For War To Love

The last hour had certainly been an intriguing and exciting hour. First, the most ruggedly handsome man Andrea had ever seen came into the café for his lunch hour. Then of course Chris made the poor girl serve said man, albeit through a bribe since it was the only way for anyone to approach the rugged brooding aura. She was embarrassed enough as it was because Andrea didn't do well with men in particularly especially extremely good loking men who fit her ideal man . Plus, Andrea thought that she didn't look all that great since he had been running late this morning.

Another thing that added to Andrea's hour, Christopher, the fool that he sometimes was, said that it was really just a bribe and that he wouldn't really be giving her a raise. Of course Andy was pissed at him and started arguing with him. Chris and Andy usually didn't argue, so it was a rare occurrence. Thankfully they made up. It's almost impossible for her to stay mad at Chris. He was her best guy friend ever. They had known each other since high school, though he was a year and a half older than she.

The thing that really made her hour an extremely good one was the man who Christopher had bribed Andy into serving gave a huge tip. TWENTY FLIPPIN' DOLLARS. That was more tips than she would normally make in a DAY. He must be rolling in the dough, since he not only gave me a large tip, but he also paid with a crisp fifty dollar bill. Andrea found it a bit unnerving that the guy didn't even think to put the small amount of ten dollars on his card. She had a little beef with the rich flaunting their wealth.

Her shift ended shortly after the man left, since she had other places to go and people to see. Andrea hurried to grab all her things before heading out the door. “Bye, Chris! See you tomorrow!” she called over her shoulder as she left the café.

“Bye, Andy!” she faintly heard. Chris was back in the kitchen, at least it was the most likely place for him to be. Chris loved to cook, so owning his own café was like a dream come true. It was nice to hear a bye from him, because it showed Andrea that he was no longer angry or upset with her. Andy shrugged into her coat since it was a bit chilly even for an autumn afternoon, and merged with the people on the sidewalk.

The city was still bustling, but that's what Andrea liked about it. Always busy, and someone was always busy doing something. Not like the dinky little town she had grown up in. There Andy didn't have much to do and got bored easily. Not in the city. Here she had done many things and still hadn't done them all. Just like the old adage which was a personal favorite, 'You may live in a city all your life and still not see all it has to offer.'

Smiling because the day was nice and not to crappy, Andy walked to her next job because she didn't have afternoon classes that day. Andrea loved this job as well, because she love books and reading. She entered the back room with a smile, inhaling the beautiful scent of new and old books. “Hey Jo!” Andrea called from the room where she was putting her coat and purse.

“Andy, hunny, is that you!?” came the cry of Jo, who was most likely having problems with the cash register. Joanne was a sweet lady and a genius with books, but she could not work with electronics to save her life. Maybe because most of it came to be when she was in her thirties and too old to really care much for the technology. To Jo, if it worked then who cared if it was old and a little out-dated. It was just one of her many quirks but it made her more charming. It was a wonder to Andrea why Jo wasn't seeing any older gentleman. From Andy's perspective it was probably because most of the older gentlemen were married or sugar daddies.

Andrea stuck the name tag on and walked out into the shop proper. And indeed Jo was frantically trying to work the register. The younger woman had to stifle a laugh since it was no laughing matter but was still a little amusing. Andrea smiled at the couple Jo was trying help. “May I help?” Andy asked, taking the spot at the register. Jo stepped away with an appreciated smile on her face. Andrea knew Jo give Andy one of her famous cookies that she also sold in her shop. Jo was one of the most grandmotherly women Andrea had ever met.

“Yes, we would like the buy these,” said the woman. Andy smiled again, taking the books and rang them up. “Alrighty, your total is twenty five dollars and ten cents.” The man gave her a card, which she swiped. After all the transactions and receipt signing was finished, Andrea handed them their books that she had put in a bag. “Have a good day, and thanks for shopping at the Mrs. Robertson's Cornershop Bookstore.” They smiled, nodded, and left the bookstore.

“What would I do with out you?” Jo asked as she put some books on the shelf. Andy laughed.

“Probably go out of business. But Marty helps you too so I guess you wouldn't totally go under.” Jo laughed, shaking her head and put more on the shelves. Marty or Martin, was Jo's geeky son. He worked mostly on making sure Jo did the accounts right, and making sure that the technological things where working properly.

Looking around and seeing no one, Andrea pulled out a book she had begun reading earlier that day. Jo allowed Andrea to read at the register as long as she still remained aware that people could enter and buy something, which they couldn't do if Andy's nose was stuck in a book.

Andrea was deeply engrossed with the text so much so that she barely heard the little ring of the door bell. However, she heard it and sighed, setting the book to the side. That was the only trouble with reading at the counter, just starting to be totally enveloped by the story when all the sudden customers walk in. Though it did add suspense to whatever she was reading. Andrea looked up and towards the door. Twas just a group of kids, and their parents. She waited patiently for the group to pick out their books, choosing to reorganized the front counter a bit. Jo really needed a flower or something to liven the old wooden counter up. A few daisies or any other friendly flower of the sort.

Andy smiled brightly to the kids as she rang up all the books they were getting. The parents forked over credit cards, and so she swiped those through the machine, handing the cards back with receipts. The young woman bagged said items and handed the bags to the kids along with a piece of candy. “Have a good day!” Andy said with a smile and wave. One of the girls gave a toothless smile and a wave. Andrea liked her the best of that little group of kids.

That was the process for most the afternoon. She'd start to really get into the book, then a customer came in. Andrea would wait patiently for them to purchase their books and the cycle went on and on until 3:30 in the afternoon when the bell on the door rattled as a rather excited customer entered.

“JO!” came the cry of the customer. Groaning, Andrea sighed and shook her head before closing her book, yet again. Andy already knew who the customer was with out even looking up. The rattle of the bell made it crystal clear of who he was. Thankfully he could be obnoxious without disturbing other customers since there was no one in the store other than those three.

“Luke! Good to see you, hun. “ Jo said with a smile and hug. “Have you grown?” she asked as she looked up at the tall boy, who had actually grown three more inches to be at a whopping six feet. He just smiled before looking Andrea's way. Oh no, she knew that look. And it wasn't good; what ever it was Luke was about to tell her. That look always meant trouble.

Luke sauntered toward the counter. “Andy,” he called in a sing song voice. That voice always meant trouble for the young woman. Luke had perfected that tone over the years. It was the perfect mix of whine, pout, normal name calling, and a few other things that were harder to detect.

“NO!” she said flatly. Andrea quickly put her book under the counter. No way was she going to let Luke poke fun at what she was reading. Luke, though a smart lad, was not the kind of reader that Andrea was. “What ever it is that you have to tell me or show me, NO!” He pouted for being shot down so quickly. His pour was the kind of pout that the lower lip jutted way out.

Luke batted his long eyelashes at Andrea, leaning his arms on the counter so he'd look up at her with his smoky blues. “Pweese?” Amusing that boy was. A sophomore in high school and he still acted like a little kid at times. He had the happy-go-lucky thing going which helped him become one of the most popular kids in his school, that and Luke's dashing good looks, which were bound to get better by his senior year and make him prom king.

Andrea sighed, knowing that Luke knew exactly how to get to her. Rolling her eyes and following Luke's lead by leaning on the counter, Andrea rolled my eyes and sighed again. “Fine. What is SO important that you had to interrupt my reading?” He grinned a Cheshire cat grin. Andy always got the shivers whenever she saw a smile like that as well as the fact that she would never again watch Alice in Wonderland because of that creepy cat.

“I got some tickets....” he started, slowly and hesitantly. She stared at the lad impatiently. “To a concert that I thought maybe you'd like to go?” Luke finished quickly but Andy's good hearing was able to catch what he said. At this not only did Andrea's eyebrows shoot up, but she also stood and slammed her palms on the counter, obviously enraged with the teenager.

“Lucas Nathaniel Connerson, where on earth did you get the money for that?” She snapped, hoping eyes looked like molten green fire. Though Luke had often told Andy than when she glared she didn't look all that menacing, and of course he would laugh as she fumed over that remark.

He frowned, looking disappointed and sad. “Look, Andy, I didn't steal them if that's what you are thinking. They were a gift from Jake. He said that we needed to...” he looked confused for a moment. “What was it he said...” Luke snapped his fingers as if that would help him remember.

Finally he groaned frustratingly . “Lost it, but whatever. Will you come please?” he asked again, his smoky blue eyes pleading. Andrea sighed heavily knowing that he would not like what she had to say, nor did Andy like what she had to tell him.

“Sorry, Luke. I've got some homework I gotta do and Christopher needs me there early tomorrow.” He looked disappointed, and disheartened. “Listen, why don't you take that girl from your English class. Angela right?” He nodded solemnly, still a bit distressed apparently that Andy could not go with him. Though from the way he kept talking about her, Andrea thought Luke would be a little happier to be able to take Angela to a concert and call it a date.

Andrea walked out from behind the counter in order to give Luke a hug. She could tell he needed it. It wasn't very often he dropped by the bookshop after school. It kind of broke her heart that she couldn't go, but it was impossible. Luke at least knew the truth about their situation even if he didn't like it. “I'm sorry that it couldn't work out for tonight, but how bout I treat you to a movie this weekend. Your choice,” she offered with a smile. A movie was a rare treat, but Andy thought the kid deserved it. She did after all turn the concert offer down. Apparently, the thought of a movie excursion was enough to cheer Luke up.

“Thanks, Andy!” he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek and a little squeeze like hug. “Well, I'll be home late, don't wait up!” he started to leave.

“DON'T FORGET PROTECTION!” she yelled after him. He shook his head and waved, running out of the shop door and into the gaggle of people on the sidewalk. He knew Andrea was joking since they both believed, old-fashioned as it may be, to wait for sex until after marriage. It was a moral that both their parents taught them.

Jo came up to Andrea laughing, probably from what was said to Luke. She knew of their beliefs and respected them for it. It was nice to know that they were not alone. “That boy is something else.” She mused lightly before going back to her work of organizing books.

Andrea smiled lightly as she went back to the counter and her book. “Yep, he sure is. But that's my brother for ya.”