Old Murphy originally thought it had been a mistake when he hired that young brown-haired man to help out in his little corner store. The storeowner sat behind the cashier desk and observed the man who called himself Vin Tanner sweeping the floor with a broom. Then, Murphy spot the two girls whispering and giggling several feet from Tanner. Well, Murphy ain't thinking it be a mistake no more, that's for certain.
Vin Tanner came barely a week ago, and Murphy was tempted to reject his application. Not only was the boy disheveled in appearance, that long hair didn't score any points either. However, on a whim, Murphy hired Tanner. Murphy placed him to work right away since his own back was protesting the cooling weather. It was nice to have a help around the place, carrying the heavy things, sweeping those hard to get to places.
Then, Murphy found a strange trend starting to develope in his store. Used to be that customers were fairly rare, and those customers were either old maids or wrinkled housewives. Somehow, ever since Tanner's arrival, there was a steady increase in the patronage of Murphy's Store, and those who shopped were blushing young girls. Murphy watched in growing amusement as the same girl who came in for oil in the morning return two more times in the afternoon for things "that I simply forgot all about". Wonder who made that girl's memory melt into a puddle of goo? Could it be Vin Tanner? Murphy was intrigued.
To test out this theory, Murphy deliberately ordered Tanner to go sweep the sidewalk just outside the store, and Murphy himself camped just inside. Out of sight, but with a perfect line of sight to Tanner. What he saw first made him chuckle, but that chuckle soon grew to a full out gaffaw. Young women who gave no second glance to Murphy's shop before was now flocking to it like crazy. They would pass by, making eyes at Tanner, who was either blind to their affection, or hiding his amusement much better than the old man.
One woman even had the audacity to speak to Tanner. "Morning," she would say.
The Tanner boy would then tip his hat to her and replied with the same word.
"Might fine day we're having," she continued, trying to keep his attention on her, rather than the dusty wooden floor.
"Yes, miss," Tanner replied and flashed the young lady a smile.
The young lady's eyes widened and her lips dissolved into a stupid grin of their own accord, allowing her to make an utter fool of herself in front of her object of admiration. Murphy doubt he would ever forget that image of her grinning like an idiot. Of course, to top it all off, Tanner would turn his sights to his employer and smile knowingly. By that twinkle in his blue eyes, Murphy was sure that Tanner was just as amused as he was.
"Did you see that, he smiled at me," the young woman who spoke to Tanner, Gina, would gush to her female friends a little later at the store.
Gina's friend, Milla, would replied with a huff, "so? He smiled at me two days ago. I think he smiles at every girl that passes by."
"Wonder what his name is?" Davine, Gina's other friend, wondered aloud.
"Why don't you go ask?" Milla challenged.
"Maybe I will," Davine replied with a wicked grin on her face.
"Really?" Gina spoke up, her eyes sparkled with interest.
"I dare you, Davine, go ask for his name," Milla issued the formal challenge.
Davine accepted her challenge, "Fine, I'll go."
Murphy grinned in anticipation of another show. He observed as Davine walked boldly out of the store and "accidentally" brushed against Tanner.
"I'm sorry," she said while batting her long lashes at the young man.
"It's alright, miss, no harm done," Tanner replied with that charming grin plastered on his face. Murphy could see that the boy could get use to this.
"You work here?" Davine asked. Murphy could almost see Davine kicking herself for such a stupid question, and heard the giggles coming from Milla and Gina.
Tanner laughed, a sound neither the girls nor Murphy had heard before. "I would guess so, with this broom and all." Tanner hold up the broom in his hand, showing it to Davine.
Davine grinned, slightly embarassed. "My name is Davine LaFontaine," she introduced herself and held out her hand.
"Vin Tanner." It was then that Murphy got another brief twinkly look from Tanner. Murphy understood right away that this boy knew he had an audience. Tanner held Davine's hand lightly in his own and brushed his lips gently across it.
Maybe Tanner should have been holding a mop instead of a broom.
The End
