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Rosemary groaned.
"What? Wasn't the dog to your liking?" Laura asked, fixing the strap of her bag that had fallen from her shoulder.
They both waved goodbye to the lady and the dog, Laura much more energetically than Rosemary.
"He was cute, it was the woman that wasn't to my liking," she explained, turning back to study the shop window. "All I see are those useless garden gnomes. Where's a good shovel when I need it?"
Laura got closer to the window and brought a hand to her forehead, shielding her eyes from the light. "I see one in the back, right there," she pointed.
Rosemary squinted. "Where? I can't see it."
"Come on, let's just go inside," Laura said, wrapping Rosemary with her right arm and guiding her towards the door. "I could see the clerk frowning at us from the counter," she whispered.
Rosemary felt the warmth emanating from Laura's body and wished to be held like that forever. Instead, as soon as they were inside the store, Laura made a beeline to the farthest shelf and left her there, smiling dumbly at the girl behind the counter.
"Welcome to Green Garden, where the grass is always greener and our customers always happier," the girl said in a monotone. "How can I help you?"
Rosemary blinked. She waited for Laura to speak, but her friend wasn't there. "Oh, we're just looking for a shovel."
"Yeah, your partner's already found that," the girl replied, nodding in the general direction Laura had disappeared to.
"My partner?" Rosemary echoed, her voice an octave higher.
"Rosemary!"
Both the girl and Rosemary turned towards the source of the voice. Laura was standing at the other side of the store, a shovel in each hand. "Should we get a bigger one, or is this one alright? It's got a… comfortable handle for all your gardening needs," she shouted, reading the last part out of a label.
Rosemary shot an apologetic smile to the girl, who didn't look fazed at all. She made her way to Laura, grateful that they seemed to be the only customers at the moment.
"Shush! They don't need to know about our gardening needs," was the first thing she said to her.
Laura chuckled. "Sorry. I wanted to rescue you from that girl. Store clerks can be a pain," she explained in a whisper.
"I believe she thinks the same of you," Rosemary murmured, grabbing the shortest shovel and examining it.
For a good minute the two of them took turns in studying the shovels, without exchanging a word. Then, Laura cleared her throat.
"By the way, I thought that lady was lovely."
"What lady?" Rosemary asked, without looking away from the shovel in her hands.
"The one with the dog."
Rosemary scoffed. "Well, of course you did. She was flirting with you."
"Flirting?" Laura echoed, almost shouting, her eyebrows raised up to her hairline.
They swiftly turned to look at the girl, but she gave no sign of having been eavesdropping, busy as she was on her mobile.
"What, you hadn't noticed?"
"Of course not," Laura whispered. "I really don't think she was. All she said was that it was a lovely day, and what lovely hair I had, and that the dog must like me, as he adores beautiful ladies such as… Oh."
Rosemary made a face as to say: "See what I mean?"
Laura shrugged. "Oh, well. It didn't bother me that much."
"Good for you," was the dry reply.
Rosemary triumphantly raised the shortest shovel. "I choose this one. My hands are too small for the other."
Laura nodded, and they headed towards the front of the store to pay. A second later, Rosemary noticed her friend had fallen behind. She turned to look at her, and found her looking back, wide-eyed, as if she'd had the revelation of the century.
"Wait a minute. Are you jealous?" Laura asked.
Rosemary's back stiffened. "Me? Jealous? Of whom? I don't know whatever you're referring to," she lied.
"Why did it bother you so much, then? The lady flirting with me?"
"It just isn't proper, that's all," she muttered, waving a hand around.
Laura scoffed. "Since when do you do proper?" she insisted, hands on her hips.
"Oh, look, let's just pay and get out of here, shall we?"
Laura seemed to think about it for an excruciatingly long time, then agreed.
As soon as they reached the counter, the girl unceremoniously grabbed the shovel from Rosemary's hands. "Trouble in paradise?" she asked, smirking.
Rosemary crossed her arms. "That'll be all, thank you."
As soon as they were out of the store, Laura linked arms with Rosemary.
Rosemary groaned. "What is it now?"
"Nothing," Laura smiled. "I never would have pegged you as the jealous type."
"Oh, do shut up."