My Baby, My Darling.

A Kings of Leon song played overhead as I flipped through a stack of CDs. Nearby, a few kids were messing around with an old record player. One boy put the over-sized headphones on the others ears as he was flipping through cassettes and turned to volume at its maximum. The boy flipping through cassettes jumped at the sudden noise and shrieked loudly. The boy instigating his pain dropped to the floor, laughing his head off. I raised my eyebrows at the scene and put my hand over my mouth, stifling a laugh.

"Hey, guys. Careful with the equipment, alright?" Travis walked in from the back room of the record store carrying a huge box taped up on the top and stumbling towards the front counter. He swiftly pulled out a box cutter from under the desk and swiped it along the top of the box, pulling out various band tees and positioning it on the glass case below the counter.

I grinned, watching Travis as he worked with a tired expression plastered on his face. I approached the counter as he put the last shirt on the display and disappeared behind the counter, taking apart the box. I cleared my throat loudly.

"One second, m’am." His impassive voice called from behind the counter. Travis quickly stood up, bumping into a book shelf behind him, causing a few rolled up posters to fall to the floor. He mumbled a few absurdities, hastily bending down to pick up all the posters and slamming them down on the counter. "Sorry about that," he cleared his throat, still looking at the ground to make sure all the posters were picked up. "What can I help you with?" his tired eyes finally looked up to meet mine, and widened upon fixating on my face.

"Well for starters," I smiled, slapping a hand down on the counter dramatically, "you can explain to me why the hell you just called me m'am as if I were some old cat lady. I mean, after nearly ten years…you think you know a guy..." I threw my hands into the air dramatically.

An exhausted grin spread across Travis's face. "Oh, Chelsea. Hey! Sorry about all that," he gestured lazily toward the posters on the table, "It's just, my co-worker didn't show up for her shift this morning, so I had to come in really early to open up the place and I'm running on about three hours of sleep. I'm the only one here, and I haven't eaten anything all day. It's just, it's been a shitty day."

I blinked, realizing that was probably the most Travis has ever said to me and also the most exhausted I had ever seen him. I held up one finger, silencing him and rummaged through my bag to pull out the apple my mother forced me to take this morning before I left the house. "Here. That's probably the only problem I can solve for you right now, but it’s a start."

His eyes widened, staring at the apple on the counter like I had just offered him gold. "You are an angel." he mumbled before picking up the fruit and taking a huge bite.

I nodded slowly and raised my eyebrows in a surprised expression as he quickly devoured the apple into oblivion. After he finished the last few bites and threw the core into the trash can, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned to face me. He blinked as if suddenly realizing my existence. "I suppose you didn't come here just to give me an apple?"

I smiled and shook my head slowly, "No, Travis. I didn't come here to give you an apple."

He pushed his hands against the counter and closed his eyes, trying to focus on what possible reason I was visiting him at the record store. His eyes opened slowly as a sheepish grin spread across his face. "The Velvet Underground," he snapped his fingers in a Eureka moment and crouched, disappearing behind the counter again and rummaging through a box behind him.

The bells on the front door chimed from behind me, signaling that someone had just entered the store.

"Sorry I'm late," a familiar voice rang out from behind me, "I overslept and I didn't have a ride. And this place, boy is it hard to find! I swear I practically speed walked up and down the other side of the block a million times before finding this place. I had to ask the hobo across the street for directions. Trust me when I say this, he is not the friendly type of hobo you see on movies like Home Alone or Big Daddy." she puffed. Her petite body ran into the store and up to the counter, hastily gathering her long, brown hair into a messy bun. Her eyes turned to meet mine and widened in surprise, a familiar smirk forming on her lips. "Long time no see, honeybunches!" Annie cooed as she slammed her hand onto the wooden counter.

Travis stood up from behind the counter and handed me the record, turning to face Annie with furrowed eyebrows. "I'm sorry," he blinked, shaking his head to pull himself out of his tired gaze, "can I help you with something, miss?"

She stared at him for a few moments before throwing her head back in laughter, "I'm sorry! Miss?" she mocked, throwing her hands into the air, forming air quotes. "I've never heard that one before. It's just weird hearing it." she smiled widely, shaking her head a few times in disbelief. I raised an eyebrow at her and watched as she finished up with her fit of giggles, wiping fake tears from her eyes. "Yeah, uhm. Whew, that...is going on my blog. But, anyways. Sorry I'm late, but I'm the new employee." she propped her elbows on the counter and rested her face on the back of her hands in an attempt to come off as adorable. However, Travis merely blinked at her with tired eyes.

"You're late," he muttered, looking at her with tired eyes. "Like, four hours late."

Annie blushed and dropped one of her elbows, resting her head on her right fist. She smiled, looking up at Travis, fluttering her eyelashes. However, Travis now stood with his arms crossed and an impassive look on his face, demanding an explanation. Annie opened her mouth to start her long excuse all over again. "Yeah, I know. About that. You see, I woke up late and-"

Annie's rant was silenced as an impatient Travis lifted the palm of his hand to silence her. "It doesn't matter," he yawned, "Just, you can take over from here.” He gestured toward the counter with his hands. “I'm gonna go home, and take a nap or something." he stepped down from behind the counter and grabbed his jacket off a nearby table, spinning around to face us as he continued his backward trek toward the door. “Everything you learned in training applies. Your shift ends at 8, and make sure you lock up. There are a few boxes in the back that you need to bring out and sort throughout the store. I’ve finished with a majority of them, so there’s not that much for you to do. Oh, and Chelsea,” he pointed at me as his back hit the front door, “the record, it’s on me.” He spun around and pushed open the door, letting out a yawn and walked lazily around the front of the stoor, to the back parking lot.

“He’s nice.” Annie nodded her head affirmatively as she sauntered over to the other side of the counter, throwing her large purse onto the floor in the process, “I think I like him.”

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I looked up at her grinning face, “Annie, you work here?”

She held up one finger, silencing me and reached behind the counter, pulling out a name tag, pinning it onto her Nirvana band tee. Sure enough, the name tag read her name in capital black letters.

“So what’s up with broody boy?” she grinned, gesturing out the door where Travis just exited, “I thought you had a thing for older brother.” Annie raised her eyebrows curiously, a familiar smirk forming on her lips.

I looked towards where she previously gestured, “Oh, Travis? No, nothing’s up. He’s just one of my good friends I’ve known since I was little.” I waved her off and placed the record into my black, leather shoulder bag. “And I don’t have a thing for your brother.” I stated nonchalantly.

She rolled her eyes, “Whatever you say, sweetheart.” I winced at how similar to her brother she acted. “So, were you gonna hang around here for a while? I could use the company, this place looks like a bore.” She scanned the store, eyeing the two patrons flipping through CD racks and the two boys still fiddling with the record player.

I bit my bottom lip and shook my head slowly, “Sorry. I kind of have to meet up with my mom for lunch at her Cafe across town.”

“That’s a shame.” She clicked her tongue and stepped down from the counter, making her way towards the back room, “I was really looking forward to getting to know my soon to be sister-in-law.”

I narrowed my eyes at her as her petite frame disappeared into the back room. Huh?

---
As I approached the doors of my mother’s Cafe, I knew that the line alone signified that she had encountered the lunch rush early today. I weaved my way through crowds of suits and construction workers until I spotted her behind the cash register next to the hostess stand. She hastily pushed various buttons on the machine and furrowed her eyebrows in concentration. I stepped behind the counter and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around to face me and her face automatically lightened.

“Hi, honey!” she hugged me with one arm as her gaze stayed fixated on the registered. After printing the receipt and placing it on a cash tray, she finally turned to face me. “What are you doing here? Is something wrong?” her face contorted in confusion and concern.

“No, nothing’s wrong.” I assured her, yelling over the crowd of people waiting in the lobby, “We were supposed to have lunch today, remember?”

Her eyes widened as she recalled how she had asked me to come by for lunch this morning before I left the house. “Oh, yes. Sorry honey, I don’t think I’ll be able to follow through today. It’s just so busy, I wasn’t expecting this big a lunch crowd. Can we reschedule?”

I nodded, smiling to assure her that I was fine with it. “Do you need any help?”

“Oh, no. It’s okay. We’re fully staffed already, there’s just so many people!” she spoke loudly as another crowd of people walked in.

“Alright,” I smiled and nodded lightly, “I’ll see you at home then?”

She smiled and kissed the top of my head, “Yeah, I’ll see you at home.

We said our goodbyes and I moved out from behind the counter and attempted to weave my way through the crowd of people once again. I mumbled a polite ‘excuse me’ every time I stumbled and crashed into a suit or construction man. I tried stepping around a group of businessmen when I stumbled and tripped over a briefcase sitting on the floor. My feet fumbled and I stumbled into a body that sported a familiar cologne, too familiar. I mumbled another polite excuse me and looked up from the ground, realizing that I had crashed into a hard body wearing hospital scrubs. I closed my eyes and silently wished that the person now holding me was not who I thought it was.

“Hello, beautiful.” Dexter’s whispered into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that I was hearing things. “You can open your eyes now.” I could practically hear him smirk.

I opened my eyes and looked up to meet Dexter’s undeniably gorgeous features. I then realized that his fairly muscular forearms were wrapped around my waist, and I was, in fact, leaning into him. I bit my bottom lip in embarrassment and pushed myself out of his grasp. I pulled down at the hem of my sundress and smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles. “You know, you have to cut it out with that ‘Beautiful’ crap.” I muttered, meeting his smirking face.

“Well you’re gonna need to stop following me around,” he grinned, “first my dad’s house and now you’re following me to where I take my lunch break?” I looked behind him and saw a group of people also dressed in hospital scrubs in deep conversation as they waited for a table.

I rolled my eyes, “Don’t flatter yourself, stud. I wasn’t following you. My mother owns the Café.” I explained, crossing my arms over my chest.

“You’re kidding?” his eyes widened in surprise and let out an impressed whistle. “She must be good for a forty minute wait.”

I shrugged, “I know, I came by to have lunch with her only to realize she’s practically got a line going out the door.” I pushed back the strands of hair in my face.

Dexter nodded, looking around at the crowd of people surrounding us. “Let me take you out to lunch then.” He stated, smirking lightly.

I narrowed my eyes at him, “No. It’s fine. You’re here with your friends, and...”

But I was too late, he had already turned back to his group of friends, telling them he’d meet them back at the hospital. They merely shrugged and nodded him off. He turned back to face me and offered me his arm, “Shall we?”

I pursed my lips and looked back towards where my mother was now acting as hostess behind a podium, taking down various names and amount of people in parties. I shrugged and turned back to face his smirking gaze. I merely nodded, ignoring his extended arm and pushed through the front door of my mother’s Café.