This isn't the 80's
Author Notes
I've been feeling a little nostalgic lately and been watching Simon and Simon from the beginning. I remember this being my favorite show when I was younger and AJ Simon was my very first actor crush. I still think he is hot!
So I've written an AU modern day version of Simon and Simon. It doesn't really take place in any season but events will be referenced although Janet never left. There are lots of new and old characters. Rick and AJ also have a younger sister called Caron.
Disclaimer:- The Characters of Rick, AJ, Cecelia, Janet Fowler and any other characters from the show Simon and Simon were created by Phillip DeGuere and owned by CBS and Universal Television. I am just borrowing them. All other characters belong to me.
/\\\\
AJ. I don't care. Social Media is a curse to society," Rick lamented to his younger brother who had been eschewing the virtues of getting the detective agency online.
"I'm telling you Rick. It's the way to go. We start with the website, do Facebook, Twitter Instagram, the whole shabang. It will build our profile and we have the potential to reach millions, "replied AJ showing him the report he had been reading. Rick glanced at it and threw it back at the younger man. "How much is that going to cost?"
"It won't cost us anything. Caron said she would run our social media platforms," AJ said glancing at Rick.
"Caron? You talked to Caron about this? She hasn't committed to anything since she graduated a year ago. The girl is 25 and she still has no idea what she wants from life. Remember when she was 18 and wanted to be a circus performer?"
"Remember when you were 25...oh what am saying...course you don't...you were too busy getting drunk," replied AJ.
"All I am saying is that our baby sister is as flaky as they come. She'll get bored and want to go save kittens or something."
AJ sighed. "Well she's going to be at Mom's tonight for dinner so please don't get all worked up before that. Just keep an open mind about getting online. She had some great ideas."
"I get it. She talked to you first so you could try and convince me..."
"Because if she had asked you first you'd have said no without considering it," replied AJ.
/\\\
"Mom. I know I am moving back to San Diego but I really need to find my own way you know?" Caron Simon smiled at her mom as she set the table for dinner. Caroline Simon otherwise known as Caron was beautiful. She had long brown hair and blue/green eyes. She always reminded Cecelia of herself when she was younger. She was outgoing, vivacious and had that strong sense of honour she had instilled in her 3 children. Her husband Jack had died in a car accident 2 weeks after Caron's 2nd Birthday. She had thought that her family was complete with her two precious boys but 8 years after AJ was born they were surprised when Caron came along. Rick and AJ adored their little sister and Rick took on the role of protector of both Aj and Caron until he joined the Marines. When Caron needed to talk she always went to AJ but when she was in trouble she turned to Rick.
Cecelia smiled at her youngest child. "I know sweetheart but I would much rather you stayed with me while you looked for a job."
"I have an apartment by the beach Mom. And I have a job interview tomorrow , " replied Caron.
"I heard my baby sister is back in town," Rick said coming into his mom's house followed by AJ.
"Hey big bro," Caron said giving Rick a hug.
"What the hell are you wearing?" He said taking in the leather mini skirt, low cut skimpy top and black knee high boots. "You should cover up. You 'll catch your death in that outfit. Here, put this on." Rick grabbed his mom's sweater from the chair and handed it to her. Caron sighed but put the sweater on. "Rick!"
"That's better. You look somewhat decent now. And at least you went back to your natural hair colour. That blue color looked ridiculous!"
Caron rolled her eyes as she hugged AJ. "Did you talk to him?" She whispered to him. AJ nodded. "We'll talk about it later."
" So you're moving back to San Diego, " Rick said to Caron as Cecilia dished up Apple Pie for dessert.
"Yes I am. Minnesota winters are too cold. Minnesota Summers are too cold. You can't find one decent guy there. They all wear cowboy hats and have pick up trucks who think a good night out is line dancing at the local dive," replied Caron.
AJ sniggered as Rick glared at his sister. "There's nothing wrong with cowboy hats!" exclaimed Rick. "Or pick up trucks for that matter."
Caron sighed and then smirked at him. "I know Rick. At least in San Diego the winters are warm and the summers are hot and so are the men!"
"What are you going to do about a job sis? " Rick asked.
She looked at AJ and then back at Rick. "I was hoping..."
"AJ said something about you setting up our Social media platforms. I'm not sure we want to go in that direction."
"Oh," replied Caron in disappointment.
"I think it's a great idea," Cecelia said. "All the best detective agencies in San Diego are going online."
"Janet told me that Myron is going online," Caron said.
Rick let out a snort. "Myron is a dinosaur. He won't be able to manage it all."
"He hired a social media guru apparently," replied AJ smiling at his sister.
"He's got money to burn then."
"Come on Rick. I want to work with you guys," Caron said smiling at her brother. 'I figured out what I want to do. "
"And what's that sis?" Rick asked .
"I want to be a private detective," grinned Caron.
Rick snorted. "Absolutely not!"
"Why not? "
"Because it's too dangerous Caron. And you're not trained. You know how long it took me to train him? " Rick said pointing at AJ.
"I think you will find that it was me who trained you, brother," exclaimed AJ.
"And this is just like another one of your wild ideas. Like the time you joined the circus to be an acrobat."
"Ariel Performance Artist actually . And I was quite good at it!"
"That may be sis but I am still not going to train you to be a private detective."
" Fine. I'll go to Peerless. I have an interview there tomorrow. And Myron has an excellent detective training progm as AJ knows, " smirked Caron.
"You have an interview with Myron?"
" Yep, "replied Caron.
""Well if you want to work at Peerless that's fine," replied Rick in a sarcastic tone.
"Yeah but Rick I would much rather work with my two big brothers. They are the best investigators I know ,"
"Caroline. We're Simon and Simon. Not Simon, Simon and Simon,"
"We could be The Simons, " grinned Caron.
"That sounds like we're a cartoon show like The Simpsons," replied Rick rolling his eyes.
"I heard you don't miss an episode," replied Caron.
Rick glanced at AJ who shrugged. "Ok this is the deal. You can set us up online. Whatever that entails. You run it all. I don't want to know about it except that it's generating business. If you are going to be at the office then you answer the phone . You will be the first point of contact. And then we will make the decision to train you as an investigator. "
Caron 's eyes lit up as she looked from her mom to her brothers. "Really?"
Rick nodded and smiled at her. "Really."
"What about pay? "
"You wanna get paid too?"
"Yeah!"
" $10 an hour. "
Caron scoffed. "That's barely minimum wage. $15 an hour!"
"Are you trying to break me? $12 an hour and you dress appropriately for the office. You come in at 9 and leave at 5. You take a 30 minute lunch break."
" $13.5O, a clothing allowance and 1 hour lunch break. "
"A clothing allowance?"
"If you want me to dress appropriately then yes,"
"$12.50 an hour, a one time $150 clothing allowance and an hour for lunch. That's my final offer."
Caron sucked in a breath as she glanced at AJ and Cecelia. They both nodded. "It's a deal."
"That's a deal. You start tomorrow..." Anything Rick said after that was muffled as Caron launched into him with a squeal of delight and a big hug.
"You won't regret this," she said.
"I think I already have!" came Rick's muffled reply.
/\\\
"We have that meeting with Pittman Insurance at 12," AJ told Rick as they strolled through the courtyard beside their office the next morning. He glanced at his cellphone.
"Right. You think Caron really wants to be a private detective? Or is this just another one of her fanciful ideas."
"I think we should take her seriously if she does because she's not going to be happy just answering the phone all day long and updating the website," replied AJ.
"I know. That's what I'm worried about. I don't want her getting into danger," replied Rick.
"But you have no problem putting me into danger,"
"You're a big boy AJ. You can handle it!"
The sound of a motor bike engine roared behind them and they turned to see a leather clad woman getting off the back. She removed her two were stunned to see that it was Caron. They watched as she gave the biker a passionate kiss on the lips.
"So who's that?" Rick asked when the biker rode away.
"My roommate, " she replied.
"Do you always kiss your roommates like that?" AJ asked as they entered the office.
"I was thanking him for the ride," Caron said.
"I bet you were," scoffed Rick. He looked at her attire. "And I hardly think what you are wearing..."
"Oh hush up Rick. You sound like an old man. "
AJ snorted with laughter. "That's because he is an old man Sis!"
Caron giggled and took her laptop out of the bag she was carrying. She glanced around the office. As usual AJ's desk was as neat as a pin while Rick's desk had a stack of files and papers piled high. "Where will I set up?"
"You can have my desk honey," replied AJ taking some files from the cabinet and sitting down on the couch. She sat down and opened up her laptop. "What's your wi fi code?" she asked after several minutes.
"Wifi?" Rick asked. "I don't think we have wifi. "
"Yes we do. God Rick you are such a dinosaur!" replied AJ with a smirk. "Wifi code is Simon AJ."
"I don't know how you get around Rick. You don't even have a cellphone. This isn't the 80's you know," Caron teased her older brother.
"Cellphones are over rated. You know they can fry your brain? And everyone seems to have their head stuck in them. You can't walk down the street without bumping into someone with a cellphone in their hand. It's killed the art of conversation... "
AJ and Caron glanced at each other and rolled their eyes as Rick went on his usual rant about cellphones. A couple of hours later Caron looked up from her laptop. AJ was filling in paperwork and Rick had his feet up on the desk with his hat over his eyes. "The website is done. The domain gives up to 5 email addresses so I suggest you both have one and you can also have an info address for queries and stuff. "
"The website is done?" AJ asked excitedly.
"Yep. The bare bones of it anyway. But welcome to ." She turned her laptop around to show her brothers.
Rick snuck a glance of it from behind his cowboy hat while AJ studied the site with interest. "That's the most beautiful website I've ever seen!"
"I just need to tweak it and put in some testimonials and then it is will be ready to go live. And then I will set up the Facebook and Twitter account," replied Caron.
"Sounds good! We have that meeting with Pittman Insurance in about 25 minutes Rick. We better get going." AJ said hitting one of Rick's cowboy boots. Rick jumped up and Caron watched as the two left the office.
to be continued