Chapter 30
The next morning, Mr. Alexandros barely stayed long enough to help her get the store opened. She wasn't sure, but it seemed that he was treating her with a little more distance than usual. His smile was still warm when he wished her luck for the day and left. Once he was gone, she sighed. She hoped that what had happened the day before wouldn't make him second guess her. She had a great job and didn't want to lose it.
Luckily, she didn't have much time to worry about it. Her morning was busy. It seemed that every couple in the city was suddenly either starting a family or getting married. She knew the thought was an exaggeration, but when it was past her lunchtime, and Mr. Alexandros hadn't come in yet, she was ready to close the doors for a little bit anyway. She did sigh when she heard the door ring again. She still managed to smile before she turned to greet the newest customer. "Hello, welcome to-"
She stopped and stared for several seconds as she tried to make sense of the sight of Genesis standing just inside the doorway with a basket in hand. She was finally jarred from her shock when he stepped closer and smiled. "Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess. I hope that I am not too late for lunch. I brought something to share."
She gave him a confused look. "You brought lunch to share with me?" He chuckled at her reiteration, and she could feel her face burning. She felt stupid for even asking, but it was just too surprising. Thankfully, he didn't mention her reaction.
"Of course. I have to deploy for a short mission on Monday, so I thought it would be wonderful to see you before I leave."
"Oh." She had no idea how to react to his presence.
When she didn't respond other than that, he held the basket up again. "Have you eaten yet?"
She shook off her stupor and shook her head. "No, I haven't had the chance. Mr. Alexandros usually comes in so I can break for lunch, and he hasn't returned yet."
Genesis frowned at her response. "You are alone?"
"Yes?" She wasn't sure why he was giving her that look. "I thought I told you already that I handle the store by myself except for opening, lunch, and closing."
His frown deepened. "You said you managed the store for him, but I didn't realize you were alone."
She suddenly recognized that he was implying she could be in danger, and she frowned back. She didn't get a chance to say anything before he shook his head. He was still frowning, but his look was more evaluating. "I suppose I should not be surprised. Your capability continues to pleasantly surprise me. I know you can handle most things, but that doesn't mean I like the idea."
Kris felt her stomach flip at his sentiment. The fact that he wasn't doubting her, but still worried about her made her feel strange. She managed to shake the feeling off as she pointed to the back of the store. "I apologize that I can't join you right now, but I don't think it would be a problem for you to wait if you want. I'm sure Mr. Alexandros will be here soon."
His brow furrowed slightly as he stepped closer. "Surely, it would not be an issue for you to pause for a short while. The store is empty, is it not?"
Kris looked around him out of habit before she finally answered. "You are the only other person here for the moment, but it has been busy today. I don't dare close the shop for lunch."
He gave her a contemplative look before he looked around as well. He then pointed to the door to the back office. "Why don't you join me in the back and leave the door open. I would be happy to greet customers while you finish eating, at least."
Her eyes bugged a little at his suggestion. She could clearly picture what kind of disaster that could be. Especially if it were a female customer. She still tried to be polite. "I couldn't ask you to do that!"
He raised a brow at her response. "I have led thousands of troops in battle. I believe handling a few customers would be no issue."
Kris spoke before she could think better of it. "Those two skill sets are not necessarily interchangeable!" He gave her a shocked look, but they were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell before he could respond. She heard Mr. Alexandros before she saw him.
"Ah, Kris. I apologize for being late to-"
Her boss cut himself off when Genesis turned to face him. He stood there, staring at her guest for several moments before he managed to shake off his surprise and greet the man. "Commander Rhapsodos, it is a pleasure to see you in my store. I hope that you have found everything to your satisfaction."
Kris wanted to kick her suitor when he responded with an acerbic tone. "Quite the contrary. I came fully expecting to be too late for Kristobel's lunch, and I found that she has not had the opportunity to go yet. Not only that, but she is here alone."
Kris shot him a glare as she stepped past him and turned to her boss. "I apologize, Mr. Alexandros. It is really no problem. You have never been late before, and I know that life can be unpredictable. It's fine. If you don't mind, I can take a quick lunch."
She swallowed nervously when he didn't respond right away. He looked between the two of them for several seconds before he finally turned to the Commander with a confused look. "You only came to bring Kris lunch?"
Genesis smirked. "Of course. Our schedules make it difficult to see one another under the best of circumstances. With my upcoming deployment, I wanted to see her as much as possible before I leave. That shouldn't be so surprising, surely?"
Kris wanted to facepalm when the two men just stared at each other. When her boss finally turned to her with both brows raised, she could tell he expected an explanation. She was just thankful that he seemed to be alright with receiving it later as she took in what he said.
"Well, I am here to allow her to break for a meal. You are welcome to use the office if you want to. All I ask is that if you leave, make sure you're back in an hour."
Kris didn't give Genesis a chance to make it worse again. She gave Mr. Alexandros a smile and took Genesis' arm. "Thank you! The back is fine. I'll make sure to be on the floor on time."
She didn't think about her actions until she had managed to lead Genesis nearly to the back of the store. She heard him chuckle and looked up with wide eyes. She couldn't stop her blush when he smirked at her.
"I did say that I had no problem with you reaching out to me, but after the way you reacted, I hadn't expected you to take to it so quickly."
She nearly groaned at his teasing, but she managed to get them into the office and close the door before she dropped his arm. She turned to him with a frown, but even she could tell it didn't hold much weight with the way her face was burning. "Do you enjoy teasing me?"
His smirk widened slightly, and he took a step closer to her. "Yes I do. The way you blush is quite lovely. Knowing the fact that I am the cause makes it all the sweeter."
"Oh." She hadn't really expected him to be honest about it. His reasoning was even worse. She turned to the desk and started clearing it as she tried to compose herself. "I appreciate you bringing lunch. I would have just gone down the street to the bakery."
Her breath hitched when he stepped next to her and set the basket down on the space she had just cleared. He turned her and lifted her chin. She had that melting feeling wash over her again at his smile. "It is my pleasure."
She managed a nod, but he didn't release her right away. He looked over her face for several seconds, and his gaze turned contemplative before he finally let her go. She took a step back as soon as he released her. His voice was soft. "If my teasing truly bothers you, please let me know. I will stop."
Kris wasn't sure what to make of the man. Everything he had done since the moment they met went against all she had ever heard. Especially the stories from Zack. He was supposed to be a womanizer, temperamental, and a drama queen. Some of what he did, like his teasing, made her think it wasn't all BS, but more often than not, he was consistently showing her that he was actually thinking about her. She shook her head finally and gave him a half-smile. "Thank you. If it does, don't worry that I won't say something."
His smirk quirked up again as he held out the chair for her. "I would expect nothing less."
The lunch he brought ended up being a three-course meal and dessert from one of the restaurants she had only ever heard of. The food was still warm, and some of the most delicious she had eaten since she had left home. Their conversation was pleasant, as well. By the time her hour was up, Kris was surprised to find that she was a little sad that he had to go. She had enjoyed herself. It helped that she wasn't distracted by her little brother giving them dirty looks.