HIS PLAY THING

Chapter one: First Incounters

It was a Monday afternoon for twenty one year old Autumn Green was at her family friends bookstore cafe called READ EM AND EAT. She's been working there since she was fifteen years old, and something about the smells of fresh books and baked goods really puts her in a good mood. Autumn was just doing her normal routine of stocking the shelves of best sellers when she heard the front door bell ringed through the air, signaling that a customer has entered the establishment. She walks on over to the front to see who it was. She smiled when she saw that the customer wasn't even a customer at all but her friend Jessica that she met during her her freshman year of college during orientation.

"Please tell me that you are not going to John's party wearing that"? Jessica asked as she pointed at Autumns outfit in disgust. Autumn was wearing a grey knitted cardigan, and a light blue floral print dress, with black stockings and light blue flats. "What's wrong with my outfit"? Autumn asked, puzzled by Jessica's distaste for Autumns wardrobe.

"It's just reminds me of a five year old" Jessica says kind of harshly, But Autumn brushes it off as Jessica just being Jessica though it did sting a little. Autumn couldn't help how she dressed. With her father gone god knows where and her mother sick with cancer she hasn't had time to worry about her appearance or even if she gets sleep. All are cares about is her mom.

"I'm not going I have to stay home and take care of my mom" Autumn said as she goes over to the coffee counter to make Jessica's usual drink which was a cappuccino with a shot of an espresso. Jessica pays Autumn and sighs heavily. "I get it but all you do is work and work and when you're not doing that you are taking care of everyone else... where are you going to live a little"? Jessica said sympathetically.

Jessica was in a way right but that didn't matter to Autumn right now. She hears the bell ring again and a unfamiliar face approaches the counter and the mysterious figure caught the attention of Jessica immediately. "Hottie twelve o'clock and he's mine" Jessica smirks and then she tries to pull down her shirt quickly to show off her cleavage.

The man clearly not fazed and looked to be in his middle to late twenties ignored Jessica's hints like you ignore teachers outside of school. "May I get one black coffee and I was wondering if you have any gourmet cookbooks"? The man asked in his husky voice that caught Autumns attention quickly.

"Uh... yes one black coffee and our cookbooks are towards the back" Autumn says as she makes it for him and he smiles. "Thank you" he nods to her as he pays for his coffee and goes around to find the cookbook. Jessica stood in shocked and looked at Autumn with a hurtful expression. "How come he didn't look at my girls they always do the trick" Jessica said as she points at her breasts. She's right though usually men forget what they were doing just so they can talk to Jessica.

"Anyways you're coming to that party. It's going to be at this awesome new club that opened up" Jessica said excitedly. Autumn shook her head no as she wiped down the counter. "Oh please please"!? Jessica begged and autumn sighed in defeat knowing there was no way out of this and Jessica would have probably kidnapped her anyways. Jessica had knew she won so she jumped up and down and ran yelling something about buying a new outfit.

The man who had roaming around trying to find the cookbook finally found it and he walked over to Autumn and smiled. "Found it" he said and Autumn proceeded to check out his book and refilled his coffee. "You know you shouldn't let her push you around like that. You have to stand your ground especially if it's something you don't want to do" the man said as Autumn bagged his book. "That's really none of your business" Autumn blurted out loud though she really meant to say it in her head.

Autumn gasped by her outburst and looked at the man apologetically. "I'm so sorry about that" she blushed as she bit her lip nervously and looked down. Autumn is not one to speak up for herself but something just made her do so. The man lifted up her chin and chucked. "No you're not" he said in a low deep voice that sent shivers down her spine as he smirked and grabbed his bag and left.

Autumn continued her shift as normal until it was four o'clock and it was time for her to head home. She grabbed her bag from then employees lounge and took the bus home. Even though she read her book on the bus as usually she couldn't help read one sentence over and over again due to the fact that she couldn't get that man out of her head. The attention was unusual and though she has been hit on before, it's usually to get to Jessica. This time she felt flattered but then shook it off because she knows she will never see him again so there was no point to even think about it any further.

Autumnal got off the bus and looked at her rundown house on the south side of town. She digs in her  bag for her keys and quickly walked to the door since it wasn't safe for anyone to be out around this time where she lived. She unlocked the door and went to check on her mother who was laying on the sofa bed and watching tv as usual, with monitors hooked up onto her.

Since the cancer her and her dad leaving her mom hasn't left the living room in months. She just stares at the tv and doesn't move or say a word to anyone. But on occasions she does talk to Autumn but only if someone came by or if the phone rang. You see ever since Autumns father left when he found out the news about her mothers cancer, her mother shut down as if the world stopped all around her even though things kept moving. It's been eight months and Autumn had to drop out of college.

It seemed that the day Autumns mother's world stopped Autumns did too.

Autumn fed her mother her special dinner and made sure she got her pills before she kissed her m others forehead and went into her room. In front of her bedroom door was piles of bills that the nurse must have dropped by while helping my mom. Autumn quickly went through all the bills and was shocked on how behind she actually was. At this point autumn was desperate and needed money before the bank takes away their house. She thought about calling her dad one again... he doesn't answer of course, what would he even say? Sorry I abandoned your only child and your dying wife and left you with nothing? That would be some talk.

Even though he doesn't answer she still leaves him angry voicemails and sometimes sadness ones about how much she misses him. But never mind that now Autumn needs money and she desperately needs it by the end of the month or they will be living on the streets.

A teary eyed Autumn was pulled out of her train of thought by the sound of loud tapping filling the room. She looked over at her window to see Jessica signaling her to let her in. Autumn quickly wiped her face and opened the window and helped her in. "Makeover time"! Jessica singed as she shows Autumn the red Lacey short dress that Autumn was going to wear and the black pumps.

"What am I getting myself into"? Autumn asked out loud as she stared at the dress and sighed with sorrow. It just wasn't her day