The week was going to be busy. They had a handful of people coming in and interviewing for jobs. Mel and Kassie sat down with Clarke to review the store's books. He said they were doing well. They had a bank loan they used to buy much of the equipment and furniture needed for the bakery and bookshop, along with rent, utilities, supplies, and stock, not to mention the loan they got from Clarke, which they had to pay monthly. They added Meg's salary to the budget and, under Clarke's advisement, agreed that it was best to hire three more people part-time. With more people working, they could take the risk of advertising more or start doing deliveries.
Mel argued for another baker. They baked everything in the morning and usually ran out of stock by midday. If they had another baker, they could keep someone cooking while someone else cleaned or worked the register. Another baker also opened the possibility of taking commissions on cakes or even catering. Abraham quietly asked for another bookstore worker. The bookstore was run almost completely by Abraham and Kassie. When they opened, she didn't think that the bookstore would do so well, but with the campus so close and them carrying a lot of the required reading, they were sorely understaffed.
They agreed to hire another baker, someone to train for the bookstore, and another to rotate between the two, handling stock and cleaning.
Around ten-thirty, the rush died down, and the store was empty, besides the three of them.
They sat on one of the floral couches in the bakery that had a good view of the bookend. Kassie took out her phone and smiled when she saw several messages waiting for her.
Aaron Adams: I hope you have a pleasant day.
The message was sent right after she got to work. There was another time-stamped a while later.
Aaron Adams: I hope you don't mind me saying, but I very much enjoyed our talk last night. I would like to continue with our communication if that is something you're interested in. You are very easy to talk to.
Another message was sent about thirty minutes ago:
Aaron Adams: I hope you're not working too hard. It may have come to my attention that my messages are a little extensive. According to my sister, I come off too strong. I apologize.
"Kassie!"
She looked up from her phone, startled. "What?" she asked Mel.
Mel grinned. "You're practically glowing. Love notes? You wanna share with the class?"
She rolled her eyes, grabbed her tea, leaned on Mel, and gave her the phone. "They're not love notes. They're just incredibly sweet messages."
On her other side, Abraham snorted into his coffee.
She poked him with her foot before putting both her feet in his lap while lying propped up against Mel. "Got something to say?"
He gave her a soft smile before putting his coffee on the end table. He slipped one of her flats off before firmly rubbing her foot. "It's just nice to see you so happy".
Kassie felt warm inside. Abraham was amazing. Not just because he rubbed her feet, or because he brought her tea, but because he quickly caught on to her need for affection. She was very close to Clarke and Mel. Very touchy, almost clingy. She knew it was slightly unhealthy, but she got that way when she got close to someone. She didn't need a therapist to tell her why. She knew it was from the lack of affection she had as a child. She couldn't remember the last time anyone in her family, besides Clarke hugged her.
Touching Mel or Clarke, and now Abraham, was a way to tell them they were important to her, and the touch she got in return was treasured. She was almost always touching Mel in some way. She caught on fast. Always holding her hand or leaning up against her. It drove Kassie's mom crazy and still does. She was worried someone might think they were lesbians. Abraham caught on fast, too.
Abraham was a quiet presence when he started at the bookstore. He was polite when Kassie talked to him about his duties in the store. He calmly dealt with Kassie's hyper moments, when all the ice coffee caught up with her. He answered her rapid-fire questions about his doctorate program, about his favorite books, and about which professors he liked. After a few weeks of working at B's, Kassie was already attached. She stood close to him and often casually touched his hand or arm. Abraham would just stare at her, as if he were working out a complex problem. Then he just started hugging her. Every time he came in, he hugged her. The first time was awkward. Then, the hugs were normal and expected, and the affectionate/borderline inappropriate touching continued. Now it was second nature to them, just like it was to Kassie and Mel.
She gave him a dopey smile and wiggled her toes.
She looked up at Mel and saw her typing. "Hey! What are you doing?" She yelled as she grabbed her phone. She looked at what Mel sent, then shot her a dirty look.
She looked at her with wide innocent eyes and shrugged. "I was just helping!"
"That's not helping!" She snapped, moving around on the couch so she was leaning up against Abraham, shoving her feet none too gently in her lap. She could feel the deep rumble of his laughter against her shoulder.
"What did she do?"
"Sent a picture," She replied, morosely.
He shifted and moved around a bit so he was leaning up against the arm of the couch with Kassie leaning up against his chest. "Let me see." He said, gently taking her phone and moving it so they could both see.
The picture wasn't bad, she supposed. The picture was taken from above and captured the side of her face and shoulders. She was smiling at Abraham, her hair drawn up in a messy bun, and her bangs hanging in her eyes. As if that wasn't enough, Mel wrote something along with it.
Kassie Harris: Hey, babe ;)
She gave Mel another dirty look. She looked completely unapologetic. Abraham gave a small laugh. The jerk.
"It's a nice picture," He said complacently.
She didn't get a chance to reply to him or explain to Aaron. A group of teenagers came in, and work began again. She slipped her phone in her pocket and ignored it till she got home.
She nervously walked around the room. She's being stupid. She knows she's being stupid. Who cares what Aaron thinks? He's a stranger. Never mind his dreamy blue eyes. Or his charming way of speaking. Or the way they seemed to click together. It was stupid. He was stupid, she was stupid, and Mel was stupid. She groaned and fell back on the bed. She was overthinking this, as usual. He might not even find a girl he barely knows calling him babe and sending him a selfie. She wouldn't mind being called "babe" and getting a picture. She twirled the phone a few times before unlocking it. She had three messages.
Aaron Adams: You look very pretty today.
She smiled softly.
Aaron Adams: You have a very lovely smile.
Her smile grew.
Aaron Adams: It would seem like you are busy with work. I look forward to talking to you again. If that is something you want.
It was something she wanted. It wasn't something that really made sense, becoming attached to a profile, but she was staying with what made her happy. And this man, these messages, made her happy.
Kassie Harris: Mel took my phone and sent you the message and the picture. I may have freaked out a little. We've only been talking for a day, and those both seemed a little forward. Maybe something I'd be comfortable with later. But thank you. My life is a little bit of a mess right now. We kinda just jumped into being business owners and were a little over our heads. My parents wouldn't pay for school when I switched my major so I owe student loans, and I owe a loan to the bank and a loan to my brother. I work way too much, which is why I didn't message you. We're looking to hire more people this week so that should solve that problem a bit. My family is always on my case. You're not overstepping your bounds. I probably am. I had more fun talking to you last night than I have in a while. You make me happy. And I don't have much around that makes me happy. So if you still want to talk to me, I'm definitely in.
That was good. Honest. She may have overshared. Just a little. Leaving her phone on the bed, she got up and changed into her nightclothes. After turning on her TV and sitting down on the bed, she checked her messages.
Aaron Adams: I enjoyed the picture, but it wasn't what I expected. I understand that your life is busy, but I share your sentiment. I was happy last night and happy today, remembering it. I don't make friends often, and I am glad I have found one in you. Tell me about your day.
So Kassie did.