“So, Britney, how long have you lived in town?”
“My whole life,” I reply. “I used to live over on Brook Street. My parents died two years ago, and we had to sell the house unfortunately.”
John’s face softens. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s been hard, but my brother and I got through it. He took over guardianship after they died so that we could stay together. Joey was already over eighteen, and I would’ve been put in foster care if he hadn’t stepped up, so I’m lucky to have him.”
My boss nods thoughtfully, his blue eyes gleaming in the low light.
“You are because not everyone is that lucky. Have things been good between you two?”
I take a deep breath.
“Joey and I have always been close, and we got even closer after our parents died because now, we only have each other. I would be lost without him, to be honest. I’d be all alone if it weren’t for him.”
John nods thoughtfully again, his hands steepling.
“I’m glad you have someone to look after you,” he says. “How about school? How is that going?”
Maybe he’s asking me questions to distract me from the awful events of the day, but I don’t mind. I take another deep breath and smile shyly.
“Well, I think I told you in my interview, but school’s going okay. Everything is online now since we can’t be physically in class. Plus, I get my work done quickly, and the assignments are easy, so it’s not too bad.”
“Will you guys be graduating on time?” he asks, one eyebrow arched.
I nod.
“God, yes. I would hate for four years to go to waste.”
He lets out a smooth chuckle.
“Atta girl. You guys will make it, never fear.”
We continue to talk about my life and settle into an easy rhythm. He asks me about college, and I tell him that I’d like to go, but it’s way beyond our means. My brother and I are poor, I confess, stumbling a bit on the words. We get groceries from the food pantry, but John doesn’t judge. He merely looks at me, his big body still even though it vibrates with masculine energy.
With every sentence, I grow more at ease. It’s nice to talk to John because he doesn’t make me feel bad about my living situation, nor does he offer ridiculous advice or false words of comfort. Instead, he listens, and I’m grateful. It’s been so long since I could reveal myself to anyone, and who would have thought it would be this compelling, gorgeous man?
But what does he want from me? Surely, we can’t keep going like this forever, right? Because John has something on his agenda and I can read it in his gaze.7JohnBritney doesn’t look terrified anymore, but my rage still pounds. Who the fuck was that asshole? What if I hadn’t looked up at the monitor when I did? That guy could have hurt her, and I would never forgive myself if something happened to Britney. She’s too sweet and innocent, not to mention the fact that she’s mine.
Where this crazy possessiveness is coming from, I have no idea. All I know is that she’s curvy, soft, and sweet as she sits mere inches from me, her brown eyes trusting. I need to take care of her. I need to show her that she belongs to me, and she needs to show me that she understands that.
But then a soft giggle breaks into my thoughts.
“I’ve been talking about myself the whole time,” she murmurs. “Tell me about yourself, John.”
“Well, the most important part of my life is this store. It’s been in my family forever, and was founded decades ago. Over generations, we’ve built it into what it is today.”
“That’s amazing.”
I grin.
“Yeah, but things could be better. This fucking pandemic is hurting business, and I’m not afraid that we’re going to go belly-up or anything. At least not in the near term, but things are still terrible.”
Britney’s face falls. “Kathy mentioned that sales aren’t great around here. I hope for ShopMore’s sake the quarantine ends soon.”
I nod curtly.
“Me, too. I want life to go back to normal, and for people to walk around again like normal human beings. I want everything to go back to normal. I’ve gotten offers over the years from big chains trying to buy me out, but Corona doesn’t want some big box grocery store; they want local. I’ve spent the last few years ensuring we carry mostly local products, and we partner with nearby farms for produce. If I can’t keep the store open, the farmers will lose that business, and then what’s going to happen? I doubt some chain store is going to go to the same lengths that I have to keep ShopMore regional.”
Britney nods thoughtfully.
“It does feel like a small-town store. I remember shopping here with my mom when I was little, and she would run into ten different people while we were here. Grocery trips would take over an hour, even if we were only picking up a couple of items.”