And the Winner Is...
by TheBucketWoman
Disclaimer: I don't own LWD or much else in general, including any references I make.
Chapter Four
Part One: George.
He did have to go to the bathroom, but he also needed to talk to the guy in the camera department.
"So," he began. "My son was just here. Sixteen, brown hair, little bit taller than me? Red T-shirt?"
"Yeah," said the saleskid, remembering. "With the question mark on it."
"What was he looking at?" The kid led him to the HD DV camcorders.
"He was aiming a little high," the kid said apologetically. Brian, George thought, His nametag says Brian. So quit thinking of him as the saleskid. "Maybe I can suggest one of these personal camcorders instead, he was looking at the pro stuff."
"I'll be honest," George said. "I dunno if I'm buying anything just yet, but I think that I might be interested in one of these." He pointed toward the pros. "Or perhaps one in the middle somewhere?"
"Okay," Brian said. "Maybe one of these." He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down a few model numbers from the display and showed him each. He wrote his name at the bottom. "Come back and see me after you think it over?"
"Will do," George said, grinning. He'd buy anything from this kid.
Part Two: Casey.
George's good mood continued. He decided to fire up the grill—the outdoor one, not the Foreman one he just bought, and he filled the night with the smell of charcoal, steaks, salmon, and Italian sausage. He grilled some corn on the cob and some fennel. Casey's mom made half joking comments about hiding things to keep them away from the grill.
George wielded the spatula like Derek wielded the remote. He gestured with it, repeatedly ordering Marti, Edwin, Derek, Lizzie and Casey herself back into the kitchen numerous times for stuff they'd forgotten. It was on one of these trips into the kitchen, for hot peppers this time, that the phone rang.
"MacDonald-Venturis," she said.
"Good evening," said a comically deep voice on the other end. This one went from zero to mid flirt in three seconds. He didn't even know what she looked like. "I wish to speak with Derek Venturi, if I may," the guy continued.
"May I ask who's calling?" Casey said, not bothering to return the flirt.
"Lester Cunningham, from Good Deal?"
"Okay," she said, "Please hang on just a sec?"
She walked over to the kitchen door and poked her head out. "Derek!"
"Yes dear?" He smirked, trying to render the yes-dear ironic, but not quite making it .
"Phone," she said. "Guy from Good Deal?"
He went for the phone. He talked to the guy for all of a minute, said thank you three times, and hung up. He turned back to her with a grin.
"He he," he said.
"What?"
"Eh, nothin," he said. "Got a job, but ya know. No big."
"Der-ek!" she said, going in for the hug. He spun her; she squealed. "I can't believe you!"
"Well, ya know," he said. "Guess I need to be able to take you out and stuff."
Just then in came George, spatula waving. "Someone better be dying cause if I burn that sausage..."
"I think I might," Casey said.
"Drama queen," Derek said.
"Superkeener," Casey said.
"And where's my peppers?" George said, momentarily forgetting the commotion.
"Oh yeah," Casey said, getting them from the fridge. Derek, behind George's back, put a finger to his lips. She looked at him pleadingly. How could he ask her to keep a secret; he knew her better than that.
They came back out as George was posing for a picture in his Kiss Me I'm Italian apron, spatula pointing at the camera.
"That's dignified," Derek said.
"This from a boy who got a picture in the yearbook dressed like Percy Shelley,"George said
"Touche"
"In Casey's blouse,"George said.
"Okay, uncle," Derek said.
"Thought so," George said. "Deeep check."
Edwin looked up from the tin foil packets of vegetables he'd been carefully undoing and asked "Who called?"
"My boss," Derek said, nonchalantly.
"Yeah, I know Casey called you inside," Edwin said. "But who was on the phone?"
Lizzie and Marti looked up with interest from their own menial labor (peeling tin foil off of corn cobs, setting the table). Lizzie took two steps away from Edwin.
"You're getting awful mouthy, little bro," Derek said, reaching a hand over toward Edwin's hair. Edwin dodged. Derek caught him with the other hand. " I might sic Lizzie on you if you don't watch it."
"Wouldn't want that," Edwin said. Lizzie smacked him. He grinned.
"Huh?" Derek said.
"What?" Edwin said, looking puzzled.
"Your boss?" Casey's mom interrupted.
"Mhm," Derek said.
"You have a job?"Mom said.
There was the sound of metal spatula hitting flagstone. Everybody turned to George as he sank to his knees, theatrically.
"My son," he gasped. "Has (gasp) a...j-job," he said as his face hit the ground.
"Are you done," Derek said, arms crossed, eyebrow raised.
George's head popped up. "Almost," he said, then turned over and flopped like a fish onto his other side. "Okay, I'm done," he said, getting up and dusting off his apron.
"So where you working?" Lizzie asked.
"Good Deal," Derek said.
"Oooh," Edwin said. "Do you get an employee discount?"
"Yeah. I get an employee discount," Derek said.
"And you owe me the equivalent of a plasma screen TV considering all the money I loaned you over the years," Edwin said.
"I thought you did that out of love," Derek said.
"Keep dreaming," Edwin said. "Now how much off do you get?"
"I don't know yet," Derek said. He rolled his eyes. "I'll let you know when they tell me."
"Yes!"
Part Three: Edwin
Life was good. He had sausage and corn, and potato salad, and grilled vegetables. And more corn. Plus, his father was in a good mood again. A Really Important Case had popped up shortly after Derek's accident back in February and it had lasted more than three months, making his dad thoroughly miserable. He was constantly tired and irritable and Edwin found himself walking on eggshells most of the time. His dad wasn't much for unwarranted explosions, but Edwin still didn't want to take chances and cause any warranted ones. His dad had bribed him several times just to get lost over the course of the three months. As much as he enjoyed money in general, he was glad those days were over.
He had his face buried in his third ear of corn when his dad stood up, trying to clink his plastic cup with a fork.
"I have an announcement," Dad said. "The Pearadyne case? Is officially over."
"Yay," Nora said, giving him golf claps.
"Didja win?" Marti said.
"Why, yes we did, Marti," Dad said. "And because of this, I got a goodly share of the settlement and a raise."
There was a silence among the kids.
"So you didn't rob a bank," Derek said, disappointed.
"Can we go to Disneyland?"Marti said.
"No, and we'll see," George said. "And Derek seems to have an announcement of his own, don't you Derek?"
"Nope," Derek said.
"Yes," Nora said.
"Everybody knows," Derek said.
"Make it official," Nora said.
"I got a job," Derek muttered, rising half an inch from his seat and raising his cup a little.
"He gets a discount," Edwin said, raising his cup skyward. Lizzie clinked hers with his.
"Clink," she said for effect.
"Me too," Marti said. They toasted with her. "And Casey," she said. Casey obliged.
"Any other news?" Nora said, looking expectantly at Casey.
"What," Casey said.
"What do you have next week?" Nora said.
"Oh," Casey said. She mimicked Derek and raised up an inch off the seat. "I have an audition."
"What," Lizzie said, "The play at the community center? That's pretty cool."
"No it's not, but I'm doing it anyway," Casey said, beaming.
"Not much competition," Derek said. "You'll trounce em."
"Ohhhh," she cooed. "That's so sweet!" Derek cringed at the word "sweet."
"But," Casey continued, booping him on the nose. "You're still helping me get ready for it."
"Is that what I'm doing?" Derek asked.
"Yep, you're helping me pick a song."
"Eeeny meeny miney moe," Derek said.
He was happy for everybody, but Edwin suddenly couldn't help but wish that he had news.