Eyes Deep Within A Frozen Heart

CHAPTER 3

ONE WEEK LATER

 VANESSA

   I slumped down on my desk in complete boredom starring at the blank office walls. God I hated Thursdays, it was the absolute most boring day of the week. Not to disregard my job but, why did this place even need a manager, Penelope could run this all on her own. The bell rang and I groaned into my desk, that damn bell being the only noise I hear all day. How I survived four years of this is beyond me. I whipped out my phone to see if I could find some interesting activity to occupy my time. As soon as I decided on a game my door slowly opened and that familiar brown suede shoe peeked from behind it. I quickly concealed my phone and opened some random set of papers on my desk.

 “Is that my favorite manager in the whole wide world?” his voice chimed and I smiled and shook my head.

  “Is that the greatest boss in the whole wide world?” I asked and he entered and bowed before sitting on my desk.

  “Ben do you not see piles of important documents here?” I asked in a sophisticated tone and he laughed.

  “Oh please Vanessa, my granddaughter’s preschool drawings are more important that whatever you have here” he replied and I sighed in agreement. Heck, I didn’t even know what half these papers were for.

 “Why do you even put up with us Ben, this convenience store is a joke compared to all those other businesses you own” I said all down and dejected. Ben had owned 7 car dealerships across Denver and several other small retail outlets but they were like mini walmarts.

  “Drew do you know why no matter how many business I own this convenience store will always have my undivided attention?” he asked and I rolled my eyes and smiled. Gosh I had heard this story enough times to repeat it word for word.

  “My grandfather opened this convenience store in 1889 and my father took it over from him when he died and I took it over from my father when he died, every penny I made from this convenience store is the reason I am and I have what I have today, you can’t ever forget home Vanessa, this store is my home” he said with just as much passion as he does each time. Every time Ben comes in, I just feel like I could live in this store and be part of their family legacy. We made small talk for a little longer when the question I had been dying to ask him for the entire week came to mind.

  “Hey Ben?” I asked interrupting him from his story of his granddaughter Jessica.

 “You have my attention Vanessa”

 “Do you know anything about that guy…who brings the ice?” I asked shyly as if Mr Grumpy was in the room.

 “Who, Jason?” he asked with furrowed brows and my eyes shot open.

   So that’s his name. It’s so…normal

                                                  And hot!

“Yea him, I mean why do you buy your ice from him, he’s not really a business I mean, how’d you meet him?”

  “All these questions Vanessa, well it wasn’t really him I started buying the ice from, it was his father” 

  “His father?” I asked and he nodded. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by his cell phone going off. He read the text and his eyes went wide and he hopped off the desk.

 “I’m sorry Vanessa I have to be going, Cynthia’s car broke down again and she needs me to pick her up” he added and I nodded my head. He quickly exited the office and I couldn’t help but be curious as to what else Ben had to say about Mr Grumpy or in this case…Jason. It was already 4:30 which meant I had exactly one hour left before I could leave. Since Ben had left maybe I would slip out for some ‘fresh air’.