“Have you ever watched American Idol auditions? Tell me, with a hundred percent honesty, that you don’t think some of them are bad.” He knew she couldn’t, no one could admit that. “You have bad neighbours? I haven’t had any negative interactions with mine, so I think I’m safe for now, but I’ll be careful not to sound like a donkey if I ever feel like belting a ballad,” he said with a light chuckle. Her words were true, neighbours were always judging and Ethan was guilty of that. It didn’t help that he lived in an apartment complex with relatively thin walls. Though he kept to himself, he judged his neighbours on a daily basis. “Ice Hockey,” he replied without skipping a beat. “Playing and supporting, it runs in our blood, well at least mine anyway.” Not everyone in his family played though, but the non-players could be counted on one hand.
“Nope,” he shook his head, confirming her words, “You haven’t scared me away.” He didn’t have favourite shops, mostly because nothing else his attention longer than it’s function, once something served his purpose he would be on his way, but he knew he would frequent Wood Wick, blame the fragrance or the easy conversation, this place would see his face more than others. “Neither do I, though my siblings do love to point out my errors, but that’s just siblings for you. If someone else were to do it, it wouldn’t be as funny.” Her words struck a cord with him and he nodded along as she spoke, his life was far from perfect and to be reminded of them would only make him feel more guilty. “You do it well,” he added with a smile. “For someone not musically inclined, I sell music.” When the irony hit him, he couldn’t help but laugh, “I work at Capsule Records.”
“I think my wallet would hate me if I took that encouragement.” It already hated him for this early Christmas shopping roll he was on. “It’s tempting, but it would get too much I think.” He shook his head and declined that idea as politely as she could. If he had something that was a constant reminder of home, he would up and leave. Ethan was sure of that. “Canada, specifically Toronto. Have you been up north?” Though homesickness was very much a thing, Ethan stayed put. Only a year had passed since settling in Newport, he didn’t want to give up and head home before he fully adjusted to this life. “This is less overpowering than the last one, and she is a big reader, so this will go down well,” he said with a firm nod. “It is and I think he knows it too. That’s why he doesn’t put any effort anymore.” Maybe Ethan should get his brother something nice, it might be a wake up call.
Her lips parted, ready to let him know that said thought had never crossed her mind but before she could let a word out she pressed her lips together to create a thin line. "Some are not the best," she said, still refusing to admit that some auditions were bad, very bad. "Who hasn't?" Harlow had lived in many places and she'd met nice people and some not so nice. Unfortunately, she'd also had her fair share of bad neighbors. "Don't let them stop you from belting out a tune in the shower. We already live in a messed up world to let bad neighbors put us down during a moment that should be peaceful," she added, a smile still clung to her lips. His response surprised her, in a good way, given her own family was not very athletic she never thought that sports could run in someone's blood. "I've only been to an ice hockey match and it was great, I didn't understand a thing but I enjoyed it. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting it to be so... rough? I'm pretty sure I saw a guy spitting a tooth."
Her head leaned forward in agreement, a smile playing on her lips. "That's so true. They are our worst critics but you know it comes out of love so it's not really hurtful, at least not most of the time." She still could remember how her dreams of becoming the next Van Gogh came to an abrupt end when her sibling told her she couldn't paint a tree. "Thank you. Who would have said that selling candles was my secret skill?" A good-humored shrug decorated her shoulders as a rumble of a chuckle nestled in her chest. "Uh, very ironic. So, why did you pick a record store?" The same could be asked to her, why a candle store? Truth to be told, it was the first job she found and the pay wasn't bad. If she didn't move every month or so, she would have a big record collection. She had been tempted to enter Capsule Records but resisted the urge because she knew she would end up buying something she wouldn't take to her next destination. "I know the store, I've seen it from the outside but I've never dared to go inside."
"I shouldn't say this but candles in this store are very expensive, so I don't blame you for taking such a decision." Before working here, Harlow believed candles cost a couple of bucks but when she walked into the store and saw some of the prices, her jaw dropped. "Also you don't really need more than one candle, well, unless you want a different scent for each day of the week." Many people that came to the store had one candle for each mood. Harlow nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I lived there for about four months. I visited Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and Nova Scotia. It's an amazing country and I guess the stereotypes are right and everyone is very polite, well, most people were. I'd love to go back and visit some other cities." After over a decade of living abroad, Harlow had learned to tame her homesickness, although there were times here and there that she was still struck by it. "It's a very effective scent because every time I smell it all I want is to read a book," she added. "Maybe you could get him a coupon for a cleaning company."
dededos
origamiaround
janainaart
turnnoffyourmind
dailybridgerton
kaledo-art
prguitarman
romaincrisis
