Pretzel Girl

"There she is"

What exactly was I planning on doing? The first reaction that comes to mind when he starts to turn around is to hide. I duck behind the nearest rack of cool colored polo's, in hopes that he hasn't seen me yet.

Too late. He had.

His head peeps over the rack, as his hand pushes the shirts to the side. "Ma'am, is there something I can help you with?" All signs of my boost of courage vanish when I hear his voice.

A hiss escapes my lips as I stand up straight, looking him dead in the eye, trying to appear calm and in control, when I really want to run away. He doesn't look anything like he did yesterday, with his messy hair and nerdy shirt. His hair is brushed neatly to the side, and he wears a long sleeved, dark blue, button up shirt, dark jeans, and some light brown Sperry's. I don't know which I like better.

He immediately recognizes me and smiles, "Hey!" I feel my eyes widen as he acknowledges me in such a manner, like he's seeing a close friend. "Hi." I respond, barely above a whisper, yet still nasally, matching the level of awkwardness I was in at the moment.

He rocks back onto his heels, sticking his hands into his pockets as if he's expecting me to say something. Oh. I probably should. So I say the first thing I think of.

"You never paid for those pretzels yesterday." 

Great.

"I know, I was going to stop by after my shift to pay you."

A lump catches in my throat as I analyze what he just said. He was going to come see me again?

"A-after your shift?" He smiles at me, nodding. A warm blush infests my cheeks as I realize my eyes haven't looked away from his the entire time I've been here. "Is that okay?" He asks, raising his eyebrows at me.

I grip the top of the table, stepping to the side, to get around it and make my way out. "Yes, that's perfect. See you in a bit." I wave awkwardly, then jog out of the doors and back to the stand with my Icee cup. Marissa stares at me with a weird look as I chug down multiple sips of the Icee, since my throat was suddenly dry.

Flirty giggles reach my ears, and my eyes flutter open. Marissa was flirting with customers again. I wonder how many of them she's dated in the course of time she's worked here. My arms and legs stretch out in front of me, as I try to repossess my body from my 5 minute nap, which I effectively used.

A deep chuckle resounds from the other side of the counter, and I pause trying to determine if it was who I thought it was.

"Hey, so are you the only one working right now, or is there another girl here?" The voice asks, sensitively, but confirming that he wasn't here to buy pretzels. The silence coming from her end affirms that she's taken back by his question.

I flip my hat up, from covering my eyes, to where it's settled back onto my head. I run my hands through my hair, trying to look at least somewhat presentable, before approaching the counter.

His eyes look behind Marissa, and he smiles as he finds what he was asking for. "There she is." My heart leaps at what he says, and Marissa is obviously surprised by it too, as she scoffs, shortly, before rolling her eyes and returning to her phone.