Chapter 3 - staying with the kendricks: part 2

9.
"If you don't watch it with those cupcakes that dress won't stay loose on you much longer." Annie teased.

She and Faye were lounging behind the counter in the front room of the bakery. Lazily watching the street outside, waiting in case somebody might happen by who was in need of a pastry or a loaf of bread.

Looking up for a moment from the sweet treat she'd been munching her way through, her third for the day, Faye furrowed her brow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing," Annie chirped. "You really like those things, don't you?"

"Well yeah, they're pretty delicious," said Faye, an indulgent little smile on her face as she once again dug her teeth into her tasty frosted treat.

"A little too delicious," said Annie, frowning as she put a hand to her own squishy midriff. "If you're not careful you'll end up just like my mom."

Her mouth full Faye responded only by furrowing her brow and pursing her lips, forming an expression that made it clear she hadn't the slightest clue what the other girl was talking about.

Deciding to let the subject drop Annie, for want of anything better to do, found herself studying Faye. Taken up with her cupcake the hungry girl failed to notice as she was quietly scrutinized.

Annie wasn't at all sure what to make of the strange girl. Though undoubtedly beautiful Faye was thinner than anybody she had ever seen. She did not look undernourished but seemed rather to be of an unusually slight build.

Considering that she'd found herself forced to drape her undersized body in one of Annie's dresses it was safe to assume she didn't have many of her own. The only thing on her that seemed truly to belong to her was the strange ring that she wore on the fourth finger of her left hand. Made from a pale, gleaming, white metal and inscribed with a strange cursive symbol it was unlike any piece of jewellery Annie had ever seen.

She was about to ask about it when suddenly the tinkle of a bell signalled to her that a customer had just walked through the door. Straightening up she saw on the other side of the counter a pair of familiar women.

One, tall, slender, and in her late forties, was draped in an elegant, and obviously expensive, coat. She had on her head a majestic hat and on her countenance a look haughty enough to match it.

The other, obviously the older woman's daughter, was about Annie's age, a teen girl with golden locks and bight blue eyes. Her expression, a bored pout, was every bit as haughty as her mother's, yet there was in her eyes a hint of a mischievous twinkle.

"Mrs. Kincaid," said Annie, straightening her back. "What'll it be today?"

"We are having guests over this evening," said the older woman, effortlessly enunciating every syllable as if it was the most natural thing in all the world. "We shall need some sort of desert."

"Very well Mrs. Kincaid," said Annie. "We've got just the thing."

As Annie turned around to pick out a cake for Mrs. Kincaid the woman's gaze fell upon Faye, who was still happily munching on her cupcake, seemingly oblivious to the world around her.

"I don't believe I've seen you here before," she said, reaching out a hand. "I'm Caroline, and this-" she gestured to the bored-looking girl standing beside her "-is my daughter Leticia."

Having taken a moment to quite notice what was happening around her Faye, slowly and carefully, took Mrs. Kincaid's hand in her own.

"I'm Faye," she said, softly, seemingly a little unsure about this strange new woman.

"She's a guest of ours," said Annie; "probably just staying for a couple of days."

"Is that so," asked Mrs. Kincaid.

"Yeah, I guess..." said Faye, a thoughtful frown suddenly clouding her face.

Having stopped a moment to study the slender girl Mrs. Kincaid startled Faye by suddenly pulling at the loose fabric of the dress she'd borrowed from Annie.

"I hope you don't mind my saying so dear, but you really need to get yourself some better clothes. This rag isn't good on you at all. You need something that flatters your slender figure. This looks like it was made for an elephant."

At that Annie found herself stumbling, losing her grip for a moment her eyes grew wide as the cake she'd just taken off the shelf for Mrs. Kincaid flew out of her hands.

She could hardly see what happened next. Faye, whispering a word Annie did not understand, seemed almost to move faster than anybody could make out. In one swift, graceful swoop she'd gotten to her feet and grabbed the cake just in time to stop it being smattered on the floor.

"Here you go," she said, a helpful smile on her face as she put the cake down on the counter, perfectly unharmed.

"Thank you dear," beamed Mrs. Kincaid. "You certainly are a swift-footed girl. As for you," she said, turning towards Annie; "do try to keep your balance in check."

Having paid for her cake Mrs. Caroline Kincaid turned and walked out the bakery door. Her daughter did not follow her. Telling her mother that she'd catch up she turned instead towards Annie.

"I figured I'd better give you this," said Leticia, her bored frown turning into a smile as she handed a flyer over to Annie. "You'll come, won't you?"

"Maybe," said Annie, grinning as she took the flyer.

"Harry will be there," said Leticia, suggestively arching one of her elegant eyebrows.

"Well alright," said Annie, her grin growing wider. "I guess I might be able to make it."

"I though as much." Leticia smirked. "You can have one too," she said, shoving another flyer out towards Faye. "I'm sure you'd be very popular."

"Well, thanks, I guess," said Faye, a confused look on her face as she took the strange piece of paper.

"So, what is this exactly?" Faye asked as soon as Leticia had walked out the door.

"An invitation," answered Annie; "looks like Lettie's going to have a party."

"A party?"

"Yeah, you know, a to-do with lots of people, lots of music, lots of drinking, and lots of dancing."

"Sound fun, I guess," said Faye, glancing at the flyer. "Maybe I should go too."

"If you're still here by then," said Annie. "How long are you planning to stay anyways? Do you have any idea where you'll be going next?"

"Where I'll be going next," said Faye, raising one thoughtful eyebrow.

"Well, yeah. You said you were travelling, right? That must mean you're going somewhere."

At that Faye paused.

"I, well... I don't really know." she said, softly.