WORD COUNT| 1.2K+
It was late July and the sun was feverishly pounding down on you. The small canopy barely blocking the rays. The only relaxation you got was when a gust of cool wind would brush through, shaking a few wind chimes a few tables away.
Even with the sun slowly turning your pale skin a light shade of red you loved the flea market. You loved how the community would come together on the last Saturday of every month and have their little sales. But most of all, you loved helping your Grandmother with her own booth.
You had been accompanying her since you were old enough to talk. You ran the bake sale table and she ran the crafts. You were a good team and you couldn't imagine spending time with anyone else.
You finally finished putting the treats out in an array right as people started showing up to the market. Turning around, you checked to make sure your Grandma had everything in order. Which she did and sat relaxed in her chair with a kind smile on her face. You spun back around and started the day.
By 12:00 you had already made an abundance of cash and almost sold out of all of the goods. Your stomach began to rumble, signaling that you needed to eat something. "Grandma, do you want some lunch?" You ask, grabbing your wallet and abandoning your post.
"Oh yes, maybe get me something from the deli." She says, grabbing your hand in her shaky ones and kissed your fingers sweetly. You nodded and trotted off towards the deli stand a few rows over. You waited about 15 minutes in line before you got your order of a ham sandwich for yourself, and cream of chicken soup for your Grandmother.
Once you had returned back to your station and put her bowl in front of her she turned around to say something. "Your boy stopped by." She says in a sing-song voice. You rolled your eyes at the wording. You didn't even know his name.
"Oh yeah? What did he buy this time?" You ask and she shakes her head.
"Not a thing. I asked if I could help him and he said he had to go get his wallet from his car. I watched him run off towards the parking lot with his wallet stuffed in his back pocket. He was looking for you." She winks. A blush crept to your cheeks and you shook your own head this time.
There had been a boy that bought a package of cookies from you when you were 14 years old in September of 2013. He was quiet, reserved and sweet. But after showing up the next month for the same thing you noticed a pattern. He had come every single time, 71 months in a row. You met this boy 71 times and never caught his name.
" Let's try something. What does he usually get?" She asks, facing you. You held up the last baggie of almond cookies before she took them out of your hand and put them in her purse. What was she up to? "Now then. If he can't play his normal routine, he'll be forced to act differently. Maybe this time he'll say more than a thank you before he scurries off." She explains with a mischevious grin. You rolled your eyes playfully at her antics and got back to work. "Here he comes." She whispers as if you were on a spy mission.
You were putting the money from your last exchange in the box when a shadow cast over your table. You looked up to greet the young man with dark hair and scruff covering his cheeks. "We're out of your usual." You say, watching his eyes scan the table. He didn't say anything, he just picked up a bag of cinnamon bites and placed them in front of you.
"I'll just have these then. They look good too." He says with an award-winning smile. That was the most he had ever said to you.
"That's a big difference from your cookies." You say looking up towards him while he dug through his wallet for cash.
"It's always nice to try something new." He mutters, pulling out a $5 dollar bill and handing it to you. You put it in the box and started counting out change.
"Then why start now? You've been here plenty of times and never got anything else." You say, handing him back the change. He just held his smile and gripped the baggie in his hand.
"That's not true. I always get what I come for when I come here." He admits, putting his wallet back in his pocket.
"Oh yeah? What's that?" You ask, leaning forward to hear his answer.
"Well, I get to talk to you." He says. That made your cheeks flush.
"What about your cookies sir?" You ask with a flirty smile.
"I'm allergic to almonds." He says with a wink and walks away, opening the bag and popping a bite in his mouth. You were left in utter shock. You turned towards you Grandma who was already smiling at you.
"I told you he liked you." She says, handing the cookies back for you to put on the table. "I may have a regular customer, but not one that shows up every single time for almost five years straight for a bag of cookies I watch him give to someone else down the street." She explains. You looked up and watched him turn the corner with a smile prominent on his face.
You were in complete awe over him and watched him vanish towards the parking lot. "Grandma, do you think he'll come back next month?" You ask with a blissful smile. "Only one way to find out." She hums, pulling the cookies from her purse and handing it over. You grinned brightly, snatching the bag and running as quickly as your legs could carry you.
Luckily he was walking at a leisure pace and had just arrived at his vehicle when you caught up, gaining his attention. "Did I forget something?" He asks raising a brow. You held up the bag of almond cookies, he just laughed and took the bag from your hands. "I thought I told you I was allergic." He says with a cocked brow and a smirk.
"You did. But I want to make sure the pattern doesn't change so you'll come back next month." You say, still offering him the cookies. He pushed them back towards you with a chuckle.
"I don't come for the cookies. I'll be back, that's for sure." He says, opening the door of his Jeep and climbing in.
"What's your name? I've met you over and over and I still don't know it." You remind, clutching the bag against your stomach. He let out a low chuckle.
"I'm Ethan." he states. That name had never meant anything to you, so why is it making your stomach do flips now? "And what about you? I'd like to know the name of the girl I drive six hours to see every month." He says, making you widen your eyes. He drives six hours just to see you? Your heart fluttered to the point where you almost forgot to answer.
"Y/N." You say breathlessly. He smiled and said it under his breath as if he would forget it if he didn't repeat it.
"I'll see you next month Y/N." He promises before closing the door a starting the engine.
Although he did, in fact, continue to show up, as usual, you would also meet him halfway random days of the month. He liked seeing you as much as you liked seeing him and who would have thought it would have all began sooner if you would have just hidden a stupid bag of almond cookies.
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gif credit to: AD (found on tumblr)
