Mid day. Nail Salon. Middle of nowhere. Two wall mounted TVs are playing The Holiday starring Cameron Diaz and Jude Law. The volume blasts from both TV’s making the dialogue repeat and answer itself.
Cameron: l'm not going to fall in love with you, l promise.
Jude: Okay. Nicely put. Thank you.
Cameron: No, it's just that l know myself. l'm not sure l even can fall in love. Not like the way other people do. How's that for something to admit?
Jude: Well, like l said, Most lnteresting Girl Award.
Amanda: l'm gonna try to see that as a compliment.
Graham: You should. Absolutely.
The nail shop owner is an attractive chinese american women in her mid 30’s. Flames on her nails.
The customer who sits across from her is a white woman in her 50’s. Curled bangs and a floral dress. Cool as hell. These are the type of women who’ve seen a deer carcass or two, hanging from trees in the yard, while carrying on conversations on landlines, not giving a fuck.
“What color, beige or green?”
“Beige.”
“You want number 17 then—I just moved into a new place in Loyd, in the village.”
“You mean in town?”
“Yeah.”
“How many bedrooms you got?”
“Two.”
“Who do you live with?”
“No one. Jason splits his time.”
“What did Joe say when you left?”
“Nothing.”
“You still talking to your man?”
“Yeah. But we have too much baggage.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I'm in love.”
“Is he?”
“Yeah.”
“But he has too much baggage to come out.”
As if the baggage was blocking the door and he couldn’t get to her, or himself etc.
“To come out?”
“Yeah, it's crazy. It's like what are we even.”
She takes a minute and answers her own question.
“Just two people who are in love I guess.”
“You're funny.”
“Joe knows.”
“How?”
“I don't know. People told him or he saw us when we were out.”
“Who told him?”
“I don't know, people at his work. Joe said he knows where he lives and where he works.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Why don't people mind their own Goddamn business?”
“I mean, we don't.”
“True.”
“But we don't go gossipping about it.”
Phone rings.
Owner answer’s.
“Love depot.”
(When I drove home, I saw a baby mountain lion cross the road in my rear lights. The car behind me almost hit her. I don’t want anything horrible to happen anymore.)
