One on one?

First topic message reminder :

I've been bored out of my mind recently. Would anyone like to cure my boredom? I normaly one on one with guys, but girls can do, we can just do a non-romantic one.

The shop rings with silence, just like always. I’m sitting at the counter now, reading a book that I’m not really that interested in. The sound of the door closing behind me makes me look up. Jaclyn has her book bag on her back. She smiles and me and I smile back.
“Going to lunch?” I look at her a moment and she smiled at me, nodding quietly.
“Yeah, want me to pick you something up?” She usually doesn’t offer. I smile quietly, shaking my head.
“I’ll take lunch after you; make sure you get your hour, no less. You know there’s nothing going on around her anyway." She smiles gratefully at me as she walks toward the door and in only a few moments, she’s gone.

The sound of Angela’s office door closing jars me from my reading. I look up at her, her expression totally exhausted. “Alright girls, I’m going to lunch. Which one of you wants to stay back with Claire?” she asks, looking between.
After a few seconds of silence, I speak up. “I will, Angela.” I get off of my chair. “You stay out as long as you need.”
She smiles at me. “Thank you sweetie, I owe you. Tammy, you can go take your lunch, remember, only one hour, no longer.”
“Anytime Angela, she is my sister.” Tammy is out the door before I know it and Angela leaves shortly after. I walk over to Angela’s office and peak in. Claire is in her carrier in the corner, little eyes closed. She looked so sweet, but I knew better. I close the door quietly and go back to my station. Back on the stool, I feel my eyes start to drop. This was the first time all day I felt like passing out. I let out a yawn and decide to doze for awhile, I’d be able to tell if anyone came in or if Claire needed anything. I’d be fine.

The ringing in my ears is something that seemed to happen when no one was in the shop. It had been awhile since I had been in here alone. I sigh quietly, leaning back. I was sitting on a swivel chair. It was easier to sit when you were comfortable. I read quietly in the silence. Every day seems to grow longer and longer. Each day that I didn’t sleep was another day that seemed to get longer and longer.

I just couldn’t get him out of my head. Every time I seemed to close my eyes, I saw James; His mangled body on the pavement. I’m shaking at the thought of it. If I get tired enough, I’ll fall asleep without the dreams, and then I don’t have to worry about waking up.

The small sound of the bell jarred me awake. My eyes fly open, glad that it was only Angela. "Sleepy?" she asks as she makes her way to her office.
"Yeah," I say. "How was your lunch?"
"It was good. Why don't you go take a break and get something to eat?"
"It's fine, I can wait until Tammy gets back."
"Alright. Thanks for watching Claire."
"Anytime, she didn't even make a peep."
Angela smiles and walks into her office, closing the door. I look up at the clock, it had been forty five minutes. Tammy should be back in fifteen, although sometimes during her lunch break she just bolted. I don't know why Angela hasn't fired her yet.

The store is silent and I know that it’s been more than an hour. I sigh quietly, leaning back in the chair. My eyes are closed, but I know that no matter what happens, I won’t be able to do anything besides sit there. Can’t sleep when it’s daylight and even when it’s night barely sleep. I sigh quietly, taking in the deep breath that seems to always escape me in a grunt or a grumble or a strange noise I can’t exactly make unless I’m not trying.

The bell dings, making me jump. I look to the door rising from my position, a smile spreading on my lips. It’s only Jaclyn, so I simply lean back. She grins at me a bag of food in her hand as she takes herself toward the back room. She was probably making love to her boyfriend. She would eat in the back while I manned the store for a little longer. That’s always how it happened.

I looked back up at the clock, one. Tammy should be back by now, but is she? Nope. I shook my head and stood up; I needed to move around, get some energy. Pacing around the store, straightening some racks, I hear the bell on the door ring and turn around. Just another customer.
"Welcome to Angela's Boutique. If you need anything, just feel free to ask," I say. I heard a low grumble come from my stomach, I was going to have to get something to eat. You would figure I would learn to bring lunch to work when Tammy worked.

She comes back outside with a half-eaten burger in her hand. She grins, leaning on the counter for a moment. She watches me, my eyes closed. She wonders if I’m asleep, but something inside her makes her reach forward. I’ve almost lulled away when I feel her grasp on my arm. My eyes open, looking to her. She smiles at me as I pull myself up.

“Go get yourself lunch, hun” She grins at me. I smile, pulling myself out of the chair.

“I’ll be back in about an hour, alright?” She giggles, taking my place in the swivel chair. It’s nice and comfortable. She hums in delight before nodding.

“I’ll be taking the bike alright?” She grimaces. The thing was bright blue and had the bike shop’s name all over it. I sigh quietly, a smile on my lips. She watches me a moment.

“Enjoy that” She speaks and I smile quietly. I didn’t own a car and I refused to drive.
I turned, starting out the door. It wasn’t too hot outside; it wouldn’t really be a problem.

I notice the customer begin to make her way up to the counter. I rush up to behind the cash register, preparing myself to ring her up. She sets a bright blue, zebra print bikini and a pair of big, brown sunglasses on the counter. I ring her up. "That'll be a total of $10.75," I say.
She digs through her purse and pulls out a 10 and digs around for 75 cents. She places the 10 and three quarters on the counter. I take the money and place it in the cash register. I place her belongings and receipt in a plastic bag and hand it to her. "Thanks for shopping at Angela's, have a nice," I say, offering a small smile.
"Have a nice," she says, walking towards the door.
"You too," I say, plopping down on my stool.
About five minutes later, Angela walks out of her office, cradling Claire.
"Has Tammy not showed back up?" she asks.
"No," I say, looking back up at the clock. It was 1:30, she had definetly exceeded her limit.
Angela shakes her head. "I'm sorry Cass, but go ahead and get your lunch. Claire and I'll be fine here by ourselves."
I was about say that I was fine, when my stomach began to grumble. "Sounds like a good idea," I say. "I'll be back soon."
"Take as long as you need, I'll call Tammy."
I nod and walk out of the boutique. I squint my eyes in the sun and take in a deep breath of fresh air. I smile and start walking down the boardwalk to a little cafe I had discovered the week before.

The sun is warm on my skin as I make my way toward the small Shoppe where I got lunch. It wasn’t an everyday thing; normally I just brought my own lunch. It was a waste going out to eat more than twice a week. This was the time that I exercised during the week. I didn’t go out besides to work. I couldn’t do anymore than this without breaking down. I just accepted it.

I sigh as I pull around the side of the building. You could trust some people around here. I take every precaution though, so I chain up the bike. My head is down as I walk toward the entrance. I sigh quietly. The front I put on for everyone was just that, a front. I pulled the door open, the bell dinging above me as people greet me. I’m silent as I walk to a table.

“Hi there! I’m Mandy” The woman walks up to me. She smiles, pulling out her small tablet. I don’t smile back, but she doesn’t notice; she’s chipper. I don’t act the same when I’m around coworkers and people I know, but I can’t keep the face up for long before it falls again. “Is there anything I can get you to drink?” I look to her a moment before back to the table.

“Sweet tea” I speak simply, looking back to the small menu that had been places in front of me. I know that it’s only a coffee bar and bakery so they really don’t have much in the way of food, but what they have is good. I don’t realize the woman is gone until she is back with the sea on the table. I look up to her. She’s not as happy and smiling. Maybe she sees that I’m not one to be exceptionally happy towards her in return. She doesn’t let it bother her though as she pulls out the paper and pen.

“Anything else, sir?” She is short this time and serious. I like that better. I point down, it’s the same thing I get here every time I come. I look up to her, making eye contact for only a second before looking away.

“I want the cold turkey, Swiss, with mayo. Hold tomatoes” I don’t say anymore as I let my back rest against the chair.

I pulled the door open to the small cafe, the cold air of the air conditioner hit me. The small bell on the door alerted everyone someone new had arrived. Not making eye contact, I walk to a table in the corner surrounded by windows. I take a seat and a few seconds later, a waitress is by my side.
"Hello, what would you like to drink?" she asks, showing off her pearly whites.
I smile back. "Uh, I'll just have a water," I say.
"I'll be right back." She places a menu in front of me and rushes off.
I look through the menu for a few minutes before a glass of water is placed in front of me. "I'll just take a...salad," I say, closing my menu and handing it to the waitress.
"Any dressing?" she asks. And when I shake my head no, she turns to leave.

It takes a few minutes before my food comes out to me. The girl doesn’t smile at me. It seems like she’s too busy to. I watch her as she turns and leaves with my glass. She’s going to get me more to drink before she will probably turn around and work on someone else order at the bar. So many people want coffee when it’s not needed around here. It apparently makes them look higher of themselves, or they just need the extra caffeine. I never could really find that out.

I look down at the meal, a small sigh on my lips. I pull a chip up to my lips, taking in its aroma before popping it into my mouth. It is delightful; I have to give them that. They made homemade potato chips every day, and they were something to talk about.

My eyes open to see the female returning with my glass. She smiles this time as she sees I am smiling at my food.

“Anything else I can get you?” I think about it a moment, I could always use for something sweet. I nod to her, looking out toward one of the glass cases.

“I’ll have two slices of the strawberry, marbled, cheesecake, to go. I’ll also have the check when you can get around to it” It’s the most I say while I’m sitting at the table. I don’t take a bite into the sandwich until I finish off the chips, which only takes about five minutes.

In no time, the waitress was back with my salad. She placed the salad in front of me and a fork beside the plate. "Is there anything else you need?" she asks, smiling.
"No thanks," I say. She turns and walks away to wait on the customers that had just come in. I pick up my fork and dig into the salad. The cruching of the green lettuce filled my ears. I sat down my fork and take a drink of the ice cold water.

I’m silent as I place the bills that were needed on the table. She would come back and pick it up whenever she was done. I took the last bite of food into my mouth. I finished off my drink before I rose. The woman came back before I could escape from the table. She looks up to me, a smile on her lips.

“Have a good day” She turns before I can respond. The busy is beginning to die down, but at the same time she is rushing around. There’s got to be only a few working. Besides, it’s not expected to be rushed, so why would they need a lot of people.

For some reason, I don’t feel the need to keep my head down. I look around, watching the people that are sitting with groups or alone. They all seem to be occupied by something, so no one notices me watching them. I make sure to avoid obstacles as I make my way toward the door. It would be incredibly awkward if I hit a table on the way out.

I finished my salad quickly with twenty minutes still left in my break. The waitress noticing I was done rushed over to get my dishes and handed me the bill. I take out the money from my pocket and place enough on the table, tip and all. I look out the window and push myself out of my seat.
I pulled open the door and stepped outside, hearing a quite 'Have a nice day' from inside. I sigh and look around. I head back for the the boutique.

I decide that it’s probably time to get back to the shop. The cheesecake wouldn’t taste very good warm, and if I didn’t get back soon, the sun would surely make it go south. I made my way back out of the restaurant, and back behind the building. It’s quiet, being already two in the afternoon, everyone is already back in their jobs. Only a few cars pass by on the street as I get on my bike and pull out into the street. It’s not far away; the restaurant is just on the outskirts of what you would call the boardwalk which means it’ll take about ten to twenty minutes to get back. That’s not a problem, and if I am late, what’s Jaclyn going to do about it?

The afternoon sun beats down on me as I make my way back to the boutique. I gather my hair back in a pony tail as I make my way down the boardwalk. Almost there, I hear Tammy's laugh. I look over at her, she's with her friends. 'Hey Tammy, you do realize it's been over an hour?' I was half tempted to shout, but I didn't. I put my head down and watch my feet make their way to Angela's.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to ride without worry. As I make my way back to the shop, I let my mind wander. I seem to move from one thing to another. Whether it’s the cars passing down the street, or the sound of shouting from an apartment a block or so away, my mind doesn’t stay there long. I take in a deep breath, a small sigh on my lips. It’s been so long. I bring my eyes back to the sidewalk for only a moment before looking away. I’m almost back to the bike shop.

I lose my train of thought again and when I look back, I’m coming up on someone, fast. I grunt, realizing that I’m not going to be able to avoid her. I hit t brakes, but I’m going too fast. This seems all too familiar. I grunt as I turn, and I turn just enough to miss whoever it is, straight on. I do clip whoever it is, but by the time I’m able to stop, I’m in front of the shop. I turn back, trying to see whoever I hit.

I'm almost back to the boutique, when I hear the sound of bike tires behind me. The sound got closer and closer and I began to wonder if the rider was going to dodge me or not. I hear the breaks and the bike clips me. "What the hell?" I yell. "Maybe you should pay more attention!"

I see the girl that I hit. I grunt quietly, taking in a short breath as I lock the bike to the pole as I hear her yelling. My head falls to the ground. Another person I’ve hurt. I shake my head, my teeth gritting as I try to force myself toward the girl. My feet won’t move. I raise up my hand, waving at her apologetically. I sigh quietly, pulling the cheesecake from the back of the bike.

“Sorry” I speak, trying to be loud. I turn, escaping to the door of the bike shop.

I just stand there and stare at him. Sorry, that was it? No coming to see if I was ok? I look down at my leg, just a little scratch - no bleeding. I sigh and push open the door to the boutique.
"How was lunch?" Angela asked from behind the cash register.
"Good," I mumble, walking back behind the counter.
"You alright?"
"Just fine. I saw Tammy by the way, just talking with her friends. Why don't you just let her go?"
"I owe her mom, or I would, trust me." Angela hops off of the stool and goes to her office.

“Welcome to Burt’s Bikes!” The chipped voice almost echoes from behind the counter. Then she looks up from a different magazine, giggling as she seems me. I smile at her, running a hand through my hair. I come to the counter, setting the bag on the counter.

“Ohh what’s this?” She pushes the plastic apart, taking in a deep breath of what’s inside. She looks at me perplexed.

“I thought I would get you something. It’ll boost morale or something” I smile at her, pulling one of the to-go boxes, placing it in front of her. I grin at her, opening it. She giggles as she sees the marble cheesecake.
“Enjoy” I speak as I pull out my own and two forks.

The music played quietly in the background as I tapped on the counter. I was hopping for a few more people to show up, but no one had. I had no idea how Angela kept this shop running, to be honest. I look out the window as people pass by. One person sticks out to me, it's Tammy.
The tiny bell rang and in walked Tammy. "Ugh, so sorry I'm late! I lost track of time," she says, smiling.
I roll my eyes, lost track of time, right. "Oh, it's fine, no one came in anyway," I mumble.

Ooc- I’m going to fast forward a little bit if it’s okay with you. If it’s not, then I’ll edit
Bic
Jaclyn seemed to enjoy the cheese cake at lunch. The sun was beginning to set already. It had to have been about five o’clock. No one had come to the shop since lunch. I take in a deep breath, watching as she walks from the back.

“I can close up for the night; you just go home to whomever, alright?” She smiles as she starts out of the shop without a word. I sigh quietly, taking in a deep breath. It’s only a little bit longer until I go home to find something to do.

ooc: Oh yeah, that's fine! I was thinking of the same thing actually.

bic: The sun began to set, making the sky breath taking. This had to be the best part of this town, no city skyline to block the horizion. The clock hit five o'clock and I let out a sigh. Soon, Angela would want to close. She liked to get home early to cook for my dad, when she could. What with Claire's babysitter bailing, she hadn't been able to all week.
Angela's office door opened and out came Angela carrying Claire. "Cassidy, I think I'm going to leave a little early tonight, go fix your dad some supper. Is that okay if I leave you to close up?" she asks, pushing her purse up her arm.
"Of course Angela, six like normal?" I ask.
"Six, five thirty, whatever is good. Not many people come in this late anyway."
"Alright, go home."
She smiles and leaves the store. Tammy looks up from her magazine and gets up. "Time to leave," she says. I don't even bother stopping her, some time alone would be nice.

The silence is eerie when it’s dark. Something about the ringing in my ear is different when it’s dark. I take in a deep breath as I jump myself off the seat. I take in a deep breath as I wait a moment. It’s getting darker, and I need to get my things. I turn, making my way into the back of the store. I unclip my nametag, setting it on the small table. I pull my card out of the small wooden box, clocking out. The paper reads Five Twenty-five. I have been here longer than expected.

I look in the mirror above the box. The face that’s looking back at me seems like one that isn’t actually mine. The bags under my eyes make me look older. I look so tired. I shake my head, looking away. I can go home now, and try to sleep. It’s not going to work, but I can try.