Here's another chapter. Woot Woot!

Playlist for Chapter:

Peanut Butter Jelly Time-

Bring'em Out-Hawk Nelson

Dear Maria, Count Me In-All Time Low

Chapter 4-Private Property

"Look who it is," Jared said as the door to the bell rang.

I was still looking at my phone so of course I jumped when I heard an already familiar voice say, "Alex?"

My head snapped up to see a euphoric Paul standing on the other side of the counter next to a smug looking Jared. A smile spread across my face as I met his eyes. I never noticed the green in them before…

Jared cleared his throat and I snapped out of it. Well sort of. I now realize that Paul wasn't wearing a shirt so no I just wasn't staring at his eyes anymore. I didn't feel too bad about staring though-Kim was doing the same thing with Jared. Well, I guess she kind of had the right but it didn't look like anyone noticed.

"So, who do you two know each other?" Kim asked smiling.

"Oh, we go way back. M.B.F.'s right?" I said, winking at Paul who grinned back. Milk Buddies Forever.

"Yep. Serious stuff," he said playing along.

"Right," Kim said in a confused tone.

"So you work here now?" Paul asked, sitting across the counter from me.

"Yeah-which reminds me; Quil owes me a favor," I said.

"You know Quil?" he asked.

"Just in passing. I got the job instead of some stalker girl," I said.

"Then we all owe you a favor," Jared said. "I would not be able to come anywhere near this place if she worked here."

"Is she really that bad?" I asked.

"See for yourself," Kim muttered in an annoyed tone as the door opened and the girl from yesterday walked in.

"Right on time," Jared murmured as the girl walked over and sat right next to a grimacing Paul. I was happy to see that he leaned away from her.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked before she could say anything.

Her eyes narrowed at me. "When did you start working here?" she sneered.

I raised an eyebrow at her forwardness. Please, I had to be at least three years older than her. "Today," I said easily.

Her mouth popped open. "You got the job?" she asked.

"Obviously," I said rolling my eyes at Paul who smiled back at me.

"Whatever, get me a coffee," she said, waving me off before turning to Paul. I made a face behind at her when she wasn't looking and saw Paul trying not to laugh. I turned and quickly got her coffee before setting it down in front of her.

"So, are you going to the party on Wednesday?" she asked.

"How do you even know about those?" Paul asked.

"I get around," she said smiling flintily.

I slapped my hand over my mouth so I wouldn't burst out laughing. I ended up making a snorting noise before I just let my peals of laughter ring out. Does she even know what she implied?

"What?" she snapped at me.

"Nothing," I said before pursing my lips and trying not to smile.

"Whatever," she said before turning back to Paul. "Do you have a date?" she asked, leaning forward and batting her eyes way too many times.

"Do you have something in your eye?" he asked. I snorted. Oh jeez.

"No," she said. "So, do you have one?" she asked again.

"Yeah, I actually do," he said, smiling for the first time during their entire conversation.

"You do?" she asked. He does? Well shit!

"Yep. Right Alex?" he asked, turning to smile at me.

I couldn't help but smile back. Yes, yes yes! It was a date! "Of course," I said easily, as if it was nothing. But it so wasn't.

"You're going out with my Paul?" she asked furiously. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hers? Not in this lifetime.

"Is your name written on him?" I asked innocently.

"Is yours?" she asked, matching my tone.

I smirked and reached under the counter to get a marker. I pulled off the cap and reached for Paul's hand. I wrote: PROPERTY OF ALEX SWIFT. MINE! I smiled smugly and gave his hand back, all the while watching that girl's face turn red in anger.

"I'm not paying for that," she seethed as she snatched her purse off of the counter.

"Wouldn't dream of charging you," I said coolly as I grabbed her coffee mug and dumped it out as she stormed out of the diner. "Somebody's on their period," I muttered to Kim who was laughing hysterically.

"It's your first day and you've already managed to do something we've been trying to do for years," Jared said. "Thank you," he said.

"No problem. I'm not exactly a big fan of Miss Priss either as of now," I said.

"That's not fair," Paul said, looking at his hand with a slight smile playing on his face.

"What's not fair?" I asked.

"You get to write on my hand but I can't write on yours?" he asked.

I rolled the marker across the counter and held out my hand. "Go for it," I said.

He smiled and took my hand. He quickly wrote something across it while blocking my view with his other hand. "Done," he said, giving my hand back with a smug smile.

I looked curiously at my and smiled widely at what I saw. 'TAKEN' was written in all capital letters across my palm. "Taken, huh?" I asked, secretly doing my own little happy dance. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the sound of, "It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time" coming form my butt. Damn, I silently cursed as I pried my phone from my pocket. "Hello?" I answered.

"Alex!" Les squealed and I held the phone away from my ear.

"Hey Les, what do you need? I'm kind of busy right now," I said.

"Oops. Oh well, too late now," she said. "Guess what?" she asked excitedly.

"Are you even going to let me guess?" I asked.

"No, not really. But anyway, I got a picture from our last ultrasound in the mail! I put it up on the fridge, you have to see it. The baby is so cute!" she said so loud I didn't doubt that Paul, Kim, and Jared could all hear her.

"I would love to see it but I'm kind of busy right now," I told her, glancing at paul who was watching me with a slight smile on his face.

"How buys?" she asked suspiciously.

"Busy, busy," I told her.

"You're talking to that hot guy again, aren't you?" she asked excitedly.

"Practically right in front of me," I said using slight code. He can't know I'm talking about him.

"Seriously? I was just joking," she admitted. "Is he really that cute?"

"Cute as a puppy," I said. That was also part of the code.

"I have got to see this guy. Wait! Put him on the phone!" she said.

"What? No!" I said with wide eyes.

"Come on Alex. Please, please, please? I'm home alone and I need to talk to someone," she begged.

"You're talking to me," I reminded her.

"You don't count. Please!? I won't say anything embarrassing, I swear," she promised.

"Speaker phone," I offered.

"Deal," she agreed.

I pulled the phone away from ear and layed it on the counter between Paul and I. "Talk," I said.

"Hey uh…shit! What was his name?" she asked.

"Paul," I said rolling my eyes. Paul gave me a confused look but when I mouthed 'sister-in-law' he smiled.

"Oh. Right. Hey Paul," Les said. "I'm Les."

"Hey," he said easily.

I heard her muttering something to herself. "So Paul…what do you do for a living?" she asked, way too innocently.

"I'm a mechanic at the local garage," he said.

"How tall are you?" she asked. I rolled my eyes. "Don't you roll your eyes at me Alexandra Cassandra Swift!" Les yelled as if she were sitting right there next to me. Paul, Jared, and Kim burst out laughing.

"Or what? You'll whack me with a wooden spoon?" I asked mockingly.

"Hey! I did that for you ya know! How else was I supposed to-and I quote-get him off his lazy ass-unquote," she said.

"He still had a red mark when I picked him up!" I exclaimed.

"Good," she said. "Anyway, Paul, how much do like Alex exactly?" she asked.

My jaw dropped and my eyes widened. I snatched the phone off the counter. "Sorry, got to go. Bye!" I said before snapping my phone shut. She is so dead when I get home.

"What? You don't want to know the answer to that question, Alexandra," he said, exaggerating my name.

"Ugh. I hate that name. Alexandra Cassandra. What did I ever do to deserve that?" I asked, successfully deflecting the previous question.

"I like your name," he said, sounding surprisingly sincere.

"Thanks," I said as I tried my best to subtly cover my blush from his last compliment. Stupid ponytail gives me no cover. "Sorry about Les by the way," I said.

"It's fine. She seems really nice," he said.

"She is, she can just be…Les," I said shaking my head at my loss for words.

He laughed. "You guys seem really close," he said.

"Yeah. We were friends even before she and brother got together," I said.

"And she's the raging, hormonal pregnant one?" he asked with a smile.

I was surprised that he remembered my exact words but that just made me like him more. "Exactly. I'm going to be an aunt!" I said. I really am excited about that. "Do you have any siblings?" I asked curiously.

"One-well I count my cousins as siblings too. I see them just as often and we're all just as close," he said.

"How many cousins do you have?" I asked.

"Five," he said easily.

"Ha. I got you beat. I have seven," I said.

"Plus you have a brother and a sister in law," he said.

"True. Do you have a brother or a sister?" I asked.

"An older sister. She lives in New York," he told me.

"What's her name?" I prodded.

"Becky," he said. "Do you have any other family?"

"My two uncles on my Mom's side and Bert," I said.

"Bert?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"My dad," I practically sneered. "I don't count that she-beast as family-I barely count him," I said. I really didn't want to show Paul this side of me but I couldn't help it when I talked about Bert.

"My dad's not at the top of my list either," he admitted.

"Who is?" I asked curiously.

"My Mom and my Grandma," he said with a sheepish grin.

"Aw, that's so sweet," I teased. It really was though. No joke.

He playfully narrowed his eyes at me.

"Let's go Lover Boy, we're going to be late," Jared said as he walked passed Paul.

"Talk to you later," I said smiling at him.

"Bye Alex," he said with a sigh before following Jared out the door.+

"Aw, you guys are so cute," Kim cooed.

"Aw, you and Jared make me want to throw up rainbows and bunnies," I said, matching her tone.

She rolled her eyes. "He really does like you, you know," she told me.

"You think so?" I asked, trying not to sound overly hopeful.

"Oh yeah. Jared said he wouldn't shut up about you-just look at what he wrote on your hand. That spells it out right there," she said.