Saint

4 | Cerise

"I have a blueberry muffin, two croissant sandwiches, and a cheese bagel ready for pick up at the counter! Grab them while they are warm, please!"

I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful...

"This order also has two sweet teas, two pumpkin-spice lattes, and two hot black coffees. All ready to go!"

He's so...dynamic, but he isn't? So far he's been pretty neutral aside from the glares he aims at El. But he smiled. At me. With teeth! Teeth that were just...

"TO-GO ORDER FOR SAINT?!" The bakery worker called out loudly, staring directly at Cerise in barely masked irritation, causing her to almost drop the small paper bag she was holding.

Oh crap, again?!

Cerise scrambled out of her seat, securing the straps on her small backpack before making her way to the counter. She gave the woman an apologetic look as she rushed to drop the paper bag containing a cookie into the bag holding the warm food, slipped her arm through the handle, and used both hands to carry the two drink carriers.

She made sure she had a good grip on the carriers before making her way toward the exit. As the autumn air met her skin she closed her eyes and breathed in as a cool breeze ruffled through her hair and sent some leaves flittering down the sidewalk. She internally begged her mind to regain its focus. Ever since her interaction with Saint before she went on break, Cerise had been...dissociating, to say the least. Her thoughts revolved around seafoam green eyes, a tiny beauty mark, and literal diamonds.

When Saint had smiled at her earlier, the answer to what had been glinting in his mouth was revealed to her. On surprisingly sharp canine teeth, sparkling crystals had found a home. The round tooth gems complimented his pearly white teeth, and his teeth were so straight and perfect that Cerise thought he could be on an advertisement for the nearest dentist's office.

So, yes, if anyone asked what had her so lost in thought, she thought she had an undeniably beautiful excuse. Cerise had fallen speechless when he flashed that smile at her. Her brain was packing its bags as she stepped out of his office, and after giving the forms to his client and telling her coworkers to text any requests from the bakery in the group chat, her attention had clocked out as well. 

When she was placing her order at the counter, she had gotten lost in her thoughts again so quickly that when the boy at the counter asked for a name for the order with a strange smile on his face, she blurted out 'Saint' before quickly paying and walking off as her cheeks heated once more.

Cerise shook her head like an Etch A Sketch, attempting to clear her thoughts and hopefully knocking her brain back into place as well. She approached the tattoo parlor and was about to carefully use her pinky finger to grip the door handle so that she could pull it open without dropping anything, but she was interrupted by the sound of fast-paced footsteps heading her way.

"Hey! Let me grab that for you." 

Cerise looked behind her to see the cashier from the bakery, and her eyebrows rose in surprise. He had ditched the apron he was wearing and was jogging a bit to catch up to her at the door. She had found his presence a bit odd and kept her eyes on him as her guard raised.

"Oh...Thank you?"

She felt awkward as she stepped back for him to pull the door open for her. He shook his head to indicate it was no problem, yet his lingering presence began to make Cerise feel uncomfortable. The man gave her another smile and bit his lip as he looked at her.

"I had just clocked out and was headed home, so don't worry I'm not following you or anything!" he added while chuckling a bit as the bell above the door chimed, "I've noticed you visit the bakery often. Do you, er, work here?"