3;02PM.
I felt a single damp ringlet fell from my makeshift ponytail as I tapped on the travel mug that sat on the counter of the till. This was my third refill, it was a cold winters morning and here I was, stuck in another shift of my favourite gas station.
Tuesday mornings were fairly quiet. You would always get that one off truck driver popping in for a tuna mayo sandwich or that family driving back from minacota, looking to buy a new map after the old one 'was inaccuarate'.
My boss was a middle aged man with minimum hair and a expanding waistline. He always had a cigarette sunk inbetween his pursed lips and petrol stains on his white creased t shirt. This is the same man that married my mother in Last Vegas three months prior. I wasn't too keen on his unpleasant attitude, but as long as I got her free coffee every week and my money at the end of every month, I wouldn't dare complain to his face.
To be honest, I didn't dislike my job at the gas station. I could get as many free refils on the shitty coffee as I wanted, and have as many cigarette breaks as I pleased, Hell, I didn't even have to be polite to customers if I didn't want to, (although I always was). My main role was to stand there and take peoples money but unlike my old career, I didn't have to strip for it.
"Excuse me" I snapped her neck upward to meet the gaze of a tall boy around her age, his hair falling in front of his eyes. His hair was golden blonde that fell into light separate waves. He was absolutely ethereal. I happened to notice the girl he had snaked around his left arm, "we've been waiting to be served for quite a while now, do you mind?"
I paused and shook my head lightly "Sorry." I mumbled, "we don't usually get many customers on a Tuesday. What is your lane number?"
"4."
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Is there anything else I get get you today, Sir?"
"I want coffee." The girl besides him answered blandly, avoiding eye contact with me and instead looking up at the boy. The boy nodded and proceeded to look over at me.
"Can she get a coffee?" He asked, almost with a hint of desperation in his voice.
Not many customers came in asking for coffee, therefore it was usually just me drinking out of the thirty-something year old machine. "I mean, sure," I chuckled, "I must warn you, it's not very good though. "
The girl didn't respond, but the boy weakly smiled. I poured the girl a cup of the gravy looking substance and she snatched it from my hands almost instantly. She walked out the shop without saying another word.
I did find it slightly odd, but I didn't question her behaviour too much. You do get some peculiar people around these parts of town. It was in the middle of nowhere. She was probably hungover.
"Thank you." The boy finally spoke and squinted at the tag resting on my shirt, "Tony?"
I laugher slightly and took a sip from the travel leaning on the side.
"Toby." I corrected, "have a nice day, sir."
