AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Look, man. You have both a control streak and a protective streak a mile wide. I know the bookstore is important to you, but you have to ease up and accept some help sometimes.”
“Help, sure. But I feel like I will spend half my time corralling this human tornado.”
Randy laughed again and shook his head, “Okay, Mr. Stick in the Mud. I know you live by all these military-grade rules and regulations, but maybe it’s time you start seeing outside of that worldview. Not everything has to be scheduled down to the millisecond. If this girl is shaking things up, good. I really think this could be good for you, man.”
Daniel wasn’t so sure about that. The thing about rules and schedules was that they kept you focused. They kept you safe. He liked resting easy in the knowledge that he would be prepared for anything because his backup plans had backup plans. But there was no anticipating what Tessa would do, which unnerved him.
“And hey, if she really is crazy, can you put in a good word for me?” Randy quipped.
“Gross, man. You are truly disgusting.”
Randy shrugged with a mischievous grin, “Yeah, it helps to not feel shame.”
The conversation turned to their predictions surrounding the hometown football game, the classic car Randy was fixing up in his garage, and the new book Daniel was reading. Despite their differences, conversations with Randy were familiar—comfortable. They had been friends since high school when Daniel had saved Randy from a seriously ticked-off boyfriend. Though Randy was a little chaotic, it was a rather predictable sort of chaos, which Daniel could abide. When the hour got late, he bid farewell to his friend and headed into the night.
Daniel owned a car, of course, but it was rarely necessary to use it when going somewhere in town. The crisp Autumn air felt good on his face, anyway. Soon, a brutal winter would roll in, but for now, the weather was comfortable and relaxing.
Arriving back at his apartment, he tossed his paperback on the couch and headed to his bedroom. In the corner, he had set up a small writing desk. The Ikea instructions had nearly left him pulling his hair out, but the final product was exactly what he needed.
He opened his laptop and sat down, staring at the blinking cursor on the Word document in front of him. Daniel wrote late into the night until his eyes were bleary with exhaustion. But all the while, Tessa was on his mind.
Chapter three
Tessawasrunningvery,very late. First thing that morning, she awoke to realize that her alarm had not gone off, and it was a mad dash to the upper floor bathroom, where she realized she had not brought any toothpaste with her. Or a comb. Spraying some dry shampoo in her hair and applying some quick makeup, she dashed down the stairs and hollered a quick hello to Patty before stepping outside.
Now she was hustling down Main Street, cursing her alarm clock and her morning breath. Pippin trotted along beside her, his tongue lolling out in bliss from the promise of a new day. Leaves crunched underfoot as Tessa crossed the street, heading towards the corner where Turn the Page Booksellers awaited her.
It was remarkable that Daniel had caved about hiring her, though Tessa had a sneaking suspicion that the older woman had a hand in his change of heart. Never mind that, though, because she would do well and rub it in hisTwilight-hating face.
Pippin noticed a squirrel across the street and tugged at his leash, insistent on following his newfound prey. Tessa was almost knocked prone from the force of the pull.
“Not now, bud. We have a full day ahead of us. There will be time to terrorize the local squirrel population later,” she pulled on the leash gently and led the dog toward Turn the Page.
All was going well until she was almost at the door, and another squirrel made the error of darting right by Pippin. The dog lunged, and Tessa, unprepared for the sudden movement, slipped and fell into the door of the shop. Excited barking and anxious chittering ensued, and Tessa thought her arm would be ripped from her socket at any moment.
“Pippin, chill!” She fixed her disheveled hair and tried to straighten out her rumpled blouse. But as soon as her eyes went to the glass door, she saw Daniel standing inside, watching her. His eyes spoke volumes about what he thought of her late—and loud—arrival.Great, just great. Not off to an awesome start, Tessa.
Pushing her blonde curls out of her eyes, Tessa sighed and strode into the shop with an air of confidence that she didn’t truly feel. She leveled her gaze with Daniel’s, though, silently daring him to say something snarky.
“Late on the first day and with a pet in tow. I’ve gotta say; this is the worst employee start I have seen since the college guy who snuck vodka in a coffee mug and spilled it on me,” Daniel folded his arms across his chest, one eyebrow raised. He was wearing a plaid flannel shirt, and his light brown hair peeked out from beneath a wool beanie.
Okay, Tessa knew she wasn’t exactly making thebestfirst impression, but that was a tad harsh. Still, she needed this job, so it was best she swallow her pride a bit. “I’m sorry. I think I set the alarm to p.m., or else I need to invest in a new one. I am here. I am ready.”
Daniel was silent for a moment as he took her in. His intense gaze was a tad uncomfortable, and Tessa fidgeted. Not to be dramatic, but her financial well-being was in the hands of this man who clearly detested her existence, and it was enough to spike anyone’s anxiety. When the silence dragged on for another few seconds, she thought for sure she was done. She was already racking her brain and cataloging the rest of her options when Daniel finally spoke.
“Look, I’m not sure what they let you get away with at your last job, but when I say I need you here by nine, it’s kind of expected you show up at nine. Don’t let this happen again.”
Tessa nearly melted with relief. There weren’t many establishments in town that she hadn’t hit up, one being the seedy pawn shop that looked like it would one day make an appearance in anAmerica’s Most Wantedepisode. It would have been a less-than-ideal fit. This was something she knew she could do. “Thank you… for the second chance. And Pippin won’t be any trouble. He’ll just chill behind the register.”
Daniel just grunted and walked toward the cash register. “The store doesn’t open until ten anyway. I just wanted to give you a little instruction before we start getting customers. Let me show you how to run the register. It’s a pretty basic model, so if you have used one before, it shouldn’t take long to catch on.”
Now did not seem like the right time to tell Daniel that she had never used a cash register in her life, so Tessa just smiled and nodded. As she followed him behind the counter, she realized the “cash register” was basically a computer.How hard can it be? You got this.
“Okay, so I already have it loaded up for the day. I went ahead and input your employee number and cash drawer number. You just need to push these three buttons in order to—”
Tessa reached for the buttons, pressing them.
“Big City, are you serious right now?” Daniel raked his hands through his light brown hair. “You just locked us out of the cash drawer.”
