Once in the city, Uncle insists that we find, and furnish, a good apartment and obtain jobs working for a tea shop, which we work a whole week before some guy sponsors my uncle to create our own tea store. An entire month passes and I don't see Jet again. A part of me was happy not to see that strange, touchy guy again, but a small bit of me was oddly disappointed. I shiver, thinking about how close he had gotten and the feeling of his breath on my neck. What a weirdo. The worst part of it is, he won't get out of my head.
"Nephew, please hurry up. People will start arriving soon." Uncle calls from the kitchen.
"I am hurrying!" I shout back and speed up my broom anyway. With a huff, I sweep the dirt out the door and off the steps, then shake out my broom.
The day passes fairly uneventfully, about fifteen or so customers in the morning and afternoon. The rush always comes later in the evening, around seven-thirty. I manage only to spill three cups tonight, rather than my usual amount of five or six. During a slow down, I drop my tips off in the kitchen and grab a glass of water.
"It's fairly busy tonight." Uncle remarks as he pours steaming black tea into a three more porcelain cups.
"Yeah," I agree, grumpily, and finish the water, then grab my serving plate. I carefully places to full cups onto my tray, glancing at Uncle to see if there's any more. He smiles at something for a second before turning to me.
"Somebody's here to see you." I turn to see you-know-who saunter into the shop and seat himself in an empty table.
"What is he doing here?" I growl and clutch the platter.
"It's obvious he likes you. Be nice to him, nephew."
I just grumble and go back out. After I give the trio of lightly chattering women their tea, I walk up to Jet and confront him.
"Why are you here?" I hiss.
"To drink some tea. I heard this place is pretty good. And popular." Jet smiles and arches left his eyebrow at me, feigning his innocence.
"Bullshit."
"But, Li, I really am. So, can I get a cup of chai tea?" He smiles and opens his fist to reveal six or seven gold coins, several more than necessary.
"Fine." I sigh, shooting him a glare. "But it only costs two..."
"Well, it's rude not to tip your server, isn't it?" He grins up at me and offers the handful of money. I open my mouth to speak, but stop. I recall that, on the ferry, he had said something about coming to Ba Sing Se after his, and his friend's, home--the forest--was burned down. He really was a refugee; he even looked the part with ratty, hole-filled clothes. There was no way Jet and tons of cash, and he shouldn't be blowing it all on an over-zealous tip for me.
"Don't." I utter softly and push his hand back, watching his eyebrows scrunch together. "Keep it. It's on the house."
"What? Why?"
"I know it's not a lot, but I know you don't have much." I reply. Jet doesn't reply, only blinks, his dark brown eyes locked on me.
"Thanks. That really means a lot." He finally answers, a smile quickly growing on his face.
"You're welcome. It's nothing ." I can't help but smile back, which cause me to blush a little.
"But it is, Li." He insists and reaches out a touches my arm. My first instinct is to pull away, but I make myself stay and try not to tense up. I try to hold out as long as I can, but after about thirty seconds of keeping eye contact with him, I feel to awkward and look away.
"I'll go get your tea." I turn and head back to the kitchen, my cheeks burning brightly.
Uncle ends up asking Jet to stay for dinner, which went alright, despite Jet's touchy behavior. It was weird. He couldn't seem to keep his hands off me. He would almost always being touching me one way or another: his hand on my shoulder or his arm brushing against mine while we ate. I couldn't figure out why. I pinned it down to him just being a 'feely guy. But, even that didn't explain why Jet planted a lingering kiss on my cheek before he left. The worst part is I think that I think I sort of, maybe, liked it
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A/N: Here's the second part. It might be kind of a short story, by the way. And I'm not sure if anyone likes it, so please give me some feedback! Thanks a bunch!!
