Love & Other Possibilities

Chapter 1 - Winter

"Sir, I'm sorry, but There's nothing that I can do for you. Any item removed from it's packaging is no longer returnable."

My silent, inner rage boiled as the older man's face reddened and he looked at me like I was an idiot.

    "But I don't need it! My kid opened it on accident. You can see it hasn't been used!" The man exclaimed, his voice raising in anger, drawing the attention of other people in the store. I looked at the man, trying to hide my irritation behind a polite, sympathetic smile. My eyes flicked down towards the item in question - A $35 roll of plastic table cover, that was opened. I shook my head.

    "Sir, I'm sorry. I can return the rest of your items but I cannot return this table roll." I repeated. My stomach churned, and my skin pricked in anxiety - I loathed confrontation.

     "Oh yeah, you can return the $3 plastic plates and the $2 candles, but you're going to stick me with the $35 item, huh?" He asked, placing his hands on the counter and leaning down towards me, using his height advantage as an intimidation factor. And to be completely honest, It worked - I took two slow, measured steps back, keeping the polite tone in my voice, smelling the acute odor of alcohol on the man's breath.

     The man noticed that we were drawing some looks from a couple of elderly ladies who browsed at cards.

    "Mind your own business!" He shouted at them.

     "Hey!"

I turned to the source of the interruption, as did the customer, and to my relief I saw Ross walking briskly towards us, his long legs covering the distance quickly. He must have heard the lunatic yelling. I noticed out of the corner of my eye the way the man took a half step back deciding to reevaluate.

"What's going on here?" Ross asked as he reached the registers. He frowned at the red faced customer.

     "What's going on is this little brunette bimbo won't return my purchase." He said, deciding to stick to his macho bit. I widened my eyes at the man, but before I could say anything Ross spoke, his face scrunched up into disbelief.

     "Seriously? You want to do this now?" Ross asked, his shoulders straightening a little bit. "You want to do this over a what- a $35 table roll?"

     "I did not use-"

     "Quite frankly, sir, i'm not going to return any of your items, because, to be honest, I don't like you. I don't like the way you've yelled at my customers, the way you've treated my employee - who has handled the situation with a lot more politeness than I would have - and I don't like the way you smell like beer at ten in the morning." He said, his deep voice low and firm.

    The man stared Ross down for a solid minute, his nostrils flared and his chest heaving. I thought for a moment that he might try and hit him, and instinctively I balled my fists in anticipation.

With a heavy sigh, the man finally grabbed all his items off the counter and stormed out of the store.

      A heavy tension lifted with his exit, and it seemed as if suddenly the whole room could breath again. I let out a heavy exhale and took a step back as Ross walked quickly over to the two older ladies who still stood at the cards.

     I watched him talk to them for a moment, his eyebrows raised as he apologized to them for the disruption, and I quickly looked away as he turned back towards me.

A small smile played his lips as he walked behind the counter, towards me.

     "Geeze..." He said simply, and I nodded, a disbelieving smile on my lips.

    "He was... Not a happy camper." I said quietly. He scoffed.

    "You could say that again. Not a very sober one either." He said with a shake of his head.

     He stood about three feet from me, his eyes cast out towards the door, his hands tucked in his pockets. I took the slight second to look at him - He stood a little under six foot, with a stocky build and broad shoulders. He had a round, youthful face that hid his age well, despite the fact he was nine years my senior.

     He turned to me, his brows bent slightly. He looked at me with his dark hazel eyes that flecked with citrine and emerald, and I struggled not to stare at their color which seemed almost intoxicating to me, they were so pretty.

    "You okay?" He asked.

    "Oh yeah, I'm fine." I said, waving towards the front door like it was no big deal, turning away from his eye contact.

    "You sure?"

    "Yeah, I'm fine." I nodded, turning my eyes towards his once more for a brief moment.

    "Okay." He said, still giving me the option of saying that no, I was not in fact fine. After a second he turned to head back to the project he worked on - Inventory count, I guessed by the continuous beeping of the handheld scanner.

"Oh, Winter?"

     I looked up at him as he turned back towards me, a sly smile playing across his thin lips.

I tilted my head in response, silently replaying the way my name sounded as his deep voice had spoken it.

"Don't make me deal with anyone else today, okay?" He grinned, his brows tilted together and his eyes catching the light in a subtle glimmer.

     "No promises." I smiled at him as he turned and continued walking down the aisle to where he left his count.

I looked after him for a moment, admiring the way his body moved smoothly and gracefully, before the shaking in my hands stole my attention. I took a step back and leaned against the tall counter behind me, closing my eyes for a second, trying to calm my thundering heart.

The yelling man wasn't anywhere near the worst I'd ever encountered in my 21 years. But he sure did serve as a vivid memory.

"You alright dear?"

I opened my eyes to see the two little old ladies looking at me with concern. I smiled at them, assuring them I was fine, instantly tucking away the overwhelming feelings.