PURE HONEY | spencer agnew

1.05

LAYLA WAS SITTING ON a stool at the back counter, writing in a notebook just some things that needed to get done around the store. It was slow today, so she wasn't worried about her doing these things while open.

Every few minutes she would hear the bell ring from the front door opening and closing and glance up, but it was never Spencer. She sighed, dropping her head down, putting her attention back to the notebook sat in front of her.

"What's got you in a mood?" Indigo asks, hopping up onto the counter while sipping her iced coffee.

Layla shrugs. "Nothing. Just tired."

"Ok. Sure." Indigo nods slowly, pressing her lips together. "You know, when you were off a few days ago, that guy was asking when you're back in. I told him I didn't know."

Layla picks her head up quickly, slamming her pen down onto the counter with a loud tapping sound. "You know my schedule."

"Hah! I knew it had to do with him." Indigo chuckled, pointing a finger at the blonde. "No, he didn't come in. But he will. I promise."

"Don't make empty promises, babe."

Layla let he head fall back down onto the counter. The one customer they had in looked at her, but she didn't care. She just wondered what she did wrong to make him not want to come back to the store.

Maybe he didn't want to buy books, but still. That new collection he specifically asked for would be here in a matter of days now and he knew that. He could always just stop by and talk. Layla didn't mind. Hell, that's what she wanted.

It was rare for her to want the company from someone so badly. She spent her time growing up alone, so she preferred it that way since it was all she knew. She liked the company of her two cats, and that was that.

Dating was something Layla claimed she never had time for. She just chose to 'not have time' by spending all of her time at the store. But in reality, the dating world scared her.

She used to date in college. Had the longest relationship she could ever see herself in. His name was Rowan. They went to high school together, and then decided they wanted to go to the same college. Study the same major.

In their freshman year of high school, Rowan asked Layla to homeoming, which she of course accepted. How could she not? As cliche as it was, he was on their schools football team and she was the dance team co-captain. Match made in heaven.

He was for sure the nicest on the team, and was never scared to be authentically himself to anyone. Especially as a freshman, that was a risky move. But they hit it off immediately, and started dating in January of their freshman year.

It was nice with him because her and her family never had a close relationship. Except her and Londyn. And this was an escape from all of her family life at home.

In freshman year of college, Rowan decided to follow in her footsteps and go to University of Florida, which was the only college he didn't get a football scholarship from. He only went there because Layla did.

And she was super excited about it. But then, he studied the same major. Luckily, he didn't follow into her minor studies. Which was dance. But he never showed an interest in film like she did.

But of course, Rowan got upset when she made any friends. Especially guy friends who had no intentions of getting with her. One of her closest friends she made in her freshman year was Spencer.

That's where she recognized him from. Spencer who she went to college with.

Layla snapped her head back up and looked at Indigo who was flipping through a magazine, not really reading it. "He went to college with us, Indi. The guy who always comes in here. It's Spencer."

"Holy shit." Indigo says, her mouth hanging wide open. "I knew I recognized him!"

It was all coming back to her now. Spencer and Layla were pretty much forced to stop being friends towards the end of her freshman year in college. Rowan and her stayed together, and all memories of Spencer were gone.

Luckily, she was able to get out of that relationship, but it just left a bad taste in her mouth about dating. She decided to just steer away from it. Only casual hookups and that was it.

The bell of the front door rang again, bringing her out of her thoughts once more. It seemed to be a couple, immediately gazing around the store curiously.

Indigo sighed beside her, "I got this one." She said, walking back around the counter to greet them. She stopped right before and looked back at Layla. "But oh my god, I can't believe we went to college with him."

Layla scoffed, still surprised by the statement. The couple and a teenage girl were their only customers in that moment. The young girl had books stacked in her hands, and Layla tried to offer her a basket earlier but she refused.

Indigo was politely greeting the two, having brief conversation, and then they went their separate ways. Layla watched as Indigo fixed a few things on the front tables and then joined her back at the register.

Layla was genuinely getting very tired. They closed in two hours, and she felt like she hadn't slept in days. The bags under her eyes were getting heavier, and work was now feeling like a burden more than she wanted it to.

Tomorrow, they were supposed to get the rest of the Five Nights at Freddy's books, so hopefully Spencer planned on stopping by soon. Since he was the one who wanted them so badly.

Indigo was talking beside her, but she was barely comprehending any of it. Some things along the lines of 'college', 'dance', or whatever else. Layla wasn't completely sure.

The couple walked up to the register, only carrying one book. Layla was already logged into her register, so she raised a hand up with a bright smile, wiping the tiredness off her face.

"You two find everything alright today?" Layla asked, hopping off the stool and grabbing a bag from below the counter.

The blonde woman in front her nodded with a sweet smile. "We did, thank you."

"Good, I love to hear it." Layla glanced down at the book in front of her. Five Nights at Freddy's. "These seem to be selling like crazy recently. We're getting the rest of the collection soon."

"Yeah, our co worker brought them in recently since we're playing the games right now. We wanted at least one for at home, too." The woman continued.

Layla was a little taken aback. It had to be a coincidence that both Spencer and this couple were playing Freddy's at work. Yeah, its totally common to play video games at work.

Layla faked a shocked look. "No way. Another customer came in recently and bought the books because they were playing at work."

"Spencer?" The man looked over at, what Layla is assuming his wife due to the ring on his finger, confused. "I didn't know he came here."

"Small world." Layla said with a chuckle, scanning the book and bagging it. She read aloud the total, and then the couple was on their way.

Well, maybe this was a sign from the universe he'd be coming back sometime soon.