boys' trail. Trying my best to breathe through this forming anxiety I give a clear shake of my head and say, "Mr. Benson," I begin only to be abruptly cut off as the older man supplies, "Teddy, please! You've been in my family's shop enough times in the last six months to earn that right."

"Teddy, sir," I start again, "Please trust me when I say I am perfectly safe with these boys. I've known them for quite a while. The relationship I have with them is purely that of a younger sister and her four very protective older brothers. They wouldn't hurt a hair on my head. Hell, just before walking in here they made me eat Cotton Candy to keep my blood sugar up because I forgot to eat earlier."

Teddy visibly loses the wind in his sails by the time I finish. He gives me a half-hearted nod in seeing that I won't budge on my stance.

I take the lull in the conversation as a means to greet Mr. Benson's daughter as I give her a small wave with a kind, "Hi, Janie."

His daughter had been stacking the shelves nearby and was a bit exasperated by the time my conversation with her father had ended. "Dad, will you stop heckling my favorite customer? I'd like her to come back every now and again. Besides, it's not just her and those boys, I've also seen her around with that free-spirit, Star, and those kids that moved to town last summer. What were their names?"

She trails off as I supply, "Sammy and Michael Emerson."

She holds up a finger, "Yeah! Those are the boys! Good kids from what I've heard. Lighten up, will you, Pops?"

Mr. Benson gives a sigh of defeat and merely says, "Alright, alright. I'll be over here when you need someone to ring you up."

Seeming satisfied with his answer, she goes back to organizing the pile before her. Looking up when her father utters a final, "You are welcome to come back in the future but I would rather not have those boys in my shop in the future if it's all the same to you."

I give a cool, "I'll see what I can do. But I won't make any promises I can't keep if it's all the same to you."

The boys have been patiently listening in on this conversation (not as if they can really help it), waiting for the right time to butt in and show me some of their finds.

Paul is practically bouncing up and down, looking like the most excitable puppy I'd ever seen as he thrusts a small tattered book into my hands.

I give a small shake of my head at his antics as he animatedly shares what has him so excited.

"Look what I found tucked away in the stacks, little birdie! It could be your very own copy of Peter Pan!" He continues with a growing smirk, twisting his handsome features till they looked less than angelic, "You know, Wendy and her lost boys. A perfect story for us, really. I would be more than happy to crack open this dusty book and read it to you as a bedtime story one of these days. On those cold, dark nights when you find yourself unable to sleep. What do you say, birdie?" He finishes, catching my gaze with a hooded wink and a suggestive wiggle to his brows.

I pause, taking in his prideful stance with narrowed eyes, for a moment too long it seems, as he begins to fiddle with his hair at my lack of response.

"Forget I asked, Wendy. I–"

"Sorry! I didn't mean to get lost in thought." I begin somewhat sheepishly at making him squirm. "I was just considering the idea."

"And?" he prompts.

"I'd be happy to take you up on that offer. Provided, you behave yourself." I pause, narrowing my eyes up at his face, which has become the perfect picture of feigned innocence.

"Little bird, I would never–"

"Paulie, you and I both know the kind of flirt you are. But I'll admit," I stumble over my words, smoothing my hair before starting up again, "I have had quite a bit of trouble sleeping recently with the summer storms and all. And even though you can be a bit annoying sometimes, I guess I kind of like the sound of your voice."

I look up abruptly to find Paul a few inches from my face as he gives a teasing, "Well then, I guess I'll look forward to it, sugar."

Paul twirls around and swaggers off down the adjacent aisle, seeming wholly confident in my confusion as to how he had gotten me to willingly invite him to drop by my bedroom on an undisclosed night.

Clutching the new book close to my chest, I find myself browsing the aisles on my own. Before long, a small stack of books is hurriedly thrust into my hands, nearly causing me to lose my grasp on the copy of Peter Pan. This time, I find myself being handed all three volumes of The Lord of The Rings trilogy by David. The set, while mismatched, is in fairly good condition. David pauses slightly with a small smirk at his find, making sure I didn't drop my new prizes before moving off to stalk a nearby shelf.

Not thirty seconds later, Dwayne sidles up beside me, neatly helping me readjust my stack, before placing a newer looking copy of The Hobbit on top. Gently smoothing down my frazzled hair with a smile, he quickly moves off to make sure the others are only causing minimal property damage.

With all the boys departed, I find myself curious if they are, in fact, causing trouble for the shopkeepers, Mr. Benson, more so than Janie. Peering over one of the lower stacks, I spot a flash of a familiar brunet, along with a flash of white, and a single head of curly blond hair, not two like there should have been.

The hairs at the back of my neck slowly rise as I feel a cool breath fan over my shoulders. I instinctively tense up, but knowing who I will find behind me unspools the web of nerves in my stomach just as quickly.

Turning slowly, I come face to face with open air and an empty stack of books on either side of me. My heart skips a beat as I feel arms wrap around my waist, pulling me towards an all too familiar chest, my books dropping somewhere along the lines.

Gazing up at the cheeky blond, I find myself laughing slightly as I playfully bat his arms away.

"Geez, Marko! My heart nearly jumped into my throat! What was so important that you had to bring me that much closer to my grave?"

He effectively ignores my outcry and protests as he scoops up the fallen books in one arm and slings the other over my shoulder, herding me in the direction of the owners but not before whispering into my hair,

"You've been looking a bit pale tonight, I thought a good scare might bring some life back into your face. And look who was right," he crowed, "A good scare does wonders for the soul. Well, my damned soul anyway but, you know, semantics," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"Also, I had an idea about asking the owners if they had a specific kind of book that I think could really help you in what usually occurs after a good date," a suggestive grin painting his face as we reach the counter.

Joined at the hip and at the mercy of whatever is going to come out of Marko's mouth next, I curl closer to his side, in a vain attempt to hide my face.

Marko quickly raps a small tune on the counter gaining the attention of the rather disgruntled looking Mr. Benson. Seeing her father's less than pleased expression, Janie bounds over to the counter, ready to answer the question Marko asks with a near shit-eating grin plastered on his otherwise angelic face.

With a slight squeeze of my shoulder, Marko blurts out, "Hi there, Janie! I was wondering if you had any lesbian romance novels lying around. It's for my friend here," he says, with an air of politeness that rivals Lucy Emerson herself. Sending a wink in Janie's direction and clearly intending to embarrass me, but not expecting the all together warm expression that settles on Janie's face as Marko continues his spiel.

"It's our kid sister's first date tonight, you see. And she's really nervous about it, being rather inexperienced and all," I cut him off with a quick jab to his ribs that leaves him disappointingly unaffected and offer Janie a shy smile. Janie holds up a hand to stop the bickering before it starts. With a shake of her head, she says,

"There's no need to be so embarrassed, Wendy. We all gotta start somewhere." Turning to Marko she continues, "It's sweet that you boys are so supportive of Wendy with who she loves. Not all of us get to grow up with that unfortunately."

She gives us a small, bittersweet smile that tells us it's better to not ask. Breaking the moment, Janie claps her hands together once, all traces of distant memory lost in a flash.

Turning away from us, she calls over to her dad, waiting in the stacks, who had taken up her organization job when she departed.

"See, Pops, I told you it would come in handy to keep a few lesbian romance novels around the store. You never know who will want to buy them, right? And it looks like we've got quite the customer asking after them, too. Some of my favorite's are next to the stack you're holding, dad. Could you bring a few over?"

"Sure, hon."

Marko hands the small stack of books back into the cradle of my arms as he moves to help Mr. Benson retrieve the new novels.

The pair return a few moments later, after some hushed whispers and the sound of a pile of books toppling, earning a tired sigh from the owner.

Marko tries his best to look sheepish as he returns, three books in hand, but the effect is somewhat dulled seeing as the book covers seem to showcase varying degrees of light lesbian erotica. Despite this, he still manages to come out of the ordeal unscathed, beaming once more as he reaches my side, seeming quite pleased with himself at the new discovery.

"These books seem pretty detailed when it comes to the nightlife of lesbian relationships. So Janie, you uh–"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Marko," I cut in, "What a lady does in her free time is not up for discussion unless she wishes it to be."

"It was sweet of you to come to my rescue just now, Wendy, but it was also unnecessary." Janie said softly. "In answer to your unfinished question, yes. But, I also go for boys too," she throws out with a wink in the blond's direction.

Marko seems slightly taken aback but replies all the same with a sly, "I'll definitely keep that in mind."

Janie breaks off the somewhat charged glance between her and Marko as she nods at the books in my arms, "So, are you ready to cash out? Or did you wanna look around some more and see if you find anything else that catches your eye?" She asks, the last part aimed solely at Marko, who has become quite pleased at the new and unexpected turn the conversation has taken.

"I think we're good. Right, Marko?" I ask, lifting a brow.

"Yeah!" he chirps, barely taking his eyes off Janie.

Rolling my eyes at the disaster waiting to happen, I try and fail to tear Marko's attention away from Janie long enough to pass off my new books, wanting to quickly grab my wallet from my back pocket and pay before Marko invites Janie to the caves.

With little help from Marko, I manage to finally drag my wallet out, only losing one book from top of my pile in the process. Pulling out a handful of bills, I recall that Janie never actually told us the final price, seeming to get lost in Marko's green eyes before doing so. I lift my head as well as I can with the stack of books wobbling in my arms, trapping them beneath my chin as I begin to ask for the amount due.

Finally able to righten myself, I lock eyes with Janie's startled expression. Finding the other three boys crowded around us suddenly, each having counted out a small amount of bills and placing them on the counter before I could so much as blink.

Janie distractedly shuffles the bills and coins into her hands before counting them up with a frown.

"This is the exact amount due. How did you–"

Janie is cut off by David as he gives her a calculated, "Lucky guess, that's all."

"Right," she replied softly, echoing his previous words. "Lucky guess, that's all."

She gives a slight shake of her head effectively clearing it as her eyes brighten and she says, "We ran out of bags earlier today. Does a small box work?"

"Yeah, of course, Janie." I say brightly despite my skin crawling. It can be unnerving seeing the boys use their powers of suggestion on others.

"Great, I'll go ahead and grab you that box! Dad? Wendy and the boys are about to head out for the night, if there was something more you wanted to say to her, now would be the time." She said, moving past us towards the store room.

Mr. Benson's knees crack as he rises from his crouched, kneeling position, locking eyes with me as he steps forward.

"When I asked if you would be open to taking some shifts off our hands at the end of your college semester two weeks ago, you turned me down. But I feel I should give you the same opportunity again. My daughter is taking extra college classes this summer to make up for the year she took off after her mother's passing. We could really use an extra set of hands around here. Summer is the busiest season for us, what with the tourists and all. We would pay you fairly of course. You were such a good friend to Janie after my Eliza passed away suddenly and I would like to return some of that gratitude if you'll let me."

Mr. Benson paused, softly wringing his hands as he waited for my answer.

Quietly taking his calloused hands in mine, I give him a small smile. "It means a lot that you would offer me a part time job here. The only reason I turned you down when you first asked was because I felt you would be paying me far too much. I thought if I gave you some time, you would see that. If you reconsider the amount, I would be happy to help you take care of your shop."

The grin Mr. Benson gives me makes me want to tear up. He himself gives a wet laugh, eyes shining, "Alright, Wendy, I'll see what I can do."

"Great! Thank you, Teddy. I really appreciate it."

"Of course, dear."

Janie pops back in, shouldering past the boys with a new cardboard box in hand. She distractedly passes it in Paul's direction leaving him space to take the pile of books out of my arms and place them in the box as she says, "Sounds like the talk went good then, dad?" Patting him on the back as he excuses himself from the conversation.

Turning to me she gives a sad smile that brightens slightly at the thought of spending a bit more time with me.

"We'll get you a name tag and everything! It will be fun to have you on board, Wendy. And I'll certainly pull out less hair with a lighter workload," she adds with a sardonic grin.

"I can come by tomorrow to work out the details if that works for you." I supply.

"Sure, Wendy. And just so you know, if things don't work out with that date of yours, you know where to find me." She says, offering me a smirk before settling behind the counter.

"Catch you later, Wendy," she pauses, "...and boys. Enjoy those books and definitely let me know what you think of my recommendations."

With my face heating up, I give a jerky shake of my head before pulling the boys along with me, calling a goodbye to the two Benson's as we leave.

I take a deep breath as the singing night air and lively sounds of the boardwalk filter back in.

David rests a hand on my shoulder saying, "Those two seem," he pauses, searching for the right word before settling on, "Neighbourly."

"Neighbourly, really?" Marko considers this as he says, "I was thinking more that they looked like easy pickings."

The heat from my early embarrassment, turning towards anger in a flash as my heart beat rose and my blood sang in my ears.

"Don't you dare! Any of you! I don't care if you think it would be a good laugh to show Mr. Benson or Janie that they aren't at the top of the food chain any more than a chicken is in the face of a crocodile—"

"Tone, Wendy-bird. Tone." David cut me off, a foreign look crossing his face reminding me that I too, could be prey at the end of a bad night.

Taking a deep breath, I start again, "Look, if something happens to her father, Janie has no one. You can't honestly expect me to sit back and let something like that happen to some of the only other people I care about in this godforsaken town."

"Besides," I continue, "I'm going to be working in their shop soon. As the only other employee, I would be the first person the police would come sniffing around, and in turn you boys, if they were to vanish. So, I'm asking you to think this through and find another food source to sink your teeth into."

The tension in the air melts away in a flash as Paul reaches over to fondly ruffle my hair, shifting the box of books over to his hip as he gives a laugh,

"Relax, Wendy-girl! No one is going to eat your friends. If you care about them, they're off the menu. It's as simple as that. So, chill out! We're supposed to be distracting you from the worries circling your mind, not adding to them."

Paul wraps an arm around my shoulders and turns to Marko with a frown, "Babe, you've upset my little bird. What do you say?"

Marko huffs slightly at being forced to apologize but finds himself doing so anyway in the face of Paul's puppy-dog expression, "Sorry, Winnie. It was just a joke. I honestly didn't mean to upset you and I certainly can't stand you staying mad at me. Tell me where you want to go next and we can continue our little adventure, yeah?"

Marko sidles up beside me and gently nudges me as I grumble. This game doesn't last long as he reaches out to tickle me mercilessly, Paul helping him, until I break out into a grin and laugh helplessly in their clutches.

"There's that beautiful smile! So, where to, darling?" Marko adds softly, fixing my hair where Paul had ruffled it earlier.

Shrugging, my face falls slightly as I consider the options, stalling for time, "Ignoring the fact that you cheated and forced me to smile, I'm not sure what other shops to check out."

I nervously tug at the sleeves of my jean jacket as I gesture for Paul to hand me the box of books, to which he holds it high above his head with a laugh and says, "Not a chance, little bird. This is my burden to shoulder. You wouldn't take away my chance to show off my strength, would you?"

I reach up, once more, stifling a laugh under my breath before the moment passes and I find my anxiety beginning to return at the thought of my impending date again.

Do I look okay?

What if I make a fool of myself?

Will she—

Seeming to sense my sudden shift in mood, Dwayne cuts in with, "You mentioned a new thrift store that opened on the boardwalk a month or so ago, right Wendy? We could grab you some new clothes if you're feeling a bit underdressed for your date."

I pause, shaking my head and mulling the idea over before landing on, "Yeah, Dwayne. That actually sounds really nice. I'm glad you remembered it."

"Of course," he says, leading me away from the trio of blonds' and further down the boardwalk.