'd owned in years. All because someone decided to be nice to me.
I didn't know what to do with that.
Maybe staying here wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
- Writer
