The Streetcar (MxMxMxM)

Chapter 2

      I glanced back at Vincent and the boy once or twice as I looked for my favorite Romances, stepping down quickly once again from the sliding ladder and walking quickly over, still struggling to keep my now fourth cup of tea from spilling, which I thought went unnoticed, but how Vincent looked at me in a constant state of concerned annoyance would say otherwise.    

      "Here you are, I've read them all so I can promise they'll be very helpful on your report."

      "Thank you! and- you have a really wonderful shop! Sir," he gave me a cute but noticeably awkward smile.

      "Hm? Oh you think? Thank you! Though by how much he truly helps, I'd say it's both of ours." I chuckled, pointing at Vincent with my occupied hand, holding my cup at the top with just four fingers, smiling back at the kid.

   "Are you both the only ones working here?" He tilted his head, looking at me for a second in the same demeanor I have often fondly looked at Vincent, and I was fairly certain it was because of my spot on historical outfit piece.

      "Yes! I own the store and Vincent here has been working with me for a while now." I smiled brightly but covered my mouth, "why do you ask?"

      "Oh, um no reason really! Just curious!" He shook his head lightly, looking back at the books I had given him.

      "Oh okay then, and do you plan on reading those here, or buying them permanently? This isn't really a library so you can't check them out."  I wrinkled my nose teasingly at Vincent who hadn't noticed my looking at him as he eyed down my cup.

    "Oh! Could I read them here? I can pay for them too but reading them here would be nice!" He beamed, clearing his throat as if just slightly caught off guard.

     "Perfect, I have to go upstairs for just a second, would you like tea or anything?" I asked, though slightly trailing off, remembering how Vincent once told me -in almost a scolding way might I add- that I treated customers as house guests ... which they weren't.

      "Tea? That's fine! But- thank you for the offer!"

      "Of course, Vincent, You're in charge of the store for a second okayyy?" I smiled, moving to the back, where a flight of stairs led to my upstairs house above my work.

      "Mhm. Anything else I can help with?" Vincent looked lightly at the boy before stepping to the counter, as usual, using as little words as he could muster without much energy, though I found it personally endearing.

      "Mm... I can't think of too much, just don't bother the kid while he's reading with silly questions." I winked, turning to go upstairs.

      I was eager to pretend as if I had nothing to do like usual and just go back downstairs after a few moments, but unfortunately enough I did have work, as well as one or two unfinished projects to continue. Which I know Vincent always mocked me for silently... but nonetheless, even if it stressed him out, he was never one to be rude about it. Which was honestly refreshing due to all my previous employees always complaining about my own work schedule and how it wasn't fair to theirs- I covered my mouth when I groaned, having had forgotten how surprisingly easy it was to hear everything going on upstairs from down in the store.

      I was hardly too eager to work, but I didn't want anyone to think I was slacking ... so to the people below, I could only imagine them trying to possibly think what had me so busy as I paced back and forth in my hallways, occasionally stopping so they -as in Vincent- thought I was occasionally sitting down to write! Which was decently intellectual of me.

      But as my feet got sore, and I personally got bored, I debated all the ways I could manage to get a hint into Vincent's mind that I would at one point possibly like to be mentioned in one of his sentences as someone other than his boss.