Oh heyyy! I'm back with another chapter! I want to thank my girls JustCherry73, wwechristina and GoldenGirl1920 for your reviews! I love them and you!

I don't own anyone affiliated with the WWE...disappointingly; they own themselves. I only own Maddie, her father, Susie and the storyline.

Enjoy!

Maddie POV

I wake up early the next morning to my alarm that I set for 6:00am. I take a quick shower, slip on a pair of form fitting skinny jeans and my favorite yellow blouse with small white and blue flowers throughout it. I put on a pot of coffee and get to work on breakfast for dad and myself. Just as I finish up the eggs, bacon and toast, scooping them onto a clean plate, I place it and a cup of steaming coffee with just a little bit of cream and sugar in it for daddy just as he walks into the kitchen.

"Good morning, baby girl," he says with a yawn as he wipes the sleep from his eyes.

"Good morning, daddy. Take a seat at the table and I'll get you your meds and a glass of OJ to help wash it down," I order him softly and do just that before making my own plate and quickly eat, knowing I only have 30 minutes until I start my new job. I smile at that as I pour myself a to go cup of coffee, topping it off with my favorite Irish cream creamer.

"I take it you're excited about your first day and your new job? You'll love Susie; she is a one of a kind. She was always so good to your mother and I until I could no longer make it into town. You're going to have to bring me to go see her sometime," he said, taking a sip of coffee as he watches me grab my coffee and purse.

"I'm super excited and I love her. She is such a sweet woman. Once she discovered that you two were my parents, she didn't hesitate to give me the job," I explain and then look at the time on my apple watch and my eyes widen. "Shoot! I gotta get going if I want to make it on time! I don't want to be late for my new job on the first day!" I exclaim and press a kiss to my dads cheek, "there is left over pot roast from dinner last night that you can have for lunch. Don't make me catch you with having a bunch of junk food wrappers in the trash. I love you and I'll see you later," I say and bolt out the door before even giving him the chance to respond.

Walking through the door with just under 10 minutes to spare, I see Susie walking towards the front of the store with a bright smile on her face. "Maddie! Good morning! How are you sweetheart?" She greets me and I can't help but return her smile.

"I'm doing well, I just can't wait to start. I'm excited!" I reply and Susie motions me to follow her behind the counter.

"You can put your purse there. This is a safe town so you don't need to worry about anyone trying to touch it. The register is pretty self explanatory, but if you need any help, don't hesitate to holler for me. I'll be in back and throughout the store working on inventory and such," she explains and looks up at me, making sure I understand.

"Yes ma'am, I think I can handle that," I tell her with a smile that she returns.

"Fantastic! I'll leave you to it then," Susie said and made her way to the back as I take my spot behind the counter and make myself familiar with the register.

The next hour or so flies by helping customers and straightening the merchandise on the shelves when I hear the cowbell on the door go off and I turn around from the shelf I was fixing to greet the customer when I stop short and the words are lost in my mouth when my eyes discover that it's AJ who walked through the door.

The look in his eyes and the smile on his face has my heart skyrocketing when his blue irises meet my own brown ones. We both continue to silently stare at one another, completely unaware that the mother figure in our lives witnesses the whole thing.

"H–hi," I manage to say quietly…timidly and the smile on his face softens, but the look on his face doesn't change.

"Good morning, Maddie," he said gently before continuing, "if I'm making you uncomfortable being here, I can leave if you want me to. It's not my intention to make you feel that way," AJ tells me, pointing his thumb behind him and at the door he just came through.

I shake my head back and forth in response, "no…no. You don't have to leave and you're not making me uncomfortable," I say, rounding back to behind the counter, needing to put some sort of space in between us. I know my actions contradict what I just said, but there is something about AJ that is drawing me in. The thing is, is I don't…can't act on whatever it is pulling me in, no matter how much I want to.

"Why do I have a feeling you're not being 100% truthful? You going back behind the counter says otherwise," he said, his voice still soft, but his accent thick, as a troubled look crosses his face as he continues to look at me with confusion because of my actions. When I don't respond after a few beats, AJ nods his head with a sigh and goes to turn around to leave, but I stop him.

"AJ…wait. Honestly, you don't have to leave. You don't make me uncomfortable…you're not making me uncomfortable, it's hard to explain," I reply quietly, but display a lopsided smile when he turns back around to look at me.

A look of ease replaces the troubled confusion and a smile of his own develops on his face as he walks up to the counter, resting his forearms on the flat surface. "Kind of like an instant attraction…a connection you can't understand, but you know it's there?" AJ explains for me and my eyes widen at the realization that that is exactly what it is. "Judging by the look on your face, I'll take that as a yes," he chuckles and holds his hand out to me. "Allen Jones, but you can call me AJ," he said.

"Madison Andrews, but you can call me Maddie. It's nice to officially meet you," I reply, taking his hand in mine and a shock of electricity shoots up through my arm the second our skin touches. I don't acknowledge that I felt it and if AJ did as well, he didn't acknowledge it either. AJ shifts the hold he has on my hand a presses a kiss to the top of it, not taking his eyes off of mine.

"The pleasure is mine, darlin'," he replies and my heart beats out of my chest when his lips connect with my skin. Holy shit, that actually just happened! A playful smirk grows on his mouth when he stands up straight once more.

"Allen!" Susie exclaims as she walks to the front of the store, her eyes zeroed in on AJ. Myself and AJ whip our heads in her direction, but he provides her with a grin, resting his arm once more on the counter and leans on it.

"Good morning Miss Susie, how are you this beautiful day?" AJ greets, trying to soften up the older woman some.

"Don't get cheeky with me. Leave my girl alone, she's trying to work," Susie scolds and I can't help but step in.

"Susie, really…he's okay. He's not distracting me from doing my job. Besides, I'm enjoying his company," I say, coming to AJ's defense, leaning on the counter myself, looking at my boss and I can feel AJ's eyes on me after the comment I made.

"You are?" AJ asks, shocked by what I said and I turn my head to him, finding that he still holds a flabbergasted look on his face. Smiling, I laugh lightly and lift my hand, gently closing his ajar mouth and chastely caress the beard on his chin before breaking all physical contact by placing my hand back onto the counter.

"I am, but if you have things you need to do, go do them. Don't feel like you're obligated to stay here. I'm pretty sure and know I'll see you later…if not soon," I reply with a grin. I'm just thankful that it's becoming easier to be around him simply because of the connection we seem to have and somehow I have a feeling AJ feels the same way.

"Oh you'll definitely be seeing me again. And soon. I don't have anything I need to do right now, but I do have work later. I just wanted to come see you this morning. Mainly to make things right between us because I could see yesterday that I made you uncomfortable whether you want to admit it or not. But also to properly introduce myself. And now that we have, I'll leave you be and let you get back to work. I'll see you later, beautiful," AJ says to me with a parting wink and leaves the store without another word.

I lick my lips as I silently watch him leave until he is out of sight and the only thing to pull me out of my own little world is Susie loudly clearing her throat. Startled, I look over at her sheepishly but there is anything but annoyance or displeasure on her face.

"Sorry," I said, timidly and she shakes her head with a smile, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Don't be, dear. I tell you this in confidence…between you and I…but he is enamored by you and with Allen…AJ…it's rare…nonexistent. He's a good man though, so you've found a good friend in him," Susie tells me and in my head and heart something tells me AJ is and will be more than just a good friend to and for me. I'm not going to force anything though; I'll let fate play it's part the way it's suppose to.