“You always get something out of it, honey,” she says. “But it’s usually not enough to jump up and down about, believe me.”

“And your name is?”

“Orange Blossom. And, yes, it’s my real name. My mama was tripping, like so many others. But here’s my card,” she says as we take my things over to the counter and she wraps them in layers of orange-and-gold tissue paper and even puts some kind of little twigs with buds on the end inside the bag. I look at her card. Her last name is Snipes. Of course I wouldn’t dare ask if she’s any relation to Wesley. She doesn’t look like she could be. Oh, who cares? She walks around the counter and gives me my bag. “You’ll be hearing from me soon, Orange Blossom. Do you have a deadline or anything?”

“It’s June now. I’ll be okay until about October, November on the outside. By then I might have to start sending some of this stuff back.”

I scrunch up my shoulders. “Okay. Give me a general idea of how much we’re talking about? Just an approximate, vague idea?”

“Between sixty to seventy and you’re in like Flynn.”

My shoulders drop and I turn back to look at her. “Thousand?”

“Yes. It’s a lot for most folks,” she says.

“It is.” However, I feel like saying that cliché, “I’ll be back,” but I don’t. “Well, I hope we can talk more about this real soon.”

“Whenever you’re ready. In the meantime, do come back. Let’s have lunch or dinner or something. Do you work out?”

“I do, although I haven’t in weeks, but I’m dying to get back to the gym.”

“Then let’s do it. Regardless of what happens. Just so you know, my lawyer and accountant will be happy to show you our profit-and-loss statements for the last five years.”

“You’ve been here for five years?”

“Been in business for five, but in this space three and a half years. We outgrew our other store. Business is good. I love what I do, which is another reason why I don’t want to give it up. This store was my first baby.”

“Did you ever have a second?”

“Nope. Probably too late for that now.”

“You look like you’re about my age.”

“Which would be?”

“Thirty-five.”

“Try forty-five.”

“I want to go to your gym,” I say, and we both laugh. I’m one step away from jumping up and down and kicking up my heels when I get outside. Just the thought of actually doing something like this is enough to get my adrenaline going. I do have about twenty to twenty-five thousand in stock, thanks to old Georgie Porgie, and depending on what kind of settlement I get, who knows? But I’m not going to take this too far. Not right now. Even still. I mean, what are the odds of me running into an opportunity like this? And why today of all days? I feel like running back down to Zina and giving her a big hug.