The Boy Who Didn't Love

7 - mr. price

After two uneventful weeks passed, she was finally convinced that they would truly never talk to each other ever again.

It was a sad reality, but she knew she had to come to terms with it. Besides, she wasn't looking for a long-term relationship of any kind. The only reason she moved out of the city was to take care of her grandmother, and it was better for her to focus on that.

"Okay, guys, don't freak out, but Mr. Price is coming in today!" Marina whispered excitedly, clutching her tablet to her chest.

Ali eyed the enthusiastic smile that crawled onto Brady's face at the news and furrowed her eyebrows. "Who is that?"

"Sawyer's dad, the owner of the store," Brady informed her. "He comes in every few months to check on everything. But personally, I think he does it to keep tabs on his son."

Marina nodded in agreement. "Every time he's here, they always have a private conversation in his office, and it lasted a whole day one time."

"He probably uses that time to grill the hell out of his son. I think he still hopes that he'll snap out of the whole sociopathic thing one day," Brady said as he unwrapped a yellow lollipop that he seemed to pull out of thin air.

  Marina visibly froze as loud footsteps echoed from the entrance. She swiftly yanked the lollipop from his mouth, threw it in the trash can, then pushed them over to their stations. "Quick! Pretend you're working!"

  Ali opened up the cash register and began counting the money while Brady awkwardly fixed the plastic bags from the holder. The footsteps continued to grow louder until they finally came into view.

  "Good morning, Mr. Price! Glad to see you again!" Marina greeted him nervously, wearing a cheerful smile on her lips.

  Ali glanced up to catch a glimpse of him, and her eyes widened. He was as tall as his son with the same dark hair, but with a few grays in the midst. It was like looking at the future Sawyer.

  With that thought, she then noticed his impassive son with him, who kept his gaze forward as he walked behind his father. She wondered what was going through his mind in that moment.

  "Ah, it's always nice to see my favorite assistant manager," Mr. Price smiled kindly at her. "How are things with you, Marina?"

  "They're great, sir! The store has been doing very well since the last time you visited, and we actually have a new employee. Her name is Ali," Marina told him before gesturing to her station.

  His eyes slowly landed on her, and she immediately straightened. He gave her a friendly wave. "Nice to meet you, Ali. Welcome to the team."

  She smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Price."

  After some more small talk, the two Price men then retreated into a private office, closing the door behind them. Brady didn't wait another second to run over to her side, pulling out his backup lollipop.

  "Let's have a discussion about this," he started, and Marina rolled her eyes tiredly.

  "Here we go."

  "Now, as always, Sawyer has the benefit of age going for him. That twenty-year-old glow does wonders," Brady said, taking a moment to suck on the lollipop.

  Marina hummed in approval. "Good point."

  Ali stared at them in amusement as she continued to count the coins in the cash register. Brady clicked his tongue, ready to present the other side of the discussion. "But they're both equally as beautiful, and his dad has something called sanity on his side too. Choose your fighter."

  "Well, I'm not saying I have a crush on my boss," Marina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling. "But I would definitely choose Mr. Price."

  Brady gave her a look. "You're literally saying you have a crush on your boss."

  "Shut up! I was just giving my opinion—" Marina paused when a door was suddenly slammed shut with a bang that echoed through the store.

  Ali jumped at the sound, dropping her coins. She crouched down to pick them up, sighing, and pulled her hair back so it wouldn't cover her face.

  As she was getting the last coin, a large shadow was casted over her and she turned, expecting to see the lollipop fanatic. "Come to finish your disc—"

  The words got lost in her throat as she realized who was in front of her.

  The sociopath.