I DO NOT OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY BESIDES THE OC'S.
I ran up the giant hill that led you to the employee parking garage that was on the employee side of Universal Orlando. I ran into the employee lounge being three hours late, being greeted by my boss.
"Dawn, your late." My boss said.
"I know, I'm sorry, the day care was closed for renovations, I had to find someone to watch Jazmine (my daughter), then my car broke down on the way here, I had to call AAA to come tow it, I then had to dig up change for the bus, had to walk to the nearest bus stop and run all the way up here." I explained out of breath.
"Your Dora today, don't let it happen again." My boss said, she usually understands my situation at hand.
"THANK YOU!" I said hugging her and punching into the machine, I ran to the costume rack picking up the Dora the Explorer costume. I drunk half a gallon of water and dumped the other half on me to keep myself somewhat cool while in the costume while walking around the park, even if it is around March time it still gets hot in these costumes. I pulled the head on, I was escorted around the park by my best friend Amy, I was approached by two little girls, the oldest not being any older than six and the youngest being about four, the youngest was being carried by a muscular man wearing a grey tank top, jeans, flip flops, a green hat blocking his platinum blonde hair.
"IT'S DORA!" The youngest yelled, I waved.
"May we get a photo Uncle Eric?" The oldest asked, Uncle? Um….he's not bad looking. Eric set the younger girl down.
"Yeah go on." Eric said, I squatted down getting a picture with them, after a few hours in the park, it was time to give Dora a break and our shift was over.
"Ugh, it's so sweaty in there." I said.
"Go shower then." Amy said, she was my best friend before we got the job here after high school six years ago, I took a year break before I went to an University. When I got pregnant four years ago in the Spring semester of my Freshman year, we got in an argument and it hasn't been the same, yeah we are still good of friends but not as close as we were in high school, she always makes sure she is on the same shift as me and is my escort when I am doing the characters so I didn't have to deal with the other employee's shit since we had some assholes that worked her. (To clear things up, I had Jazmine in March of my Spring semester Sophomore year)
"I will, did you see that blonde guy with his two nieces?"
"The muscle man with the green hat and grey tank top?"
"Yeah, he's SO cute." I said grabbing the outfit out of my locker that was assigned to me when I got employed.
"I think he's a wrestler at that Impact place." Amy said, she's not a big wrestling fan as you couldn't tell, but when I was big into wrestling she always listened and only keeps up with wrestling because of me.
"I wish."
"I'm like 98% positive he is, he's been in the park a few times with the owner of that place." Amy said, I rolled my eyes, I went into a shower stall showering as Amy left, when I got out she was gone before I could ask for a ride home.
"GR! She left, I wonder if my sister could come get me." I said calling my sister as I was pulling my socks on.
"Hey Dawn, Jazmine's doing fine." Judy (my sister) said as I could hear Jazmine singing along to Barney in the background.
"That's good, was calling to see if you could come get me." I asked as I set my shoes on the ground in between my feet.
"I can't Mike has the car." Judy said, Mike is her husband.
"When is he getting home?"
"Not until midnight." Judy said as I slid my feet into my shoes.
"Could you bring Jazmine over then?"
"No problem, what's wrong with your car?"
"It broke down on me again."
"Oh, you're welcomed to borrow our other car."
"AAA was supposed to take it to my house."
"Mike could look at it tomorrow on his day off."
"That would be great if he could, I got to let you go, I have busses to catch." I said as I was repacking my things and went to punch out.
"Be safe, Jazmine wants to say something to you." Judy said when the phone was being moved about.
"Hi mommy!" Jazmine said.
"Hi Jazmine, are you having fun at your Aunt Judy's house?"
"We are watching Barney."
"What else have you done today?" I asked, she went into further details about her day, I walked out to the crowded area of fans of the Impact zone, I used to watch wrestling a lot more than I do, now that I have Jazmine and my work schedule lately, it isn't allowed, but I do get text message updates about TNA and I check their websites. Jazmine put Judy back on the phone, we said our good-byes. I stood to the side of the fans calling AAA to make sure they got my car back to my house. "Hello, my name is Dawn Hughes, my car broke down earlier today, someone was supposed to go pick it up and take it to my house."
"Hughes, 2000 Chevrolet?"
"Yes sir." I said.
"It was impounded."
"It was what?" I asked shocked.
"No one was at home, so our only option was to impound it, you could get it back with a $200 fee or it will be crashed in 30 days."
"Thanks anyway." I said hanging up, I started crying for no apparent reason, from stress and how bad my day was. I sat on the curb thinking about my day and how I could pay a $200 fee, I was so stressed about everything, and everyone has had one of those days where you just needed to cry. I felt someone sitting down next to me, I looked out of the corner of my eye and it was the blonde haired blue eyed man from earlier.
"What are we crying about sweetie?" He asked.
"It's nothing." I said wiping my eyes.
"You may not know me, but I'm a good listener and obviously, you work at Universal."
"How do you know?"
"Those hideous shirts."
"Point taken." I said looking at the hideous shirt I had to wear.
"I've never seen you around the park before." Eric said as the tears stopped flowing.
"I usually don't stick around after my shift is over."
"Why'd you stick around today?"
"It has been a long bad day."
"How so?"
"I said it was a long day, emphasis on long." I said
"I have time."
"I was three hours late to work because of my fucking car decided to break down, I had to dig up change in my car for the bus, AAA towed my car to my house but since I wasn't home they are impounding it."
"Oh, that sucks, anything I could do?"
"Nah, you have done enough by listening to me gripe, do you know where an ATM is?"
"Actually, why don't I just give you a ride home instead of you going through all that drama?"
"I don't want to impose." I said as I looked back down at my knees from his blue eyes.
"You won't impose, as long as you don't mind my two nieces."
"Where are you two nieces?" I asked concerned that he forgot them or something.
"They had to use the restroom, so I had Lauren take them for me."
"And Lauren is?" I asked, 'Please say it's not his girlfriend, please don't be his girlfriend.' I thought to myself.
"Do you not watch TNA?"
"I do occasionally, only when I get a chance."
"She's one of the interviewers, we haven't officially introduced each other, and I'm Eric." He said sticking his hand out, I grasped it giving it a shake.
"I'm Dawn." I said smiling at him, "So, you're a TNA wrestler, I'm only assuming here."
"Yeah, have you seen me perform?"
"I might have at some point, but I do get text updates with your name in it I think."
"Your one of those peoples."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked playfully playing shock.
"Nothing, so what do you do in the park?"
"I play the characters." I said as his two nieces and Lauren walked up to us.
"Thanks Lauren." Eric said standing up grasping his two niece's hands from her.
"No problem, night Eric and you two be good for your uncle." Lauren said hugging the two girls and Eric before she went on her way.
"Who are you?" The oldest asked.
"This is Dawn, Dawn these are my two nieces Angela and Vanessa." Eric said.
"Hi." I said.
"I took them into the park today, you might have seen us." Eric said.
"Yeah, we met tons of people, my favorite was Dora." Vanessa said, the youngest one.
"She is? Did you get a picture with her?" I asked, she nodded then she tugged at Eric's shirt, I could tell Angela was the shyer one.
"Uncle Eric, I'm tired." She said as she wiped at her eye with her other hand.
"Alright, let's get you home, your mom and dad will be mad at me for keeping you out this late any way." Eric said picking Vanessa up resting her on his hip, she rested her head on his shoulder getting comfortable as she wrapped her hands around his neck to help hold herself up.
"I guess I'll catch you later then." I said standing up to leave myself.
"What do you mean; I'm giving you a ride home." Eric said.
"I thought you were kidding."
"Do I look like I'm kidding, plus I will feel horrible for you to ride the busses at this time of night, with the creeps that roam around here and this late at night." Eric said.
"Thanks." I said grabbing my things, I walked with them out to the car, Eric set a now sleeping Vanessa in the backseat, Angela climbed in on the other side buckling in, Eric set his bag in the trunk. I climbed into the passenger seat buckling up, I looked at the now sleeping Angela and Vanessa in the backseat reminding me of my own daughter at my sister's house. Eric climbed in starting the car, then buckled up himself.
"Where do you live?"
"I live on La Caneida street." I said turning back forward.
"Seriously?"
"Why?"
"I literally live one street away, I live on Hartford." He said smirking.
"That's weird." I said trying to push my bangs behind my ear.
"Do you work tomorrow?"
"I work at my other job, then I am doing the custodian work at Universal tomorrow night."
"I thought you did characters?" Eric asked glancing over at me.
"I do, at least 98% of the time."
"Did you see us today, I'm assuming you were a character today."
"That I did."
"Which one were you?"
"Dora." I said giggling a little.
"Jeez, I seriously dislike that cartoon."
"It's got to be better than Barney, the Backyardigans, or the Wonder Pets." I said listing some of the shows I know that Jazmine loves.
"Wonder Pets and Backyardigans, jeez those two are right up there, do you get that show Yo Gabba Gabba? Then Dora has that cousin Diego that now has a show."
"Yo Gabba Gabba, I hate that one, I don't understand it one bit. The only show I don't mind is Spongebob Squarepants."
"Spongebob is the only show I don't mind watching." Eric said pointing at me.
"I love watching Spongebob, it's the greatest show ever."
"Who is your favorite character?"
"Patrick." I said.
"Mine too, favorite episode?"
"It has to be Ripped Pants, Cultural Shock or the April Fool's one."
"Those are good ones, have you seen the one where they get stuck in a wishing well?" Eric said chuckling.
"Yeah, the one where Squidward is Claustrophobic and they thought it meant he was afraid of Santa Claus?" I said laughing at the episode myself.
"I can't believe we are sitting here talking about Spongebob Squarepants." Eric said scratching his brow and moving his hand back to the steering wheel.
"What else should we be talking about?"
"Have you ever dressed as Spongebob?"
"Yeah, I hate that one the most, those hands are hard to control." I said in a growl of hate towards those arms.
"That bad?"
"Yes, their these little rod type things that you have to push and pull back and forth, it is hard because you are pushing and pulling the weight of the arms, along with the weight of the costume itself, and god forbid if it's hot out." I said rambling on about it, he turned down my street.
"That sucks, which house is yours?" He asked leaning forward to look at the houses.
"The third one here." I said pointing to my house that doesn't have any lights on nor any cars in the driveway.
"Okay." He said pulling into the driveway so he could pull out and turn around.
"Thanks again for the ride, I owe you." I said unbuckling my seat belt grabbing my bag as I opened the door.
"No problem, good night." He said smiling and winked at me, I climbed out smiling back at him.
"Night Eric." I said before I gently shut the door so I wouldn't wake his nieces, he watched me as I walked up to the front door fumbling with my keys trying to unlock the door quickly since I could hear my house phone ringing. "Please don't hang up!" I growled at my keys as I finally got the door opened and got in, but it was too late, the answering machine got it. I closed the door turning on a light for I could see where I was going.
"Hey Dawn, it's your sister Judy, Jazmine's asleep and instead of waking her up, wasting the gas to go over there, and your bus fare over here tomorrow, I'll just keep her for the night, I have clothes and other essentials here for her, don't you worry." Judy said into the answering machine before she hung up.
"Alright, one less thing to worry about." I said as I erased the message listening to the others from AAA. I dug around for scrap change for a day bus pass. I checked my work schedule at Block Buster that hung on the refrigerator as I pulled out a Corona, I haven't had one in a while now, "I have to be at work at 2 PM, that gives me time to go by AAA." I went out into the living room plopping down on my recliner sipping at the Corona relaxing from the long day. I flipped on the television flipping through the channels but I couldn't help but to think of how nice Eric was, I need to thank him some time, but how? I fell asleep on the recliner after an hour of watching the television and half way through the Corona.