Twilight Imagines

34. Melting (Jasper Hale)

(Published October 18, 2024) 

   A ten pack of plastic hangers jittered down the conveyor belt towards me all by their lonesome.  I grabbed them, swiped them across the scanner, and dropped them in a plastic bag automatically.  It wasn't until my eyes turned up to see who was purchasing them that my routine stopped along with my heart.  Familiar honey colored eyes gazed back at me from under long curly blond hair.  Jasper Hale, the one man who I had seen so many times before yet had never spoken to, was in my check out lane!  

   "Good afternoon, ma'am," He greeted with that half smile I had only glimpsed once before.  

   "H-hi," I managed with a small smile of my own.  My heart had recovered from it's shock and was now beating so loudly I was sure he could hear it.  Sometimes my body drove me crazy.  

   "Gloomy day, isn't it?" 

   That southern accent was melting me like butter in a microwave.  Man, did I have it bad!  

   "It is nice and gloomy," I replied softly.  

   He tipped his head slightly to the side, his eyes questioning.  "Nice and gloomy don't typically go together in a description." 

   "I prefer grey days." I hoped I wasn't blushing.  

   "Why's that?" 

   "They just feel cozier." 

   He held out a twenty dollar bill, and I was careful to take it without touching his hand.  My heart had just started to quiet a little and that would surely to set it off at high speed again.  I typed in the number on the screen before me so the drawer would open and I could count out his change.  

   "So you don't care for the cold, then?" 

   I glanced up into his golden irises before answering.  "Actually, I love it.  It gives me an excuse to curl up in a blanket and be lazy." 

   His handsome face broke into a full, toothy smile.  The sight made me feel like melting into a puddle right there and then.  My heart stammered before pounding loudly again, and I had to tear my gaze away and focus on the money in my hand again before I did something stupid like visibly swoon.  I managed to count out his change and shut the drawer as I tried to get my bearings.  

   "Well, Cassie," He said as I poured the change into his hand and placed the bills carefully on top of it.  He must've read my name tag, I realized.  "I'd really like to get to know you a little better.  Would it be overstepping to ask you out to coffee?" 

   With how perfectly white his teeth were, I had a hard time believing he ever drank coffee.  Still, how could I refuse?  No other man on Earth had this affect on me.  It'd be silly to let him slip away without at least seeing if he was worth chasing first.  

   "S-sure, when?" I asked a little too quickly.  

   "What day do you have off?" 

   "Thursday and Saturday." 

   "Thursday, then?" 

   "Thursday it is," I breathed with a nervous smile.  

   He smiled back and dipped his head forward just a touch before gathering his bag of hangers.  He started off towards the automatic sliding doors, leaving me with a pounding heart and two more customers waiting to be helped.  I gently shook my head to try and refocus my thoughts before turning to the next items on the belt.  The customer was a regular, an older lady who was always pretty nice to me.  I gave her a smile as I rang up her few groceries.  

   "He seems awful polite, hun.  You got lucky today," She stated with a wink.  

   A smile broke out on my face and I was pretty sure I was blushing again.  I did get lucky today, didn't I?  It wasn't often that the man you admired from afar for so long finally noticed you!