Just One Glance

Chapter Two – Finding a Cure

By Annie-Louise

The diner seemed unusually busy much to the dismay of Kelsey O'Neill.

Yawn after yawn seemed to escape her lips in a continuous string of exhausted moments, often causing customers to cast a strange look in her direction. There were two reasons why Kelsey O'Neill was so exhausted, one of which could easily be prevented if only her brother, Brandon, put in the effort to find a new bartender for his nightclub. The other reason was currently sat at the front counter to the diner, devouring a large plate of chunky toast coated in a thick layer of butter.

"So, are you gonna talk to me about what happened last night?" The fourteen year old glanced up slightly, but then continued to gobble up the large breakfast. Kelsey warily eyed the forming bruise around the young boy's eye and the split on his lip. "Connor, you can't exactly hide what happened last night. Why did you get in a fight?"

"I didn't start it!"

Kelsey sighed. She hadn't even begun to ask questions of what happened when she picked him up the night before, she had been to concerned in tending to his injuries. Thankfully, whatever happened, the injuries seemed to be only minor and the police had luckily not been involved in the incident. "Okay, so what? Someone attacked you…?"

"It doesn't matter Kel!"

"Yes, Connor. It does matter. You are my responsibility. I don't even want to begin to think of what could have happened to you if Josh wasn't with you. You told me last night you were staying at his for a night in on the Xbox. Why the hell did you even go out?"

Connor looked up briefly, but then cast his gaze back down to the half-eaten plate of toast. Kelsey couldn't even begin to think about how or why a fight had occurred. But Connor seemed to be taking his right to remain silent literally. Kelsey couldn't leave it. She couldn't ignore the gruesome injuries she had been up half the night tending to.

Kelsey asked, "Did you know who did it? Is it someone from school that you ran into?"

"Kel, it doesn't matter, okay? I am fine! You can see that I'm fine!"

"I don't call having a black eye and a split lip fine. Your knuckles are all messed up; you have bruises all over you." Kelsey grimaced as she remembered his injuries that she had seen the night before. He had been severely beaten on his upper torso and his arms where covered in an array of scratches and bruises. It looked as if he had taken a hell of a beating, to say the least. Kelsey had been on the verge of tears as she picked him up from his friend apartment in The Village. "That is not called 'being fine' Connor. You could have seriously been hurt. Fighting is…it's not acceptable!"

"Oh, but when Brandon gets into fights-"

"Brandon is older than you." Kelsey let out an over-dramatic sign to show him that she was clearly frustrated with his back answering. "Well, this isn't my problem anymore. If this is about you trying to live up to your brother's reputation then you can talk to him about it. As soon as you get back from school-"

"Oh, come on Kelsey! I'll be grounded for weeks!"

"I don't care." Kelsey said simply. "You're talking to him whether you like it or not. This isn't something we can just ignore, Connor. So if I was you, I'd make sure to get some answers prepared."

Giving one final warning glare, she left her younger brother to contemplate about what had exactly happened the previous night.

Sometimes, Kelsey wondered if the unconventional upbringing of Connor contributed to his violent, mischievous behavior. She'd tried her hardest to give Connor a normal life. However, the problem was that their living situation had been anything but normal.

He was only fourteen; he should not have been getting into fights at his age.

Looking to the clock that was mounted on the back wall, the large numbers told her it was ten past eight. In fifty long minutes, the morning rush would certainly be over and most people would be in their offices instead of taking up room in the diner. Its not that she didn't like the many customers who visited the family diner, but in her current state of exhaustion and frustration she was mentally begging for the day to go as quickly and as smoothly as possible.

"Hello, miss?"

Kelsey slowly turned to face the owner of the voice, the black coffee sloshing against the glass sides of the large pot with her movement. The familiar face smiled broadly back at her while she let out a small laugh. Sauntering over, she couldn't help but grin. "Don, right?" He nodded. "This isn't a coincidence, is it?"

"Well a guy I was with told me that your family owned this place and I thought I would come see if the service was just as good here as it was at the club." Don replied smoothly, furring his brow as the teenage boy a few seats down snorted with laughter.

"Connor! School! Now!" Kelsey ordered sternly. The teenage boy seemed to be jolted from his amusement and jumped from his stool, grabbing the last slice of toast before hoisting his bag up onto his shoulder and running from the café. "It seems both of my brothers have the aim to annoy you. So, what can I get you?"

"I'll have a large mug of coffee, please." Nodding, she turned to grab a mug from the back shelf. Secretly, she couldn't be happier the customer from the club last night had turned up at the diner. He had been very charming to say the least. And, Kelsey hoped he was the person who would be able to cheer her up before the frustration became to much to handle.

Turning back to him, Kelsey grinned happily and poured out the requested brew. "Thanks, love. How much do I owe you?"

"Just two dollars, please"

Don shuffled on his chair, pulling out his black leather wallet from his suit pocket. He handed over two dollar bills. The redhead gratefully took the bills, placing them into a creamy colored cash register, which had been bolted to the mahogany counter top. "So, that was your younger brother?" Kelsey turned back to him and replied to his question with a small, solemn nod. "Is the shiner he had the reason you had to leave the club so early?"

"It's that obvious, huh?"

"Well, I'm a detective." Don joked, happy to hear the slight giggle from Kelsey. "So, would it be rude of me to ask what happened…?"

"I'd tell you if I knew. He's being a bit tight lipped about it. As soon as my other brother gets his lazy ass out of bed there will be hell to pay anyway." She eyed him warily before quickly adding, "He doesn't get into fights normally. I think it was a one off. And he told me he wasn't the one who started it. He's really not a bad kid-"

Don put his hand up to seize her rapid talking and replied in an assuring tone, "Never thought he was."

Don could easily tell his position within the police force seemed to unnerve the girl. He wasn't sure why, but was not about to question it. Not yet, anyway. That was not his aim for the visit. His aim, in fact, was something much more pleasant. His fascination had become an addiction. He found himself struggling to sleep the previous night thanks to thoughts of the feisty redhead. Don knew there were two ways to stop the symptoms of any addiction. One was to give up whatever was the cause, or there was getting that needed fix.

And Don knew which cure he wanted.

He looked up, his eyes fixing on Kelsey who had turned her back to him as she re-filled one of the coffee pots. Opening his mouth to speak, Don was cut off when a hand firmly clasped around his shoulder. Don quickly looked back to see the owner of the hand but as he did he heard the familiar Irish drawl. "It's a bit stalker-ish, don't cha think? Following my sister to her diner? Do you-"

"Brandon, get your hand off him!" Kelsey ordered in a frustrated sigh.

Brandon O'Neill, the eldest of the O'Neill clan, took his hand away and stepped back from Don with a childish smirk on his lips. He held his arms out from his sides and asked, "What? I was just giving a friendly 'hello' to our new number one customer." Kelsey raised a stern eyebrow and Brandon soon backed away, seating himself at a table near the front of the shop to wait for Joanna, the second waitress who worked in the diner.

Casting her gaze back to Don, Kelsey quickly apologized for her brother's behavior. "I'm sorry. He's...I don't think he was ever taught normal social conduct."

Don shook his head with a chuckle. "No, he's just protective of you."

"You have a sister, don't you?"

"How did you know?"

"You understand that my brother is just being protective. Most guys don't. Most guys just think that Brandon is being a bastard." Kelsey giggled sweetly and added, "You understand because you're protective of your sister, right? Does she hate it too?"

Don hesitated, thinking about how he could voice his relationship with his sister, Samantha.

"-eh- I just don't like her getting in with the wrong crowd."

"But she hates it right?" Kelsey giggled and continued, "She hates you being protective. Come on, it's like a worldwide tradition. She'll probably say something along the lines of that you're butting in her life or that you're acting like a dad instead of a brother. Am I right?"

Don laughed. "Okay. Yeah, she gets annoyed at me."

Grinning with triumph, Kelsey leaned across the counter until her lips where merely a few inches from his ear. Quietly she whispered, "Just a word of advice…don't stop being protective of her. If she's anything like me, deep down she'll be grateful for it. Trust me. But never tell my brother that." She pulled away and winked mischievously, her eyes then quickly glancing to where her brother was sat. He looked annoyed, to put it simply. "Oh, how I love annoying him."

"Does annoying him have to make him hate me more?" Don asked playfully.

"Why? Do you want to impress him for some reason? Is there an ulterior motive to you turning up here this morning?" She asked the questions in a playful manner, a teasing smirk dancing on her lips.

Don blushed. He knew he had. He could tell by the sweet giggle that escaped the redhead's lips. Don mentally cursed himself. Never before had he so openly blushed. Shaking his head, he quickly put on a cheeky grin and replied in a confident, husky tone. "Maybe there is."

"Hmm, and what may this motive be?"

"Well, I did come here to see if I could take the gorgeous redhead who I met at the club last night out for a meal…"

Kelsey had partly been expecting the invitation but the involuntary crimson blush crept onto her pale cheeks showed just how flattered she was. Taking her hand from the counter, which had been steadying her throughout her chat with the detective, she smiled broadly. Kelsey could see her elder brother staring warily at her, but she wasn't sure whether he was in hearing distance. Personally, she hopped he wasn't.

Because if he was able to hear, Brandon would swoop in, cause trouble, which would most likely result in scaring Don away for good.

And Kelsey didn't want that. There was something about the detective that was so appealing. Maybe it was his charming demeanor. Maybe it was the cheeky grin. Or maybe it was the crystal blue eyes that seemed to capture her attention since the moment they first spoke.

With Brandon still watching warily from his table at the front of the diner, Kelsey knew there is only so much that someone can tolerate, even if they understand the protective nature of older brothers.

Smiling, she replied in a seductive purr, "I like that motive."

Don smirked.

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