**Aleah's POV**

"Pantera? Good taste." I said with a smile as a young girl approached the checkout counter. "Tone, you comin'?" I had to let him do most of the checkouts because he was still in training. "Sorry, we have a new guy training, so I have to let him do this sorta stuff." I laughed at the girl.

"Haha, thanks, and don't worry about it. I just started over at Starbucks so I'm in the same boat." The girl seemed pretty cool, maybe a year or so younger than Tony and I.

"Oh, nice. I go there with a group of friends a lot, so maybe I'll see you around sometime?" I smiled at her. "Tony, are you coming?" I called, wondering what he could possible be doing.

"I'm right behind you, silly. I was just letting you finish talking." His breath on my neck combined with the surprise of him being so close made me jump, causing him and the girl to laugh. I stepped aside, allowing him to take over. "Sorry for the wait," Tony chuckled a bit. "do you have a Hot Topic card?" He asked, while ringing up the girls items.

"I do, thanks." She said with a smile, handing him a card with one hand, and playing with her hip-length black hair. I stood behind Tony quietly, as I was supposed to, trying to hide my irritation with her blatant flirting. When she began signing the receipt, I thought it was taking a bit too long, then I realized that she had written her phone number along with several hearts around it with the words call me scrawled underneath. Could she not tell at the very least that we have a thing by how close he stood to me?! I thought spitefully.

As she handed it to him, he smiled awkwardly, trying not to show much interest, but still maintaining professional courtesy. "Very good, Mr. Perry," I said as he finished up the checkout.

"Oh yeah?" I bit my lip as he spoke in his low, sexy voice, handing the girl – Lindsay, according to the receipt – her bag. As she took it, she stepped away slowly, as curious about Tony's next move as I was. "Care to show me how good?" his last two words turned to more of a hungry growl, as if he needed me, right then and there. Even more in violation of our agreement not to "be too lovey at work" he wrapped his hands around my waist and whispered in my ear, "You're sexy when you get jealous." He laughed the words out, clearly amused by my reaction to someone else flirting with him, then, he released me and walked back over to the shelf where he had been hanging shirts on racks neither Trisha (the other manager) or myself could reach. As he went, he laughed even more at the shocked expression on my face. Was it that obvious? More importantly, did he really just do that?! It's not like I was concerned about getting in trouble, but it was unprofessional, and just plain awkward. I laughed at myself as I realized I was still watching him with the same dumbfounded expression.

The phone ringing brought me out of my thoughts, "Hello, Hot Topic, this is Aleah, how may I help you?"

"You're the blue-haired chick?" The voice was a girl. She spoke calmly after I mumbled a slight "yes", "Watch yourself," the line went dead.

"H-hey, Tone," I called. He looked at me, silently asking what I wanted, "Could you tell me what time it is?"

"'Bout eight-thirty, so we're out of here in half and hour," He smiled as he delivered the news, then noticed my fear from the phone call, "you okay, babes?" he asked, walking over to stand near me.

"Ben," I called to the other employee in the store that night, "watch the front a minute?" He shot me a thumbs-up and I took Tony by the hand and led him into the store's back room.

"Ali," he chuckled, "I was just messin' around up there, I mean-" I smacked his shoulder to cut off his absurd assumption.

"This isn't about that, you idiot! I got a phone call just after you walked away..." I said nervously, "it kinda freaked me out. The girl on the other line said asked me if I was 'the blue-haired chick' then told me to watch my back... It's probably nothing but it scared me a bit."

Tony's face turned from lust to fear in an instant, "It's alright, babe," he said softly, his hands in my shoulders, "from now in, I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you. And when we get home," he gave me a mischievous look and I thought for sure he was going to say something sexual. "Star Wars!" I began to laugh like crazy, and after giving each other a quick peck, we walked out of the room.

"I know I said to get a room," Ben called, "but I really didn't mean here!" We all laughed.

"You looking for a write-up Johnson?" I said, trying my very hardest to sound serious.

"I think that's an abuse of power." Tony joked, "accidentally" brushing his hand against my ass as he walked back to his shelf. I chuckled at his blatant affection, and walked back to the register.

"Man, you are shameless aren't you?" Ben laughed as he went back to the door; he was greeter that day. We all laughed, and resumed our usual activities.

---

As the store was closing, Ben took Tony in the back to do inventory, I began shutting down the register, and I heard an electric guitar strum sound, signaling the door had opened. "I'm sorry, we're closing," I said, turning around to see Vic standing in the doorway.

"What, I'm not even allowed to see my favorite smurf?" he pouted jokingly.

"If you're hear to give Tony and me shit for what happened with your bro, I don't wanna hear it. I'm sorry if you're upset, but Mike deserved everything he got."

Vic walked up to the counter and looked at me sadly, "Have I ever given you shit for giving Mike what he's got coming?"

"Nah, I'm sorry for assuming..." I looked down, ashamed I'd assumed so low of one of my best friends.

"It's cool. Besides, he's already hit it off with the girl working the register at Starbuck's. Last I saw they were outside it, sucking face." Vic chuckled.

I was wondering for a second if it was the girl who'd been in the store earlier. "Does he even know the girls name?" I asked, a bit irritated by how easy Mike was.

"Well, her name tag said Lindsay, but he never introduced himself to her."

Notes

sorry this is so short, guys, but i wanted to get something up! ily! thanks for reading

{Title Credit To: Falling In Reverse}