Disclaimer-I do not own characters used in this story. I merely borrowed them.

Chapter 2- Reappearance

Today was a good day so far. No traffic. No missing pieces from our order. Full crew. Even helped some pleasant customers today. Everyone was either at lunch or in the back. The store was almost at its peak time. People would be heading out of work on their way home. The stands look fine for now. I left my cart with items for the apple display when a lady walked up to me asking questions on the apples that were currently on sale this week. I gave her some information about them and offered her a sample if she wanted to see how it tasted. I was in the middle of cutting an apple for the customer to try when a smooth deep voice asked if he could try it too. I turned around and it was my customer from a few days ago. I smiled up at him and cut him off a piece too. I watched as he took a bite. The face he made was heavenly. It actually made me blush. He needed to wipe a bit of juice of his chin and I turned a deeper shade of crimson. The thoughts that went through my head were not PG rated. They may have involved me helping him by licking the juice off his chin and proceed north to sample his lips.

"This is so juicy. I just have to get some of these" he said to me. The lady beside me was just as affect as I was by his display. She agreed hastily and grabbed a bag and started filling it up with some. Maybe we should offer him a job her as a demo delegate so he can talk everyone into buying what ever we are introducing. I bet we would clear out of product.

As the lady walked off to continue her shopping he turned back to me. Need brain to function. Mental meltdown would not be a good thing. Focus on the lovely apples. NO! Wrong thing, umm, I know there is a spot way over near the door that needs to be picked up. Looks like a lone grape. Hope nobody slips on it could be a nasty accident which could mean doctor bills that lead to a law suit. Alright that seemed to work.

"Hello there again. I missed you yesterday. I felt lost without my favorite produce expert." he smiled cheekily as he took out a piece of paper. "I bet you can guess I have a recipe here that I need help with." Oh no! He lost me at hello. Focus on the paper he has. Pretend that I did not block out what he said yet again. As I looked at he paper, what he just said to me just came flooding to the front of my brain. He missed me. He actually looked for me? Nah, he is just being nice. Lovely little fantasy though.

Dazzling should be illegal. It was fine when he got that lady a moment ago, but when he makes it hard to use my motor functions it is not. Fine I am just being stupid because a gorgeous man smiles and my college educated brain is reduced to putty.

I tried to form a sentence and answer before he thought I was an idiot.

"Sure, what do you need me to help you with. And by the way, how did that other one turn out? Was it a crowd pleaser?" Oh yes, I sounded like a normal person. I even bought that I did not just have mental images of him in some pleasing ways.

"Yes it was delicious. Everyone seemed to love it. I am hoping that this one will turn out as well too." He then looked at his paper. "This recipe calls for Kohlrabi. What is it." He asked.

"Kohlrabi is a root vegetable, but we don't have it. We rarely carry it. If we do it is around the late summer when the local vegetables are in. You can substitute either broccoli stalk, celery root or cabbage. Any of those will give you the desired taste and texture." Thank goodness I could actually answer that question. I was asked that during my first month here and that was two years ago.

"Really, thanks. See this is why I need you. I was lost yesterday. Do you usually have Thursdays off?" he asked. My hope was rising. He is asking questions about my schedule.

"Yes I am one of the lucky ones to have set schedule. Thursdays and Sundays are my scheduled days off." I reply. Why did I just tell him that. Time to get the focus back on him. "Were you able to fine someone to help you yesterday?"

"I was. He was informative, but he did not have your smile." He mentions my smile when his has be all hot and wanting to be bothered.

I momentarily forgot what I was even doing. I tried to quickly get myself together and asked, "Is there any thing else you need me to help you with?"

"Uhm, how about cannellini beans?"

"Yes I believe we have that is our bulk section. You can usually find them dried or in cans. The bulk is great because you can get the exact amount you need." I walked him over. I walked him over because it was our policy to walk the customer over. It had nothing to do with the way he looked in those jeans. Nope I am just being a good team member. Plus he could be a secret shopper. Like those excuses matter. He had the best smile I have ever seen. His face just lit up when I walked him to another department and showed him what he was looking for. It made me want to continue helping with his shopping so I could get more of that wonderful face. I felt like a pig. I am so use to hearing these things said everyday around me and not participating with my own crude words. Now I am just like them. Is it bad that I like it? These unknown thoughts and reactions I found very thrilling. It is almost like dirty Bella is rearing her little head.

Since there was nothing else he did not recognize in his recipe I said I would be around if he needed anything else. I had to escape before I looked like more of a fool. I saw him picking up other things in produce. I tried not to not look at him. Boy was it hard. Lucky another customer asked a question and I was distracted enough that I did not see him leave.

Now that he was gone, I thought that my dreams did not do him justice. He was even better. I finished my shift and headed home. As I made my dinner I thought about the mouthwatering stew he was making tonight. Was it the stew or him that made my mouth water. I wonder how it ended up and who he was making it for. A small quick stab of pain hit me at that thought