THE STORY OF POWDERS, HAIR AND ALMA LISTER >>>

Alma Lister looked small and serious and stylish, as she pushed her shopping cart past the cheese selection. She was wearing an afternoon dress of subdued elegance and formality, and at 37, she was still as slim as she had been when she married Ernest Lister 15 years ago. She looked like a ballerina, with her green eyes, and her long straight blond hair, which she had knotted into a sleek bun. She sighed, and quietly poked cheese squares with a toothpick.

The Metropolitan Market in the Proctor Business District was alive in anticipation of Italian model and spokesperson of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and Old Spice fame Fabio Lanzoni. Her heart fluttered, as she faked shopped her way through the fancy Tacoma grocery story. She closed her eyes for a minute, thinking of what she would say to Fabio. And as she opened them again, she could hear the burst of cheers at the front entrance. To Alma, there was no other sound, no creaking grocery cart wheel, no shout of "Who's next?" from the deli. Alma could only hear Fabio's breathing as he walked through Met Market carrying samples from his Healthy Planet Nutrition line. He approached a table draped with a deep blue tablecloth that matched the color of the Mediterranean Sea, set down his samples and glanced at the crowd. The store lighting highlighting his shoulder length, glossy curtain of hair.

Alma approached Fabio. Even though she knew he'd be at the market for three hours promoting his whey protein, glutamine and colostrum supplements, she couldn't wait. She smiled wickedly; Fabio matched her smile with an insouciant one of his own, knowing that there was nothing the woman could do that would ever get that reaction from him again. He circled her wrist, opened her palm and placed his Purest Whey Protein - Creamy Vanilla in her hand. "This will change your life, my dear," he softly tempted her.

Her cheeks flushed, she carelessly shrugged her lovely shoulders. "I'm already a strong woman," she said, standing tall.

"Ah, and I am a strong man," he said, lifting his shirtsleeve to reveal a tree-trunk arm.

With a low, irreverent chuckle, Fabio casually folded his arms across his chest. "My Healthy Planet Nutrition Purest Whey Protein is the highest quality whey protein available today. It's 100 percent all-natural, GMO-free, gluten-free and sourced from growth hormone-free cows. My Purest Whey Protein can help regulate your food intake, which is essential in weight management. Studies show that whey protein also plays a vital role in helping to maintain healthy circulation."

Her green eyes flashed with ire. "You've no idea whom you insult!"

"On the contrary," the aging hunk said, giving her a mocking bow. "I know exactly who Ernest Lister is."

Alma's eyes widened; she caught a small cry of indignation in her throat. "There is no need to be hateful!" Fabio grinned indolently, arranging his Purest Colostrum bottles on the table. Alma pressed her lips together in a thin line, turned abruptly, and marched toward the espresso stand exit, cutting him in a way only a thoroughbred aristocratic woman could do. A bag boy just barely reached the door and opened it before she sailed through, her pale yellow skirt swinging against the man's legs with her strut.

Smiling lazily, Fabio adjusted his neckcloth and smoothed back an unruly wave of golden-brown hair. Alma was a beauty; he would give her that.

"Who's next? Who would like to try my Purest Glutamine? It's a supernutrient for digestive health and is also commonly referred to as brain fuel, as it supports mental energy and function," Fabio said with a smile.

"I'd like to know more about cell regeneration, mitochondria, anti-oxidants and amino acids," said Rebecca Carr.

They smiled in unison.

METROPOLITAN MARKET, FABIO LANZONI, SATURDAY, JAN. 19, NOON TO 3 P.M., 2420 N. PROCTOR ST., TACOMA, 253.761.3663