“Makeup? Of course, I know how to do makeup? What is the emergency? Oh no, it’s a boy isn’t it” said Erin as she paused, “You like a boy, don’t you? Yes, come to the shop, I have some here with me. We can practice with it.” offered Erin. Therese drove quickly and deliberately to the Cowffee cup.
Erin did Therese’s makeup, Vivo watched the infant, and Ben to the dismay of customers, struggled to make their drinks, he could make most of them mostly right, but he was no Erin. He rang all the drinks up as small sizes, to earn back smiles, and keep the customers happy. “Erin, you sure you don’t want to do this?” asked Ben as he made a mocha.
“You want to do her makeup?” asked Erin.
“Do you like the band KISS?” said Ben to Therese. Ben would do the makeup, but it really would do her no favors with the boys.
“Go away Ben.” said Erin as she patted him away nicely back to the counter to make drinks.
Therese opened up to Erin about how she was scared in class, and the boy who helped her, and how she made him a drink, and he gave her a ride home. Although her expression was mostly flat, Erin could recognize the buckets of teenage excitement in her hidden joy. “That’s how I got my Vivo, I made him the best coffee he ever had.” said Erin to Therese. When they were finished, Erin took Therese to the restroom to look in the mirror. Therese almost jumped back out of the restroom thinking someone else was in there. She stood silently, staring in the mirror, and touched her cheek to see it was really her. “Thank you.” said Therese. Erin took Therese over to the guys, holding her hand.
“I think she looks beautiful.” Said Vivo, honestly, although he thought Therese looked fine before.
“I’ll kick his ass if he doesn’t ask you out when he sees you. Really, I will. What’s his name?” asked Ben.
“Peter.” said Therese.
“Oh no.” said Erin, connecting the dots. Everything made sense to her at once.
“Peter?” asked Vivo while holding the baby, and whispering “Pete, Pete, Pete” to the little girl to make her smile.
“Pete?’ laughed Ben.
“Like drives an old Firebird that burns oil and is friends with Vivo?” asked Erin.
“Yes.” said Therese, confused by their response.
“He’s a good kid.” said Vivo.
“He’s a great kid.” corrected Erin.
“I should still kick his ass.” added Ben, reaching into his pocket, and grabbing the phone. Ben began yelling at someone, followed by what Therese could hear, “I don’t care, I own half the damn store, lock the door and get over here now.” as Ben walked back into the coffee shop. “Really, I should kick his ass.” said Ben.
Peter was there fast because the Kookie Mart was on the backside of the Cowffee Cup. He came running into the front door to see Erin, Vivo and Ben glaring at him. “Oh shit, what did I do now?” Peter asked, thinking he had failed at work. Therese carefully and slowly walked around Erin to be seen by Pete. Pete’s jaw dropped. “You look beautiful.” said Peter to Therese. Peter gawked.
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“Thank you.” said Therese in a flat smile that showed her great content. She was relieved that he thought she looked nice.
“Whoa, wait right there buddy,” said Ben, bringing Pate’s attention back to him, “you want to tell me what you are up to?” Ben glared at him.
“We need to talk, bro.” added Vivo.
“She’s a good girl.” said Ben.
“Really, Erin will kill you too, if you are a jerk to her.” said Vivo.
“You think you can treat her right?” asked Ben.
“Do you know what you are doing? We like her” asked Vivo.
“I’m standing here.” muttered Therese in flat anger. She hated when people talked about her like she wasn’t there.
“I think Ben is trying to tell you, you shouldn’t be at work, when you have a nice young lady here to talk to you.” said Vivo, cutting in, and interrupting Ben, “You could have asked us for the night off instead of making us look like dick bosses.”
“But, I didn’t know she was here.” said Peter who was still confused by the situation. Erin was laughing, Therese was beautiful, Vivo was teasing him, and Ben was glaring at him.
Ben started talking, but Erin shot him an eye, the shut up or die eye, that he loved teasing her to the point of giving, but a hint, was a hint. “You’ve already closed the store early, you might as well go hang out, but it is a school night, and I seem to have heard that someone is sleeping in class, making us look like even bigger dick bosses.” said Ben, throwing Vivo back into the spotlight. Vivo laughed back, they both knew they were anything but jerk bosses.
“It’s a school night, no coffee, but I’ll grab you some juices.” said Erin, as everyone sat down together.
“I’m sorry.” apologized Therese to Peter.
“Therese, don’t apologize, we’re just giving Peter some crap. He’s not that bad, once you get to know him.” said Vivo.
“Yeah, sometimes he’s almost likable.” added Ben.
“I like him.” said Therese and Peter blushed. Ben grimaced.
The little girl cried.
“Diaper duty, it’s in your job description.” said Ben, handing the small child to Pete. Then Ben handed the diaper bag to Pete. The small child grabbed Peter and smiled.
“You want to help?” said Peter to Therese.
“Oh, I didn’t put it in her job description, go on.” said Erin as she waved Peter away.
“Will I have to change diapers?” said Therese to her boss.
“Don’t worry honey, she’ll be out of them before that’s your problem.” said Erin as she reassured her. Therese was relieved, small children confused her even though she knew she was one once. “So, we’ll work on the makeup, but I think he likes it.” said Erin to Therese.
“I think he liked it a lot.” said Vivo.
“Do I look pretty like a model in a magazine?” asked Therese.
“Of course you do, it is easy to look pretty for a picture, but you know how you stay beautiful your whole life?” answered Ben.
“Vitamins?” asked Therese.
“No, you just keep being you.” said Ben with a friendly wink.
“I hope I am always beautiful.” said Therese.
Erin then looked at Ben, who said, “Don’t worry sweetie, I am sure I’m back to being the extra wheel around here.”
Ben sighed. It was better to be alone, than with the wrong person, he thought to himself, but still, it was nice having Peter to talk to when Vivo and Erin got all lovey-dovey. Erin looked at Therese and smiled, and then looked at Vivo and smiled. She knew what love looked like.
Peter came back with a clean little girl. She was tired and already fell asleep in his arms. Erin asked Peter to hold her, and rocked her as she worked. Erin liked holding the little girl. Erin stood up and left the Therese and Peter to themselves.
“How long have you gone to school here?”, I don’t think I ever saw you before this year.” asked Therese.
We moved here this summer.” said Peter.
“I have lived here my whole life. I have an excuse. I hope you didn’t hurry to get here.” said Therese.
“We drove straight through, but I like it here. I’m really glad I finally got a chance to know you.” said Peter.
“You could have said good morning any day you wanted, but I guess I could have too.” said Therese.
“I guess I was shy.” said Peter.
“I was shy too, and worried I would say the wrong thing. I was scared to talk to you.” said Therese.
“And now?” asked Peter.
“I’m not afraid to talk to you anymore.” said Therese.
“Well that make’s one of us.” replied Peter.
“Why are you afraid to talk to me?” asked Therese.
“I have made a life about saying the wrong thing, you know?” said Peter.
“All too well. Do you think that is why they told us to sit here and talk?” asked Therese.
“If there is a better reason, I couldn’t guess it.” answered Peter.