Page 13 of Hate To Love You
When Liam sets his phone down on the nightstand, it’s well past two in the morning, which is a lot later than he intended to stay up.
And who cares?
That’s the last thought on Liam’s happy, fluttering mind as he hugs his blanket and curls up in bed, full of thoughts of his new acquaintance. His heart feels as light as a noctilucent cloud. His head is a bowl of fluffy whipped cream.
Nighty night, Fireball.
These are the thoughts that keep him happy as he strolls into Gary’s Grocers the next morning. It doesn’t faze Liam when the first thing he sees is Teague Jenson sitting on the conveyor belt of a checkout line, apron slung over his shoulder, an opened bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in his lap, surrounded by six other coworkers as they laugh and chat loudly. It doesn’t even bother Liam when the computer in the back gives him trouble as he tries to clock in.
Nothing can bother him today as he smiles and whistles to himself while putting on his apron, feeling on top of the world.
Mr. Michelson catches him just before slipping out through the swinging doors. “Morning, Liam! Hey, got a favor to ask!”
“Anything you need,” insists Liam with a beaming smile.
“Can you let Teague shadow you again today? I’ve got a full schedule myself, Natasha is out for the week, and you did such an amazing job with him already.”
Liam gazes across the store at Teague, still chilling and laughing with his crowd of admirers, as an icy-hot pick of dread attempts to chisel its way into his good mood.
Handsome Teague, laughing and making others laugh.
Charming Teague, bettering everyone’s boring days.
Delightful Teague, whose eyes lift just in time to catch Liam’s, and even from across the store, Liam feels the influence of the boy who’s taken captive the hearts of every last person in Fairview.
Except Liam’s.
“Heck, even Teague himself told me on his way out yesterday that he had so much fun with you, learning how we run things around here.” Mr. Michelson chuckles and pats Liam too hard on the shoulder. “What do you say? Can you be my unofficial training manager for a while longer?”
6
The Trainer
It isn’t just that next day that Liam is forced to continue training Teague.
It’s the whole next week.
And then the week after that.
Just how much training does one person need before he can finally manage things on his own?
Apparently with a guy as helpless and annoying as Teague, it could take a whole month.
That’s not the worst part. Liam is learning way more than he ever planned to about Teague Jenson. For one, the guy is a sleep-freak, power-napping rag doll on his breaks. He can fall asleep in any position, anywhere, in any configuration of limbs, neck, and furniture. Liam once found the guy asleep during his break on a stack of cans, with his head bobbed to the side against the back of a rusty metal rack, tongue half-hanging out, one foot propped up on an overturned mop bucket.
It can almost be classified as a talent.
Another maddening fact about Teague is that he remembers next to nothing of what Liam teaches him. “Is this where this goes?” he asks yet again, hurrying up to Liam’s side one day with an armful of bananas.
And then: “Where do we keep the bottles of that weird cleaning stuff?” he asks another day, coming up to Liam with an eyebrow lifted and his lips pouting. “Not the usual green stuff, but the other-other green stuff?”
And another day: “I know you showed me already, but can you show me again how to change out the ink in that one thing?”
It doesn’t matter what it is. It doesn’t matter if it’s receipt printer ink, office ink, or the ink out of a damned octopus’s asshole. Teague will have a question about it, and Liam will be the first person he runs up to, pestering him for an answer.
There is another thing Liam learns about Teague, too.
Liam is in the frozen aisle refilling an empty shelf of ice cream one day when he hears a child crying out two aisles over. He sent Teague to the backroom to get something, so he’s alone as he listens to the loud, whiny wailing. He sighs to himself, figuring it’s another one of those situations involving mommy not allowing a little someone to have the box of Little Debbie treats they want. Liam closes the freezer door and comes around the corner of the aisle to investigate.
