Miracle Mile would not be in her price range at all. Jay and his high school friends shopped there. Penny sighed. She missed Gainesville a little. At least there she fit in. Miami had two sides, not three. The rich, and then the rest of the city no one mentioned. She called up Sandra and asked, momentarily thinking she was speaking to her mother and not her rich best friend, “Who has a warehouse membership that we know? I need a mattress.”
“You are running a mile a minute, Penny.”
“Right. Sandra. I’m sorry. I’m overwhelmed and looking for a membership card to one of those stores where we buy everything in bulk. I’m just moving back.”
“Oh. We get gas there sometimes for the car. Stop at my store, take my card, and go.”
Good. Leaving her stuff and only packing two suitcases meant she had no household goods, not even her measly college stuff. But a clean breakup with no hard feelings was worth the one coffee cup she now owned. Asking Sandra for help with a mattress would be out of the question, but she’d tip someone to tie it on the top of the car. When she left all her stuff to Fernando except her clothes, she hadn’t left much. Used furniture inherited from other broke college students wouldn’t last much longer, and now with a full-time position she could start fresh with everything. Penny liked having a plan. If she had to depend on Jay or anyone else when she could do it herself, then she’d miscalculated what she could do.
Most places let you set up a monthly payment plan, so she’d stick to a budget and forge into her life.
Living with Jay, though, pushed her moving date ahead. The wind at her back along with her instincts to stay with the man couldn’t be ignored. He’d changed, and she liked what she had seen so far. Parking her car, she brushed off a little dust in her hair from the earlier ride on his bike.
Running into the boutique, she stopped short. The customers wore heels and carried designer bags. Her jeans were threaded and ripping at the bottom near the hem, and her old sneakers had no chance of ever being white again. Pulling her shoulders together, she slowed her run to a friendly stroll to the counter.
Blonde, shorthaired, petite Sandra, with a huge smile for everyone in life, put boxes down and jumped up and down, hugging her when Penny came closer.
The place was white, bridal, and expensive. Sandra bounced up, squealed, then hugged Penny for a second time. Finally, she calmed down and said, “I’ve missed you. How are you?”
Did Sandra inherit the trust fund before she turned twenty-five, like Penny had remembered? Looking at the diamond earring in her friend’s coiffed look, she could see Sandra was doing well. Penny told her, “I’m good. My life is working out. How did you afford a wedding store here? The competition for the socialites must be fierce.”
“You’re speaking to a socialite, or so everyone sees. Business is doing pretty well, and I sold my own design a few weeks ago. I’m so excited.”
“Amazing. I thought your parents were against you designing clothes.”
“They were and still are. I had my inheritance, plus Jay helped me out with financing. I’m in better financial shape than my competition and making money. Soon my own wedding dresses will be the premiere gown sold in my store.”
“Jay helped you out?”
“Yeah. He’s good with finding investors. If you need his help, ask him. He’ll help you, Penelope.”
She never wanted to ask anyone for help. Looking down to the floor, she fidgeted while she admitted, “I’m moving in with him.”
“What?”
Flinching, she hoped Sandra wasn’t thinking anything bad. She eyed the front door to escape before telling her, “Roommates only. He has a girlfriend.”
“Penelope, he’s changed— Wait.” Sandra’s phone beeped. Looking down, she told Penny, “Had. Jay dated Eva, but they broke up. She’s coming over here in less than five minutes.”
No way. This couldn’t be happening right now. She needed to get out of Sandra’s shop fast. Eva equaled drama, and Penny didn’t need to look her in the eye right now. She hadn’t told Jay to break up with her. Sandra picked up her phone to text, and Penny begged, “Please, don’t tell her about me. Let me ease into it, after I get furniture and a good night’s sleep. I don’t want to be a part of this.”
Sandra nodded when Penny’s phone beeped. She glanced down. Meet me at Tiffany’s Treasures. We need to furnish the apartment, and you’ll want some input.
Texting back, she asked him, If they don’t have anything, do you have a warehouse membership?
Yes.
She handed Sandra’s card back to her. “I’ll buy my own membership if I must today. It’s for the best. Thank you, and looking forward to Thursday.”
“Me too.”
She hugged Sandra and went back to her rental car. Tomorrow she’d get a car. At least living with Dimples meant she could use her small savings on an auto lease deposit, getting something that could last. When she worked, she’d take a portion to save up another deposit for when she moved.
Fernando, her ex-boyfriend, had lived off her savings, so not having his bills freed up some cash, too. Jay would never borrow a dime without paying her back, so she’d never have to worry about him.
Driving in the Grove was a trip back to another universe. All tourists ever saw would be this part of town and South Beach. Jay likely visited there every weekend too. Maybe the motorcycle was a new, flashy toy he’d grow tired of in a year, though his scar indicated more. Penny shook her head. She couldn’t dwell on him while she found parking.
While looking at his choices, she’d figure out what sheets she’d buy, and find out how the breakup had gone for him. Eva was an award-winning actress. Jay must have been hit with a shovel of emotions before he walked away. Penny sighed. Jay had been so good to her today,
Finding her sunglasses, she walked into the posh store.