Stolen Heart

Chapter 1

Buffering...  again!

It seemed like every time she got to the best part of the show, the internet had other plans. Lana smacked the back of her laptop as if the force of her hand would somehow jolt the connectivity. That method hadn't worked the previous seventeen hundred times this had happened while streaming, but Lana needed to know the winner of The Great British Bake Off! She stared at Paul Hollywood's frozen face on her screen and sighed.

The best days were when business in the coffee shop underneath her apartment was slow. This allowed for full scenes to play out at once rather than a sentence or two at a time. On those days, she brought out the popcorn.

Yet on most other days, despite her subtle attempts to get the coffee shop owner to increase their guest wi-fi strength, Lana was used to pausing and doing other things while waiting for her favorite shows to load. Moochers can't be choosers after all, or whatever that saying is.

The bustle downstairs was her indication that today was a 'no signal' kind of day. Damn coffee addicts.

Lana dropped the envelope with PAST DUE plastered in red letters across the front on the table beside her. With her gaze fixed on her closet, she took about two steps from her kitchen to her bedroom, which also happened to be her dining room, living room, foyer, and any other space she could think up. The bathroom, though barely capable of fitting a hair dryer, was the exception with its own four walls. Presumably, the apartment developers were feeling generous on construction day a hundred years ago. 

Lana scanned her closet and one by one held up each item in front of her. She squinted and channeled some major Marie Kondo energy. "Does this outfit bring me joy?"

When her mental note said Yes, she'd fling it back into her closet. The un-joyful ones went straight into the Sell bag. After about a half hour, Lana picked up the Sell bag in one smooth motion and peered into it. These are the unlucky three.

It only took a moment of glancing at her phone and catching sight of the notification that popped up for her to change course. She let out a sigh of relief as she took in the recurring note-to-self: PAY DAYYYYYY GIRL!!!!!!!

Friday was payday. All would be well. She could carry on with life and maybe even go shopping on her day off. Her closet would be ridding itself of three items anyway. Better to replace the hairline spaces and maybe even find a new dress for her best friend Chloe's art show next week.

After throwing on some gray sweats, Lana walked out to her car, admiring LA's gorgeous summer breeze with a pep in her step. It was maybe a little too much confidence for someone who could easily be mistaken as homeless.

A glance at her phone for the traffic patterns to Goodwill preceded a quick disc change on her 'rustic' car's stereo. Rihanna's "Love On The Brain" surpassed the engine's hum as Lana drove through her busy neighborhood.

She often applauded herself for being so frugal and only shopping for clothes at a thrift shop. Chloe always wanted to go to the mall, but what was the fun in that? Lana would much rather sweat her way through the sea of clothes with every style imaginable at a great price.

Her senses heightened as soon as she pulled into the parking lot. There was no denying it. She loved to shop.

Her long, dark brown hair tossed side-to-side as she spent about an hour scanning through the clothes racks, swishing each hanger across the metal bar. She eyed one dress for stains with as much scrutiny as a jeweler looking through a loupe. When she couldn't find any, she flipped over the price tag.

$5. Not too shabby.

With the silky lavender dress held against herself, she posed in front of the warped mirror. This is it. It was decided. She would wear the dress to Chloe's art show. It was glamorous, just like Chloe, and no one would ever suspect that it was a steal of a deal.