The Frat Boy || S.M.

Chapter 63 || "Say Yes"

By the time I stop to quickly grab food and take an Uber to Lucky- the store I work at- it's already almost four o'clock. I practically throw the money and tip at the driver, thanking him before rushing inside. As I throw open the door to the store, Madison looks up from the front counter.

"Oh thank God, you're here." she breathes. I nod vigorously.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry it took me so long. There was a-" I begin, but she cuts me off.

"It doesn't matter as long as you're here now." Madison says, walking out from behind the counter. "Can you take over now? I have to go, but I'll be back before the hour is up to take over."

"Yeah, sure." I say, but it's pointless for me to even respond. She's already heading for the back room to grab her stuff and leave.

I go behind the counter, putting my bag down on the ground. I pick up my name tag and pin it on my shirt. Madison walks out from the back room and back into the room, rushing to the door. She waves goodbye to me, and before I have the chance to return the gesture, she's gone.

I sit down at the stool situated behind the counter, looking around the store.
Considering it's a Saturday afternoon, the store is relatively dead. There's only three people looking around, and they're all talking quietly to each other. There's no music playing throughout the speakers, so I decide to stand up and turn the radio on. I flip through stations until I find one suitable for the store, turning it up just loud enough that I can make out what they're saying in the song without trying, but still low enough that I can hear whatever conversations are going on.

The door jingles as it opens, and I begin to turn around to greet the customer.

"Hi, welcome to Lucky. My name is Helaina if" I begin, but once I'm turned fully around, I'm greeted by a grinning Colton.

"Hey Helaina." he smiles. I can't help but smile back; it's contagious.

"Hi Colton." I grin, settling down into the stool. "How'd you know I was working?"

"I didn't. I was walking by and I saw you, so I decided to come visit you since I'm on my break." he says, and slides an iced coffee across the counter to me. "Here. For you."

"Thank you!" I smile, dragging out the last word. Colton smiles back and nods, sipping from a coffee of his own.

"I actually didn't even realize you worked here." he says.

"It's only been a week." I shrug, sipping my coffee through the straw. "Although, I've also only worked at the coffee shop for a week, too."

"God, I wish I've only worked there a week. I've been there for three years now." he groans.

"Three years?" I ask, and he nods.

"I got hired my first semester of my freshman year, and I'm a junior now. Kind of similar to how you got hired, actually. Who knows, maybe you're the next me, Helaina." he jokes, and I laugh.

"One can only dream."

"So, where's your boyfriend at today? He always seems to be hovering around you." Colton points out, and I groan.

"Yeah, that's probably a bit of an understatement. Shawn is like a seagull that keeps hovering over me at the beach." I say, and Colton bursts out laughing.

"Oh my God Helaina, that's terrible." he laughs. I laugh a little too, but I can't help but feel a slight pinch of guilt at making fun of Shawn.

"I mean, don't get me wrong; I love him a lot, but he can be really overbearing sometimes, you know? Sometimes I just need to be alone and I don't think he gets that."