MELANIE
"Hello, wanderer."
"Aaaaaah!" Mel slapped a hand against her chest. Her heart pounded furiously. "You scared the hell out of me!"
The woman laughed. "I was standing right here when you ran inside. Are you hiding from an ex-lover?"
"Worse," said Melanie. "A man who believes in fate."
"You cannot hide from fate."
The sale associate's accent was … French? Melanie wasn't sure. But did it matter? She was discombobulated enough by her encounter with Destiny Dude.
Melanie took in the petite woman who stood next to her. She was pretty. Her brown hair tucked into an elegant up-do. Sleek black dress. Nude stockings. She wore Sensible, but expensive, high heels in the same teal color as the storefront. She wore a ring, too.
"Is that like the one in the window display?" asked Melanie.
