Flash Fiction

Sparks BY GENEVIEVE CONDON Forsyth Woman articles are primarily human interest or advertiser stories – they keep the magazine relevant, useful, friendly (and free)! This month we are stepping outside our box and doing something new: a column called Flash Fiction by new writer Genevieve Condon. Many women love romance novels and romance movies, so we thought, “What about a tiny romance tale that fits in a magazine? One that ladies can read in a flash?” Hope these are just enough to make you smile and your heart beat a tad faster!

The parade was the same every year, but here I stood, waving my flag because, America. Soldiers from all branches passed by, waving, and smiling. I swung my flag a bit harder when the Navy men came by. One of the first guys that marched by looked good enough to eat. His pristine white Navy uniform fit his body like a glove, and I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face as he passed. I swear he looked right at me and winked, but the California heat was known to play tricks on you. I shook my head once he was out of sight and tried to focus on the parade. It was the same parade and firework display I came to every year with my family. It was a tradition I would never break.

“Hi.” I looked beside me and saw the guy I was admiring not long before. His hair was a sandy blond and only peeked out a bit from his cap. The blueness of his eyes matched the ocean that I had loved since I was a little girl.

“Hello.” I fidgeted with my jade stone necklace that my father got me when he was stationed in Japan. “That’s a pretty necklace, did your boyfriend get it for you?” I smiled at his question as he raised his eyebrow. He was trying to be slick and find out if I was currently attached.

“Oh, no.” I stopped playing with the necklace and relished in his eyes. “My father. He got it for me when he was stationed in Japan.”

“So, no boyfriend then?”

“Well, I don’t usually just give out my relationship status to random strangers.” I was trying to be flirtatious but was failing miserably. He laughed.

“I’m Archer. I’m in the Navy and home on leave. I’m allergic to shellfish and I like long walks on the beach.” He took a deep breath. “Your turn.” I eyed him curiously. He was different than any man I met.

“My name’s Amanda. I’m home visiting my family like I do every fourth of July. I’m a law student and I, too, like long walks on the beach.”

Archer brought his hand dramatically to his mouth. “It’s fate. Two people from California who like long walks on the beach. We’re destined to be together.”

Fate. Destiny. All things that every girl wanted to hear. I knew this was just a moment in time. That I was just a girl that smiled at a man as he walked by, but Archer intrigued me, and I didn’t want the conversation or the butterflies in my stomach to go away.

“What are you doing tonight?” I asked, once again fidgeting with my necklace.

He crossed his arms and grinned. “Are you asking me on a date, Amanda? We just met.”

“What can I say? I’m a sucker for a man in uniform.” I crossed my arms. “My parents own a house on the water. It’s a great spot to see the fireworks. Invite your friends. Come hang out. Food. Beer. Music. It’s fun.”

He pulled out his phone and typed out a message. It dinged almost instantly.

“We’re in.” He handed me his phone. “Put in your number and I can hook up with you in a bit. We want to change out of our uniforms.”

I plugged in my number. “Okay then. I’ll see you soon.”

“Yes. You will.” Archer left me to finish watching the parade, feeling like I was on cloud nine.

Archer and I were able to sneak away from the party to take a walk on the beach. We found a spot by the dock to sit and talk.

“I couldn’t picture myself doing anything else.” Archer played with the sand as it flowed between his fingers. “I love my job. I love my country. I’m honored to serve.”

“Sounds like you have everything you want.”

“Not everything.” He looked over at me, the air around us changing. There was no denying that we were attracted to each other but… this. The feeling of him just being close to me, our fingers almost touching, it was intense, like sparks and fireworks all combined.

“Look!” I pointed to the sky where the fireworks had just started lighting up in various colors. It didn’t matter how old I got; I still loved the fireworks.

Our fingers that were brushing against each other now were intertwined.

“Perfect,” Archer said, looking down at our hands before focusing back on the fireworks. His profile was highlighted by the colors that danced in the sky. I wanted to seize the moment, not let the feeling of just living and being happy pass me by. Leaning in, I placed a kiss against his cheek.

Archer didn’t say anything; he just squeezed my hand even tighter as we watched the sky light up for freedom. For our country. For sparks that could be something more.

Brookridge Retirement

Show Off Your Patriotic Side this July

Need a new outfit for your upcoming Fourth of July cook-out or need new beach gear for your tropical family vacation? Spread your patriotism and support local this summer by shopping in-store and online at Ellie Ray Boutique. From quality clothing, custom-made tumblers, and Dock & Bay beach towels, Winston-Salem’s Ellie Ray Boutique has everything you need to celebrate summer in style.

At Ellie Ray’s new location at 3292 Silas Creek Parkway, shelves are stocked with merchandise made locally or produced in the USA. Emily Smith, the boutique’s owner, is adamant about supporting local businesses and understands why it’s important to do so. According to Emily, the quality of locally made clothing, accessories, or home decor is typically much higher than massproduced products at a rapid rate in other parts of the world. While many boutique owners might be tempted to stock up on items that will sell fast, Emily selects merchandise for the store that is high in both popularity and quality.

Named in honor of her late mother, Ellie Ray Boutique was opened by Emily in 2017. In fact, with July 6th being her mother’s birthday, Emily chose to feature her boutique in the July issue of Forsyth Woman to honor her mother. Emily and her mother loved spending time together by shopping, which inspired her to open her own boutique and continue her mother’s legacy. In addition to her avid shopping history, Emily had experience working in retail and even became Eckerd’s youngest store manager at just 18 years old. Filled with entrepreneurial spirit and drive, Emily took a leap of faith to open the shop and works her hardest every day to give her customers the best shopping experience possible. While the pandemic was nothing short of an obstacle for most local businesses throughout the country, the challenges of COVID-19 served as an eye-opener for Emily, inspiring her to work harder than ever to keep her dream alive. Working daily from Monday through Saturday, Emily prefers putting all of her love and effort into making the current Ellie Ray Boutique location the best and only location. While expanding the boutique would bring more financial opportunities for the Ellie Ray gang, Emily’s emphasis on quality goods and outstanding customer service is why she wants Ellie Ray to remain a “one-anddone” boutique.

The team at Ellie Ray stays up to date on the latest fashion trends for their shoppers. Recently, Emily has noticed an uptick in the popularity of jeans with a more relaxed fit, such as “boyfriend jeans” or “mom jeans,” while noticing shoppers beginning to drift away from skinny jeans - something Emily and many of her peers (including myself) refuse to part ways with. Additionally, the boutique sells other hot and trendy clothing items such as custom bleachwashed tees, band tees, and graphic tees. Although following fashion trends is fun and natural, the boutique also sells timeless staples that shoppers can wear for years on end. If you’re looking for a new delicious scent to fill your home with, Ellie Ray Boutique sells Doodlations candles, which are hand-poured in WinstonSalem and make adorable decorations for your home. In fact, Emily met Kim, the founder of Doodlations, during her former job at the Forsyth County Clerk’s office. What started as a hobby for Kim turned profitable, with her delicately designed candles, wax melts, and whipped soaps becoming Ellie Ray customers’ favorites. As COVID restrictions have eased, Emily and Kim hope to team up in the near future to host pour parties at the boutique to give customers a glimpse into the art of candle-making.

Shop Local at Ellie Ray Boutique

BY AMY HILL

Ready to shop and support local this July? Browse the racks at Ellie Ray Boutique in-person at their brand new location on Silas Creek Parkway or shop online at ellierayboutique.com. To keep up with the latest sales and trends, check out the team’s Facebook page or follow Emily and her gang on Instagram at @ ellierayboutique. 336.893.8764.

PHOTO BY VINES STUDIOS

Bird & Co.

Lash & Blade

lashandbladewsnc.com

@girlgangwsnc

Camel City Cacamelcitycanines.com nines WSNC + surrounding areas Animal Care & Holistic Dog Treats @camelcitycanines

South & Main Boutique southandmainnc.com 246 NC HWY 801 N Advance, NC@southandmainnc

Ellie Ray Boutique

Theodore B. Interiors

THEODORE B. INTERIORS

1031 Burke St Winston-Salem NC 27101 FULL SERVICE INTERIOR DESIGN @theodoreb.interiors info@theodorebinteriors.com

Kayla Berry Broker

Kaylaberry.exprealty.com @kbbbroker

Wood & Thread

woodandthreadboutique.com

BY TABATHA RENEGAR

9.25.2020/DEAR DIARY:

We can’t wait to go tent camping at Huntington Beach, SC this weekend! The forecast looks perfect - 80s and clear! We’ve packed the tent, the cots, the portable stove, the Yeti, the dogs, and we’re ready to roll!!

9.27.2020/DEAR DIARY:

Didn’t see that coming!

As we were sitting down to a boiled shrimp feast at our campsite, the sky opened up, and it started to rain. We scrambled to get everything in the tent to wait it out.

And we waited.

And waited.

The rain never stopped, so we did our best to go to sleep. Then we woke, and it was still raining.

We tried to wait it out but had to pack up everything in the rain to head home. The dogs were no help at all.

9.28.2020/DEAR DIARY:

Spouse says we’re buying an RV! I said, “You’re crazy! We’re not RV people - we’re tent people!” Spouse says, “If we had had an RV, we could have gone inside with our shrimp and had a fun night instead of listening to rain and praying for it to stop.” I ignore him.

10.16.2020/DEAR DIARY:

Had to cancel tent camping plans for the weekend due to weather. Spouse says we’re buying an RV.

I said, “You need to get over your rainy tent-camping-PTSD!”

He said, “I’ll start looking on Facebook Marketplace.” 1.15.2021/DEAR DIARY:

A new year, new hope, and new plans to be made! I have booked a few weekends for tent camping. Spouse says, “We’re buying an RV,” but I just ignore him. I am not sure he knows this, but according to the RV Industry Association, RV sales in some areas went up 170 percent in 2020! Not only can we not afford a new RV, but used ones are nearly impossible to find!

2.1.2021/DEAR DIARY:

Our first tent camping trip of the year is confirmed for April at Huntington Beach, SC. Yes, that is the same place where we had the awful, unexpected rain last year, but I am optimistic! Spouse can’t get his eyeballs off Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace and swears he will find a fabulous, used, affordable RV by April. The dogs and I are dusting off the tent and the cots.

3.1.2021/DEAR DIARY:

Spouse made us go to Camping World and Outdoors Mart today “just to look” at RVs. Wow. Queen size beds… air conditioning…. refrigerators.

I must admit, the idea of not schlepping tents, coolers, cots, bedding, Yetis, ice, more ice, our portable propane stove, lanterns, and more ice is appealing! But still… an RV? Us? Next thing you know, I’ll be using some kitschy “happy camper” drink tumblers!

Nope… the tent is for me! We are not RV people.

3.15.2021/DEAR DIARY:

WE BOUGHT AN RV!

I am really not sure how it happened… Spouse has been telling me how people were making over-the-asking-price offers on RVs without even seeing them because the camping craze of the pandemic is alive and well! And I kept saying, “Exactly!! It’s nuts out there; we are NOT RV people!” But then…

He saw a listing for a used 2015 Palomini that met 98% of his RV purchase criteria: • Our price point • Small enough to tow behind our Honda

Ridgeline • Big enough for two but not for company • Shower and toilet inside

The next thing I know, we are in Kernersville, meeting two amazingly kind people and looking at the RV they are selling because they now have a bigger one. And here’s the thing: the minute I walked inside and saw the big window next to the dinette, I had to have it! I could picture all of our future camping trips and the various, amazing views that we would have from that window, rain or shine. If a human can have love at first sight for an inanimate object, this was it! An offer was made, and we await delivery.

6.3.2021/DEAR DIARY:

We have now taken two successful camping trips with Jeffrey P, the RV, and we couldn’t be happier!

Has there been a learning curve? Absolutely! The towing, the hooking up, the parking…. they make shirts that say, “Please forgive me for what I said when I was parking the RV” for a reason! But as it turns out, WE ARE RV PEOPLE! It rained on both trips and we didn’t mind... it gave us a chance to come inside, play dominos, listen to music - on the Bluetooth stereo, for Pete’s sake! – and just BE. The dogs have adjusted quite well, and we sleep like babies in the queen size TempurPedic bed. We are meeting the nicest and most interesting RV neighbors and loving everything about this new chapter in our lives! And turns out, all my RV neighbors love my “happy camper” drink tumblers as much as I do! I guess we are, indeed, RV people.

Jodie Brim Owner

Jodie Brim Photography CELEBRATING YOUR TALENTS + PERSONAL BRAND www.jodiebrim.com | 336.997.9487 405 N. Cherry Street, Suite 200 | Winston-Salem @jodiebrimphotography