Roxanne Dubois

Working out, it was part of Samantha’s daily routine and today she was by the beach doing her daily run. Honestly she hadn’t expected to see anyone at all. Especially this early in the morning, but when she noticed someone, she moved over to them noticing the welcoming smile. “Yeah, it is a very beautiful morning. Usually it’s just me out here.” She confessed. "So it’s nice to see someone else out here.”

Roxanne nodded then turned her head which whipped her hair into her eyes. “I’m usually doing Sunrise Yoga on another beach,” Roxanne explained as she pulled down the locks of hair to tuck them behind her ear. “The instructor was put on bedrest until she gives birth. Just came up this weekend and we need at least a day to find a volunteer to lead.”

She’d considered taking up the role, but Roxanne had issues with leadership. She hated it. The way even the smallest power could corrupt a mind had kept her from going into politics and high society like her parents. She felt more useful when she was with the worker bees. To be the Queen was a lonely life.

⌜

     This should have been an illegal time to be alive, hazel eyes glaring towards the sunrise. Her one childfree day and she was sent on a damned morning report because the other reporter was sick. It turned out to be a dud of an interview, nothing really exciting to write about, but Frankie was an amazing wordsmith. They’d still have a colourful, prose filled story to tell. 

     “What?” She turned to the other woman, vaguely aware other humans actually existed at this time. “Yeah, sure. Beautiful sun and all that.“

Roxanne chuckled at the woman’s response. “Not a morning person?” she assumed as she tossed her hair behind her only to have the wind coming off the water rustle it up again. “I think I became one sometime in grad school when I had access to the main stacks and no one was there to bump into before nine or ten in the morning.” Grad school was the only time Roxanne had been especially studious, she supposed. Her undergraduate years were mostly a blur of exhaustion. There was never a fight she was willing to back down from if it meant equality for a group of people besides white dominant straight cis men.

Roxanne had a rough time finding submissive or even switch partners that wanted to stay with her. They usually left her for men and that did awful things to her mental stability sometimes, but she told herself it was because she was meant to be helping others. Her day would come. All that being said, she marched over to the Kissing Booth with worry in her gut. When she got there she held onto her wallet and looked at the line-up.

“So, I’m hoping that someone here is willing to kiss me, and actually I would prefer one of you three ladies, no offense, dear,” she added to the man.  “I was thinking this might help,” she said as she unsnapped her wallet and pushed a crisp one-hundred dollar bill across the booth counter. “It’s all about the Benjamins, right?”

Roxanne had a lemon shake-up and a little basket of three wonton tacos as she sat at the tables set up for the food fest on the pier. He and co-worker were taking a break from their booth. Her prep and finishing school showed off as she daintily ate her taco and only spoke after she had swallowed and patted at her lips with a napkin. She was wearing a fashionable blue sweater dress, since they were out by the water which made everything cooler with the wind, and soft brown ankle boots along with designer sunglasses and a golden clasp in her hair. Her nails were perfect and so was her makeup and poise. She was everything her parents would have wanted, except she was in a small town in the middle of nowhere and wasn’t interested in being their supportive and good conservative daughter. No. That was not Roxanne’s way, but clearly something had rubbed off her during all that schooling.

“Oh my gosh!” Roxanne suddenly exclaimed and nearly dropped her taco when she saw a familiar face that she never expected to see again. A woman as fine as her, if not more-so. Roxanne jumped up from the table and paused to have her coworker check her teeth before she was hurrying across the pier to get to the person. “Rose!” she called out to get the other’s attention and as soon as she did, she slowed her pace to quick walk as to not make a scene. “Rose, my dear! Oh, look at you...” She was saying as she neared and held out her hands to the heiress. “It’s been too long,” Roxanne added with a warm smile as she took off her sunglasses. At least her eyes would give her away. She’d had wild blonde curls her whole life before she moved to Maine.

Roxanne had only been at the booth for an hour, but already she grew antsy to talk to more people about opening up savings accounts, for their kids especially, but also for those that didn’t have them. Statistically speaking, the history was in their favor. People who had savings account and had an automatic deposit were more likely to build up savings than those who tried to tuck away something each month on their own. So, she grabbed an armful of goodie bags and went out to where the sparse crowd was passing by. She’d only lived in Silver Creek for a few years but she did recognize a few people and she definitely zeroed in on people with kids.

Having given away most of her goodie bags in the next hour, Roxanne decided she needed a break that’s when she spotted a familiar face and put on her best front for the librarian. “Hello, there. Are you in need of a savings account for your future? Statistically, people who direct deposit to one every month are healthier financially. I can help you open one today. Also,” she paused as she nearly started laughing because Eddie was keenly interested apparently, “I think you could use a goodie bag. There’s sparkle stickers!”

Roxanne was at the Cove soaking in the salt air and watching the rising sun after her morning run that took her past the beach. She was in her moment that she didn’t realize someone was walking down to join her on the shore. Blinking and tensing but trying not to show that she had be surprised, Roxanne turned toward the person and pulled a lock of hair out of her eyes.

“Another beautiful morning, don’t you think?” she asked with a welcoming smile.

[text to hates low ceilings]: I’ve had enough of Nightingale for the night

[text to hates low ceilings]: Tell me you’re at least not in jail