Retailmare

Chapter 9 - Finally, Something Great

Alise grinned ear to ear as she watched me take out top after top, jean after jean, and toss them next to her on the bed.

"You know, he's going to think you're hot in whatever you wear," she commented.

I flung a teal blouse on the bed after I put it up to myself. "I just want to look good. I mean, I want my outfit to say that he's really helped me out, being a friend and comforting me and all."

"You can just tell him that, you know."

"I know."

"How about that lavender top that you tossed in here?" She rummaged under all the clothes on my bed. "Ah-ha, here. And it would be great with those dark-blue skinny jeans and tan jacket. And your cute brown flats."

I pulled out each item she mentioned and imagined it on me. I changed in front of her—it didn't bother either of us since we were sisters—and checked myself out in the mirror. "Looks good."

She smiled pridefully. "My work here is done. Adam's getting here any minute."

My heart pulsed. "Oh, shoot, okay. Um, makeup and hair are good. Purse, where's my purse?" Alise uncovered clothes and took it off my bed and handed it to me. "Thanks."

"This could be something to celebrate you quitting Walmart, too."

"Yeah, it could. No more Walmart. Thank goodness."

"At least they've been letting you not be a cashier."

"Yeah, at least." We heard knocking from downstairs, and my heart started pounding. "Oh my gosh, he's here. Okay, how do I look?"

I ran a hand through my long blonde hair as she said, "Beautiful. Now go knock that policeman's socks off." She laughed. "You know, I think it would be pretty cool to have a policeman as a brother-in-law."

I sneered at her and went downstairs. I opened the front door, only to be stunned at how extremely hot Adam looked in a light-blue dress shirt with a brown suit jacket over it, and jeans—dressy casual. I gulped.

"Hey," he greeted me.

I gave myself a mental shake. "Hey."

"You look..." He looked me up and down, and I could see his cheeks pink up. "You look beautiful."

I smiled sheepishly, flattered. "Thank you. So do you. I mean, you look handsome."

He chuckled at my rambling. "Thanks. Shall we?"

We left to Sherry's to eat, and thankfully Walmart didn't come up, and then we hit the theaters and saw the latest crime-romcom movie that just came out. Fitting, considering what Adam's and my life was like the past month.

He laughed, and we got to his black Sedan. He lingered by my door for a moment with me. "So... you liked it? The movie?"

"Yeah, you bet I did."

He smiled. "Great."

Cool wind blew, and I looked around me at people walking by in the parking lot, and then at the Walmart across the way from the theater—not our Walmart, but one in the next town over from us, the one different to where Adam was from. I pursed my lips.

"What?" Adam asked and looked to where I was looking, then back. His brows creased in realization. "So... you're quitting soon?"

"Yeah, in a few days—my last day is next Monday."

He nodded. "I see. So... we finally figured out where all that money went. The money that guy stole."

"Where?"

"He made a down-payment for a Mercedes Benz. A new one. There was just enough money in that register to make a down payment."

My heart sunk, and I looked at the black asphalt. I heard Adam sigh.

"Hey, I'm sorry for bringing it up. This was supposed to be a happy outing... now I've killed it by not leaving work out of it."

I looked up and met his guilty blue eyes. "Hey, it's alright. I actually was curious as to where that money went. And... honestly, I'm just glad that I'm on this date with you. I mean, me, on a date with a great guy like you who's also a police officer... I'm still shocked by it."

He smiled. "I'm glad that I'm on this date, too, with a really pretty and funny girl who is so brave and wonderful."

A bit embarrassed, heat crept into my cheeks. "Well... I'm nothing special, just a person who works at Walmart. And who will be unemployed soon."

He took a step closer, his look almost alluring. "You are special. You're extraordinary and beautiful and... honestly, if I didn't have any self-control, I would've kissed you out there in that Walmart parking lot before I took you home."

"Really?" I let out, surprised.

"Yeah."

"Well, um..." I couldn't believe I was going to say it, but... "How about in a Regal Cinema's parking lot?"

He smirked cutely and took another step closer. My heart pounded hard inside of me as I stood there, still, and as Adam leaned his head down a little. My heart jolted when his lips touched mine, and my legs started to feel limp. He moved his mouth on mine once and leaned back. I smiled broadly in reaction.

"So," I began and licked my lips where his lips were, "I guess I've always wanted to say that you're pretty amazing, too, always being there for me with everything that's been going on."

"I wanted to," he said close to my face, and I could feel his hot breath. "I even made excuses at work to go to Walmart and just see you there, even if you didn't see me."

"You've been there without saying hi?"

"I just wanted to see you." He smiled. "I guess I was pretty selfish about it."

I nodded. "I guess you get pretty selfish when you like someone, huh?"

"Yeah, you do." He looked at the bottom of my face, then back to my eyes. "Like I selfishly want to kiss you again."

"I selfishly want you to, also."

Adam didn't lose a second and kissed me again. Only this time, I elevated myself to my tip-toes and wrapped my arms around his neck, and his went around my waist. This kiss deepened instantly.

I felt so protected and cared about as he held me tightly, and I knew that he would always be there if I needed him. But I would have to get used to having a cop as a boyfriend.

Adam and I stopped kissing and looked back at one another. He smiled and said quietly, "How about I take you home?"

"Okay."

We separated and Adam took me home. He walked me to the door, gave me a hug goodnight and I walked in, elated.

Starting a relationship with a great guy and quitting a stressful job... Life was good. I didn't know I could be so happy.

THE END