"Hey, Marcus!" Aria calls as she walks back to the office to clock in and start her shift. "Did the eggs get delivered today?"
At barely five and a half feet tall, Marcus was not the tallest man, and his lack of height did not add to his confidence. Late shipments were often unaddressed and ignored due to his lack of a backbone. Unfortunately for Aria, that meant she had to do more managing than her level of employment called for, often following through on orders and tracking down shipments. These extra responsibilities were not transferred to her paycheck, and the fact that she still lived with her mother proved that.
Marcus rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and Aria recognized that warning sign. Uh oh, she braced herself for the impending bad news. "Well, they didn't show this morning, so I called the farm, but I couldn't get through to them," Marcus explains.
She stifles a sigh and forces an encouraging smile. "It's no problem. I can call again and try to see what's up," she offers, making her boss breathe a sigh of relief.
"Thanks, Aria. Hey, you never got to tell me how that man is doing," Marcus reminds her with an inquisitive raise of his eyebrow.
Aria busies herself with tying her apron. She would've preferred to leave all thoughts of the two men out of her mind, especially the younger man that made her stomach flip. She hadn't even told her mom about her strange encounter at the hospital for fear it would only increase her worries.
"Yeah, he's doing good. Doctor said he'd recover quickly," she fibbed, knowing she hadn't even seen him awake.
Marcus doesn't press the subject any further, and Aria is grateful for that. She pushes the two men far from her mind, and she finds mental refuge in her work. Today proves to be a busy day as she helps customers left and right. The bell chimes again, adding to the handful of customers already shopping. From her position at the open kitchen in the back, her gaze shifts to the door, prepared to greet the customer with a welcoming smile, but her smile immediately falls. Standing in the doorway is the same dangerous that's been plaguing her thoughts since he cussed at her in his father's hospital room days ago: Luca. Her stomach drops, and while his attention is focused on scanning the front of the store, she sneaks into the back office, out of his view. Marcus left about an hour ago, leaving her alone to defend herself against the doom she was certain would befall her. For a minute, she allows herself to freak out over the situation, but then, Aria decides she can't hide from all her customers. She rolls her shoulders back and straightens her back. She calmly walks back into the kitchen, mentally noting where the biggest knifes are located, just in case it comes to that. Aria wipes her hands on her apron then places them at her side, trying not to fidget.
"May I help you?" she asks, and she applauds herself for the strength in her tone.
At her voice, Luca's gaze lifts to hers, trails over her body, and then returns to settle on her eyes. "Ah just the girl I'm looking for," he muses.
His suit today is a deep navy, making his silky hair seem as if it has a blue tint to it. Unlike the other day in the hospital, his jaw is lightly peppered with facial hair. His height still dwarfs her own, but she makes sure to stand tall.
"Can I help?" she repeats, trying to remain polite even though they're now the only two left in the store.
"Yes, I wanted to speak with you about our interaction at the hospital." Luca's tone is purely professional, almost like he's scheduling a business meeting.
Aria tries to be nonchalant and keep her voice even. "What about it?"
He looks around the store, and shakes her head. "Not here. Dinner tonight." It is not an invitation.
"No thank you. I wouldn't prefer dinner with a certified psychopath," she brushes past him curtly, walking to the front counter and trying to appear busy.
Apparently, that was not the answer he was expecting. He followed closely behind her, and Aria found herself holding her breath in anticipation.
"I didn't ask if you preferred it. You'll be going to dinner with me tonight."
His words infuriate her, and she stops dead in her tracts and spins around to face him. She puts her hands on her hips and juts out her chin defiantly. Who the hell does this guy think he is?
"I will not be going anywhere with you!" she insists.
Something dark flashes in his eyes, and Aria's stance wavers. Uh oh. Instead of lashing out like she expects, he shakes his head quickly and regains his composure.
"Yes, you are. Please?" he adds as an afterthought.
"No, I'm not! So get out of my store. Please," she harshly demands, pointing to the door in case he forgot where it was located.
Luca looks as if he means to say something other than, "Okay," yet that's all he replies before turning and following her instructions. Aria breathes a sigh of relief as the bell chimes as he exits the store and hopefully her life.
