When Grace, Philip, and Jace walked into the shop the three of them went up to the counter where an elderly man sat behind it, repairing a watch. He looked almost as old as the building he worked in, but they knew that was impossible since it was built in Philip's era.
He peeked above the rim of his glasses when he saw them approach. "Why, hello. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Yes," Grace answered. "We met this man today at Wal-Mart and he said that he had lost a rare pocket watch on the streets earlier. Has anyone come in today asking for you to appraise such an item?"
"I get many watches every day from customers asking for me to price them, but I'm getting up in age so I can't remember anything that specific..."
"You would remember this particular watch, sir," Philip interjected. "It is unique. Very unique. Unlike anything you have ever seen before."
"Why, I can't say that I have. My eye sight is failing you see." Suddenly the man shouted to Jace, "Young man! Don't touch that!"
Jace then dropped a watch he was examining and its glass face shattered on impact when it hit the wood floor. His only response was one syllable, "Oops."
"Nice Jace," Becca said sarcastically. "Way to break something."
Grace looks at the door to see Becca standing in the frame. "Hey. Where'd Ben run off to?"
"He's getting his freaking 'slice' of banana bread," she said haughtily.
"I can pay for that," Jace told the shopkeeper off-topic, pointing to the shattered watch on the floor.
Grace raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Why the air quotations on the word slice?" she asked Becca.
"He got a damn loaf because he's a growing boy. And he called me Becca."
"He called you Becca? He never calls you Becca," Grace said.
"I know. It pissed me off."
"Do you happen to have a young female here by any chance? One that I can speak with about this payment?" Jace asked, coming up to the counter. "Or possibly bribe?" he whispered to the man.
"Jace," Becca began, "stop being an ass and pay for the damn watch."
Grace glared at him. "Why do you need to speak to a YOUNG FEMALE, Jace? Why can't you just pay this nice man right here?"
Jace mumbles something incoherent and Becca makes out the words, "temptation...sexy...anything I want."
Becca went steely. "Jace stop being a jackass to my best friend before I make you stare at your ass permanently."
Grace rolls her eyes. "Forgive him. He's immature at times," she says to the old man.
Jace stomps his foot. "I am NOT immature!"
The shopkeeper smiles and leans closer to Grace. "I normally say this to the men that come in here with beautiful women, but I will say this to you —keep him on a short leash or you'll never know what kind of mutt he will get a disease from."
Grace laughs. "I'll remember that."
The man looks at Jace, then back at Grace and lowers his voice. "You may want to get him neutered. He seems to be a lost cause."
Grace scoffs. "You're telling me."
Becca comes over to them from eavesdropping on their conversation. "Nah. He apparently has too much restraint in that area." Becca glares at Jace for her friend's benefit.
"Here we go again," Philip runs a hand over his face. "Please, can you tell me if you have seen my watch? It is of utmost importance."
"There is a box over there that I put all of the unclaimed watches in," the old man informs. "You may look for it there."
Philip's face lights up. "Thank you so much." He goes over to the box and sorts through just as Ben bursts through the door shouting Becca's name.
"God, Ben! What is it?" Becca covers her ears. "Must you yell?"
Jace glances to the door. "Oh. It's you again. Bring me back any grub?"
Ben throws the banana bread at him hard and runs over to Becca and grabs her into a hug, almost cutting off her air.
"Oookay then," Grace comments. She and Philip exchange glances while Jace shoves his mouth full of banana bread.
"Why did you run away from me like that?" Ben asked. "I was worried sick these past three minutes."
"You know why!" Becca yelled.
"Honestly, no. I don't. I offered to buy you a slice of bread and you freaked out," Ben said sincerely.
"Men. So clueless," Grace says out loud to no one in particular.
"Becca, I'm a growing boy…." she quotes.
"Well, I am." Ben shrugs.
With a frustrated sigh, Becca responds, "Focus on the first part of what you said."
"Becca?" Ben asks for confirmation.
Becca nods and gives him a look to keep thinking.
"And that is your name, right?" Ben asks her, finally.
"Dude, really? It's right in front of your face man," Jace tell him around a mouthful of bread.
Becca throws up her hands. "Even Jace gets it!"
Jace swallows. "Was that a disguised insult?"
Becca glares. "Oh like you aren't used to it."
Ben looks hurt. "That's your name. Why can't I call you it?" He gives her sad eyes.
"The puppy dog face isn't going to work this time," she says. "I can't believe you don't get it when Jace does. AND HE DOESN'T EVEN LIKE ME!"
"Damn straight," Jace agrees.
"What would you prefer me to call you then, baby?" Ben tries.
"Ohmigod!" Becca explodes. "What you normally call me! Darling, love. Something like that."
"Okay, then, darling. Goodness. It must be your time or something," Ben states.
Jace snickers.
Becca's eyes widen. "Ben!"
"What?"
"Ben!" Grace echoes Becca.
"Once again, what?" Ben asks.
"Dude, you've got a death wish," Jace says.
Becca starts crying from embarrassment and runs out of the store completely upset.
"So temperamental," Ben says, following her out, but still confused about what he said to make Becca react in the way she did.
"So Philip, have you found anything?" Grace asks.
"Unfortunately, no. But there is another box on the top shelf. Help me get it?" he asks her.
Grace shrugs. "Sure."
Philip boosts her up, his hands on her waist, and Grace grabs the box. Her shirt rose up in the back just slightly when she extended, but enough to make Jace fume.
"Stay calm," Jace tells himself. "You're already in the dog house. Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm."
Philip blushes and looks away.
"I can't quite reach it…" Philip pushes her up higher, his biceps bulging underneath her full weight. "Ah! There we go."
Jace barely controls the rage on his face at Philips blush.
Philip gently lowers Grace, and sets her down with his hands lingering at her waist. Grace holds the box between them and beams triumphantly up at him. "Got it!"
Jace can't control himself any longer. "Get your damn hands off my girlfriend! I'm sick and tired of you trying to steal her away from me and I won't stand for it any longer!"
"I thought we already went through this," Philip says. "Your 'girlfriend' if that is what you call your paramour, is in no danger of being taken from you. Calm down, for goodness sake."
"Then don't. Touch. Her," Jace hisses, enunciating every word.
"She was helping me reach a box out of my grasp," Philip defends.
"I very well could have lifted her up to grab the box. But you have to be Mr. Grabby Hands and hold her up there and stare at her butt. That is MY job. NOT yours. Then of all things YOU BLUSHED! From looking at MY GIRLFRIEND."
Just then Ben drags Becca back in the shop, her eyes puffy.
"I did no such thing," Philip responds to Jace.
"Becca!" Grace says seeing Becca. She then looked to Ben concernedly. "Is she okay?"
Jace was red-faced. "Who cares if she's ok? I sure as hell don't! You know what? I'm gonna teach this perv a lesson," he says, stepping towards Philip.
"Jace! Control yourself. You're acting unacceptable right now," Grace warns her boyfriend.
Philip moves slightly in front of her as protection from Jace, hoping no one would notice.
Seeing the slight shift, Jace goes eerily calm and gives a short laugh. "You did not just do what I think you did."
"What are you talking about?" Grace asks him.
"He just stepped in front of you trying to protect you from me," he tells her, then looks at Philip with a glare that could kill. "You really think I'm going hurt my girlfriend? No, I'm not. But I'm going hurt the bastard in front of her that keeps trying to take her from me." He cracks his knuckles.
Philip waves a hand dismissively. "Please. I'm sure that she would LOVE to leave you. She is obviously unhappy with how you act. I treat her with respect as a gentleman should."
By this point the shopkeeper left briefly into the next room to make some popcorn then swiftly returned in a safer location to watch the drama unfold.
"Jace, are you saying that you actually care for me?" Graces asks him, unsure.
"Gracie, I have always cared for you. And it's making me mad that you can't see what this pervert is doing to us."
Grace is genuinely confused. "But if you care for me, why won't you…" she trails off.
Ben speaks up. "I think Philip will," he says as an answer to her unfinished question.
Philip blushes a deep hue of red.
Jace looks as if he's ready to commit murder. "No. You. Didn't."
Grace steps closer to Philip, placing a hand on his shoulder for reassurance. "Jace? What's wrong?"
"Alright, that's it. I'm going to kill him now. I was going to just make you endure great pain, but no. Now you're dead," Jace says to Philip.
Philip backs away from him and bumps into a chair.
Using that deliciously opportune moment, Jace takes three strides towards Philip and used the heel of his boot to push him the rest of the way into the chair. Now Philip was sitting looking up into Jace's menacing face.
Jace smirks. "Say bye bye to life, my amigo." He pulls out a dagger from his waist and quickly slices it across Philip's cheek, just enough to make him squirm.
Shocked, Philip begins to feel a trickle of warm blood run down his defined cheek bone and along his neck until it reaches his collar, soaking his white cotton shirt.
Jace grins as if he had done this a thousand times and it was now something he was well used to.
"Where's a vampire when you need one?" Jace asked.
"Vampires are real?" Ben asked.
Jace rolls his eyes. "Yes, you idiot, of course vampires are real."
"So are fairies and warlocks," Grace adds.
"What about mummies?" Philip asks.
"Everyone knows mummies aren't real," Ben answers.
Jace grins. "Thank you, Ben."
"You're welcome." Ben's eyes were aglow with Jace's gratitude. "Need any help with the, what did you call him? Perm?"
"Perv, Ben. Get it straight," Jace told him.
"Sorry. I may have super sensitive hearing but these walls are stone—a bit harder to hear through."
