Was It a Dream?

The bell over the door rang and they all looked towards the door. Shannon came in and stopped in the doorway with a cocky grin on his face.

“Well what do you know, the whole gang is here. I felt a little lonely and neglected so I thought that I’d come and take you up on your offer. So how is my favorite book store assistant.”

Alena laughed and made her way over to him and greeted him with a smile.

“You know you’re always welcome here.” She said. She was just too happy to be spending some more time with them, she still couldn’t believe her luck.

Shannon grinned down at her and pulled her into a hug.

“Have I ever told you how amazing you are?” He said.

Alena had not expected his sudden show of affection and she didn’t know quite how to react. She didn’t feel like he was being anything but friendly, but she just wasn’t used to such displays of affection from someone she barely knew.

Alena felt a bit overwhelmed by the attention Shannon was showing her. He had kept his arm around her shoulders after hugging her. She felt him steering her to where Jared and Tomo were sitting. She noticed that Tomo had a sly grin on his face, while Jared seemed upset about something.

“I would love a cup of your famous coffee.” Shannon told her. She noticed that he had an amazing smile. She laughed at his remark.

“I don’t know about famous, but I’ll gladly get you a cup.” She replied smiling up at Shannon. They had reached the couches and she headed over to the coffee table.

“Would you like some more coffee Jared?” She asked.

“Yes thank you, I’d love some” He said.

She noticed that he was smiling again and she felt her knees go weak. Shannon has a great smile but when Jared smiles at me it turns me to mush she thought to herself. She poured the coffee and handed Jared his cup first, their fingers touched as he took the cup from her hand and she felt her heart start to race.

What’s the matter with me? I’m acting like a teenager with her first crush! She thought. She quickly turned back to the table and gave Shannon his coffee. She decided to go and sit behind the counter until she could control her heart better, but just as she turned to walk away she felt someone grab her hand and pull her back. She let out a startled gasp as she fell onto the couch beside Shannon. She looked at him with wide eyes.

“Where do you think you’re going? My dear brother monopolized you last night. I’d very much like to get to know you better.” He said with an impish smile.

“I promise I only bite on request.” Alena couldn’t help but laugh at him. She relaxed, it was impossible to be cross with Shannon, he was just too lovable.

“What would you like to know?” She asked.

“Well, first off, do you have a boyfriend?” Alena felt herself blush at the question.

“ Straight to the point I see, no I don’t..” She replied

“I find that hard to believe, a beautiful girl like you should have an army of guys wanting to go out with her.” He said in mock surprise.

“Oh, stop that!” She said. “I had a boyfriend, but it didn’t work out.”

“Why was that?” Tomo asked.

“He was overbearing and wanted to control every aspect of my life.” She explained with a nonchalant shrug. “One night he lost his temper and hit me and that was the end of that relationship.

Alena had been looking at her hands as she answered the question as she wasn’t really comfortable talking about her ex, but looked up when she heard the three of them grunt in anger. She noticed that Jared in particular seemed upset with her remark.

“I’ve got another question for you.” Shannon said trying to alleviate the tense atmosphere.

“What would that be?” Alena asked.

She was glad to change the subject. She still had nightmares about what happened that day. If a neighbor hadn’t come to her rescue, her ex would have beaten her to death. As it is she spent five months in hospital and had to receive counseling for the trauma, she still battled with the ghosts of that relationship.

“When can you close up the shop and what are you doing for the rest of the day?” He said giving her a wicked smile.

“Well it’s pretty quite so I guess I can close early today and I don’t have any plans for the rest of the day. I was going to loaf around at home.”

“That would be a crime, close up and then you’re coming with us.” He ordered. “You can watch a movie with us at our place.”

“Will there be popcorn and hot chocolate?” She asked giving him a pleading little girl look.

Shannon laughed. “Not another one! With Jared there popcorn and hot chocolate is guaranteed.“

“Yeah!” Alena cried jumping up and down. “I’m in, let’s go! Come on – you’re taking too long!”

She ran around the shop closing up as fast as she could. Behind her she heard the three men laugh at her enthusiasm. She didn’t mind, the prospect of spending more time with Jared was very appealing to her.

“Are we going to use the secret exit you showed us yesterday?” Tomo asked hopefully. Alena laughed, he looked so excited by the prospect of using the back way.

“I tell you what; I’ll take you out using another secret exit, one that I haven’t shown you yet.”

Tomo ran over to her and gave her a big hug lifting her clear off the floor.

“You’re the greatest! Come on slowpoke let’s go!”

Alena laughed again. It had been a long time since she enjoyed herself this much. After what had happened she had been a little reticent to go out and enjoy life, but these guys seemed to just bring out that fun part of her that she had thought would be lost forever.

“Follow me.” Alena said after she had locked everything up. She led them to the hidden room behind the counter that she had shown Tomo earlier.

“You have shown me this room before.” Tomo said a little disappointed.

“Yes, but I didn’t show you this.” She said as she walked over to the closet.

She opened the door and walked into the closet, moving aside a few jackets that were hanging in it. She pushed the back of the closet and it swung outward. She looked behind her and saw that they hadn’t followed her.

Tomo was standing a few paces outside the closet and Jared and Shannon were talking in hushed tones behind him.

“Are you coming” She asked with arched eyebrows idly wondering what Jared was saying to Shannon as he seemed to be very serious.

Tomo was the first to follow her. She stepped through the closet into a room used for storage purposes.

“This is so cool!” Tomo said. “We should get something like this; just imagine how easy it would be to slip away from our crazed fans and the paparazzi.”

Alena laughed. “They do come in handy; I used them often after I broke up with my ex. This is the shop next door to ours. The owner uses it to store some of the books and some of his personal stuff. We’ll use the back door to this shop.”

“What did you mean when you said you used to use it often after your break up with your ex?” Jared asked. Alena was a bit startled she hadn’t noticed him coming up behind her.

“Oh, I told you he was a bit obsessed, for a while after the breakup he used to hang around outside the shop and if he didn’t some of his friends would just hang around outside and make a nuisance of themselves.” She explained. “If there wasn’t anybody to leave with me I would use one of the secret exits. For some reason I never showed him any of them, as it turns out that was a good thing.”