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Chapter 16: Broken Vow
Elsa and James were doing London's stores. This time, however, they weren't shopping. "Hi. Do you have any job openings right now?" Elsa asked the sour- faced storeowner brightly. The man scowled. "What can you do? Have you got any experience?" James shot her a worried look. Uh-oh. Elsa had never worked a day in her life... "I used to co-manage a winery with my friend Paolo," she replied easily. She pointed at James. "He worked for me." The owner gave James a cold once-over. "Where was this winery?" "Italy," Elsa answered. "I didn't ask you," the man snapped. "You, boy! Where is this winery?" James clenched his fists. "She told you," he replied, his voice tight. "Italy." Elsa saw the furious expression on his face. "Um, okay, I see we're not going to go anywhere. Never mind. Let's go, Evan." James didn't move from his spot and was glaring at the extremely rude storeowner with a venomous expression. Elsa tugged on his hand. "Forget it, Evan," she hissed. "What are you going to do-fight? It's no use." James finally allowed himself to be dragged out of the store. Elsa bounced in front of him. "Let's go back to that arts-and-crafts store we visited before. I want to see if they've got any new paintings." James scowled. "Are you off your rocker? We're practically penniless, and you're talking about buying more paintings? May I remind you that we can't even get a job?" Elsa looked a little hurt, and James instantly regretted his outburst. "I'm sorry." Elsa still looked unhappy. "Tell you what, I'll buy you a nice, fat ice cream pop. How's that? Will you smile?" James offered. He knew Elsa's weakness for ice cream. Elsa's mouth twitched. "Chocolate?" she asked hopefully. "Oodles of it," James promised. She finally smiled. "Gelato can wait. Let's go to the store."
They entered the cute little store. The woman who owned the store was writing out a sign as they walked up to the counter. The sign read, Help Wanted. Elsa's eyes lit up in excitement. James's mouth slowly stretched into a big grin. "Hi," both of them said at the same time. The woman looked up and smiled. "Hello. Are you feeling better, young man?" James nodded. "And I'd feel loads better if you let us work here." The woman looked a little surprised. Elsa jumped in. "Well, it's just that you've got that sign, and we thought-" The storeowner looked them over. "We can do anything," James put in helpfully. The woman smiled. "Alright then. I could use a couple of good, strong workers like you two. When can you start?" Elsa and James looked at each other happily. "We can start now, no problem," Elsa said instantly. "Goodness, you really are eager to work," the woman commented. "What are your names, by the way?" "My name's Elsa. And this is Evan," Elsa replied. "Okay. Elsa, I'd like you to start with helping me place these new arrivals on the shelves. Evan, I'd like you to go across town. There's an arts store there as well, and I need you to find the owner and tell him I'm short on the desert-themed vases," the woman ordered. James nodded. "Be back in a second." "Be careful with the vases!" she called as he dashed out the door. James started across town. He was already pretty familiar with London at this point, and he was sure he knew what particular store his new boss was referring to. He was almost to the store (it was just across the street) when the stop signal flashed.
Lily balanced the heavy bag of groceries in her arms, sighing. Apparently, the big emergency was that her older sister, Petunia, was getting married, and her mother had wanted her to help out. Petunia had balked at having Lily as part of her entourage, but Mrs. Evans had insisted on it. Well, it wasn't like Lily was thrilled either. She had also tried talking her mother out of it, but she had failed. Lily turned the corner, and gasped. Standing on the sidewalk, waiting for the light to change, was a tall guy with black hair. His back was turned, so she couldn't see his face, but the hair was terribly familiar. It stood straight up, just like...James. The light changed to green, and the guy turned his head to look both ways before crossing the street, and Lily's heart stopped. She practically dropped the package in her arms. "James!" she called as he crossed the street. "James!" Just as she was about to cross the street at his heels, the light turned to red. Cars zoomed in front of her. The bag slipped from her grasp, and an orange rolled out. Lily dropped to her knees on the sidewalk, crying.
James turned his head as he reached the other side. He could've sworn he heard someone calling... And for some odd reason, the voice made his heart ache. He craned his neck, trying to look over the cars. When the cars stopped, he peered across the street. There was nobody. He shrugged, and entered the arts store. The storeowner was quite friendly, and James stayed and chatted for a couple of minutes before heading out. When he went across, he continued to feel that weird heart twinge. His foot kicked something, and James bent to pick up the orange. It still looked okay. Dusting it off on his shirt, he slipped it into his pocket and went on his way back to Elsa.
Chapter 16: Broken Vow
Elsa and James were doing London's stores. This time, however, they weren't shopping. "Hi. Do you have any job openings right now?" Elsa asked the sour- faced storeowner brightly. The man scowled. "What can you do? Have you got any experience?" James shot her a worried look. Uh-oh. Elsa had never worked a day in her life... "I used to co-manage a winery with my friend Paolo," she replied easily. She pointed at James. "He worked for me." The owner gave James a cold once-over. "Where was this winery?" "Italy," Elsa answered. "I didn't ask you," the man snapped. "You, boy! Where is this winery?" James clenched his fists. "She told you," he replied, his voice tight. "Italy." Elsa saw the furious expression on his face. "Um, okay, I see we're not going to go anywhere. Never mind. Let's go, Evan." James didn't move from his spot and was glaring at the extremely rude storeowner with a venomous expression. Elsa tugged on his hand. "Forget it, Evan," she hissed. "What are you going to do-fight? It's no use." James finally allowed himself to be dragged out of the store. Elsa bounced in front of him. "Let's go back to that arts-and-crafts store we visited before. I want to see if they've got any new paintings." James scowled. "Are you off your rocker? We're practically penniless, and you're talking about buying more paintings? May I remind you that we can't even get a job?" Elsa looked a little hurt, and James instantly regretted his outburst. "I'm sorry." Elsa still looked unhappy. "Tell you what, I'll buy you a nice, fat ice cream pop. How's that? Will you smile?" James offered. He knew Elsa's weakness for ice cream. Elsa's mouth twitched. "Chocolate?" she asked hopefully. "Oodles of it," James promised. She finally smiled. "Gelato can wait. Let's go to the store."
They entered the cute little store. The woman who owned the store was writing out a sign as they walked up to the counter. The sign read, Help Wanted. Elsa's eyes lit up in excitement. James's mouth slowly stretched into a big grin. "Hi," both of them said at the same time. The woman looked up and smiled. "Hello. Are you feeling better, young man?" James nodded. "And I'd feel loads better if you let us work here." The woman looked a little surprised. Elsa jumped in. "Well, it's just that you've got that sign, and we thought-" The storeowner looked them over. "We can do anything," James put in helpfully. The woman smiled. "Alright then. I could use a couple of good, strong workers like you two. When can you start?" Elsa and James looked at each other happily. "We can start now, no problem," Elsa said instantly. "Goodness, you really are eager to work," the woman commented. "What are your names, by the way?" "My name's Elsa. And this is Evan," Elsa replied. "Okay. Elsa, I'd like you to start with helping me place these new arrivals on the shelves. Evan, I'd like you to go across town. There's an arts store there as well, and I need you to find the owner and tell him I'm short on the desert-themed vases," the woman ordered. James nodded. "Be back in a second." "Be careful with the vases!" she called as he dashed out the door. James started across town. He was already pretty familiar with London at this point, and he was sure he knew what particular store his new boss was referring to. He was almost to the store (it was just across the street) when the stop signal flashed.
Lily balanced the heavy bag of groceries in her arms, sighing. Apparently, the big emergency was that her older sister, Petunia, was getting married, and her mother had wanted her to help out. Petunia had balked at having Lily as part of her entourage, but Mrs. Evans had insisted on it. Well, it wasn't like Lily was thrilled either. She had also tried talking her mother out of it, but she had failed. Lily turned the corner, and gasped. Standing on the sidewalk, waiting for the light to change, was a tall guy with black hair. His back was turned, so she couldn't see his face, but the hair was terribly familiar. It stood straight up, just like...James. The light changed to green, and the guy turned his head to look both ways before crossing the street, and Lily's heart stopped. She practically dropped the package in her arms. "James!" she called as he crossed the street. "James!" Just as she was about to cross the street at his heels, the light turned to red. Cars zoomed in front of her. The bag slipped from her grasp, and an orange rolled out. Lily dropped to her knees on the sidewalk, crying.
James turned his head as he reached the other side. He could've sworn he heard someone calling... And for some odd reason, the voice made his heart ache. He craned his neck, trying to look over the cars. When the cars stopped, he peered across the street. There was nobody. He shrugged, and entered the arts store. The storeowner was quite friendly, and James stayed and chatted for a couple of minutes before heading out. When he went across, he continued to feel that weird heart twinge. His foot kicked something, and James bent to pick up the orange. It still looked okay. Dusting it off on his shirt, he slipped it into his pocket and went on his way back to Elsa.