Chapter 22: Lisa

Lisa Limpa was weary of the men at her job hitting on her. She didn't need the money. When one man goosed her, infuriated, she complained to the boss. It was a he said, she said situation so she quit on the spot. So much for sexual harassment laws. She cleaned out her desk and left in ten minutes leaving a multitude of calls unanswered.

At home she cried about the injustice of it all. Lisa wanted to work but not at her previous place of employment. After the humiliation that she endured this day, she wasn't hungry. She changed into her night gown and went to bed.

It was dark when she awoke. She looked at her digital clock and saw that it was two a.m. She closed her eyes and prayed. Prayed forgiveness for the man who goosed her, for her boss who took the man's side, and for herself and her self righteous attitude. Finally she prayed that she just have been the reason for this man's sexual advance toward her. She didn't dress provocatively, but in a modest manner. Yet, Lisa could not help that she was a beautiful young woman. Lisa and Lena both bragged back when they were together that they'd look great in a burlap bag.

Lisa chuckled when she recalled Miss Piggy saying on the Muppets that her beauty was her curse. Being fully awake now, she turned on the light to read her Bible. It was amazing to her how much she was learning about God by reading the Apostle Paul's Epistles.

The next thing she knew was the alarm ringing. Lisa opened her eyes and realized that she had read herself to sleep. Feeling rested, she jumped out of bed and headed for the shower.

It took her an hour to get ready then sat down to eat some cold cereal for breakfast. She was quite hungry so she added a slice of toast with jam and downed it with a half glass of milk. Done, she loaded the dirty dishes into the dishwasher and off to get dressed. She decided on a light blue A-line frock that was attractive but not overly so.

Lisa walked past the bookstore where she bought those self improvement books about a half year ago. She was shocked that it stated on all the windows that it was going out of business. She walked inside because the foot traffic was brisk in the area and wondered why the people who walked in and out weren't enough to keep the store going.

Jesse was no longer there. Just two young female clerks and an older lady who seemed like the boss. She was sitting at a desk in the back going over some ledgers.

"Excuse me," Lisa said, standing in front of the desk. "May I ask you a question?"

The woman looked up at her with tired eyes. Lisa estimated that she may be in her mid sixties. "What is it?"

"You have such a wonderful bookstore, why are you closing?"

"I've owned this for over thirty years, I think it's time to retire and enjoy what little life that I have left."

"Of course," Lisa agreed. "It's just that I bought three books from here at one time and was impressed by the cleanliness of it, how you had such a nice selection, and the location is ideal."

"Would you like to buy it?" the woman joked. "I could sell it to you at a bargain price."

"No! I don't think I'd be interested in this, but thank you," Lisa gave her a very pretty smile.

After Lisa arrived home, she thought more about the book store. She wondered if she might be able to make it work. Turn it exclusively into a Christian book store. Selling books of faith for all denominations. Especially evangelical. That way she could be her own boss, have things to do to take up her time, and perhaps give a few of the young ladies at the church a job helping out.

The more she thought about this, the more it appealed to her. Buying out that store, converting it into another kind, and learning all the details of the business might be too much for her. The first thing she needed to do was to acquire a lawyer.

She knew of just one in San Diego. His name was Morris Chambers and he attended the same church she did. She often caught him staring at her during the services. They had chatted now and then. He seemed friendly enough and he was certainly good looking. About six foot-two, athletic build, and clean cut. No facial hair, no tattoos that she knew of, always well groomed, and he just happened to be an attorney.