West [ COMPLETED ]

XXV

It took me three days until I was able to run the register by myself, and that was rather stressful even then. I'd never had a job like this before.

They decided to wait to make me a waitress and just have me work at the counter as a hostess or in the kitchen until I was properly acclimated and learned some more things.

Two people seemed to contrive to make my job difficult from the very start though it seemed.

Angel, the girl who was supposed to "train me," and frustratingly, Dego.

Angel openly despised me and was a very poor teacher, so I learned most everything by asking or watching other people, and Dego would sit in the chair behind the counter and talk to me while I attempted to run the register and seat people and run errands for Angel and anyone else who called on me.

He was very talkative and seemed to pay me so much attention I began to see what could have been the root of Angels hatred for me, because it was obvious how much she liked the man.

Irritatingly enough, they seemed good friends and would tease and laugh together about everything, and I saw how charming Angel could actually be to someone she liked. Anytime he would recognize me in any sort of conversational way however, she would immediately begin to sulk.

Dego seemed to be very well liked by all the staff, even if he was very stern about how everything was run. When it was less busy he'd sit and chat with anyone, laughing and smiling and carrying on; he was very much a people person.

The second week I was working there he came up behind me and watched me ring someone up, hovering so close I could feel his body heat against my back. I began to blush and panic, but I willed myself to remain calm. Miraculously, I finished the transaction with no mistakes or blunders, and sighed with relief as the customers walked away.

"Good job."

I turned and smiled brightly, trying to act casual, although I felt self conscious with him so close.

"Yeah...and you look nice today. You always dress well"

"Oh," I said, surprised by this complement," Um, thank you..."

He just squeezed my shoulder and gave me a nod, retreating back into his office.

I glanced around the counter area and jumped a little when I saw Angel leaning against the door jam that led into the kitchen area, scowling at me in contempt. I quickly went back to looking at the computer and finding something to do.

Two minutes later I heard Dego yell from the back area loud enough for us at the register to hear.

My cheeks flushed when I realized he was calling for me, but I quickly swept past Angel and into the back without looking at her.

"Yes Sir, what can I do for you?"

"Have a seat."

I did so, sitting on my hands so I didn't fidget. I tried to keep my demeanor professional even though inside I was panicking that I'd done something wrong.

"I just need to clear up something with your social security account for your direct deposit," he murmured, typing away at the computer.

"Oh," I breathed out a relieved sigh and smiled.

"Yeah, give me the number again."

I told him.

"Full name once more?"

"Avery Alina Blackwood."

"Awesome, and can I have your phone number?"

"Sure," I said, taking the pen and paper he handed me and writing it down for him.

He took it back and grinned at me, his eyes sparkling with a wildly attractive glint.

"You could have said no," he said.

"I...what?"

" You didn't have to give me your number if you didn't want to. You got a boyfriend?"

Comprehension dawned and with it a strong blush, but I laughed, not knowing what else to do, and slowly shook my head.

" No...I suppose I don't."

"You suppose you don't?" He asked, still grinning.

"No...but I...am not necessarily...um...trying to date anyone ether," I explained haltingly.

This wasn't the conversation I was wanting to have with my new employer, however intriguing he may have been. I felt...way too young for him to be talking to me like this. He had to be twenty years older than me at least.

"Oh alright...is it okay if I text you though?"

"Ah...that should be fine," I said, after a moments hesitation. My brain was flooded with too many reactions to choose a proper one.

"Are you surrrre?" He crooned, cocking his head to the side, as if to analyze me.

"Ah, yeah, I don't mind," I heard myself say, and mentally punched myself in the head. Why did my mouth insist upon eternal politeness no matter what my brain tried to tell it to say? I felt like I should be discouraging this man and yet there I went.

"Okay, if you say so." Dego stood up and put the paper in his pocket, smirking down at me still. "You can go. And don't let Angel bully you, she's a little bitch and she's jealous of you," he said with a wink, putting a hand on my back as I stood and directing me towards the door.

"Yes sir," I said, returning the smirk. At least I had somebody on my side, whether or not their motives were questionable.

Angel turned and shot me a glare when I returned back to the register.

"What did he want?" She asked.

"Just something having to do with my direct deposit, " I muttered.

"Oh," she said blandly.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, and I barely registered how often Dego came and watched me work, but there was always a subconscious awareness of him so that I knew exactly where he was all the time, and it made me self-conscious.

I was more than happy to clock out at the end of my shift and drive the dusty half hour back home, and when I got back, I quickly did all of the chores so that I could have the rest of the evening to relax.

At around 9:00 I picked up my phone as I got in bed, the first time Id looked at it in hours, and realized I had a text from an unknown number.

I opened my phone nervously, knowing who it probably was.

D - Hey Ave;)

I gasped. That name. I hadn't heard it since....the last time Weston had called me that. I felt... An emotion close to resentment that he would use that nickname rise up in me, I'd never wanted to hear it again after it was spoken from the lips of the person I'd once convinced myself I was in love with.

I had to tell myself though that it was a simple nickname, and I couldn't hold something so small against someone. I firmly pushed Weston to the back of my thoughts and began replying.