A Carmel Love Story

Chapter one

Mysterious and Annoying

"Tommy!" I start, and turn to see Lyra, my best friend, walking out the door, "it's 4 minutes to closing. Could you clean and lock up?"

I nod. She smiles at me apologetically. "Really go," I insist. She has 4 siblings to look after and her parents do almost nothing.

"Thanks," she replies and rushes out the door. I begin cleaning the counter off from spilled drinks, sad to say that the Starbucks employees of small towns aren't known for their clean and quick jobs making drinks. It's not the best job obviously, but it helps me get by.

I hear the bell on the door jingle and look up. A young man walks in, and he can't be much older than me. Blond hair covers much of his head, and goes down to his eyes, which I can't see because of the dark sunglasses he's wearing, but I would guess they'd have to be some sort of blue. I make a mental note to tell Lyra about him, because she's 17 and way too obsessed with boy bands.

I'm jerked out of my thoughts by his order, "A Venti Caramel Macchiato," He says this with the utmost confidence, and I immediately know he's probably never been denied anything, ever.

"No," I reply, putting my focus back into the counter.

"Excuse me?" He asks, sounding offended. I sigh and look up again. Now that he's closer, I can see that freckles lightly dust his face.

" I said no, it's," I check my watch, "two minutes to closing and I'm cleaning, so I'm not making you a caramel macchiato," I finish, getting annoyed.

He takes off his sunglasses, looking at me as if I'm insane. "So, you really don't know who I am?"

"Am I supposed to?" I ask, raising my eyebrows. "Oh wait," I say in mock surprise, " I remember you now," his face lights up before I finish, " You're the jerk that comes in a minute before closing and expects the boy working 3 jobs to make you a large drink."

"Are you serious?" he asks, looking scandalized. "I-" "wait," he cuts me off " Don't answer that." He looks me over, as if seeing me for the first time.

I sigh and rest my arms against the counter. " Look man, it's now past closing, so you" i poke him in the chest, " Need to leave."

He backs up, and smiles a smile that I bet has made many girls, and boys for that matter, swoon over him. " Well, I'll get out of your hair for now then," he says, walking to the door, "but," he says, turning around and setting something i can't see on the nearest table, " You haven't seen the last of me yet." the door opens and closes as he leaves with a jingle.

He didn't say the last part threateningly, more playfully, than anything. I shake off the encounter and finish closing up and am almost out the door when I again noticed the thing that the cocky blond had set on the table. I pick it up and nearly drop it in surprise when I realize what it is.

A small business card with a name and phone number on it sat on top of what really surprised me.