Gold Digger

All that glitters is not always gold, sometimes they're just painted stones

After nearly 40 years of marriage, a brilliant, turbulent music career, four now grown children, and eight grandchildren Sam and Mercy Evans had finally settled into, what they termed a quiet life. Scott their eldest was living in China, he'd taken a year after University and found himself the love of his life, she wouldn't move so he did. They were fine with that until the children started coming, then the distance thing became a problem, so when grandchild three came about they slowed down on their career's to accommodate visits.

Adrian their second son by four minutes ahead of his younger brother was an artist, he felt there was nowhere else to live other than Italy, it took him a few years but eventually he came out and told them what they'd always known. A year or so later he'd met Danny and they'd been living their best life ever since, of all their children Adrian visited the most.

Ashley was the carefree one, they'd never have expected a woman to tame him, everyone knew it wasn't something that was planned when he came home with Candice and announced she was pregnant. She really wasn't the best woman to get on with, Mercy and Candice clashed on every topic, and the girl had no manners, the relationship between them was strained at best, so it was music to her ears when the twins reached their second birthday and Ashely got a job in Nashville.

"I love them but…" Sam looked at Mercy sat looking sad but feeling happy when she finished the call

"Everyone loves everyone now it's quiet" she laughed

"Holiday?" he flopped in the couch next to her

"Book it" they both looked at the front door opening knowing who it was but not wanting to know

"Hi" Myla's voice filled the room followed by the patter of familiar little feet "Mom"

"No" Mercy held her hand up knowing what she was going to be asked

"Dad" she changed her line of fire "I need help" those words always got to him; Mercy sat rolling her eyes feeling him giving in to their daughter

"Granddad" Chloe ran scrabbling up his legs,, he couldn't cough without her asking if he was alright she was so attached to him, he helped her up to sit on his lap while Myla and he played their usual help game

"What is it this time?" Mercy turned to look at her daughter, taking kisses from the other two older grandchildren

"Andy might have a job in New Zealand, he's going for an interview in LA, and he wants me to go with him, we'll be back on Saturday" Myla told them excitedly

Mercy looked at Sam, all they'd heard was New Zealand "What about the children?" Sam asked

"They'll come with us of course, it's only for five years" she laughed

"Hope he gets It if that's what he really wants" Mercy smiled

Of course, he got the job, and within six months Myla and the children were gone too, Sam and Mercy took the opportunity to visit their children at least once a year, so life for them right now was five to six vacations a year just keeping up with their family.

Not that they were bragging, but at nearly 60 years old they were living their best life, little did they know that it was all about to come crashing down around them.

Two years later it was coming up to their 40th Anniversary, and as was traditional for them, they were out buying trinkets ready for the big day "What do you think about this one?" Sam held up the graff diamond watch and fascination piece "This is new in"

"It's nice but…" she stood wondering how often she was actually going to put it on, it was nice enough but in all truth she went everywhere in the Jacob & Co Billionaire watch they'd brought each other for their 10th Anniversary. It had seen her through some real changes in her life, some more taxing than she'd ever crossed in her younger life, and she was wondering if discarding it would bring some sort of curse. "I tell you what, I'll think about it"

"I think that would look beautiful with that chain we brought in Italy" he added trying to change her mind

"I'll think about it" she turned to the cashier "Where's Carol?"

"She retired" the cashier smiled

"My wife" Sam tutted at the cashier "I want to spend a couple million and she doesn't want it, can you believe that?"

"That Billionaire looks good on you" the cashier nodded to the watch on Mercy's wrist

"That's what I'm saying" Mercy laughed with her showing the watch "This has its own stories and I like to keep it with me"

"I understand, diamonds are a girl's best friend" she laughed

"Not this girl" Sam laughed looking at his wife "There are a whole bunch of things that come before a diamond for her"

"Like?" the cashier asked, even Mercy turned wondering what the hell

"Like it's time for us to go" Mercy snapped

"I better…" Sam rolled his eyes and pointed at the door Mercy was walking towards "Maybe I'll come back…"

"Terrie"

"Maybe I'll come back Terrie" he pointed at the bracelet watch set

"Maybe you will Sir" she grinned at him

"Sam" Mercy stood at the door waiting for him "I can't believe you, are you in crisis or something?" she snapped when they got outside

"Why would you ask that?"

"You flirting with that damn girl in there, she looks the same age as the twins" she stopped walking, raising her voice a bit more than he was comfortable with

"Seriously?" he looked back at the shop "How the hell was I flirting with that child, I was having a conversation" she was getting worse with this mood swing thing, the menopause was hitting her like a brick

"I'm not shopping anymore" she snapped stepping off

"You're jealous?" he stood smiling at her being jealous at this stage in their lives "After everything we've been through, every promise we've made, you're jealous?" he stepped off following her

"I'm not jealous" she snapped "I'm pissed"

"You're jealous" he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him "We agreed over 30 years ago, no more" he touched the watch on her wrist and stared into her eyes, trying to find his wife in them

"Just open the damn door" she turned to face the car door, he released the lock and opened the door for her, smiling as she cut her eye at him and pulled the door shut, amazed that he still had the capacity to make her jealous, although he truly didn't know what he'd done wrong

He'd kept quiet for the rest of the day, whatever all that was at the shop had blown over by the time they were sat eating dinner, it helped that they'd had calls from some of their favourite people, which helped mellow the mood. Quinn and Puck had announced grandchild number 6 from their youngest son Alex, and Tina and Mike had just finished a three year run of their musical production and were heading to the hills for some, them time, for the first time in nearly 5 years, they deserved it.

But now all their friends were celebrating something, she wanted to too, so the mood had switched, and she was talking about them taking some time out, finding some secluded spot with no one else for miles to recharge their batteries.

"So yeah, that's what I think I'd like for our anniversary this year" she looked across the dinner table at him "What do you think?"

"It's doable, but it's not really memorable we get away a lot"

"So, that's a no?"

"It's a throw it in the bag, we've got what, 10 days, plus all the children are making the effort to get here, I know you won't want to just get up and leave them"

"True" she smiled

"Maybe give it a week or so and then book somewhere?"

"You're right" she looked at him "I overreacted earlier sorry, that gift was nice, I was being a brat, hormones and everything" she rolled her eyes

"We'll go back and get it tomorrow"

"Bunch with Quinn tomorrow, sorry babe"

"We'll go on Friday"

"Why don't you just pop in and get it, make it more of a surprise"

"Okay" their evening ending much like most other evening as they cuddled on the couch watching old movies falling asleep before the end of the second one, waking up with stiff limbs and hobbling off to bed. They woke up early the next morning lazed about for an hour before bothering to get dressed, both being ready by the time Mercy was due to go see Quinn "I'll see you later" he kissed her in the usual way and watched her get in the car and drive off before he grabbed his keys and laptop to make his way back to the shop

"Good afternoon" he smiled walking into the shop, smiling at seeing the same girl at the counter

"Your wife made her mind up?" she smiled walking towards the tray

"She did" he laughed "I was wondering, could I get it engraved?"

"Sure" she raised her eyebrow at the request "You're in luck today is engraving day and as far as I'm aware there was one order this morning so Will might be back there drinking coffee" she laughed "I'll check" she locked the cabinet and walked through to the back of the shop "He said about 2 hours" she came back to tell him

"What he'll be ready to start it in two hours?"

"No" she giggled "He'll have it done in two hours do you want to wait?"

"I guess I could check some emails over a coffee next door" he pointed through the door "Could you get him to put this on?" he handed her his handwritten note

"I'll get him to start" she grabbed the note and case "That will be…"

"I know how much it will be" he handed her his card and watched her carry out the transaction, signed paperwork and took the appropriate certificates "Thanks" he smiled when business was finished "I'll be next door" he tapped the counter

"I've got your details" she looked at the book he'd just filled in "Mr Sam Evans I'll call when it's done" she assured him

"Thank you" he smiled walking out of the shop happy he'd brought what had caught his eye for his wife's anniversary present.

He was sat deep in thought talking on his laptop to one of his partners in crime. Finn, Ryder, and he were all solo artists but as good friends they'd done many gigs together, mostly for fun, but they'd generated enough interest over the years for the guys to be trying to talk him into some sort of comeback gig.

"Dude" he laughed at Ryder throwing the scared of Mercy card at him "Let me think about it, we've got such a lot going on right now"

"A lot, the children have all gone, you guys have slowed down a hell of a lot"

"We've still got stuff on the back burners" he laughed, no way was he going to disclose that Mercy was going through some female stuff that was making it almost impossible for them to live any other way than on her terms at the moment, and that he understood, respected, and supported what she needed right now.

"I'll get Marley to work on Mercy, it will all work out" Ryder laughed

"Leave it, I'll talk to her"

"I knew you were scared" he laughed Sam quickly became aware of someone standing in his sunlight he looked up to see the cashier from the shop

"Ryder I've got to go, Mercy's presents ready"

"Maybe we could do that song we wrote for the party?" Ryder pushed

"Maybe" Sam clicked his meeting off and looked up at her "Sorry about that" he made to get up

"It's not ready" she signalled for him to sit back down "I just thought I fancied a coffee and the shops quiet, so, I thought I'd be cheeky and join you" she sat down without being invited

"Sorry" he looked around, the town wasn't that big, Mercy could be anywhere watching this shit, and no he wasn't scared of her, but he had a lot to lose, and moreover he always opted for the quiet life.

"It's fine I'll buy my own" she butted in stopping him from asking her to leave

"I was just catching up on some confidential work stuff" he pointed to his laptop

"Don't mind me" she waved her hand around to get some service, Sam dived back into his laptop he had emails to answer and calls to make, he was planning a surprise anniversary party

"Excuse me" he got up when his phone rang, he waved his hand in the air and loudly repeated his order for 40 white doves to whoever he was talking to "Sorry" eventually sat back down and grabbed the last of his coffee

"That's fine" she smiled watching the two cups of coffee arrive

"I didn't.."

"Oh, it's a sorry" she smiled "Will's asked for an extension, and I thought I needed to apologise"

"I can come back in the morning, no problem"

"You've waited now, and I've just brought you a drink" she frowned "I'd be offended if you didn't drink it"

"I don't mean to offend you" he smiled "It's just that…"

"Your wife ranks pretty high in your priorities" she commented "What else do you find time to love in your life?"

"Family always come first, we have four beautiful children, eight grandchildren and lots of friends around us" he smiled "We're blessed that way"

"And that keeps you going?"

"A healthy mix of that dotted around still loving what we do, and each other"

"So, you love your wife?"

"Very much" he looked at this young girl sitting in front of him oddly, she seemed to be flirting instead of having an adult conversation "Sorry" he sat up ready to confront the situation

"Sorry I'm being intrusive" she sat back "I just find you so easy to talk to"

"Okay" he sat back happy she'd acknowledged her fault

"I googled you earlier"

"Why?

"It's not every day we get someone in buying the most expensive piece in the shop as if it was nothing"

"It is something, it's a present for my wife"

"Sorry" she held her hand up "I didn't mean to offend" she took a sip of her coffee "Let's go general" she giggled "What's the most romantic thing I've ever had done for me?" her eyes looked up at the sky showing she was in thought "I had someone ask the DJ to play me a soppy song once"

"That was nice" he laughed

"Well, he didn't know the song so when 'Me' by Tamia started playing in the middle of the club he was pissed" she laughed

"Me?"

"Oh, it's a soppy R&B song"

"Oh"

"Specially as he'd made them announce he was dedicating it to me" she held her chest "Of course I had to catch a cab home that night, alone" she laughed

"And that was the most romantic" Sam laughed

"I bet you can't beat that" she looked at him

"I can't actually" he laughed

"Tell me" she looked at him with devilish eyes "Are you always this much fun?"

"You'd have to ask my wife"

"I'm actually trying not to mention her, you get all tense and caged when her names mentioned"

"Do I?" he chuckled thinking to himself she'd be more that tense and physically caged if she ever got on the wrong side of his wife "That's me reminding you I love my wife" he put his right ankle up to rest on his left knee

"So, you sing?" she ignored the warning

"Yes, with my wife"

"Damn" she slapped the table "I was going to ask you to sing to me"

"No can do" he shook his head

"I heard you saying just you were arranging a party, special occasion?"

"Our 40th wedding anniversary" he smiled proudly

"How old were you when you got married 5?"

"No" he laughed taking the compliment "My wife takes very good care of me"

"There's that third wheel again" she rolled her eyes

"Excuse me?" he looked at her shocked

"40 years, how do you keep that going?"

"Good communication" he looked around "You know what" his eyes met with hers again "I'll come back tomorrow for the piece" he closed his laptop grabbed his phone and got up feeling the conversation was getting out of hand "Oh" he smiled "Thanks for the coffee" he turned and walked away

"I think it might be ready now Mr Evans" she jumped up calling to him

"I thought you said three hours" he stopped to ask her

"Ball park" she smiled "I'll check" she walked off towards the shop

Sam followed her, thinking it would be a lot easier if he didn't have to have anything else to do with this girl she was such a flirt. She opened the door and stood waiting for him to get to it, smiling at him before closing the door behind him, he stood wondering if he'd just made a wrong move "Is it ready?" he looked further into the shop

"I'll check" she brushed past him and went through to the back of the shop, he sighed relieved when she came out swinging a gift bag, and a smile on her face "It's ready" she went behind the counter and grabbed something from behind it "Do you want it wrapped?"

"Please" he smiled, happy she'd become professional again, he stood watching her wrap the small box, it was perfectly done, smiling when she held up the finished article "That's great" he reached across the counter to grab it, frowning when she snatched it back "What..?" he looked at her trying to understand what was happening

"We've finished business" she smiled "When I hand this over"

"We have" he watched her walking around to his side of the counter, it all happened in a split second, one minute she was walking towards him with his gift, the next she'd grabbed hold of the back of his neck and pulled him to her, their lips meeting by accident. He stood frozen taking in what was happening, this child less than half his age was sucking the lips off him, and he wasn't doing anything to stop it

"That was worth it" she pulled away from him

"How dare you" he pushed her further away from him, angry

"I bet that's what your wife will be saying" she looked down at her phone "When I send her this" she showed him a picture of them kissing "You really ort to be a bit more careful with your flirt"

"Are you threatening me?" he looked at the picture

"Oh no" she smiled "I'll delete it"

"So why did you take it?"

"Because" she put her finger in her mouth like a naughty porn star "Diamonds might not be your wife's best friend, but their mine" she looked at the box he didn't even realise she'd put in his hand

"What are you saying?" he looked at the door, he needed to get out of there

"I want a rock" she smiled "Like that one, identical" she looked at the box in his hand

"No way" he gasped "Fuck you" he turned and walked out the shop, damning the day they'd ever gone in, and more importantly the fact that Mercy was right, that child had thought he was flirting with her. He was on the phone before he got in his car, relaying the events to Ryder and Finn trying to find a resolution, banging the steering wheel when all they had was come clean, they didn't understand his wife.

The Anniversary Party

"Attention everyone" Scott tapped his wineglass watching as everyone paid him attention, before delivering a speech worthy of his parents, closing with the usual toast

"Thank you" Sam lifted his glass to the crowd, kissed Mercy and watched her walk off to join some friends

"Sam" someone tapped him on the back, he turned smiling, but his expression changed when he saw the girl from the shop stood there

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he gasped looking around

"You didn't come back; I've come to see your wife" she looked around the garden

"You need to leave" Sam looked around, unsure where his wife was, seeing Finn stood talking to his children, happy they were being distracted "Please leave"

"Tomorrow?"

"Please leave" he held his hand out for her to go

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, I'll come to the shop tomorrow" he looked around "Now please go" his heart was beating like a drum he watched her disappear through the gate before checking if everything was fine, but his children had disappeared "Where are they?" he walked towards Finn asking

"Dude" he frowned "I didn't think you'd handle it, I told them, they went after her"

"Fuck" he hissed

"Sam" Finn looked at him

"Dude I want them to beat her ass down, but…" he raked his hand through his hair defeated "That bitch is fucking with my life"

"Dude" Ryder walked up to him nodding

"She back?" Sam widened his eyes turning slowly, his breath taken when he saw Mercy stood there

"It's that bitch from the shop isn't it?" all he could do was come clean he nodded "I knew it was her walking across the lawn" she hissed "What does she want?" she wasn't in a playing mood

"Diamonds"

"For?"

"She stole a kiss" he confessed

"For a diamond?" she looked at him nodding again, he knew she was mad at that girl whose name he couldn't even remember right now, but once that faded he'd be for the high jump, she'd stepped off before he caught up enough to follow her, he knew better than to even try to stop her.

The children had already stopped the random, the boys were shouting, and Myla was stamping on something on the floor, the random was stood obviously shocked, surrounded by four strange faces all shouting at her "You're a fucking gold digger" Ashley shouted at her, stunned into silence when he saw his mom appear "Sorry Mom" he gasped swearing wasn't a thing they'd ever done in front of their parents

"Move out the damn way" Mercy shouted at her children, they parted like the red sea, this wasn't a version of their mother they'd ever seen before

"Dad" Adrian's face looked scared for what was about to happen

"You want diamonds?" Mercy asked the random stood in front of her already shaking, they all stood watching her turn her rings around knowing the girl was about to get boxed

"Mom" Myla stepped towards her, Sam quickly moved her out the way, they all gasped and winced at the delivery

"You're so lucky I'm grown" Mercy told her "Now get the fuck off my property" they watched her back away "And by the way, you won't have that job by the morning" she warned

"Mom" Scott gasped

"Straight out of one of those slap challenges" Ashley laughed, his infectious laugh spreading

"Go Diva" Myla high fived her mom

"Best anniversary ever" Mercy laughed "Come on let's get back to our guests" she grabbed Sam's hand and walked back into their home

"Did I ever tell you guys I love you" Sam asked

"Yes" they all laughed