Limitless

Chapter 33

I hung up one of the new shirts on the rack and ran my fingers over the rough fabric.  Somehow, we had attracted more business and were selling more, which was good, but it also meant we were ordering more clothes which was tiring.  Steaming, hanging, and sorting was exhausting for some reason.  I could tell that even Charlie was a little worn out from the work, but he had gotten a raise from the owner of the store, who I had still yet to see, so he didn’t complain. “I’ve never seen it so busy,” he gawked after an afternoon rush.  We both stood behind the cash register having both finished checking out 8 or 9 people each.

I pushed my bangs back behind my ear and grabbed the store’s copy of one of the receipts as Charlie walked to the back of the now-empty store. “Lou, when are you off?”

"Uhh, I think I get off at 6 tonight," I called as I bent down under the counter to organize the receipts from the day. 

"Oh good, you’ll be available to go to dinner with me then." 

I shot up from under the counter, startled.  A rugged and handsome individual leaned casually on the counter toward me.  I almost laughed because I thought, at first, that it was Dylan O’Brien - an extremely mature and sexy version of Dylan O’Brien.  His brown hair was short.  His brown eyes were mesmerizing.  The dark stubble that covered the bottom half of his face made him look like such a man… He leaned so casually, yet so seductively toward me that I just didn’t even know what to say. 

"I… beg your pardon?"

"I’m Mason," He said, sticking his hand out.  I stuck mine out to shake his, but as he took my hand, he turned it and placed a soft kiss on the top of it. 

"I’m Lou…" I said hesitantly, eyeing his lips as they brushed my skin.

He looked back up at me and grinned. “Dinner - that’s what I said earlier. You should join me when you get off work.” 

I raised my eyebrows and tried to regain my composure. I cleared my throat as I walked around the counter. “Mason, hmm? I’m sorry, but I have another thing after work that I have to go to.” 

Mason laughed - a deep warm laugh. “A thing? What kind of thing?” 

I frowned at him. “A none-of-your-business kind of thing.” 

He raised his hands defensively. “Apologies.” 

I grabbed a new shirt from an open box on the floor and hung it up. As I reached for another one, Mason snatched it from me.

"I’m trying to work here," I said, slightly irritated, but I was also loving the attention. 

Mason grinned. “Go out to dinner with me.”

"No. I told you I have a thing."

"Netflix doesn’t count as a thing.  Plus, it’ll be there when you get home."

I swished my spit in my mouth and put my hands on my hips. “It’s tumblr, not netflix,” I mumbled.

"Lou, it’s just dinner. Please?" 

I looked back at Mason.  He jutted his bottom lip out and pouted playfully.  I snatched the shirt back from him. “Fine. Just dinner.” 

When I got home I immediately regretted agreeing to dinner though.  I wanted to sit on tumblr. Maybe netflix.  I just wanted to sleep.  Plus I couldn’t decide on anything to wear and my hair was dirty. Mason told me to dress nicely, but all I felt like wearing at the moment was sweatpants.  I forced myself to at least put some baby powder in my hair and coat myself in perfume to try and mask the stink that I had picked up during the long day.  Finally, I put on the only really nice dress that I had; the blue one that Harry had bought me.  Still not having ever bought shoes to really match, I put on my red shoes and reluctantly walked out into the driveway where Mason was waiting.