Therese’s parents had agreed to water the garden on Friday, because Peter said he would give her a ride to work and home. Her parents were worried, but Therese promised them that her boss knew Peter and he was safe. Her dad wanted to tell her no boys are safe, but her mother held him back. They were still in shock she wore makeup. Therese used to be startled by her mother putting on her own makeup and would run and hide, and her father worried she was growing up too fast.
Erin was glad when Therese arrived, she needed to take a break. It had been a long day, and she was tired. “If you need me yell.” Erin told her as she went and sat in a corner couch and put her feet up. Erin stretched out and sighed relief. Hiring Therese was one of the best ideas she had since opening the store. Vivo came over, now that Peter had arrived to help Ben with the store and sat next to her. Ben followed next, thinking it funny that he left Peter to do all the work. “I left Peter to do all the work.” giggled Ben.
“Should one of us be over there?” asked Vivo.
“Probably.” said Ben, sitting down on another couch by them, and putting his feet up.
“Don’t you guys even worry about your business?” asked Erin.
“I love it, I don’t worry about it.” said Vivo.
“We have insurance.” Ben told Erin, stretching out on the couch. “And Peter too.”
Later that night, Erin was tired, she didn’t want to go back to work Ben and Vivo were feeling lazy and did not want to go back to work. They had Therese and Peter do the work, and they enjoyed them doing it.
“Tell me again, how you guys met.” Erin asked Vivo and Ben, as she always enjoyed a good story.
Ben began: “Once upon a Vivo, there were two kids. A younger son named Hank, and no, it was not short for Henry, or even long for Bob, his name was just “Hank”, and another named something, or maybe that he was a kid he met, he wasn’t sure. Hank was named after a goldfish his father once owned, because he thought it sounded American. Alone, at the edge of the city, Hank watched the sky every night for aliens.”
“Aliens?” asked Erin, twisting her face.
“I have to add some Sci-Fi, so Vivo enjoys the story of his life.” said Ben.
“You can’t have Space-Girl Michelle without spaceships.” defended Vivo. Erin was unsure what he meant, but she couldn’t argue it either.
Ben continued, “So Hank’s father is a war hero with enough steel in him to stick magnets on his forehead, and while there was not always steel in his head, but his name had always been John since he changed it and he moved his family out to the middle of a great desert where one day, yards away, a bunny would be born.” Therese looked over, she was listening as she worked. Ben smiled, he liked the kid and added the bunny for her.
Vivo interrupted, “It was a different time in those days, people liked looking at the stars, you didn’t need to live near high-speed internet.”
Ben shook his head, and continued, “Hank and family knew they lived amongst a great nothing. The fact they had no neighbors furthered this belief. Hank adored his stepmother Wilsomeone, who had just turned eighteen. Hank and his dad would also watch the city lights on the horizon, and understood that somehow, the red lights were related to their father meeting Willa their step mother.”
“Prostitutes are people too.” said Vivo, reminiscing of his mother in the story.
“When did you meet?” asked Erin
“I’m getting there, have Vivo tell the story if you want to know faster.” said Ben.
“No way, life is way more interesting when someone else narrates it for you, like on TV.” said Vivo.
“Okay then,” Ben continued, “ A coyote lived near there, but he had no name, because coyote’s are wild animals, and people do not usually name them. The coyote was left with the name he bunnies gave him, That Bastard Who Ate Cousin Jimmy. The coyote is of absolutely no significance other than the fact he was hit by a car near Hank’s home. Hank ran out to gather fresh meat.”
“This is why Ben covers the Cowffee Cup and not you, baby.” Erin told Vivo.
Ben continued the story, laughing at the last comment by Erin, but continued the story, “This was highly unusual, as it was very uncommon for people to drive anywhere near Hank’s house. It was also the day the cute little bunny took his first step, which is of no significance to this story but is still more interesting than graduation speeches.”
Therese smiled again as she listened to the story while she worked. She was enjoying listening to Ben talk.
“So, the coyote was hit, and Hank ran outside to the wreck with his stepmother who held her dress up so the weeds did not tear it. The old lady driving the car was fine until she stepped out and saw Hank running out with a knife to field dress the coyote. The woman then fainted and fell to her death off the side of a cliff. Hank was checking the coyote to see if enough meat was left for breakfast when his stepmother began crying because she tore her favorite and only dress.
Hank then did what a son had to do, and took the car to the city to buy a new dress for his stepmother to wear. Unfortunately, Hank had no idea of where home was, and they had no phone. Hank never went home again.” finished Ben.
“Didn’t know, or didn’t want to go back?” asked Vivo.
“You tell me, it’s your story.” said Ben.
“Yes, but you are the narrator. Did Kevin ever interrupt the guy reading the Wonder Years narration?” asked Vivo.
“It was Kevin Arnold, doing the narration.” Ben argued.
“Maybe you are the old me.” countered Vivo.
“Or the sexy you.” said Ben.
“Or the narrator, Vivo, let’s get this story going, I want to hear it again.” said Erin.
Ben continued, “In short Hank became a Harvard lawyer. “
“That isn’t the story, that is the prequel. You didn’t even get to how you guys met. The first part of the story doesn’t even make sense.” complained Erin, frustrated again at hearing a wild tail from Ben.
“And as my lawyer, Vivo advised me to never talk about that.” stated Ben.
Vivo continued the story. “Ben was accused of something, he may or may not have done. I won his case. We became good friends, but I definitely never went to Harvard, forget that. “
Ben continued, “So he got me clear of this stuff. And we had both went on in our careers, and they sucked. We made money, but it was always chasing this or that, and one day, when we were out late, we stopped at this convenience store. The guy working it was so happy, he liked just selling stuff, drinking soda and energy drinks and talking to people. So Vivo over here says let’s buy a convenience store.”
“Why are you called Vivo?” Asked Therese who had sat down with them, she couldn’t just listen as she worked anymore. There were no customers waiting, but the cleaning was put on hold. Erin smiled as she sat down and scooted over, showing Therese it was okay for her to take a break.
“It’s something Ben came up with, he accused me of eating all the caffeine pills. It was just energy drinks I promise, mixed with a lot of sugar.” Vivo said.
“And it stuck.” said Ben.
“So we bought this store,” Vivo said, “and it turned out there was a coffee shop attached to it, run by a beautiful princess, and she seduced me with coffee.”
“I hope it was more than just the coffee.” Erin told him.
“The muffins are good too.” Ben added.
“I like the part about the bunny.” Therese said, asking “Are you teasing me? Did Vivo eat a coyote?”
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Vivo pulled out a drivers license that said Hank on it. “Sometimes a story is just a story, but a princess is always a princess, and we did buy store next to one.”
Erin smiled, rocking the sleeping infant. “And she is a little princess, and you are a princess too.” Erin told Therese. Therese smiled a big last smile. Therese was not sure how much they were elaborating the story, but everyone had been nice to her, and she liked the story.
“How did you open the Cowffee cup?” Therese asked Erin.
“Oh, now that’s a true story.” said Vivo.
“The better story actually, much better than Vivo growing up in a desert.” added Ben.
Erin started her story “My dad had bought this store. It was empty, and he thought it might be a good investment one day. It wasn’t, it sat empty, so I talked him into letting me try a coffee shop. I just always liked coffee, I started small, literally just a coffee pot and muffins I baked in the oven. It was slow at first, but I had sunk everything I had into couches from a thrift store, the oven and the coffee pot. I could go for hours without a customer, and if my dad didn’t let me have the space for free, I don’t think I would have made it. You know who did come every morning?”
“Buck?” guessed Therese.
“Every day,” Erin went on, “every day, I have ever been open he has been the first customer every day for years. Two dollars every day, he would come in, buy his coffee and leave. Every morning at nine he would be outside waiting for me to open, so I started just letting him in.
A couple years later, these guys buy the store behind me, they call it the Kookie Mart. The whole time I’m thinking there goes my two dollars from Buck, but no, these guys can’t brew a cup of instant coffee and they sell it in Styrofoam.”
“True story.” said Vivo.
Erin continued. “Well, they do two good things, they sell the best cookies in town and they bug me all the time. I’m not sure how they were able to find the time, but they were always over here bugging me, and at least now I was selling three cups of coffee every morning.”
“It was easy, we left a jar on the counter with a pile of change.” said Ben.
Erin went on “they really did, people must have thought it an experiment, but they left the change on the counter and a pay jar. So they were always over here bugging me. Finally, Vivo won, and I went out with him. Then, I went out with him again. A year later both our stores are busy, and we were still together, and then another year, and well, here we are today.”
“When did Peter start working for you?” Therese asked, betraying her own guarded feelings.
“He works?” asked Ben.
“Well, eventually someone stole the change jar, and we figured Peter would be harder to steal, so we hired him so we could still be over here bothering Erin.” explained Vivo.
“I don’t think you bother her.” said Therese. Vivo grinned sheepishly.
“You know you love them when they bother you when they are here, and they bother you when they are not here. Why don’t you ask these guys about philosophy, they’ll enlighten you until I come back.” said Erin, getting up a heading out the back door, “I need some chips.” she said as she walked out the back door.
“Please enlighten me with Philosophy.” Therese asked the guys sitting across from her. Ben was sitting with his feet up, and Vivo was holding the little girl as she slept. Therese liked the baby better when she was sleeping, she was quiet like a bunny.
Ben answered her request, “Philosophy is a lot like theory, but it pays less. You need a philosophy, because you need a theory, without a philosophy, you are just reacting to life. With philosophy, you are reacting, but you got a theory why, and at least something you can talk about when people ask you why you do the things you did, and why some days.” Therese listened intently, realizing she was void of philosophy in her life, and thought maybe this was why she never had anything to talk about around people, but when Ben finished she was a little confused so she went and washed dishes.
Erin entered the star through the back door, the door that ran from the back of the Cowffee Cup to the back of the Kookie Mart. Erin cut it through the wall one day when she was tired of walking around the buildings to visit Vivo. Ben had framed a door and installed it in an unusual moment of usefulness. He had done a great job with the door, and it swung smooth and level. This was why Erin had chosen Vivo. Ben was useful and chose not to be, Vivo was often useless and tried to help. That and Ben reminded her of her brother, which had friend-listed him before she ever met him. Also ,Ben had sex with Erin’s sister and that made him a forever never going to happen.
Peter was alone in the store, and stocking shelves, which was good or it might never get done. He looked up at Erin, she might scold him, she might mother him, she might be like a big sister, but she always cared about him. “Hi Erin.” said Peter with a genuine smile. Peter loved Erin, and she was the only person he had to give him motherly or as she preferred he call it, big sister advice.
“Do you want to tell me what your plans are with Therese?” asked Erin, never one to casually approach a subject.
“Plans?” Peter asked. He had been thinking about stocking the shelf, and had been caught off guard.
“I don’t need to be raising any more little girls, and I don’t think she needs to either right now.” Erin told him.
“Shit.” said Peter, catching himself, “Shit.” he said again suddenly developing an awareness of his own situation. I don’t have any plans. She was nice to me and I was nice back.”
“You’ve never been a good liar to me.” Erin told him, leaning forward to pressure him for the truth.
“Okay, since the first time I saw her, I just wanted to be near her, there is just something about her that draws me to her.” Peter told her. “I get butterflies.”
“She likes you, a lot, but I hope you think she is more than pretty” Erin said, stressing the “a lot”.
“What? she barely talks to me.” said Peter as he defended himself.
“Her feelings are real, and they are big, even if they are hidden.” Erin told him. She hated when boys were dense. Vivo was a lead sack when she wanted affection, often missing her cues.
“Is this why Ben has been talking about killing me?” Peter asked.
“Pretty much. Don’t worry, he needs you or there will be no one to watch the store. He just doesn’t want you to hurt her, or to get hurt.” Erin told him.
“I liked her, because I thought she wasn’t all emotional. She isn’t stupid, a lot of people say stuff, I just thought she was mature. Oh God, what have I done?” said Peter.
Erin asked “Is that Oh God, because she likes you, or because you really actually like her?”
“I just.” Peter froze.
“Just what?” asked Erin.
“I just think she’s cool.” Peter tried to explain. “She doesn’t pretend, she just speaks what she thinks, and yeah, the makeup you did for her, wow.”
“There aren’t always going to be people who care about you, especially girls.” said Erin, then she selected a bag of chips and walked out.
“You can say that again.” said Peter to himself, as he returned to stocking the shelves.
When Erin came back into the Cowffee Cup, Therese was drying a glass measuring cup she had washed, having just made an order. Erin liked how focused she was on her work, she appreciated her genuine honesty. Erin hoped Peter was patient and didn’t blow it. “He likes you.” whispered Erin to Therese as she walked past. Therese dropped the glass measuring cup on the floor. It shattered. She didn’t look down, Therese still stared forward as she processed Peter liking her.
“Hell yeah, I told you we weren’t done breaking glasses.” said Erin as she walked over and sat back down with the guys. “Hey Ben, I stole these chips.” Erin said, sitting down.
“Tell me after I finish your blueberry muffin.” said Ben, eating a muffin he poached from the counter. Erin hoped Vivo would propose soon, they were already sharing everything. Erin wanted the ring on her finger, because she wanted Vivo in her life forever, and she felt it would make it more solid than it was.
Therese was sweeping up the broken glass, carefully, mindfully and with a big grin in the corner of her mouth. She swept, she cleaned, she wasn’t even bothered by the sound of the broken glass or the mess. Therese hoped Erin wouldn’t be mad at the broken glass, but her response indicated she probably wasn’t.
“Store’s closed and stocked.” said Peter, entering the Cowfee Cup. Peter was tired. He had school all day and worked all night. He was eager to go home. He walked over to Vivo and picked up the diaper bag,
Vivo pulled the bag back from him. “Go home and rest. You can open tomorrow.” Vivo told Peter. Peter shrugged, he opened every Saturday. Peter bent over, kissed the sleeping little girl on her forehead, and whispered good night. Ben glared at Peter and made a motion of slicing his finger across his own throat.
“You want a ride home?” Peter asked Therese.
“Yes, it is too dark to walk.” Therese answered. Therese mechanically picked up her purse, carefully placed it on her shoulder, turned to face Erin and said “Good night Erin. Goodnight Vivo. Goodnight Ben.”
“Goodnight, Therese.” they all answered as loud as they could without awaking the little girl.
Therese turned, faced the door and began walking out. Peter ran ahead and opened the door for her. He smiled as she walked by, she looked straight forward, but inside she was smiling brightly back. Ben glared at Peter and made another throat-slicing motion. Erin pretended to blow kisses. Vivo pretended to blow kisses too, then as Ben glared at him and pretended to slice his throat, so Vivo pretended to fall back dead.
Peter opened the car door and held it while Therese sat in the car. Therese quickly grabbed her seat belt and latched it in place, still glad Peter’s car had seat belts. Peter went around the car and climbed in. “Why did you open my car door?” asked Therese.
“Same reason I gave you the only seat belt upfront.” Peter told her.
“Why is that?” asked Therese.
“I like you.” said Peter.
“I like you too.” said Therese, holding her purse on her lap and staring forward. Peter wanted to hold her hand on the way home but was afraid to ask. Therese wanted Peter to hold her hand but was afraid to tell him to.
“Do you want a ride to work tomorrow?” asked Peter.
“No, you get there too early, you have to open.” Therese told Peter, glad she didn’t have to be there until 8:30 in the morning. She knew she would have difficulty falling asleep tonight with her stomach feeling like she had swallowed butterflies. The rabbits were glad to see Therese arrive home safely, and ran into the bushes.
Peter walked Therese up to her house. “Are you going to try to kiss me?” asked Therese as he walked with her to the door. Peter jumped back, afraid he had been too forward walking her to the door.
“Did you want me to?” asked Peter.
“Not yet. I don’t know how. I want to ask Erin how to kiss boys first.” Therese told Peter plainly.
“If you were pretty, he would have asked to kiss you.” said a little voice in Therese’s head.
“I think Ben would be okay with that.” said Peter, pausing, and then “I hope to see you tomorrow.”
“We will. Our stores are connected.” Therese told him. She could not wait to see Peter again, and he was still in front of her.
Peter wished he was more connected to Therese’s feelings. She looked pretty, although exhausted, under her porch light. Her hair had fallen loose, her clothes were sweaty. She was worse off, but somehow prettier than she looked this morning. “Goodnight, Peter.” Therese told him as she walked in the house and closed the door, locking it behind her. It was a long drive home for Peter, he wished he wasn’t going to an empty home.