HOOPS AND HEARTS

Chapter 3

                                       Leo

I bend over the counter, watching Luis restock lighters and fix up candy bars out of place.

"You know you actually have to work to get paid, right?" He says, raising a brow at me, and handing me a broom from behind the counter. I roll my eyes.

"Yes, but it's more entertaining to bother you." I say, smiling. He tucks my arms around the broomstick and pats it lightly.

"Get your sweaty ass out of my face and go work, cinderella." He rolls his eyes, and I laugh, beginning to remove the dust on the floor of the near empty store. "I heard there's a new australian in town." I stop sweeping and think back to the girl. Who did she think she was? Waltzing in without an explanation, and to be so rude? What does she even mean by guys like me? There's a million of her out there as well. I ponder on the thought and think back to her small button nose and huge eyes, a sort of beauty that didn't exist in a million others. I shove the thought away and shake my head in disgust. "Careful, I might start to think you fell in love."

"I didn't. She's a brit, not aussie, and an asshole. How did you even find out?" I ask.

"Tom, and damn. Way to be brutal." He says, leaning against the glass case behind him.

"No shit. Tom can't keep his mouth shut" I deadpan. Continuing to sweep.

"So... Is she hot?" He ask, his eyebrows raised, eyes squinted. I scoff and begin to fight his allegations.

"She-" My eyes drift over to a figure passing through the aisles. "A customer man, that's insane." He shrugs in response.

"It is the worst rated CVS in town" He chuckles, I laugh with him. "Maybe we can change that. Get em' to leave us a good review on yelp. Go help em' with something!" He motions to the person gliding through the aisles peacefully.

"Me?" I ask innocently.

"Nah, him." He points to the empty space next to him. "Hurry up, you're slacking on work anyway."

"Oh shut up, you know practice ran late today!" I say, as he smirks.

"Because of that brit?" He ask with a chuckle.

"Tom really needs to close his mouth." I say, and stride over to our first customer in weeks. As I come closer, I see it's a woman. Her long wavy dark brown hair falls against her back, she turns a little to the side and I stop in my tracks. She's beautiful. My eyes trail from her untied sneakers to her jean shorts and white t-shirt. My eyes stop at her ass. Damn. She slowly pulls her hair out of the ponytail it was in and let it fall around her body, stopping right at her hips. She pulls her hair to the side, revealing her neck, and my breath catches in my throat. Damn. She picks up two boxes of bandaids and seems to compare them both, I then notice the gash trailing down her arm, still fresh. I'm about to offer my help, when she looks down at the boxes in her hand and turns toward me.

"Excuse me, I'm not really used to american pricing yet." She laughs and my heart sinks. She looks up "You!" She jumps back, and I do too. "What are you doing here!?" She yells, irritation coating her words.

"I could say the same! So you really are stalking me or something huh." I cross my arms and look at her. She scoffs and bumps into my shoulder as she struts by, acting as if the floor is her red carpet. "As if my night could get any worse." She mutters under her breath. I roll my eyes and walk to the front to retrieve my broom.

"Just hurry up and get out of my store." I say. She smiles mockingly and throws both band aid boxes on the counter.

"Gladly." She states. Luis widens his eyes and continues to ring her up.

"You need two large boxes?" He ask genuinely. She shakes her leg impatiently.

"Yea" She says hurriedly. He chuckles.

"Can I ask why?" He says. I give him an annoyed look. She thinks for a second.

"My dads cat is an arse." They share a laugh and I do my best to avoid the two, as they begin to chat about felines and other pets.

"So that's 20.36$" He states, placing her bandaids in a bag. "Card or cash?" He ask politely.

"Cash." She replies kindly. I squint at her. "Um, is this enough?" She hands him 5 dollars. I crack up and start laughing hysterically. They both look at me, expressions unchanging. She stuffs her cash back into her purse and waves her hands in front of her, redness covering every square inch of her face. "Um nevermind have a good day." She says to Luis, and runs out of the store.

"Wait!" He calls out to her. I laugh and shake my head. Finishing my sweeping job. "Yup. She's hot." He says, nodding his head and peering out the window. I chuckle and think about her incorrect change.

"Brits."