Nick and Amanda's Toy Store Adventure
by A Girl at the Cafe
"This can't be right". Nick Amaro read the christmas list again and looked up at the large colorful display, his astonishment was comical.
"Amanda do you think..." he trailed off as he noticed Amanda was not at his side.
She was one aisle away admiring a Barbie doll. As a child it had been her favorite toy, in her lifetime she had only owned one, her dad had bought it for her.
"Amanda" he walked to her with the list in hand.
"I don't think this is right, would you come over?"
He escorted her back to the display that had shocked him so and he pointed at it accusatory, wondering who in the right mind had come up with such a preposterous idea.
"Oh yeah Monster High, I saw it on her list. She wants Draculaura" Amanda said matter of factly, scanning the display. "Oh here" she spotted one and reached for the boxed doll. She was about to place it on the basket that Nick held but he move it away from her.
"What's wrong"
"Are you serious?"
"What?" "Oh c'mon babe It's just a doll" Amanda tried to hide her amusement, she did not wanted to downplay his concern, she knew Nick was perfectly serious in his dislike of the doll. Still a smile escaped her.
"Monnnnster? MONSTER?" " Why would my daughter want to play with a doll that looks like a corpse?" "They look dead!"
"Well they are dead, I think" Amanda bit her lip, she had just made things worse for poor Zara.
"Nick is ok. Its a very popular doll, all the little girls want it.
Nick let out a sigh and defeatedly held out the basket so she could place the doll in it. Amanda smiled proudly.
"Shes' going to love you" she reached up to give him a quick kiss on the lips when they were suddenly interrupted.
"He's got a gun!" a few people screamed at once
"LISTEN UP! I NEED THE MANAGER NOW!"
Nick and Amanda draw their guns quickly trying to identify where the offender was.
"Nick over there" Amanda nodded towards a sweaty man who looked frazzled, a gun on his shaky hand.
"FREEZE! NYPD! Sir, I need you to put the gun down, there are children in the store. We don't want to hurt anyone ok?" Nick and Amanda addressed the man. Amanda quickly scanned the store, she spotted a cashier on the phone, some people running out the store. A few children were whimpering behind their parents, her heart was racing.
"What seems to be the problem sir?"
"WHO THE HELL CALLED THE POLICE?"
"We were shopping here too sir, now why don't you lower the gun and tell me the problem, you're scaring the kids"
"I want the manager"
"Ok fair enough, you know him?"
"He is on his way!" The young cashier announced, startling the man who then pointed the gun at her making her duck under the counter.
"Hey Robert" The man redirected his attention and gun to Nick
and Amanda.
"How do you know my name?"
"Its on your shirt, nametag" Amanda answered
"You work near by Robert?" Nick asked. The man was wearing a blue sweaty dress shirt and dress gray pants, a name tag with the logo of a popular midtown hotel and the name Robert pinned to his shirt.
"Thats none of your business"
"Ok, but that gun and the safety of these people are, so how about you tell me why are you here and why do you want the manager?
"I want the manager because I NEED ELSA!"
"Oh god" Amanda said under her breath
"Ok who's Elsa is that your girlfriend? daughter? Nick heard laughter behind him. Robert looked at Nick as if he had two heads.
"Are you for real?" "Is he for real?" asked Robert to the people who laughed.
"I'm just asking a question Robert"
"Nick he's not talking about a person, hes talking about Elsa. The doll?" "He is not going to find it" Amanda whispered.
Nick was looking at her in utter confusion.
"Look at the display, behind him" Nick looked up to see a blue and white wall decorated with snowflakes with a large banner above displaying a platinum blonde cartoon girl and a funny snowman. A large shelf was half empty, the other half was filled with a redheaded doll. He read the words FROZEN.
"This is all about a doll?"
"A very popular doll, you can't find it anywhere"
"How many popular dolls are out there?" Amanda ignored his question and instead addressed the anxious man.
"Hey Robert, you have a little one ? She wants Elsa?"
The man's eyes registered some type of relief.
"YES but Its sold out! EVERYWHERE! not even fucking Amazon has it. You know some asshole in Ebay had it? The dick wanted One hundred dollars for it! ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. My girl's birthday is tomorrow and all she wants is this damn doll and I can't find it.
Nick looked up at the banner one more time
"Zara could not ask for that doll? she looks normal!"
"Nick this is not the time, and she did ask for it, is on the list"
"Shit"
"Yeah SHIT IS RIGHT, you know what man I'm tired of this, they get this movies out and then your kids get all caught up in the hype and suddenly they can't live without these toys and I made myself sick searching for a toy that doesn't exist!
"Ok Robert I got you ok? My daughter, she has this huge list and I have no idea where to start, not to mention I am going to need some major overtime so I got you ok? But I gotta tell you Robert with that gun pointed at people you're really going to ruin her birthday if you end up in jail so how about you put in on the floor"
Robert let out a sigh as if his body no longer had energy to spare, he placed the gun on the floor and raised his hands in defeat. He kicked the gun towards Nick and Amanda handcuffed him while reading him his rights.
The store closed early. The man was taken to the hospital for evaluation. Nick and Amanda stepped into the cool evening wanting nothing more than to head home.
"We forgot the Draculaura doll" Amanda said.
"The monstrosity doll? Nick made her smile.
"Yes that one, and we should buy something for Baby Noah too is his first Christmas"
"You can buy all you want babe... as long as you do it online"
Amanda let out a laugh. Hand in hand they walked home, vowing never to visit another toy store, ever.
The End
A few disclaimers: I don't owe anything. "Pillow Talk" will be updated soon. I am sure a real Policeman would disagree with the way I wrote Amanda and Nick but please know it was meant for entertainment only. This story is actually inspired on real life events, when a family friend enlisted people in different states to look for an Elsa doll. I was one of them and it was exhausting so at the end we "let it go" and the little girl got Anna instead. Thank you so much for reading!
Nick and Amanda's Toy Store Adventure