Ali looked up at him, completely dumbstruck at his presence, and slowly rose from the ground.

He watched her hands as she placed the coins back in the cash register. When she was finished, his gaze floated away to a spot behind her while she stared into his cold eyes.

"Hi, Sawyer," she said as he stood there, his hands stuffed into his pockets.

"Hi, Alice."

She pursed her lips, then awkwardly rocked on the balls of her feet. "So... what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to ask you something," he told her, and she nodded, trying to hide her desperate curiosity.

"Okay. Go ahead."

"Would you want to hang out with me sometime?"

Ali blinked. "What?"

"Like go eat somewhere," Sawyer briefly glanced at her face when she looked away. "Have you never done that before?"

"No, I have. I, uh, always eat somewhere, yeah," she answered hastily, and he nodded.

"Okay. Then how about we eat somewhere together?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, intrigued. "But why?"

He didn't respond for a moment, and she watched as his eyes traveled across the store. When he finally arrived at an answer, she noticed the way his voice seemed more calculated, like when he talked to customers. "Because you're new to town and it's good to have someone to show you around. I've lived here all of my life, so I'm an appropriate guide."

Ali narrowed her eyes at him, doubting the truth behind his carefully chosen words. She, too, took a minute to reply this time as she contemplated his offer. He waited not-so-patiently in front of her, but didn't say a word.

"Okay, when?" she suddenly asked, which made him shift slightly in his spot.

"Tomorrow night."

Ali nodded. "Works for me."

"Good," Sawyer said, and she gave him a questioning look when he didn't move.

"Is that all?"

His gaze dipped to the floor. "No. You missed a coin."

She turned and quickly grabbed it from beneath her shoe. By the time she got up, he had already walked away without a goodbye. She stared at his tall figure as he returned to customer support, painting on the charming smile on his face like it was a canvas.

  Her eyes wandered over to the corner of the store, where his father's office was situated. His door was closed, and she wondered what had happened behind it.

  Had she just gotten involved in the battle of the Prices?