Chapter 2. Allison Notices Stuart

"I need to look for an apartment to stay in, Rosalie, " said a twenty-three-year-old Allison. Her mom, Michelle Greene, was re-marrying Dick Foxman, who was a pot-bellied, bald man in his late fifties, with beady eyes that stared at her whenever he came over. He was moving into their family home with her mom, and Allison refused to live with him. Although during the weekdays she lived in her dorm room at the university campus but with her course nearing completion, she would have to vacate the room within a month. Her final exams were just fifteen days away, and she wanted to move out before that.

Allison's dad, Thomas Greene, was a civil engineer who had died ten years ago because of an accident at his construction site. After his death, the company paid them an enormous sum of money as compensation. Although Allison didn't want the money, her mom accepted it willingly.

From the age of sixteen, Allison started working at the small bakery called Little Delights, near her house during her free time. The old couple who owned the bakery, Dolly and Mark McKenzie, liked her very much and she got on so well with them she stuck to the job for the last seven years. Now she managed the whole bakery just like her own, although she still handled the waitress's job too that she had originally been doing. The pay was too good, and she had nothing to complain about. However, with her undergraduate course in Agricultural Practices and Research from the University of Houston nearing completion, she knew that she would have to look for a full-time job soon.

"Since you have the money, you should immediately move out before Fox moves in," said a worried Rosalie.

"Yes, you're right," she said, as they sipped their cafe latte and bit into their doughnuts at Little Delights, where Rosalie came over to meet her.

"Why don't you ask Dolly? She knows these things better than we do," suggested Rosalie.

"You're right. I'll talk to her after my shift," said Allison.

A loud sneeze caught Allison's attention, and she looked up into a pair of hypnotic blue eyes at the far end of the cafe. There was something familiar about the bearded guy who sat there with another similarly dressed guy beside him. Both had moustaches, beards, and caps over their head and most strangely, they both stared at them!

Another sneeze and Allison's eyes popped out when the moustache of the blue-eyed guy came loose and fell into his coffee! What was that? Allison couldn't control the laughter that wanted to break out any minute. She finally gave in and laughed and laughed till tears came out of her eyes.

"Have you gone crazy?" asked a puzzled Rosalie.

"No, that guy over there, his moustache fell into his coffee, " she said, again rolling with laughter at the harassed guy who tried to pick it up with his spoon.

"Ew, will he drink that coffee?" asked Rosalie.

"They're staring and laughing at us. Did you have to do that?" muttered a disgusted Jaden at Stuart, who picked his wet moustache out of his coffee.

"I couldn't help it. It was ticklish," said Stuart, looking guilty. "I told you it was a bad idea. Why do we have to disguise ourselves? This way we'll die as bachelors bro," complained a frustrated Stuart.

"Let's get out of here before they get more suspicious," said Jaden, getting up and leaving.

Stuart paid for the coffee he couldn't enjoy and then looked at the two girls. He saw Allison watching him with interest, and it excited him he finally had her attention. He couldn't help winking at her on his way out.

"He winked at me, that cheeky guy," muttered Allison with surprise. Rosalie laughed and got up to leave.

"I have to get back home. Mom has a kitty party and I have to cook for her," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, and I have to get back to work," said Allison, getting up to clear their table. After Rosalie left, Allison got busy with her work at the bakery, but the blue, mesmerising eyes haunted her thoughts all the time. She knew she'd seen them before, but couldn't pinpoint exactly where.

Stuart and Jaden stood a little distance away from the bakery, arguing. "Put on your beard Stu," said Jaden.

"No, it's itching," he protested.

"Rosalie will come out any minute. You can't show your face," Jaden pointed out.

"Why not? She doesn't know me," argued Stuart. He was desperately interested in Allison, and he thought that two years of stalking a girl was more than enough.

"Still, you put it on," Jaden ordered.

"I'm done stalking, bro. At this rate, I'll never get a girl and never have my battalion of kids. I'll die a stalker," he said with a melodramatic twist, and Jaden rolled his eyes.

"Battalion of kids? Seriously?" asked Jaden, and Stuart nodded with a grin. Jaden saw Rosalie coming out of the cafe and nudged Stuart. "Turn around. She shouldn't see you," he said, desperately, and Stuart turned around reluctantly.

"I think I'll follow her," announced Jaden.

"I'll go home to have lunch. Allison won't finish her shift before 7 o'clock in the evening," said Stuart.

"Okay, do as you wish," grumbled a displeased Jaden, following Rosalie in Stuart's car.

Stuart shrugged and took the bus home. He strolled into his house. "Ma, I'm home," he yelled. He saw Daxton and Denver sitting in a corner, peering over a huge textbook. But what was most interesting was that the book that they were holding was upside down.

"Dumbasses, can't you guys hold the book right?" he said, taking the textbook out of their hands. Out fell a po*n magazine that they'd been watching hidden under the textbook. "I knew it," he said, and their faces fell.

"Shh, bro, don't tell ma," they chorused.

"Sure, if you iron my clothes for the entire week," he said, negotiating with them. They groaned, "Okay done," they chorused.

Stuart gave the book back and went up to his room, whistling a merry tune while the other two muttered curses at him. Stuart lay on his bed and took out his phone, staring at the photograph of Allison which he had clicked a few months back. He sighed longingly, determined that he had done enough stalking and that tonight he'd approach her. He could deal with Jaden later.

"Hey, bro, what are you staring at?" asked a curious Drake as he came into the room with Timmy. He sat on Stuart's bed and so did Timmy.

"None of your business, kid," he said, switching his phone off and glaring at Timmy.

"Down, boy, you're not allowed on my bed," he ordered, but Timmy ignored him and looked the other way. "He's as stubborn as you are. So, what brings you into my room?" he asked Drake warily. He could sense that the boy was unto something.

"Bro, I need money," he said guiltily.

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"Timmy broke ma's jar of cookies and ate up all the cookies that were there. Ma will throw him out if she finds out," he told his older brother, looking all guilty.

"So? Buy a jar of cookies with your pocket money," suggested Stuart with a bored look.

"I have little. Ma made ten jars of cookies for aunt Patty's charity craft sale. Timmy, Queen, Nate, and I couldn't control ourselves," he informed him, and Stuart sat up. Nate was his uncle Benjamin's son and Queen was his lazy golden retriever, who was Timmy's girlfriend. Timmy and Queen had already produced a bunch of lazy pups who were given away after a lot of hassles. No one wanted lazy pups, and it took a lot of coaxing to get rid of them.

Stuart groaned; he needed his money for tonight's plan to woo Allison. "Collect from Nate, Denver and Daxton. I don't have money, " he told him.

"Please bro, give me a little. I'll do anything for you," he begged with puppy dog eyes. Timmy too, jumped down from his bed and begged with his dog eyes. He wasn't a puppy, so he couldn't fake puppy dog eyes, even if he wanted to.

Jaden walked into the room after his morning escapade. "What happened? Why are these two begging?" he asked Stuart.

"They need money before ma comes in with the groceries," Stuart informed her. Jaden took out the money from his pockets and handed it out to Drake.

"Thanks, Jaden. You're the best. I wish you were my brother," he said, giving Stuart a death glare. Timmy too copied his master's expressions, and both dashed out of his room.

"So? Any luck with Rosalie?" he asked, although he knew Jaden's answer.

"I fear rejection, Stuart," admitted Jaden.

"Bro, so what if she rejects you? You can keep pursuing her. Once she's convinced of your true feelings for her, she'd come around," Stuart advised him.

"I'll think about it," said Jaden.