Chapter 2
1993 Words
“Paul!” exclaimed Tom as his brother came through the door.
“Hey, buddy.”
“How long are you home for?”
“For good. Anna and I transferred back home.”
Tom’s eyes lit up.
“Anna’s back too!” he exclaimed, and Paul laughed.
His little brother’s crush was still strong, but it wasn’t annoying him anymore. Tom headed upstairs, and Paul shook his head, hearing a text notification.
‘So you back in town?’
It was from Michelle. They had a hard time keeping their relationship from falling apart. She didn’t want him to transfer back to this boring town and give up his life in the city.
However, Paul wanted to marry that girl. She was the love of his life. Even though she dumbly accused him of sleeping with Anna, which never happened.
‘Yes, my darling, I’m home,” he texted back.
‘I want to see you.’
He stared at the screen for a moment and smiled.
‘Come over.’
She did, and they spent the rest of the evening together.
******
The next day, Paul and Anna met at the Glee County Sheriff and and walked in.
“You must be the transfers, Simone and Woods,” asked a short red-haired lady.
She had small blue eyes, a round body and waddled when she walked. Anna thought it was cute, but Paul held in a laugh, and she kicked him. He looked at her, and she gave him a smug look.
“Yes, ma’am, that would be us,” Anna stated, smiling, and she smiled back.
“I am Sheriff Adams and this,” she pointed behind her to a guy and a girl.
“Is Heather and Mike.”
Anna and Paul smiled and nodded, and they saluted.
“Your transfers are all complete. Now your desks are here, and your uniform shirts are in your drawer to the left.”
Anna and Paul nodded and looked at the desks. Old military gray metal desks with comfortable-looking swivel chairs, a cubbyhole, and a locker behind the chairs. Anna nodded and pulled her uniform shirts out of her drawer.
“Thank you,” said Anna, and the sheriff smiled.
“See you two bright and early tomorrow,” the round lady said.
Paul and Anna nodded and headed out the door. Anna looked back at the station. It was very small and old, and she liked it. A little brick building with a yellow tin roof. She smiled to herself and looked at Paul.
“See you tomorrow.”
He nodded as they got in their cars and went home.
********
The next morning, Anna pulled on her uniform, tucked it into her black pants, tightened her belt, braided her hair down her back, and slid her sunglasses on her head. She headed downstairs and grabbed her side bag.
“Well, look at you,” chimed Johnathan from the kitchen, and she grinned.
Annette walked in from the washroom and looked at her daughter.
“You always look amazing in a uniform.”
Anna blushed and smiled at her mother.
“Okay, okay, enough with the mush. Paul is going to be here in a few minutes.”
Annette gave her an interesting look, and she looked at her mom in question.
“What?”
“So, are you and Paul seeing each other?”
Anna rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
“Paul and me? Mom!”
“Sorry, I thought, since you two have spent so much time together, that maybe…”
Anna stuck her hand in the air and stopped her.
“He’s more like a brother, and that’s disgusting.”
Suddenly, the door opened, and Paul stuck his head inside.
“Hey, are you ready?” he asked, and Anna nodded.
“Bye mom, bye daddy,” said Anna and scurried out the door.
*******
Anna and Paul walked into the station and were assigned to get to know the town again, which was fine for Anna. At least they wouldn’t be sitting at a desk all day, and it might give her a better chance of running into Xander. So their first stop was the town’s coffee shop, The Claw, Glee’s one and only coffee shop dive.
The Claw was an old movie theater turned into a coffee shop with a large storage room above it. It had a high school vibe feel to it and was dressed in rose and goldenrod colors. The bar was in the back, and it seemed calming compared to the coffee places in the city.
This place was a lot calmer, more organized, and less chaotic. Paul and Anna walked up to the counter.
“Paul!” exclaimed a girl from behind the counter.
She was Tom's age, with long brown hair and brown eyes that sparkled warmly, a cheerleader build, and seemed sweet.
“Hi, Kirsten,” greeted Paul, and he gestured to Anna.
Kirsten looked at Anna and smiled at her widely. Anna thought she was vaguely familiar.
“You’re Anna. You used to babysit me when I was little."
Anna looked her over, and then she recognized her and smiled.
“Yes, of course. Kirsten. Wow, you have really grown up,” Anna noted cheerfully, and Kirsten only nodded.
“How have you been?”
“I’m still with my aunt. I just quit cheerleading. I want to find something that I am good at and have a passion for,” she said, and Anna nodded.
“Follow your heart. It will never steer you wrong.”
Kirsten smiled and nodded.
“What did you do in high school?” she asked Anna, and Paul gave Anna a knowing look.
“Anna here, well, she was more into beating up her best friend’s bully,” laughed Paul, and Anna gave him a dirty look.
“What do you mean?” asked Kirsten curiously, and Anna sighed.
Paul leaned on the counter and touched her arm.
“Her best friend is Alexander Maverick, and the bully she beat up was Justin Hardy,” he chuckled, and Anna rolled her eyes.
Why did he always have to glorify the story? She thought.
“Kirsten? Is everything okay?” asked a pixie-like, blonde-haired girl with questioning green eyes.
Anna looked at the girl in surprise. She didn’t see her standing there a moment ago. Where did she come from?
“Allison!” exclaimed Kirsten, looking the girl’s way.
“No, everything is fine, these are the two new sheriffs in town, and they came in to get some coffee, I hope,” she added.
Kirsten smiled and gestured to Anna and Paul.
“Of course we are,” said Paul, winking.
“Don’t want you telling Tom we wasted your time,” he laughed, and Anna looked at him in question.
“That is Tom’s girlfriend,” explained Paul, and Anna nodded.
Allison looked at the pair and tilted her head.
“Did I hear correctly that you used to beat up Mr. Hardy?” she asked, and Anna raised her hand.
“Guilty,” she said with a grin.
Quickly, Kirsten’s smile faded, and she quickly grabbed a pad of paper and a pen.
“What can I get you while we are talking?” she asked nervously, glancing behind them.
Anna looked in the direction where Kirsten had glanced and smiled, seeing her best friend with his evil girlfriend on his arm. For some reason, his girlfriend didn’t like Anna. The woman said Xander didn’t need her as a best friend anymore, they weren’t kids anymore, and he had a new one.
She laughed at the memory, looked at Kirsten, and wondered why she was acting that way. Xander wasn’t a mean guy. She wrinkled her nose and walked toward them.
“Well, if it isn’t Maverick!” Anna teased as she stood behind him.
Xander and his girlfriend turned their heads. Even his girlfriend couldn’t tell who it was by just the voice. He looked frustrated and turned around quickly, and found himself nose to nose with Anna.
“I’m not into….”
She smirked at him.
“Alien Space Invaders anymore?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, and he looked at her in surprise.
A friendly smile spread across his face, and his girlfriend scoffed as he placed his hands on her arms.
“Anna, what a wonderful surprise! When did you get into town?”
His girlfriend, Victoria, eyed Anna suspiciously, but she ignored her.
“A couple of days ago. I transferred back home with Paul. Look’s like the old gang back together again,” she said cheerfully, and he looked her over.
“Well, Glee has got a good choice as sheriff,” he complimented, and Kirsten and Allison stared in disbelief.
“It’s good to see you, Anna. You will have to excuse me. I have to go tend to my coffee shop partner,” he said, looking at Kirsten.
He let go of Anna and walked towards the counter, and Anna watched him as he walked away.
“I hope you know to stay out of our lives, sheriff,” sneered a voice next to her.
Anna smirked and looked over at Victoria.
“Hmm,” Anna mumbled and walked towards Paul.
******
“Kirsten,” said Xander, walking into the back.
Kirsten gave Paul and Allison a questioning look, sighed, and followed him. She walked toward him and gave him a questioning look.
“Kirsten, I have come here to tell you that I am going to let this place go. Victoria has gone over the budget, and this place doesn’t fit in anymore.”
Kirsten looked at him in shock.
Doesn’t fit in anymore? This guy was a billionaire, and the coffee shop always paid for itself.
“The Claw has always carried its own,” she cried angrily, and he just looked at her with a dead expression.
“I’m sorry, Kirsten,” he finally said and left.
After she was sure he was gone, Kirsten let the tears fall. She loved this place. She begged him to keep it open and would run it. Her parents met there, and she felt as if it was the only thing she had left of them. She should never gone into business with him.
Anna saw Kirsten start to cry as Xander left the back room, and Anna placed a hand on his arm.
“Xan? What happened?”
He looked at her hand as he took her hand off his arm and blew a breath. She didn’t recognize the look in his eyes.
“We are closing the Claw.”
Kirsten emerged from the back and wiped her eyes. Anna looked at her with concern.
“Are you alright?” she asked, putting a hand on her shoulder, and Kirsten nodded.
“He is closing the place because his stupid girlfriend wants to,” she said angrily.
Anna turned to Xander as he and his girlfriend walked out of the coffee shop. She then turned back to Kirsten and looked at her seriously.
“He is your business partner, yes?” asked Anna, and Kirsten nodded.
“Alright, give me a few days, and I will see what I can do.”
“Really?” asked Kirsten, and Anna nodded.
Kirsten smiled happily, and Paul grinned, giving her a knowing look.
“If Anna says she is going to do something, she will.”
“Thank you,” she chimed.
Anna nodded and looked at her thoughtfully.
“Don’t thank me yet.”
Anna wondered why Xander would act this way. The man who had just walked out of the coffee shop wasn’t the guy she knew growing up. What has happened to him? And who is this girlfriend, trying to control his life?
She didn’t like this side of Xander and was going to figure out what was happening.
- Writer
