Page 16 of Perfectly Us
I peek back up at him, and he smiles when our eyes meet.
Magnetic. It’s the one word I can think of to describe Alex. His bubbly personality, the kindness in his voice when he speaks, and the way he laughs, so carefree and uninhibited… magnetic. I’m drawn to him. He’s just so different than anyone else I’ve ever known.
“Okay.” I step over to check the pastries.
“Okay?” Alex props his chin on his hand, elbow on the counter. “Cool. That was easy. I thought I’d have to hog-tie you and throw you in the back of my pickup truck.” He exaggerates his accent as he says it, sounding like a stereotypical redneck.
He’s the furthest thing from a redneck, though, with his preppy shirt and skinny jeans.
“Hell yeah,” Alex says, back to his usual accent with only a hint of Southern twang. “I made you smile.”
“Did not,” I lie, forcing the smile away. My lips twitch when he leans forward, brow arched and mouth pursed. “Okay. Maybe you did. What of it?”
Alex rocks back on his heels and shrugs. “I don’t know. I just like it when you smile.”
Once again, I get flirty vibes from him. But I’m not exactly experienced in that field, so I could be wrong. He’s an extroverted, friendly guy. I could be misconstruing general niceness for something more.
“Can I get you a smoothie?” I ask.
Alex glances up at the menu. “Yeah, I’ll try the raspberry one this time.”
I type my employee number into the computer to pay for the smoothie. We get three free drinks a day. I then step to the side and start to prepare it. Alex scrolls through his phone as I blend it, the machine making a loud whirring sound.
“Here you go.” I place it in front of him.
“How much?” he asks, grabbing his wallet.
“It’s on me.”
“Really?” He perks up. “Thanks. You didn’t have to, but I appreciate it.”
“It’s the least I can do after the fancy Coke you gave me last night. The one that’s the best in all zee land.”
Alex throws his head back with a laugh. “You even did the accent. I think I just died a little. I didn’t expect that.”
That makes two of us. He brings it out in me though. Makes me feel at ease.
“I’ll be here all day,” I tell him. “All day meaning five thirty. Then I’m supposedly being hog-tied and thrown into a pickup truck.”
“Not if you behave.” Alex jabs a straw into his smoothie and takes a drink. “I don’t really have a pickup truck, by the way. I’m a Volvo kinda guy. So you’ll go in the trunk.”
Amanda, who’s cleaning the machine beside me, snaps her head toward us. “Who’s going in the trunk? What are you guys talking about?”
Alex grins and slurps more of the smoothie. “Text me when you get off work, Shiloh.” He takes a step back, then another, his eyes not leaving mine.
I stare after him as he exits the coffeehouse. He’s parked in the front row and gets into a small, light gray car.
“Maybe I’m wrong,” Amanda says, leaning her hip against the counter and crossing her arms, “but I think he was flirting with you.”
“Nah.” I shake my head. “It’s not like that.”
Truth is, I have no idea whatiteven is.
What’s Alex’s real motive? I only met him a few days ago. Why is he so interested in me? Am I some kind of experiment to him? Someone he wants to poke, prod, and figure out? As much as Idon’twant to let my mind go there, I also can’t help but think that maybe it’s a joke. Like he’s playing some trick on me.
I think it over for the rest of my shift, mulling over what Alex could possibly gain out of hanging out with me. He doesn’t strike me as the type of guy to be cruel though. His eyes are too kind, too… honest.
“It’s after five thirty,” I say to Rick after wiping down the counters. “Is it okay if I clock out?”
