My Billionaire couch potato.

”So let me get this straight. ”

I nod.

”You bought something called a couch potato from some store on a rainy night. ”

I nod.

”And now a man has been delivered to your doorstep, claiming to be the couch potato you paid……. how much did you pay for it anyways? ”

I take a sip of my smoothie and reply sullenly.

”Two dollars. ”

He nods.

”You got a living, breathing, human being as a couch potato, for the price of two dollars. Am I right? ”

I nod and look at brown eyes.

He seems fascinated by all I have told him.

His eyes meet mine and he swallows before he simply shrugs and goes back to swirling his iced tea with his straw.

”Thats a lot to take in, Im guessing? ”

I don have to look to tell he has an eyebrow cocked up at me.

I just nod and try to keep the bitterness at the back of my throat from resulting in tears.

I can cry because of something like this.

”Alex? ”

I don need to cry because crying won solve any of my problems.

”Alex?? ”

I just need to get one more job. Whatever that demon decides to do with himself when Im away is his problem. I am not going to do more than I had agreed to do when I signed for a couch potato. Ill only keep him on my couch, his feeding and upkeep is none of my concern. Im not some kind of charity.

The splash I hear brings me out of my thoughts and for a minute I almost expect to find myself soaked.

I am not.

I look up to see Luke, his eyes shut tight and his hair dripping wet.

The scent of the drink makes me know its one of the ones I had delivered about ten minutes ago.

The girl who had ordered it stands at the side, an unsatisfied look on her face and her eyes on me. She looks annoyed.

”I asked for it to be peach flavored, not strawberry. ”

She throws the cup at me and walks off.

Well that just happened.

The first thing that pops into my head is to help Luke.

The other patrons in the cafe look at the both of us as I grab his hand gently and lead him into the kitchen. Ill need to go mop up the remnants of the drink later.

But Luke first.

Luke is probably the only person I like in my dreary life.

I can hear someone laughing.

Hes a bit like me. We both have family issues that have forced us to be a part of the active workforce at an early age, and we both refuse to tell each other what those issues are.

We have reached an understanding, an agreement, I understand him and he understands me.

But unlike me, Luke has better patrons.

”Why do you think she always does that though? ”

I get one of the towels I have stashed away for when I need to take a bath at school. I don get off work early sometimes and I have to get a bath at school instead.

To others this current event would seem like something that should elicit a healthy amount of anger and rage in me, and Luke if you come to think of it.

”Why did you take the splash for me? I thought we agreed to let her keep on doing that until she tires of it? ”

Luke only shakes his head and smiles as I gesture to the chair. Luke never sits down unless I ask him to.

”You were thinking. Or rather you seemed lost in thought, you would have freaked out if she splashed ice cold tea on you. ”

Hes right, that would have freaked me out.

”Thank you for doing that. ”

He only smiles at me and nods.

His hair is still dripping wet, not as much as it was before but all the same.

I walk over to him and stand in between his legs. I need to help him dry his hair.

Hell smell like strawberries until he gets home. Thats better than dried coffee.

”I think shes trying to get your attention? ”

Luke raises his head to look at me and I nod.

Im not someone who knows too much about how lovestruck girls behave, but I do go to a school that has some students who claim to be in love with each other.

Luke only comes here once a week, on Fridays and every Friday that girl is here too, looking all pretty and dressed up, glaring at me like I am the enemy and giggling to her small group of followers, who in turn giggle back and glare at me too.

They are mostly docile and calm while they wait, theyll order the occasional coffee and some light treats. One of them will try to be the healthy one that orders a parfait and when i tell her we don serve that yet, shell call me an incompetent fool and order a latte instead.

I always drop their orders off and Luke arrives just on time for my thirty minute break.

We sit down and…… talk most of the time.

Sometimes we just sit in silence and Luke always looks sad on days like that.

The girl will try to get his attention, maybe ask for his phone number if she can muster up the courage. Luke will politely decline and shell come back with a drink to spill on me, telling me she ordered something else.

Its become more or less like a Friday routine for the three of us now.

Luke says he won help me tell her off if i don do it myself, but just thinking about telling her off gives me the creeps.

I know how that will end for me.

But today, Luke took the attack for me.

”Why don you take her phone number anyways? Shes been offering it for over a month now. ”

Luke only shrugs his shoulders and reaches up to flick a strand of hair away from my eyes.

”I already have someone else I like. ”

Then why am i being the one always suffering the brunt of it?.