My heart, My love, My dragon

Chapter 1

The key jingles upon the opening of the store door. The small convenience store is located in Copper Harbor, Michigan. A couple of tourists stream in to buy essentials before prancing off to take Royale Ferry around Lake Superior. In the middle of the lake, an orange cone floats to mark the border between Canada and Michigan. The store, Lakeview, has a VIP view of the lake. Anastasia scans various items through the cashier and gives the customer her receipt.

“Honey, do ya’ know where Eagle river is?” The portly woman in her forties has a trace of a Jersey girl accent that Anya catches. Anya grew up on the peninsula north of the Keweenaw Bay so naturally, she knows the roads.

“Yes, ma’am. Listen, you have to take Route 26 that starts on 6th street and head on south. Keep going until you see a lighthouse. If you see the lighthouse then you’re on the right track. Keep in mind that it is quite far,” Any smiles politely and waves her goodbye to continue with the next customer. 

Unfortunately, the woman did not take the hint that Anya was busy. Anya’s mind races with annoyance. Daily, she has to deal with the conversationalist lost tourists that are just looking for some gossip. She remains composed as to not lash out at the woman. This job was the best- the only job that a thirteen-year-old can get. Her small family of two, herself and her brother, need the money to maintain the small cabin they have in the woods. But she is the only one capable of working because her brother is paralyzed from the torso down after a car accident.

“Ya’ know...I heard that models are crossing over from Canada for some photo shoots here in Michigan. Good-looking men they say. A bunch of em’ girls crowded them over at the beach. Do you know them by any chance?” the woman bats her eyes innocently but Anya knows she’s looking for some eye candy. 

Anya leans in close as to tell her a secret. “I heard they were down by Eagle River. Either way, if it brings more people here the better.”

The woman gasps and looks down at her off-brand watch coiled around her wrist. “My! Why look at the time! If I don’t get down to town now they’ll I’ll arrive by night!”

She shuffles out as quickly as she came. Anya sighed in relief and proceeded to smile warmly at the next customer which, to her surprise, was Colin. A small blush creeps up her cheeks as she takes Colin’s Gatorade. She has no experience with boys but Colin was particularly close to her- Always finding excuses to come to Lakeview.

“What brings you here, Colin?” Anya asks as if she did not know the reason.

“Just getting a sports drink for the game,” he stuffs his hands in his pockets.

"You playing against the Bumblebees from Bumbletown?”

“Yup. Home game,” by the time they finished their small talk Anya had already handed him the receipt and shuffled him along. Was she in love with him? No. Did she have a small teenage crush on him? Possibly but nothing huge will come from it. 

Mrs. Letberg was the owner of Lakeview Store and was too cheap to hire any more cashiers but Anya because she knew that since she was a minor and illegally working there she can’t demand higher pay than eight per hour. Anya knew she was being pushed around and didn’t mind much to it.

“Anya! Start mopping the front!” Mrs. Letberg yells from behind the store, stocking up the drinks. Anya’s black hair with streaks of auburn pooled around her shoulders until it reached below her waist. Being 5’0 it was both beneficial and non beneficial. She quickly tied it in a side braid. Her long bangs on the side can’t be tied easily so they hang loose. She quickly puts on her cleaning apron and ties it around her waist. 

She fills up a bucket with a splash of bleach and wobbles to the front of the store with the mop in hand. Mrs. Letberg grabs her petticoat and purse before saying, “Have the store mopped up before I return. I’ll be back in 10 minutes.”

The doorbells jingled at her departure and Anya continued to mop about. She placed the bucket of dirty water next to the ladder she was using to clean the windows high above in the back of the store. She heard wind rush in at the door opening. Since she did not smell Mrs. Letberg’s perfume it had to be a customer.

“Hello, how may I help-” Anya tilted her head and tucked her bangs behind her ears to see who it was but was left jaw dropped. Two unearthly heavenly men stood at the front of the store staring at her. One had blonde tousled hair and the other had the darkest shade of black hair she’s seen. His blue eyes caught her attention the most. They were as cold as Lake Superior in the winter. 

She hadn’t noticed she misstepped until she toppled down the ladder and came crashing down onto the bucket. The dirty water spread every and was reaching the bread on a bottom shelf to which she sprung to her feet in an attempt to save it but failed as she slipped and landed on her hip. She landed a strong string of curses rubbing her hip. Her clothes were drenched and her bangs fluttering in her face.

Steadily, she stood up frantically grabbing various clothes to soak up the water. Mrs. Letberg’s perfume filled the air and Anya made a sound. “By the heavens, child! What happened to you?”

“I spilled the bucket of water…”Anya meekly said.

“On yourself, I can see,” she began to inspect her.

“Huh?” Anya looked down on the ground to find that the grand spill was gone. Only she remained soaked.

“No critical damage. Now, go help the young men. They’re ready to check out.”

Like a dazed puppy, Anya approached the cash register. She was certain that she did spill the bucket of water. She blamed the two heavenly men for distracting her. She pretended that she wasn’t sneaking peeks at the guy with black hair.

“Is that all?” she asked them. She nearly choked on her words when she saw the contraceptive pills they were buying among the two Slurpees.

They both looked to be in their early twenties. The blonde spoke up, “My name’s Chris and yes, that’ll be all. Forgive my shy friend beside me. He’s an introvert.”

Anya’s eyes raced between him. Chris’s friend smirked amusedly, “Not as much as you are.”

Chris acted wounded but Anya was replaying his friend’s voice in her mind. Absentmindedly, she handed them their receipt and they left. Not before Anya caught Chris saying, “Arin, you are such a cold man.”