Would I accept her challenge?
I mean please, my bookshelves are organized my color and I am as OCD as they come. Of course I would. ;-) So, here is her crazy list of words:
bell
bullfight
crisp
danger
empire
kangaroo
license
pail
paperclip
paradise
potato
tart
test
whistle
 |
| Live Mas! |
There had to be better places to work than Taco Bell. But Madison actually loved it. She popped a lid on the nachos and slid them down to Devon. Then watched as he swatted them toward Alexis. Heaven help her. Those two were on again off again so much it made her head spin. And no matter where they were they were constantly picking at each other. Confrontations between them were like watching a bullfight; she never quite knew who was the victim.
Alexis swiped the nachos and stuffed them in a bag before giving Devon a crisp glare and flouncing over to the drive thru window. Then she smiled a broad grin and pulled out her best Southern graces for the man pulling up. No stranger danger for that girl. Madison grinned. Alexis could ooze sweetness one minute then turn the next and give Devon a verbal whipping the likes of which Madison had never seen.
The bell out front sounded and Madison walked to the front counter just as Courtney Bell walked in. Great. Courtney's daddy owned this store, as well as each Taco Bell in the surrounding two counties. She acted like she was royalty just because her dad ran a taco empire. Courtney flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder and reached over the counter to grab a cup. Geez, couldn't she at least ask? Courtney sayshayed over to get a coke, diet of course. Madison rolled her eyes. That girl was not as hot as she thought she was. Courtney had thick legs like a kangaroo, and was just as mean. Madison glanced over at the plastic cutlery and imagined doing damage to Courtney's face.
Madison Lenux, license to kill.
She grinned and grabbed the broom and dustpan from the back. It was slow going this afternoon and from the looks of it Devon and Alexis were definitely on again. Madison swept up out front, ignoring the way Courtney looked up long enough from her Ipad to give Madison's uniform a disapproving glare. Madison fought the urge to take her visor off and beat Courtney with it. Instead she swept up the leftover lunch mess and wondered if Courtney would want to rename the trash can a rubbish pail if she had her way.
"You missed a spot."
Madison turned to Courtney, who pointed to what seemed to be an invisible pile of dirt under her table. Oh good grief, she felt like she was playing a part in The Help. Madison ran the broom under the table then turned toward the counter. Just once Madison wished she could so a whole week without Courtney coming in here. She was always pulling out her latest gadget and gabbing about what she just bought at the mall. Madison didn't even own a smart phone, and spent her allowance at Office Max buying colored paperclips and sharpie pens. So not cool, according to Miss Taco.
She had just gotten back to the cash register when the bell above the door dinged again. Sweet mercy. Bryce was here. Madison smiled and wondered just how ridiculous she looked in her work clothes. At least she was behind the counter and Bryce couldn't see the grandma shoes she had to wear.
Bryce ambled up the counter and smiled. "Hey Mads."
"Hey."
Hey? That's all she was going to say was 'hey'?
"What're you doing here?" she asked. Here he was, invading her little taco paradise to come and see her at work. Because surely the boy was not here for the fine cuisine.
He smiled again before glancing up at the board. "Thought I'd grab a snack."
And see your girlfriend she wanted to add. But no, they hadn't used those words yet. And they had only been out three times. Still, they talked every day. And night before last he had kissed her on her front porch before getting back into his car. Her lips tingled just thinking about it, and she could still remember how he tasted like the popcorn they'd shared at the movie. She waited patiently as Bryce scanned the board and resisted the urge to fidget with her ponytail.
"You get a break soon?" he asked as he paid.
"Already had it," she said. "But if it's slow I'll have to come sweep out front."
He flashed a grin. "Cool."
He sank into a booth with his food while her stomach did flip flops. Gosh, he was so sweet. She restocked trays behind the counter and snuck glances at him. The way he turned his taco sideways to eat it was almost as cute as the brown hair that fell over the tips of his ears.
Courtney stood, probably to get a refill of Diet Coke. But no. She made a bee line for Bryce. She jutted her hip out as she stood against his table and said something. What was she saying to him? Madison strained her ears but couldn't hear a thing. Should she grab a broom and pretend to sweep so she could overhear? Or just go grab a side of fiesta potatoes and throw them at Courtney's stupid face?
Courtney stayed standing but bent over the table and leaned her elbows on it, her boobs nearly spilling out of her shirt. The little tart. No way was Madison going to stand and do nothing. Courntney with her chimichanga dynasty and big boobs were not going to win, even if all Madison had going for her today was a geeky visor with a taco embroidered on it. She pivoted toward the back for the broom then stopped.
No. She was not going to do this. Bryce liked her and not Courtney. This was a test. Either she trusted that he liked her or she didn't. She was not going to be some half crazed girl who modeled her relationship skills from watching reruns of The Hills. Bryce had come to see her.
She repeated that sentiment over and over as she restocked the bar and helped Devon fill drive thru orders. Good. If Courtney was still talking to Bryce out front, she didn't want to see it.
She grabbed a sleeve of cups and bent to pop them in place under the front counter when a low whistle sounded above her head. "You look cute in that visor, Lenux”
