Lock-In

"Hey, can you do me a favour and sort out the walk-in fridge? It's a mess in there." Punk asked Finn who was in the kitchen prepping the bagels before opening.

"Sure." Finn nodded happily, heading over to the walk-in fridge.

Punk was pleased with how well Finn was doing, despite the busy few days they'd had. He was always down to help in whatever way he could and that was a great asset to have.

He rushed out into the front to where Daryl was standing behind the counter, "Hey, can you go sort the walk-in fridge? It's getting a bit messy." Punk said to Daryl.

"Sure. We're ready to go out here, anyway." Daryl said.

"Thank you." Punk nodded, watching as Daryl headed off through to the kitchen.

Punk immediately rushed after him without him noticing, slamming the walk-in fridge door shut and locking it once he knew they were both inside.

"Uh… what the fuck?" Daryl said.

"You two are staying in there until you learn how to speak to each other. Like adults!" Punk yelled through the steel door.

"And who is gonna help you out there, genius?" Daryl shouted back.

"Don't you worry about me." Punk said.

"C'mon, this isn't funny!" Daryl yelled, banging on the door.

"Talk to each other!" Punk yelled, "Stop being assholes, yeah?" He said, wandering away out to the front of the shop.

"Phil!" Daryl yelled, hearing no reply.

"He's a bit of a weird boss." Finn admitted as Daryl turned around unhappily.

"I'm not sure what it is he wants us to talk about." Daryl shook his head angrily.

"I think this is more for your benefit than mine. You're the one being childish." Finn said.

"Oh, because you're so high and mighty, right?" Daryl nodded, "We could freeze to death in here."

"I doubt it." Finn said, "Look… you and I are not so different."

"Oh, we're not doing this." Daryl groaned.

"We're not." Finn insisted, "I'm not going off to college after Summer like the rest of the kids here. I know you aren't either."

"Yeah, because I have a fucked-up leg. What's your excuse?" Daryl shook his head.

"My parents can't afford it." Finn said as Daryl looked across at him, "And honestly? I'm not really interested in going. There's nothing I feel that passionate about studying."

"Ok… so?" Daryl waited for the conclusion.

"So can we just make this work instead of making this a miserable place to work because we can't have a normal conversation?" Finn asked, "I think I could really like it here if you weren't so annoying."

"I'm not annoying. And I got a job here first. This is my place." Daryl said protectively.

"It's Phil's." Finn corrected him as Daryl made a face at him, "I know it's because of Shiv."

"What?" Daryl screwed his face up.

"Because I've been dating her. I know that's why you don't like me." Finn nodded.

"I don't really care what Shiv does." Daryl said.

"Of course, you don't." Finn nodded, unconvinced.

"I don't." Daryl insisted.

"Ok then why are you being such an asshole?" Finn asked.

"I'm not being an asshole." Daryl said.

"How we doing in there?" Punk knocked on the fridge door whilst passing through the kitchen.

"Plotting ways to kill you!" Daryl yelled.

"Good. You're bonding." Punk nodded.

"C'mon. Let us out now." Daryl said.

"I'm not convinced you've talked things out enough." Punk said, "I could go get Shiv and lock her in there with you both if you'd like?"

"You're a dick." Daryl grumbled.

"Keep hashing things out, children." Punk hummed, walking back through to the front of the shop as Daryl and Finn looked at one another with annoyance.

"Guys… guys…" Shiv entered The Brewberry happily before they opened.

"What?" Becca shook her head, "How can one person be so excited at this time?" She turned to Lyla and AJ who smiled.

"My parents are out of town tonight and I think you guys should stay over." Shiv nodded, taking her coat off.

"I'm in." Becca nodded right away.

"AJ might be showing Phil how to bake something new." Lyla shrugged as AJ discretely stepped on her best-friend's foot.

"Ew." Shiv said, "Forget about him." She waved her hand, "We can talk about the new menu and order pizza in. A proper girly night." She nodded.

"Sounds like fun, Shiv." AJ nodded, "I'll be there."

"I suppose I'll come along too." Lyla said.

"Good." Shiv cheered.

"First you have to tell us about this new guy you've been seeing, because he apparently works across the road now." Lyla said.

"Can I tell you tonight?" Shiv shrugged.

"No, now please." Lyla gave her a big smile.

"He hit me up online and we've been on a few dates. That's literally it." Shiv said, "He's sweet."

"He's also locked in a fridge with Daryl right now." AJ looked at her phone to see the text message she'd just received from Punk.

"What?" Lyla laughed loudly.

"Are you serious?" Shiv asked with concern.

"You have Phil's number?" Becca raised a brow at AJ.

"Yeah." AJ shrugged, "We're friendly now, remember?" She said whilst Lyla just grinned to herself.

"How can they be locked in a fridge?" Shiv shook her head.

"Phil locked them in." AJ said, "Apparently they're not working very well together."

"I wonder why that is?" Lyla smirked towards Shiv who made a face at her.

"Can we go over and listen?" Becca asked.

"Great idea!" Lyla yelled excitedly, rushing out from behind the counter with Becca whilst AJ followed.

"Guys!" Shiv called after them, following them out the door as they ran across the road to Punk's shop.

"How long have they been in there?" AJ asked, standing outside the walk-in fridge with Punk and the girls.

"About a half hour now." Punk looked at his phone.

"Doesn't sound like things are going well." Lyla said as they listened to Daryl and Finn childishly go back and forth with cursing and insults to each other.

"Won't they be getting cold?" Shiv shook her head, not as entertained by this ordeal as the rest of them were.

"They'll be fine." Punk shrugged, "I'll let them out soon."

"You're a pretty awful boss." Becca observed.

"I hurt to heal." Punk said.

"Look at all these bagels." Lyla observed, wandering over to the kitchen counter in the corner where rows of fresh bagels had just been brought out of the oven, "AJ really showed you how to make these good, huh?" She grinned to Punk who nodded.

"Yeah, she did." Punk said, turning to AJ who looked up at him with a small smile.

"Ok, guys. Morning entertainment is over. We're opening soon." AJ announced.

"That was fun." Becca nodded, leaving the kitchen as Shiv followed unhappily whilst Lyla lingered for a moment.

"I'll let you two sort out your next baking session." Lyla smiled.

"Oh, go away." AJ shook her head as Lyla cackled, leaving the kitchen where Punk and AJ stood alone with only the yelling of Daryl and Finn to keep them company.

"So… she clearly knows some stuff." Punk said, wandering out to the front of his shop with AJ.

"She… got it out of me." AJ shook her head, "I'm sorry. She can see right through me."

"You don't have to apologise." Punk laughed a little, "And she's right, you know… we gotta sort out our next baking session." He said with a smirk as she looked up at him. She'd never had the urge to jump on someone like she did right now. It was all consuming and there was no way he hadn't noticed her red face. He was probably reading her mind of every dirty thought going through it.

"Well, I can't tonight." AJ said, "I've got a sleepover." She cleared her throat after feeling it dry.

"A sleepover?" Punk asked, "I know I'm old but… really?"

"Shiv has invited us round to hers." AJ explained, "We're going to work on the new menu, actually."

"I get the impression that Shiv doesn't really have any other friends. That sounds mean but… would I be right?" Punk asked. He knew he could say anything to AJ without her judging him. He could be his complete honest self and say whatever was on his mind. Something he'd never experienced with a girl before.

"I think you'd be right." AJ nodded, "She had friends in high school, but I don't really know what happened. She only hangs out with us now and always says how she can't wait to make friends when she goes to college." She said.

"That's shitty." Punk said.

"You really thought locking them in a fridge would help the situation?" AJ smiled a little.

"Thought it would be worth a try." Punk said, "By the sounds of it, I might need to think of something else."

"Finn is good working here?" AJ asked him.

"Yeah, that's why it's so annoying. If only they'd talk things out… this place would run so much better. They keep fucking up orders cause they don't talk to each other." Punk shook his head, "So immature."

"Says the man who just locked them in a fridge." AJ smiled.

"I had to improvise." Punk shrugged, "So no baking tonight?" He said sadly. All he could think about most of the time now was when he could get to kiss her next or feel her mouth on him down below or touch her until she made those satisfying moans he so desperately loved.

"No baking tonight." AJ said, "I'll message you later." She said as he nodded.

"Looking forward to it." He smiled, watching as she left the shop, keeping his eye on her every move until she disappeared across the road and he realised he actually had to open the shop and unlock his two employees from the fridge.