Upon Reflection

Scott staggered as Amanda fumbled her front door open. He was struggling to hold her latest antique shop find, a large gilt-framed mirror. Sweating and swearing, he lurched into the living room and deposited the mirror on the floor. Amanda inspected it. The ornate gilt frame was as beautiful as she remembered despite the dust in its crevices. Her face peered back at her from the blotchy glass, mousy brown hair framing a clear but pale complexion and large, expressive brown eyes almost hidden by heavy lensed glasses. She sighed. Totally nondescript, as her mother loved to tell her.

Scott interrupted her thoughts by groaning and massaging his lower back. Amanda hovered, anxiously tugging at a strand of hair.

“Are you okay? I’ll feel terrible if you hurt yourself. I’m sorry. I had no idea a mirror could be so heavy.”

“What’s a slipped disc or two between friends?” he said, flopping onto her sofa with a thump. “I'll be fine. Nothing that a cold beer won’t fix.”

Amanda rushed to the refrigerator and hurried back with a bottle of ale. Scott peered at the label.

“What’s this? I’m a Bud guy myself. Is this made of organic spiderwebs and rare weeds or something?”

“I’m sorry,” Amanda said. “I should have asked what you like. It’s brewed at a local co-op. I try to shop at locally owned socially responsible businesses, though I do love the Budweiser Clydesdales and I think the company treats them ethically...”

Scott raised the bottle in a toast and took a large swig as Amanda stood over him.

“Not bad,” he said after a moment. “Sit down, please. You’re making me nervous.”

“Sorry,” she said, perching on the other end of the sofa. “I’m not a beer drinker myself. I just keep that for friends, not that I have all that many friends.”

“Nobody forced me to help you. It was a great chance to get to know you better. You always scurry off after work before I get a chance to speak to you.”

Amanda blinked and frowned.

“You want to know me better? Sorry, but there’s not much to know. I’m a nerd. I love history and thrift shops and reading. I live here with my cat Lucius. Boring.”

She indicated a large tabby cat who was peering at Scott from behind a potted plant. Scott held out his hand to the cat who hissed and disappeared.

“Why are you always putting yourself down and apologizing? If you act like a doormat, you’ll get stepped on,” he said, then winced. “That didn’t sound right. I’m not trying to be your father figure or overstep boundaries.”

He cleared his throat and stared into the beer bottle.

“I’m sorr…I mean, I don’t know. Habit, I guess,” Amanda said, twisting a strand of hair round and round her finger. She smiled and gave him a sidelong glance.

“My father left when I was a baby, so I suppose I could use a father figure.”

“Ouch. I deserved that.”

He drained the rest of the ale and stood up, gazing around the room.

“Where do you want to hang this monster?”

The room was cozy, furnished with an eclectic mixture of furniture. A large bookshelf stood against one wall, crammed with books. Framed movie posters and textile wall hangings provided splashes of color. Amanda indicated a bare patch of wall above an oak sideboard.

“I thought it would look good over there.”

Scott stared at the space through narrowed eyes.

“Yep, that’ll work. Do you have a hammer?”

“Follow me,” she said, smiling. What had originally been the dining room of the house was now a workshop, complete with toolbox and work bench.

“Very nice.”

She beamed.

“I never have anyone over for dinner, so I thought this was a better use of the room. I’ve accumulated a few tools since I’ve renovated the house and refinished most of the furniture here. I know how to hang things. Here you go…stud finder, level, dry wall anchor, hammer…”

“So, you just needed muscle power? And here I was all flattered when you asked me to help you.”

“Sorry…okay, okay… I’m not sorry, but yes, I mean…I couldn't hang the mirror by myself. I hope you’re not offended?”

“You just shot down any chance I had of impressing the little lady with my skills. But, hey, showing off muscle power is good too.”

He flexed his biceps. Amanda began handing him tools, grinning.

After they heaved the mirror into position, they stood back together to admire their handiwork.

“Nice, even if it does weigh a ton,” Scott said, making bunny ears behind Amanda’s head as they looked at their reflection together in the grimy glass. She frowned.

"Wait a moment."

Returning with a feather duster and a soft cloth, she carefully dusted the frame and polished the glass until it shone.

“That's better. We can see ourselves now. It's mid-nineteenth century, I’d say,” she said, touching the frame gently. “You can tell by the style of carving and …oh, I'm sorry…”

Her voice trailed off as he stared at her in amusement.

“Instead of a swear jar, you need a sorry jar,” he said. “You’ll soon accumulate a fortune if you put in a quarter every time you say sorry. You know your stuff. That’s nothing to apologize for. Go on, tell me more about antique mirrors.”

“People tend to get this glazed look in their eyes when I start talking about it, but I love antiques and refinishing furniture.”

“Maybe you’re just not talking to the right people. Did you think of that? Why didn’t you go into the antique business?”

Amanda stopped in her tracks, looked at him with a rueful expression and shrugged.

“A very good question. I suppose I just did what I was expected to do, not what I wanted to do. I told you that my dad took off when I was a baby. Mom has always struggled financially. She has visions of catching some wealthy guy, but her taste in men is questionable to say the least. She wanted me to get my Mrs. degree or, failing that, a nice safe job, like we have in insurance. Can’t blame her, I suppose.”

“But you're not your mom and insurance is obviously not your dream career. Could we continue this conversation over dinner? There’s a good Italian place near here and I’m famished,” Scott said.

“Yes, that would be nice.”

“I’ll wait for you in the car.”

Amanda hurried off to get her jacket. She glanced at her reflection as she passed the mirror, noticing a sparkle in her eyes and a slight flush on her cheeks. She stooped to pet Lucius who was sitting in the hallway watching her suspiciously.

“I think I got a very good deal today, Lucius. A valuable mirror, a light-bulb moment, a dinner date and who knows what else?”

She laughed as Lucius turned his back and stalked off, tail twitching indignantly.