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Authors: Lori L. Clark
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convenience store life. She also learned that Saturday and Sunday were her two days off and that there were other people on the payroll besides herself, Shane, and Ami.
Star couldn't believe how at home she felt around these people, who, up until five days ago, had been strangers to her. Earlier in the week, Neona handed over the keys to her Jeep so Star could have transportation for going back and forth to work.
Friday, Star went in a few minutes before her scheduled shift so she could chat with Ami before the woman left for the day. In spite of Ami's wildly fluctuating, hormone-driven moods, Star had taken an immediate liking to the girl. Over the course of the past few days, Star learned that Ami was twenty-six, had graduated from cosmetology school. She was married to her high school sweetheart, the sheriff's son, Paul. He was twenty-five and worked at a car dealership up in Hannibal. And she was due in February with their first child.
"So, Shane tells me you two are cooking Thanksgiving dinner next week?" Ami commented. It sounded more like a question than a statement.
Star nodded and smiled. "I don't know how he managed to convince me that was a good idea."
"Shane can be both charming and persuasive. Add that to his boyish good looks, and you could have a potentially dangerous combination on your hands," Ami said.
Star's mouth twisted into a smirk. "Are you speaking from personal experience?"
"Me? Oh, heck no. Paul's been the love of my life since we were in junior high. It's a small town, that's all. People talk." Ami shrugged. "I was already out of high school by the time he got there."
Star didn't know much about Shane, and other than that first afternoon, she had only spent a few minutes with him when he came in to relieve her at six every day. "He seems like a pretty good guy," Star commented.
"Oh, he is. Now, anyway," Ami said. "He's had a shitty life the past few years, and it's a wonder he didn't wind up crazy or dead or both. All in all, he seems to have come out of it unscathed. I guess we have Tommy to thank for that."
Star was curious, and she had a lot of unanswered questions about Shane. In spite of how alive he made her feel every time he walked into the room, their age difference was too great for anything serious to develop, and Star was so over cheap, meaningless sex.
"Well, that's it for me. I'm out of here. I'll see you Monday. Same time, same place," Ami said cheerfully.
Star nodded as Ami slipped off the trademark bright red smock and put on her coat before she headed out the door. "Have a good weekend, Ami," Star told her.
A steady stream of customers trickled in all afternoon, leaving very little downtime for Star to stock the coolers or keep the coffee pots filled. She was refilling the straws and napkins when she heard the front door open for what must've been the thousandth time. "Be right with you," she called out without glancing to see who it was.
"Missed a spot," Shane pointed over her shoulder at some spilled coffee grounds.
Star's breath caught in her throat. Why did he have to stand so close ? Ignoring his comment, she changed the subject. "Is it six already?"
"Nah, Friday's are always busy. I figured you could use some help getting caught up doing all the shit work I despise. You do that stuff, I'll man the register. Sound good?" he asked.
"Sure," she agreed. In spite of the fresh pot of coffee brewing directly beneath her nose, the only thing Star smelled when she breathed in was him. His strong scent of leather and Irish Spring soap was a strangely intoxicating blend. He was standing so close she felt the heat radiating off his body. "That'd be great. Thanks."
She scooted sideways, careful not to brush against him. It was times like these -- the times he seemed to taunt her with his presence -- that turned her thirty-year-old brain into mush and other, lower, parts of her anatomy into a horny teenager. When she peered over at him, the smirk on his face made her
Star couldn't believe how at home she felt around these people, who, up until five days ago, had been strangers to her. Earlier in the week, Neona handed over the keys to her Jeep so Star could have transportation for going back and forth to work.
Friday, Star went in a few minutes before her scheduled shift so she could chat with Ami before the woman left for the day. In spite of Ami's wildly fluctuating, hormone-driven moods, Star had taken an immediate liking to the girl. Over the course of the past few days, Star learned that Ami was twenty-six, had graduated from cosmetology school. She was married to her high school sweetheart, the sheriff's son, Paul. He was twenty-five and worked at a car dealership up in Hannibal. And she was due in February with their first child.
"So, Shane tells me you two are cooking Thanksgiving dinner next week?" Ami commented. It sounded more like a question than a statement.
Star nodded and smiled. "I don't know how he managed to convince me that was a good idea."
"Shane can be both charming and persuasive. Add that to his boyish good looks, and you could have a potentially dangerous combination on your hands," Ami said.
Star's mouth twisted into a smirk. "Are you speaking from personal experience?"
"Me? Oh, heck no. Paul's been the love of my life since we were in junior high. It's a small town, that's all. People talk." Ami shrugged. "I was already out of high school by the time he got there."
Star didn't know much about Shane, and other than that first afternoon, she had only spent a few minutes with him when he came in to relieve her at six every day. "He seems like a pretty good guy," Star commented.
"Oh, he is. Now, anyway," Ami said. "He's had a shitty life the past few years, and it's a wonder he didn't wind up crazy or dead or both. All in all, he seems to have come out of it unscathed. I guess we have Tommy to thank for that."
Star was curious, and she had a lot of unanswered questions about Shane. In spite of how alive he made her feel every time he walked into the room, their age difference was too great for anything serious to develop, and Star was so over cheap, meaningless sex.
"Well, that's it for me. I'm out of here. I'll see you Monday. Same time, same place," Ami said cheerfully.
Star nodded as Ami slipped off the trademark bright red smock and put on her coat before she headed out the door. "Have a good weekend, Ami," Star told her.
A steady stream of customers trickled in all afternoon, leaving very little downtime for Star to stock the coolers or keep the coffee pots filled. She was refilling the straws and napkins when she heard the front door open for what must've been the thousandth time. "Be right with you," she called out without glancing to see who it was.
"Missed a spot," Shane pointed over her shoulder at some spilled coffee grounds.
Star's breath caught in her throat. Why did he have to stand so close ? Ignoring his comment, she changed the subject. "Is it six already?"
"Nah, Friday's are always busy. I figured you could use some help getting caught up doing all the shit work I despise. You do that stuff, I'll man the register. Sound good?" he asked.
"Sure," she agreed. In spite of the fresh pot of coffee brewing directly beneath her nose, the only thing Star smelled when she breathed in was him. His strong scent of leather and Irish Spring soap was a strangely intoxicating blend. He was standing so close she felt the heat radiating off his body. "That'd be great. Thanks."
She scooted sideways, careful not to brush against him. It was times like these -- the times he seemed to taunt her with his presence -- that turned her thirty-year-old brain into mush and other, lower, parts of her anatomy into a horny teenager. When she peered over at him, the smirk on his face made her
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