Amanda was helping the kitchen prepare for dinner orders. Evenings were usually busier for Southern Deli. She was cleaning dishes when Tracy came looking for her, "Hey, lover boy wants to talk to you."
She scoffed and said without looking, "What lover boy? Tell him I'm busy."
"I have been telling him that since an hour ago. Just go and see him for a while, will you? My heart is aching for him already. He just wants to say goodbye," said Tracy.
"Who is lover boy?" Asked Errol. He was the late-shift cook together with his brother, Pete.
"Nobody, just a handsome guy that's been bugging Amanda for the past three days," answered Tracy as her eyes glistened to the thought of Christopher. "If only he'd look my way, I'd jump him right there!"
"Yeah, like how you tried to jump on Andrew and nearly got fired!" Reminded Errol.
Amanda and Errol burst into laughter while Tracy rolled her eyes. She said, "You know you have to take chances once in a while."
"Amanda, send this guy off, okay?" Tracy said before going back to serving food.
Amanda liked washing dishes. It helped her body cool down, so almost always, when there were few customers, she'd offered to help.
She lazily put on her gloves again and went to see Christopher, who was already outside the restaurant, waiting for her. She sighed heavily before calling her out, "What do you want?"
She saw his pale face lit up before saying, "Hey, what time do you get off?"
"Late," she said before folding her arms together.
He slightly chuckled and said, "Not very friendly, are you?"
Christopher fixed his gaze at Amanda's face. Her green eyes were fierce, and he especially liked her warm red lips. Despite the cold weather in town, her lips never lost its color and glow.
There was something about her that kept him wanting to know more. Nevermind her charm. There were too many beautiful women in the world he was used to, but strangely enough, he was drawn to Amanda, a simple waitress in the small town of Trinity Bay.
Christopher could tell she was not about to reveal. Thus, he decided to just end their conversation and bid goodbye, "Anyway, I'll be going back home. I'll see you tomorrow."
"I'm off tomorrow," she said.
He pursed his lips, seemingly formulating a plan before saying, "Good! Good."
Amanda saw Christopher get in a car with his friends and disappeared after taking a turn two blocks away.
The location of the Southern Deli was further out from most establishments, but Thomas Kent liked it that way. It was not too far from their home and his preferred customers were those that live close by; those that he considered friends.
She looked around the very few structures nearby and recognized the town's development was very slow.
Across the restaurant was a convenience store. A few meters away was a gas station followed by a marketplace and a small park. It was another three to four blocks where other restaurants were at, and in between buildings were greeneries or unoccupied lands.
She took a deep breath and said, "I like this town a lot."
Amanda went back to work as usual, and it was only around nine in the evening that she got off. She slowly walked to her bike, but just as she was about to unchain it, she heard a familiar voice, "Can I take you home?"
She turned to find Christopher behind her. She looked around and realized he was alone. She asked, "What are you doing back here?"
"Picking you up," said Christopher with a smirk on his handsome face.
"I don't need to be picked up -"
Her words were suddenly interrupted by a clap of thunder, and it did not take long for the rain to gush. Amanda did not mind getting wet in the rain, but how could she possibly explain it to Christopher? Getting home on a two-wheeled vehicle. Moreover, she brought her phone that day.
"I guess you have no choice," he said before grabbing her bare hand, immediately pulling her to where he had parked his car.
Amanda was then again astonished by how he could hold her, that she blankly followed his lead.
As soon as she got settled in the vehicle, Christoper went to the other side and took the driver's seat. His hands stretch to the back of the car and grabbed a towel. "Here, dry yourself."
How she wished she did not have to, but she was worried he might think she was weird. She reluctantly took the towel and lightly pat it against her skin.
"What are you doing? That won't dry you up! Let me!" He grabbed the towel put it over her head.
Facing Amanda, he gently dried her hair and wiped her face. He then brushed her hair with his fingers, fixing it behind her ears.
She did nothing.
He touched her head, her ears, and pulled her over with his hand. Still, he was not hurt in any way. She thought about this as she stared into his blue eyes.
Amanda noticed him leaning forward that her eyes grew wide. She had never been kissed before and here was a stranger immediately wanting to touch her lips! She was about to push him away when Christopher's hand reached for the seatbelt.
She let out a heavy sigh before slightly giggling at herself. She said in silence, 'He was going for the seatbelt! Stupid of me.'
After buckling Amanda, he said, "Where to Amanda?"
"By the South cliff beach," she plainly answered. "Thank you... in advance."
"Let's go then and oh, don't worry about your bike. I can bring it to you tomorrow," he said before turning on the engine.
They drove for nearly thirty minutes. Christopher could not speed up because some parts of the road had no lights. On top of that, the rain was pouring dramatically and visibility was getting very low.
While rain was normal at Trinity Bay, even Amanda felt a storm was coming. The thunder was drumming loudly above them.
"We are here," Amanda said after noticing a large pine tree by the road. "My shack is down the beach."
Christopher turned to her in horror. He asked, "Seriously? down the beach?"
"I'm not very rich. Thank you for - "
Her words were cut off by Christopher backing up the car. He said, "With this heavy rain, the water level will rise. It's not safe. I'll take you to my house!"
"What? No! I need to get home!" She tried to excuse herself, but there was no stopping Christopher. He was not about to let a pretty woman, one he had become attracted to, face the storm in a shack in front of the sea.
'Great! Just great!' Amanda had no choice. She could not let Christopher doubt her, even for a minute. Especially since Trinity is known to flood its coasts, no one truly lived by the rough seas.