Pawnshops and Carousels

AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: And here's another chapter my wonderful readers. I hope it's as cute as the other ones! As always, don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next week!

Chapter 24


The day after they put Seth in charge, I got to stay home from work. Not because I wanted to but because I sneezed and peed a little and Seth was certain I broke my water. I didn't even pee that much but the way Seth reacted… I might as well have been Niagara Falls.

It took forever to calm him down and he only did so once I agreed to stay at home.

He spent the whole day texting me to check up, and calling me to make sure I was okay. So, I was only mildly surprised when he came home early.

It was the slam of the door that had woken me up. It's only seconds after that that Seth finds his way into our room where I have just managed to get myself up and out of bed. I take one look at his sorrowful gaze and open my arms up to him. Seth presses himself into the embrace and for a moment I'm certain something's happened to Les.

"Are you okay? Did something happen?"

I pray it's not what I think it is and I'm immediately rewarded.

"I had a pretty shit day at work."

Though I am grateful that Les is fine, I frown at my husband. My hands go to the side of his face so I can play with those sideburns. "How is that possible? You're manager… it's only your first day."

"I implemented a new system at the store and… and… I unno. Ash and Dad, they didn't like it. And okay. Okay it wasn't perfect but… he wouldn't even let me try."

"Well I'm sure you can go back tomorrow and fix it."

"He took the control back."

Oh, that was such a Les thing to do. I sigh at him carefully before saying: "It's okay. You can talk to him tomorrow about maybe making a change… or a tweak."

"He said Ash and I are on probation."

Well damn. No wonder Seth was so upset.

"Aw. Aw baby, I'm so sorry." I get up on my tippy toes to press a kiss to his cheek, close to his lips and for a second he kisses me solidly. And I let him because my baby needed a win.

"I just want to veg, can we do that?"

"Yes, we can. You go sit in front of the TV and I'll make something for dinner, okay?"

Seth goes to the couch and I make a silent vow to go to work tomorrow and make sure that my baby gets a second chance.


Sabrina: Yeah, except that didn't happen either. I woke up definitely very sick and unable to get out of bed. Which meant that Seth had to go in by himself. I gave him a pep talk between throwing up, and sent him off with well wishes, good luck and all my positive vibes because I had been throwing up and couldn't kiss him. Then he came back early, once again, absolutely livid. Ashley had been reinstated as a manager but not him. Granted he had yelled at his dad which didn't help matters but still… my baby was upset and I knew I had to do something to make sure that he got himself back in his dad's good graces before Ashley took things too far.


Ashley is killing me.

She got reinstated as manager before me and now she is bossing me around and driving me crazy, on purpose. I shouldn't have yelled at my dad. Yes he butt into my deal when I was trying to show him that I could do it on my own but I should have just called Sabrina and ranted at her.

My only solace today is that Sabrina is in today, which means every time Ashley annoys me, I can go see her. She's ever so good at calming me down… even its only for a few minutes.

I am not so lucky at this moment, because I'm on the sales floor and Ashley's been sent out to work with me on dad's orders. She's being so condescending about me buying a 10-dollar bird cage that she offers to take the next person to come up.

And oh boy does the next person have a douzy.

It's two women, a mother and daughter pair and they have a toilet. Some special 1955 toilet. And Ashley not only entertains the idea, but she negotiates and buys the fucking thing.

10 dollars for a toilet. I mean it's a good deal, but… she… she bought a toilet. We're not American Jewellery and Toilets.

But now it's my job to put it in the back. I'm livid. Livid. I nudge Ashley and tell her to follow me, now we're in the back and I can yell at her not in front of the customers like Dad wants.

"What the hell are you doing? So, you give me shit all time for buying stupid stuff so you're gonna spend ten dollars on a toilet?"

"Yeah? It's 10 dollars."

"You really just spent 10 dollars on a toilet? This is what you do when you're in charge?"

"It's 10 dollars."

I can't take it. I know it was 10 dollars but she yelled at me over a 10 dollar bird cage!

"Seth, do you know how much toilets sell for now a day?"

"Dude, it's a 1950s toilet."

"I'll make a profit!"

"You're gonna make a profit?"

Oh my god she's using my words against me. This is exactly what I said about the birdcage and now she's using them. What, is she trying to prove a point or something?

That's it. That's it I just can't fucking handle it.

"Okay, here's the deal. Would you like to double your money?" I ask her.

For a moment my sister is stunned by the question. "Who wouldn't? It's a toilet, Seth. Do you know that it's a10 dollar investment?"

I take out my wallet and pull out a brand new 20-dollar bill and then slap it into my sister's hand.

"Here's 20. Go get dad and meet me out back."

I walked away to my sister asking me where I was going, and reminding me that the sales floor was in the opposite direction of where I'm going. I know that Sabrina is out of her seat by her desk because I was yelling and she's very big on supporting me or calming me down when my sister and I go at it. But she's pregnant and she's completely swollen up now, which means she can't keep up with my long strides. Which is probably why I get the sledge hammer and get to the toilet that I have Bobby-J bringing to the back for me without her managing to talk me out of the plan.

By the time my dad and my sister have reached me, I have the sledge hammer and toilet all set up.

My dad tells me to take it easy. Sabrina already knows what I'm doing, and she's asking me to stop. My sister asks over and over what I think I'm doing.

I know exactly what I'm doing.

I say nothing. I just smash the toilet, first through the tank and then through the bowl. It's nothing but a pile of rubble now. Best 20 dollars I've ever spent. I throw the sledge hammer down, stalk over to my car, despite my dad asking me to calm down. I get in and drive away without saying a single word.

Screw them. They can run the store without me.


Seth: I'm in the car for a whole five minutes before I get the call. I left Sabrina back at the store. So much for my grand exit.


I watch Seth drive away and realize he forgot he brought me to work today. Well. That's fine. I go into the back, quickly dial his cell and tell him of his mistake.

I can hear the regret in his voice and the sincerity in apology so I'm not too mad at him. I collect our things and get back to the front just as Les and Ashley come back into the store.

"That was uncalled for, Ashley," I tell her even though Les is already reading her the riot act. "You don't have to torment your brother like that."

"Oh my god! This is not my fault! Seth is just being a baby!"

But he's not, and she knows that. But I don't say anything else, and instead turn to Les. "Seth's on his way back, so I'm going to go home with him. I'll try and talk him down, okay?"

Les nods and lets me get a hug in. I say my good-byes just as Seth's car pulls back into the lot. Oh, he owes me In-And-Out burgers for sure now.