There were so many shops down Main Street that they all seemed to blend together. On the corner of main and Sullivan was the old record store, beside it a decaying antique shop. Old style clothing and furnishings sat in the window in a timeless display that had remained as unchanging as the store itself. Across the street beside a lawyer's office was the toy store, another relic that, like the antique shop, had remained unaltered by time. The dolls, wooden horse, red wagon, and other classics sat in the window, forgotten and out dated as children today preferred their computer games to the playthings that their parents once enjoyed.
Up and down the street the small shops sported their open, specials, or going out of business signs. Business had not been great for any of them lately, so it came as much surprise to Ken when he came upon a newly opened shop that seemed to have sprouted over night among the other, less visited, depots. Ken stopped and looked at the ornate lettering of the store name, "Simple Treasures."
It name was painted onto the glass in pastels. Green vines encircled the letters, and tiny, autumn colored leaves sprouted out from the vines in an array of fall colors that gave the sign a welcoming touch. The window exhibit consisted of various things such as an old writing desk, a nineteenth century style woman's gown, a floral vase, and a display of sunglasses, each of different colors and styles. Ordinarily Ken would have ignored the place; it was more his wife's type of shop what with the feminine style lettering and contents of the store which, to him, didn't appear masculine at all and his masculinity was something that he took great pride in, but for some reason unknown to him, he had the urge to enter and investigate the place. It was something new he supposed which sparked his interest in the place, something different to do on a lazy day when he really didn't have much else to occupy his time with. Maybe he would find something in the store that the house could use, or maybe he would find some old tools, anything really that would justify his going inside. Anything was possible he figured and that was what, in the end, made up his mind to enter the shop and look around.
Pushing the door open, Ken walked in. The little bell at the top jingled as he entered. "Shit," He thought to himself when he heard the bell. The last thing he needed was some over eager sales women popping up to pester him into buying some junk that he really didn't need. To his surprise though, no one came to assist him. He moved farther into the store and looked around, seeing nothing of interest at first really. The place was filled with odds and ends, mostly old crap that someone else had given away. Second hand shops were not a favorite of Kens; it was like going to an overpriced yard sale. Why pay good money for someone else's trash?
The more he looked around, the less impressed he was with the place. There really wasn't anything of any real value for sale. He did stop and look at a display of old records but most of them were from way before his time. He laughed out loud when he noticed a cardboard box full of old eight track tapes. "Now who the hell would want those?" He spoke out loud to no one in particular which quite surprised him when someone answered.
"Oh, you would be surprised at how well those sell." The woman behind Ken smiled as he turned around to look at her. "I think a lot of people buy them for nostalgic reasons, but I'm sure somewhere out there someone still owns a working eight track player."
"Seems like a waste of money honestly." Ken shoved his hands in his pockets as he looked over the shop keeper. She was young, probably in her early thirties, and slender other than her wide hips but Ken always found a bigger bottom on a woman slightly arousing, not like the stick thin girls now-a-days that practically looked anorexic.
She had a mess of wavy blond hair that framed a heart shaped face. Her ears were hidden beneath the mane of hair but Ken could make out a glint of gold from her ear rings. Her eyes were dark blue and huge. They almost seemed to sparkle in the light of the room when she smiled at him. She was dressed in a white button up blouse and a brown or khaki colored skirt that framed her hips and thighs perfectly. It stopped just above the knees with a slit in the back. Her shoes were simple brown sandals but they looked nice on her and were dressy enough for the outfit she wore. She looked professional but also comfortable casual, not stuffy like most people wearing business attire seemed to look. Over all, Ken thought that she was a pretty good looking woman, someone he would probably have asked out if he were younger and not married.
"Not for someone who wants to reclaim their youth or just wanting to remember a happier time in their life. That's what this store is all about. I sell things here that make people happy. There is something for everyone here, I guarantee it."
"I don't think you have anything for me in this place." Ken smirked.
"Oh I'm sure I could find something for you." The woman smiled at him again warmly. She was so sweet it was almost sickening. She was one of those women who were always happy. It was a nice change for Ken after living so many years with a perpetual bitch, but something in the woman's attitude just seemed fake. It's like her actions or words were all forced, rehearsed, and not sincere. Ken couldn't stand people like that, people like used car salesmen who pretended to be your best friend just so they could sell you the biggest lemon on the lot.
"So, you're the owner?" Ken asked, ignoring her previous statement.
"I am." She answered, "My name is Delilah. I've been in business for a month now. I will admit that business is slow but I imagine it will pick up in time."
"Maybe you just need better advertising."
"Oh no," Delilah shook her head, "I rely solely on word of mouth."
"Well there's your problem. People won't bother coming in here when they know nothing about the place. Hell, I didn't even know it was here till I walked past it."
"And yet, here you are." Delilah smiled again, her huge, false smile.
The conversation wasn't doing anything for Ken, the store was impossibly dull, and his wife was sure to start bitching if he didn't return home soon though that never really mattered to him before. He loved getting out of the house to get away from her, the longer the better, but he was done here and ready to leave. "It was a pleasure to meet you." He told Delilah. "I have to get back home now though, the wife's waiting, and the kids will be home from school soon, you know how it is."
"Oh yes," Delilah nodded in her pleasant and understanding way. "Life goes on, right?"
"Something like that." Ken said. He looked towards the door uncomfortably, eager to get away from this woman.
