“I do say so. There are no men here who have piqued my interest. Nor have I been looking.” Lies, Amelia thought and smirked. There was one man, close to her age, that caught her attention since day one. She refused to tell her mother about him.
“Time will tell.” Her mother’s voice interrupted Amelia’s thoughts.
“Okay, I’ve got to go. I’ll call in a day or so. Love you guys.” Amelia was eager to end the conversation.
“Okay, dear. We love you, too. Good luck with your first day at your new job tomorrow.”
“Thanks. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. I love it already.”
“That’s good to hear. Love you.”
“Love you, too, Mom.”
When she hung up, she stepped into her shoes and jogged across the street to Bailey’s. She knocked once and opened the door. “Bailey?” she called out as she took a few steps into the living room. The house was dark, with a little light shining in the kitchen. “Bailey, are you here?”
Lights switched on and a crowd of people jumped out from behind the furniture. They shouted, “Surprise!”
Amelia jumped. Amelia recognized a few faces as she searched the crowd for Bailey. She found Bailey in the kitchen doorway. Bailey walked towards her while she held onto a cake. She smiled and Amelia smiled back.
“This isn’t for me, is it?” Amelia asked Bailey.
Everyone in the room laughed. Bailey approached her. She wrapped an arm around Amelia to give her a hug, while she balanced the cake with one hand. “Don’t be silly. Of course this is for you.”
Amelia looked shocked. “Why?”
“Why? Because you got the job!” Bailey and the crowd clapped.
In unison the crowd hollered, “Congratulations!”
“Thanks everyone. How’d you all know?”
Bailey laughed and handed a piece of cake to Amelia. “It’s a small town. Everyone knows everything that happens.” Bailey winked at Amelia. “Anna called me and told me. She also said that she’s going to enjoy working with you.”
After they ate cake, people left. They congratulated Amelia on their way out the door. Many of them welcomed her to Fairshore.
As Amelia helped pick up garbage, there was a knock on the door.
Bailey turned. “Who could that be? I’ll go check.”
Amelia finished picking up the kitchen. When she turned around, she sucked in a breath. In the doorway, smiling and holding a bouquet of flowers, stood the man who made her heart skip extra beats the day she met him. “These are for you.” He handed the flowers to her. She noticed his smile and her mouth was wide open. She closed her mouth and hoped she did not look like an idiot. She was speechless. No words formed. Her thoughts scattered.
Zach continued to smile. He stood silently in front of Amelia. He waited for her to talk while he watched her. She looked shocked and amazed. Her eyes filled to the rims with tears.
He broke the silence. “I hope those are happy tears.”
Amelia broke into a nervous laughter. “Yes, of course.”
Zach laughed as he watched Amelia stammer her words. He was glad to see he had the same effect on her as she did on him. “I figured I’d stop by and tell you congratulations. I figured the flowers would be a bonus.”
Amelia could tell he was just as nervous as she was. “Yes, they’re great. Thank you.”
Amelia looked at Zach. She had to admit he cleaned up nice. His dark hair was styled with gel and his face was clean shaved. He was too good looking for her own good.
He shrugged and said, “Well, I suppose I should get going. It was nice to see you, Amelia.”
She liked the way he said her name. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. He turned to walk out of the kitchen. “Wait. Zach. I…” Amelia caught the sleeve of his shirt. As he turned around, she was speechless again. She reached out and pulled him closer to her. He wrapped her tightly in his arms. She could feel his breathing on top of her head. She tilted her head back and caught his stare with hers. Their lips locked like magnets in an instant. The sparks she felt were undeniable. Heat spread to her cheeks. She smiled. This can’t be happening, she thought. Is this really happening?
After they kissed, they let go of each other. She looked at him and noticed his smile. She smiled back. She looked down at her bare feet on the linoleum floor.
“It was nice seeing you tonight.” She said. “Thank you for coming, for the flowers…”
He leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against hers. “I agree it was very nice seeing you tonight.”
She smiled and giggled. He kissed her wrinkled nose. He turned and walked to the door. “I’ll see you girls later!” he called out as he opened the door and left Bailey’s.
Amelia was frozen as she stood still in the kitchen. Bailey walked in and waved a hand in front of Amelia’s face. “That good, huh?”
Amelia did not know how to explain it. “Simply amazing.”
Bailey’s face lit up. “No way! Give me the details! What in the world did I miss?”
Amelia blushed. She could feel her cheeks warm up. “Remember what you said? Small towns know everything that happens,” Amelia teased.
“Oh, come on! I was only away for five minutes! Tell me, please?” Bailey was dying to know. She insisted she needed to know.
Amelia continued to torture her. “A lot can happen in five minutes.”
“What happened?!”
“Did you see the flowers he brought me?” Amelia pointed to the vase of flowers sitting on the counter.
Bailey walked over and smelled them. “Beautiful. And you said he doesn’t like you? Here’s proof that he does.” She pointed to the flowers. “So tell me, what did I miss?”
“I never kiss and tell.” Amelia winked.
Bailey shrieked, “No way! He kissed you? Oh my!”
Amelia bit her bottom lip and nodded.
“How was it?” Bailey pressed on for more details.
“Amazing.” Amelia stated. “Like the fireworks times a thousand. The sparks flew.”
“That’s awesome! I’m so happy for you!” Bailey grabbed Amelia’s hand and they jumped around in excitement.
“I feel like I’m in high school again!” Amelia announced. “I don’t even know what to expect next!”
“I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.”
Amelia knew Bailey was right. Time will tell. She was in shock that it happened. “I don’t even know if I’m ready for a relationship!”
“It was just a kiss.” Bailey said as she nudged Amelia with her elbow.
“I know! But it came out of nowhere! I wasn’t expecting it!” Amelia covered her mouth with her hand. “It just happened.”
Bailey smiled. “Things like that happen all the time.”
“We don’t even know each other.” Amelia pressed her fingers to her lips. “It was in an instant. There was no stopping it. It’s like we connected since day one and it’s meant to be.”
“Relax. It was a kiss, not the end of the world. He likes you.” Bailey patted Amelia’s arm. “Breathe.”
Amelia frowned. She was nervous. It would be hard to trust another man to not hurt her again. “I don’t know if I can handle another heart break.”
“Who says Zach will break your heart?”
Amelia sighed. “Who says he won’t?”
Bailey shrugged. “I’ve known him for a while now. He isn’t one to play games. Everything he involves himself with, he takes seriously. I’m sure his past has hurt him, too.”
Amelia gave Bailey a puzzled look. “Why do you say that?”
Bailey shrugged. “Doesn’t everyone? I mean, don’t we all have that one relationship that left us battered and bruised? More than once for some of us.”
“Do you know about his relationships?” Curiosity captured Amelia.
“Can’t say that I know for sure, but rumor has it he broke up with Crazy Courtney a while ago because she cheated on him with his best friend.” Bailey said and continued on, “And
get this. She got pregnant and his friend left her. Guess who she tried running back to?”
Amelia shook her head in disbelief. “Did he take her back?”
“Nope. He told her to take a hike. She followed orders.”
“What’d she do?”
“Word of mouth is she left town. She ran off with some random guy.”
“Wow, that’s crazy.”
“Hence her name, Crazy Courtney. She got the nickname a few months ago when Zach found out through the grapevine she has connections here and she stalks him. I guess she’s still in love with him.”
“She can’t take a hint?”
“Apparently not.”
Amelia threw her arms up and her head back. “Great. Now I have to worry about a crazy ex-girlfriend of his. How’s that going to work?”
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Besides, you two haven’t made anything official.”
“Yet.” Amelia’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red.
Bailey let out a laugh and shook her head. “Oh, puppy love.”
“Let’s talk about you. Who’s the love of your life?” Amelia pounced in a playful defense.
“Hmm.” Bailey tapped her chin with her finger. “Can’t say I have one of those.”
“Whatever! Liar, liar, pants on fire!” Amelia sang out.
“Okay. I’ll tell you. It’s not the greatest story. Unlike yours and Zach’s.”
“I still want to hear it, even if it’s not traumatic.”
“I met a guy when I was twenty. Eight years ago to be exact.” Bailey smirked. “My sister set me up with him. I looked forward to the date. I had random boyfriends through high school, but obviously none stuck around.” Bailey smirked at her joke. “Anyways, I agreed to go on this date. The way my sister talked, he was good looking, had a steady job, and a fast car. She told me he was her friend’s brother.”
Amelia listened contentedly and Bailey continued on, “So I agreed to go on a date. When the night came, he called and left a message, while I was at work. He told me where to meet him.”
“Wait.” Amelia held up a finger. “He didn’t pick you up?”
Bailey shook her head. “Trust me, it gets better. So, I get home from work, I listen to the message, and get ready for the date. I didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t that big of a deal that he wasn’t picking me up.” She took a drink of water and continued, “So, I meet him at the restaurant and as I arrive, I’m looking for his car. I didn’t see a car like my sister had described. I walk inside and see him sitting at the table. Remember your parents saying first impressions are important?” Amelia nodded. Bailey continued telling her story. “Well, they are. He wasn’t my choice of men. He was different. So I sat down, I didn’t want to be rude and run like I wanted to. Long story short, he didn’t have a car or a job. He actually asked me to pay the tab!”
“Really?!” Amelia shook her head. “Are there any other stories? Have you ever had your heart broken?”
“No, no other stories. After that date, I waited for the right guy. He never came.” Bailey looked down at her cup of water. “And yes, I’ve had my heart broken, just not from a relationship. Two years later my father died. Being twenty-two and losing a parent is tough. But I didn’t lose one, I lost two that year. That’s when my mom began her drinking.”
“I’m sorry, Bai.”
Bailey shrugged. Her face showed a mix of emotions. “Nothing to be sorry about. I’ve been in therapy since then. I like to say I’m fine, but I’m not. Plus, I have yet to find the right guy to help pick up my broken pieces and put me back together.”
“In time you will. But until then, you have me and a bunch of other great friends here for you.” Amelia smiled. She was happy when Bailey smiled back.
“Thank you. You truly are one of the best friends a friend can have.”
“Same goes for you, too.” Amelia looked at the clock on the wall – 9:35. “I should probably get going home. I need to get to bed and get a good night’s rest for work tomorrow.”
“Okay, I’ll let you get going. Good luck with your first day. I’m sure you’ll like it there. Come over after work if you want to.”
“Okay, I will. See you tomorrow.” Amelia stood up and walked to the door.
Amelia left Bailey’s and went straight to bed after she set her alarm clock for 7:00 a.m.
Chapter Eight
At 8:15, Amelia drove to Anna’s Deli. She clocked in. Anna waited for her at the counter.
“Good morning, Amelia,” Anna greeted her.
“Good morning, Anna,” Amelia said in a chipper voice. “Where would you like me to start?”
“Let me give you a quick tour. I’ll give you a quick run-down of what I expect you to do.”
Anna gave Amelia the tour of the medium-sized grocery store with a deli counter in the back. Amelia looked around. The shelves were stocked with the necessities. Breads, cereals, pastas, spices, and sauces. A total of five aisles, including the frozen food aisle, were full of products.
Anna guided her back to the deli counter. The deli offered a variety of meats, along with salads. “Rumor has it that we have the best tasting potato salad around.” Anna winked. “Every salad in this counter is homemade. My family’s special recipes.”
Amelia smiled. “That’s awesome.” She became excited. She was glad Anna had hired her. Family owned businesses always piqued her interest.
“Back here is our refrigerator and freezer.” Anna said while she guided Amelia through a creaky doorway into the back room. The lighting was dim, but Amelia was able to see what Anna showed her.
“We keep the counter full throughout the day. You’ll have to make several trips back here a day.”
Amelia could see how proud Anna was about this store. The proof was the smile on Anna’s face and the way her eyes lit up when she talked about the store.
Once they were done in the back room, Anna walked into her office and showed her the day chart. “This tells you what you’ll be doing on the days you work.” Anna handed the chart to Amelia. She pointed at each day as she told her, “Mondays will be shelf stocking. Tuesdays will be up front at the checkout. Wednesdays will be at the deli counter. Thursdays will be cleaning. Fridays will be shelf stocking.”
Amelia nodded. “Sounds good.”
Anna smiled sweetly. “Good.” She clapped her hands once and said, “Are you ready to learn the cash register? Since it’s Tuesday.”
Amelia followed Anna to the checkout. As she walked, she glanced around. She noticed they were the only workers in the store. “Anna?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Are we the only ones who work here?” She realized she had not paid much attention before.
“Oh, no, dear. We have a few part-timers who work odd hours through the week and mostly work on the weekends. Courtney should be here tomorrow. My grandson comes in on his days off to help, too.”
Amelia’s mind flashed back to her conversation with Bailey last night. There has to be more than one Courtney in Fairshore, right? Crazy Courtney moved out of town, right? Could it be the same Courtney? Amelia’s mind raced as thoughts appeared.
“Are you okay? You don’t look so great.” Anna asked Amelia as she reached for her to help her sit down.
Amelia shook herself. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry. What were you showing me on the register?”
Anna continued to show her the register and the cheat sheets for item numbers and prices.
“If it gets too complicated or confusing just tell me, okay?”
Amelia nodded. Anna showed her how to use the scale by the register. “This scale is for fruit and vegetables only. No meat is to be placed on this scale. Meat is weighed at the deli counter and the weight is marked on its package.” Anna was dead serious as she explained this to Amelia. “I don’t want to take any chances of cross contamination. I don’t need customers getting deadly sick because of something I’ve done here.”
Amelia nodded. “I understand.”
Anna smiled and patted Amelia on the arm. “I know you do, dear. I have to give that speech to everyone.”
As the day went on, customers came in and left. Amelia got used to the cash register. At the end of her shift, Amelia clocked out. Her time card was stamped 8:20 to 4:00.
“These will be your hours Monday through Friday. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Amelia smiled and nodded. She rushed home. She could not wait to tell her parents and Bailey about her first day at Anna’s Deli.
* * *
When she got home, she called her parents right away. On the fourth ring, her father answered. “Hello?”
“Hey, Dad.” Amelia nearly shouted into the phone.
“Well, hey there, A.J. How are you?” her father replied. Amelia heard her mother in the background say, “Who is it? Is it Amelia Jean?” Her father answered her mother’s question. “Yes, it’s A.J.”
“Dad, my first day was great! I learned everything today!”
“That’s great!” her father said. Amelia heard him repeat what she told him to her mother. Her mother hollered in the background, “That’s good to hear, Amelia!”
Amelia smiled. It made her feel good to know her parents were happy and proud of her.
“Do you work tomorrow?”
“I work Monday through Friday. Eight-thirty to four.”
“No weekends?”
“No weekends. She has part-timers cover the weekend hours.”
“Well, there’s a good enough reason to celebrate,” her father stated.
Amelia laughed. Her father always looked for a reason to celebrate. “Okay. Well, tell Mom I’ll call her later. I have more people to tell. Love you guys.”
“Okay, I’ll tell her. Love you, too, kiddo.”
As she hung up the phone, there was a knock at the door. “Who is it?” she called out as she walked to the front door.
“Florist with a delivery.”
She opened the door. Zach stood on the porch holding a rose.
“Zach!” She opened the screen door and jumped into his arms.
Zach caught her and gave her a kiss on the forehead as he held her in his arms. “How was your first day at Anna’s?”
Second Chances (Fairshore Series Book 1) Page 5