Twenty Nine

.1. Noah James

DAY ONE

I had an ordinary routine of living before Cassidy Bates. I worked regularly, had friends to go out with, and paid my rent.

One day, here I am, ringing up a customer, and then Cassidy Bates burst into my life. Literally. Her entrance through the doors of Fast Snacks couldn't have been any bolder. Maybe it was how she opened those doors like they were pieces of paper or the look of serious determination on her face. Either way, once you saw her, she grabbed your attention. Her looks alone called for triple-takes. She was the kind of beautiful that made you stare and question how it could be. Her hair fell past her waist in easy waves, shinning in the summer light along with her belly button piercing. Her muscular arms swung by her side confidently, sending the message to stay away. But her smile that held so much charisma magnetically pulled everyone in. Even from across the store I saw how blue her eyes were. They were bright and curious.

And they met mine. Strike one.

"Noah James," she said, stopping right at the front counter. Her intense gaze made it seem she was a lot closer.

"You know my name?" I asked, confused, and a little nervous. I have never met anyone who was able to hold eye contact that well.

"Yeah. Aren't I wizard? My magical powers allowed me to decipher that intricate writing on that rectangle piece of plastic conjoined to your shirt."

Because she kept a straight face, I actually had to question if she was being sarcastic. A sense of humor. Strike two. And then a smile, a genuine, gorgeous smile. Strike three.

I was in deep.

"Your name tag," she said, still smiling. "I'm Cassidy." She held her hand out, and I took it.

"Right," I said, laughing a little. She was welcoming, and comfortable, but somehow, she made me nervous.

"I met with Trevor Dahlback a couple days ago? He said to show up to meet with you today, at eleven."

I forgot about Trevor's interview and all his instructions. I glanced at the clock. It was 10:55. I didn't even realize.

"Yeah, that's right. I'm sorry it slipped my mind. Follow me to the back. I'll get someone out front."

She walked eagerly behind me as I passed G, another one of my employees.

"G? Could you take care of the front?"

She looked up at me with a flat expression but beamed when she saw Cassidy.

"You must be Cassidy!" She exclaimed, disregarding me as she hugged Cassidy. Cassidy didn't seem shocked by this, instead giggled and hugged her back. How girls communicated I will never know.

"I'd hope so. You must be G then," Cassidy said when they broke off.

"Yes! Trevor has told me about you, and I am so excited you're working here now! Finally, another girl!"

"Trevor told me about you too, enough that I feel like I already know you. I knew I'd like you."

"And I knew you would be pretty, but Jesus! You're in another galaxy of beautiful!"

I rolled my eyes and smiled a bit. G was highly enthusiastic, but you couldn't help but love that about her.

"G. The front. Please take care of it," I said. She looked at me, annoyed.

"Don't be such a rule follower, Noah. Live a little." Still, she turned to leave, shooting another excited grin to Cassidy. Cassidy smiled back, her eyes following G's footsteps.

"Sorry, she's just full of life," I said to her. She shook her head quickly as if she had just woken up. Just when I was about to ask, she smiled at me, fully recovered.

"Yeah. We need more people like that in the world."

I thought about this as we continued to the back of the store.

There wasn't a secluded room for an office here, so we piled enough cardboard boxes to make a desk strong enough for a computer. We placed the printer next to it on a stool, and on top of that was where we kept all the important stuff. Trevor has been complaining about having a real desk, but deep down I know his sentimental heart couldn't do it. He and his dad started with so little when they established the store.

"Nice," said Cassidy as she observed our setup. "It's got a homey feel to it."

"Sure, if your home was made out of cardboard boxes," I muttered under my breath.

"I heard that."

I turned to her with raised eyebrows. She was smiling in approval. I couldn't help but smile back. For a minute, we said nothing, and I became very well aware of the high energy in the room. It seemed she noticed too.

"Uh, so training," she said, looking away as the heavy tension dissociated.

"Right," I said, shaking my head. "I just need you to read through a short packet, sign some papers. Have you had a job before?"

"Nope," she said, popping the p.

"Really?" I said in disbelief. I knew Trevor well enough to know he was focused on keeping a family business just that. Family.

She nodded her head as if there was no clearer way to verbalize this.

"I believe you, I just don't believe Trevor hired you," I said honestly. She gave me a questioning look, and I continued. "It's just that you're the first person he's ever really hired. All of us were close friends before he and his dad opened the store. It just surprises me that you've no working experience, but he hired you as a stranger anyways."

"Well then," she said, and judging by her smile, she was anything but offended. I shrugged in a poor excuse for a defense.

"You understand, yeah?"

"I do," she said. "I know why he hired me anyway."

I didn't say anything to let her decide whether or not she wanted to tell me.

"Do you want me to tell you?" She asks, looking at me expectantly. I narrow my eyes skeptically.

"I feel like you'd tell me, whatever my answer is."

She laughed, grinning with all her teeth showing. Damn, that smile.

I wished more than anything that it would be left at that. That she would never have told me her answer, and I would've just told her how pretty her smile was.

But life is full of what if's, and it works so we never get to know the answers to that torturing question.

What she said next changed my life forever.

"I'm dying."