Tear (Seaside 1)

At any rate, I had a crap-load of homework but my job was calling my name. I quickly put the truck in drive and made my way over to Seaside Taffy.

Chapter Three

“Hey Evan,” I called. The door jingled when I walked in. I was immediately hit with the sweet smell of taffy and homemade ice cream cones.

“Nat, didn’t think you’d make it.” Evan gave me a wicked grin and nodded his head in approval. “Had a little bad boy run-in in the school parking lot, did ya?”

“I hate you.”

I threw on my pink Seaside Taffy visor and tied my apron.

“You want him.”

“Who?” I grabbed a piece of taffy and popped it in my mouth.

Evan punched me in the shoulder like I was a dude and laughed. “Who cares!? All the girls want them both. I would give my right n—”

“Language.” Our boss suddenly appeared from the back office and narrowed his eyes at us.

Evan lifted up his hands in surrender. “I was going to say…” Evan bit his lip in thought.

I rolled my eyes. “Sorry, Mr. Dexter. I’ll be sure to keep Evan on a short leash today.”

Mr. Dexter was really weird about any of his employees using slang or bad language. In fact, he preferred we say golly instead of gosh. True story. Maybe it was because the entire store looked like the fifties threw up on it. At any rate, poor Evan still hadn’t received a raise, even after working there for a year. He kept getting yellow slips in his employee box to remind him not to say things like ass to children.

Mr. Dexter disappeared and shut the office door behind him.

I started cutting the taffy to give out for free samples.

“So…” Evan came up beside me. “You going to tell me what Mr. Rock Star wanted?”

I shrugged. “He was just taking my books to my car.”

Evan choked on a piece of taffy. “Nat, I promise you, he wanted to take more than your books to your car.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Yes it does,” Evan argued. “He wanted to take you to your car and throw you in the backseat, have his way with you, have sweaty, angry, se—”

“Evan?” Mr. Dexter appeared behind us again.

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing.

Evan sighed. “I was going to say sweaty, angry…”

The guy really needed to think on the spot better.

With a curse, Evan followed Mr. Dexter into the back room, most likely to get another yellow slip, and I continued cutting the taffy. Today was a shorter shift, which I was thankful for. My concentration wasn’t exactly on.

Alec’s phone buzzed in my pocket.

I looked back at the office door to make sure it was closed, then pulled it out.

I FND IT OFFNSV THT U PSWD PRTCTD UR FB.

I laughed and texted him back.

I FND IT OFFNSV THT UR TRYNG 2 HAK MY FB. DO U HV NO 1 ELS 2 TORTURE?

I slipped the phone back into my jeans pocket and sighed.

Within seconds he texted me back. Okay, so I was grinning like an idiot. I couldn’t help it.

NO. NO. I DNT. BESIDES. I CHOOSE U. U R MY VICTIM. & I WILL HAK UR FB & TWTR IF ITS THE LST THNG I DO. SIGH. IM BORD. THS IS WHT MY LFE HS COME 2.

I texted him back quickly. I RFSE 2 FEEL SRY 4 U. UR A RKSTR. GT OVR IT. Y DNT U WRT A SONG? HA HA.

The office door swung open. I nearly dropped the phone, but managed to slip it into my pocket just as Evan came out.

“I’m never getting a raise.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Did you really think you would? You do have this problem where all you do is talk and talk and talk and—”

“I get it, Nat.” He cut me off and turned on the radio.

The announcer was gushing about AD2. “…and the guys are rumored to be going to school at Seaside! Here’s their latest hit, ‘Without’.”

“I have a feeling I’m going to want to burn every AD2 poster I see before the year’s out,” I said.

“Ouch.”

I looked up. Alec Daniels was standing right in front of me. Ripped jeans, ripped arms, and brooding stare. I gulped.

“Want some taffy?”

I want to die. I just offered Alec Daniels taffy like he was a five-year-old in need of a sugar rush.

“Uh, sure.” He grabbed a freshly cut piece and tossed it into his mouth. I couldn’t help but watch as he licked his lips. Gosh, I needed to get out more or at least date. I was turning into every other girl.

Evan nudged me in the side.

“Ugh.” Great, Nat. Brilliant start. “Can I help you with something?”

Alec leaned forward, his hands clenching the counter top. “Yup. I just need a bag of taffy. It’s for my brother.”

“Okay, what kind?”

Alec looked around, his eyes widened as he took in the hundreds of flavors. “Um, I…”

I laughed. “Here let me help.” I walked around the counter and grabbed a bag. “Everything’s labeled on the side. Here’s fruit flavors, and this aisle has the more odd flavors like buttered popcorn, and down here is the alcohol-flavored ones.”

“That aisle.” He pointed to the alcohol one. “That’s perfect.”

I wasn’t about to butt in and ask why, so I went to the aisle and picked a few from every bin. “Here you go.”

His hand brushed mine as he grabbed the bag. I felt myself blush. I took a step back and quickly returned to the counter.

I could feel his stare on me as he followed me back.