A Simple Life: Chapter 10 (Patreon)

Closing my eyes I let out a long embarrassed sigh.  I didn’t even bother to ask what happened.  I already knew.  Jack’s signature sleeper hold and I were hardly strangers.  When I open my eyes again I see Brenda knelt over me.

“Oh good.  You’re up.”

Sitting up I rub my neck then with her help I get up to sit in the nearby chair.  Except for a few cobwebs I was uninjured.  I’d seen Jack do this to others and the moment the person was out he would lay them down as gently as one would a baby.  My pride was wounded but I’d experienced worse.

“You okay?”

I nod.

“Those brothers of yours.”  She shakes her head.  “I was going to ban him but…I heard that you threw the first punch?”

I nod.

“You Avery?”  She says.  “That is not like you.”

“I’m sorry.”  I mutter.

“Listen Avery.  I’m sympathetic but you guys can’t bring your family stuff in here, okay?  This is a business not a wrestling gym.  You have to keep that stuff out of here.”

“It won’t happen again.”

“If you need to leave early, I guess we can go short handed until 4.”  I could tell by her tone that this was not her preferred option.

I shake my head, my eyes avoiding hers, and say flatly.  “I’m okay.”

“Thanks Avery.”  She pats my knee.  “Why don’t you take your coffee break now.”

“Thank you.”

I walk to the staff room and sit in the corner where I quietly stew.  What was I thinking?  Throwing a punch at my brother!?  I couldn’t fight my way out of a wet paper bag, never mind taking on someone like Jack.  Even worse than that though…I betrayed both who I am and who I wanted to be.  I’m not the kind of guy who fights.  I despised violence.  The last thing, the very last thing, that I wanted to become in my time on Earth was a man like Jack or Joshua…or our father.

Numb to the world I return to my duties and like a robot go through the motions.  There was no spring in my step now or cheer in my voice.  Head down and quietly I go about my work with as little interaction as possible, more and more tempted with each passing minute to take Brenda up on getting off early.

“Why so glum Sprout?”

“Winona!”

My head snaps up to see her coming down the aisle toward me.  Today her hair was tied in two long braids that she had draped down the front of her shoulders.  She wore an untucked over-sized Seahawks jersey, baggy jeans, white sneakers and dangling from here ears were slender silver longsword earrings.  The hanging medieval swords were like something Lady Ara would have wielded, and they framed her long graceful neck beautifully.  She had just a touch of make up on.  Her pinker lips and cheeks and subtly dusky hued eye lids bringing back memories of the night I first met her.  Her glasses magnified her eyes just a little to make her big hazel peepers shine all the brighter.  The outfit wasn’t anything special but to my eyes she looked divine.

She pushes her cart closer to park it close by then walks around to greet me brightly.  “Hey Avery.”

“Hi Winona.”

“Look at you!  In your cute apron.”  She gives me the once over with her eyes taking note of the trim fit and sharp creases of my clothes and my perfectly combed hair.  “Looking spiff my dude.”

She noticed!  “Th-thank you.”  I blush.  “I-I like your braids.”

“Thanks!”  She self-consciously strokes down the right one in a loose grip.

“When you saw me before I-I was a little funky after camping.”  I say.  “I’m not usually like that.”

She winks.  “Nothing wrong with a little funky between friends.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Looking around she says.  “I was never in here much in our first stint.  Mom did all the shopping.”

“Oh, uh, yeah.”  I say.  “Well it’s the only proper grocery on the island.”

“Now that I’m on my own you’ll be seeing me down here pretty regularly.”  She says, her words lifting my mood.  “You must see everyone passing through here.”

“Pretty much.”

“Hey, do you have time for a little customer service?”  Then with a smirk.  “Could you service me Avery?”

“Pfff!”  I titter like a school girl.  “Yeah!  Sure.  What do you need?”

“What don’t I need?”  She chuckles.  “All I’ve got at home is a half eaten pizza and some hot sauce packets.  Let’s get me stocked up.”   She then says more sheepishly.  “Hopefully at a reasonable price?”

“I got you.”  I say with confidence.  With a deadbeat roommate, a picky fashion sense, and an expensive hobby stretching a dollar was something I could do.  “First of all, those have got to go.”  I point to the smattering of name brand goods already in her cart.  “There is better and there is cheaper.”

“Alright!  Let’s start with a clean slate.” She says as she turns the cart around.  I come along to walk beside her as she begins to return the items to the shelves.  “I am in your hands Sprout.  Teach me the ways of the shopper.”

Over the next half hour I guide Winona around the store.  I take her around the outside wall to get her set up with the essentials.  Eggs, milk, bread, some veg and meat; the stuff that would keep her belly full.  Truly the novice that she claimed to be I have to direct her to look for the best expiration dates and not simply grab whatever was right up front.  She is particularly pleased when I pop behind the meat counter to find some freshly wrapped packs stewing beef that were on sale but not due to hit the floor until later in the day.  Then, as we snake up and down the aisles, we turn to some basic supplies and condiments that every household ought to have.  I explain which products you could go cheap on and which ones were worth the extra money to buy the name brands.  She nods a lot and asks the odd question but mostly she listens.  As a naturally quiet guy I wasn’t accustomed to carrying a conversation like this but in this environment, on this topic, and with this listener it was easy!  I am honestly not sure how much she was taking in but it didn’t matter as we were both enjoying the journey.

I can confidently say it was the best half hour I had ever spent at work.  The best by a long shot.  Two parts in particular shone out from the rest.

“Tea?”  Winona says dubiously.

“Sure.  Everyone needs some tea for the morning or those cold drafty nights or when company drops by.”

“Mmm, it is pretty drafty up there.”  She says with a poorly hidden smile.  “And I do hope to have company visiting.  So…what’s the best kind?”

“Well, most people go with a basic black tea.  Earl Grey or English Breakfast, that sort of thing.  This one’s our best seller.”  I point.

“Which one would you get?”

“Me?”

“Yeah.  Which one’s good.”

“Well…”  I hesitate.  “…I actually like Chai.  This one or this one or…”

“Which is your favorite?”

“Um.”  I glance over at her.  She wasn’t even looking at the teas, she was looking straight at me!  I swallow nervously.  “Th-this one.”  I take down the orange and black box from the top shelf.  “I-It’s a little pricey but…”

“Sold.”  She grabs it and puts it in the cart.

“With some milk and h-honey…it’s really…n-nice.”

“I can’t wait to try it.”  She looks right down into my eyes.  “On some cool drafty morning with some warm company perhaps?”  I blush furiously as she carries on without me.  “And where’s the honey?”

Hurrying to catch up I wave her to follow me a little further down the aisle.  The second bit that touched me was how she asked about which food the kitties liked then went ahead and took an entire flat of it.  I could see that Mama and her family were in good hands.

As we shop I notice my coworkers watching us and whispering among themselves with coy smiles.  Seeing that only made me walk a little taller.  I was darned proud to be seen with my new…friend.

Too soon her groceries are rung in.  I take over bagging for her and carefully reload her cart as she pays.  “Need a hand out with this?”  I ask hopefully.

“Yes.”  She says happily.  “I would like that.”

The cashier rolls his eyes thankfully doesn’t say a word.  Taking control of the cart I follow her out into the parking lot.  Our back and forth chat, which had flowed so freely in the store, dries up as we quietly load the back of her truck with the groceries.

As the final bag is set inside the box I say.  “Winona.”  While at that exact same instant she says.  “Avery.”

“Yes?”  We both say as one.  Then laugh at the awkwardness.

“You first.”  She says.

“Um…”  I hesitate.  Truth was…I didn’t even know what I was about to say.  I just didn’t want this time between us to end.  Grasping for something, anything, I blurt out.  “S-So is the garage open yet or…?”

“Nah.”  She says, clearly disappointed.  “It’s gonna take a bit go get all set up.  Next week at the absolute earliest.”

“R-Right.  Of course.”  I stammer.  “Wh-what were you g-gonna say?”

“Um…”  She stammers herself.  “Am I…are you…?”  She lets out a sigh.  “I just wanted to thank you, again.  You keep helping me out and I haven’t done anything for you.”

“It’s okay.”  I say.  “I’m happy to help.”

“I’ll make it up to you.  I promise.”

“N-No b-bother.”

“Have you…have you talked to Kayla?”

“No.”  I say.  “I had to do some running around yesterday then I worked last night and then again this morning…”

“Yeah, yeah.  Of course.  You’re a busy guy.”  She shrugs.  “I should really touch base with her soon.”

“I meant to t-t-talk to her.”

“Sure man.  No biggie.”  She says.  “I shouldn’t keep you.”

“Yeah.”  I say.  “I’ve got to get back to work.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

There is about a ten second silence where we both just look at each other.  Each of us waiting expectantly for the other to say something.

“Okay, see you around Avery.”

“See you.”  I say softly.

God damn it Avery…SAY SOMETHING!  FUCKING SAY SOMETHING!!!  Instead I just watch paralyzed as she walks for the cab of her truck.  Gripping the handle of the cart tightly I slowly turn back for the store like the coward that I was.  My brother called me a pussy.  How right he…

“Hey Sprout.”

“Yeah?”  I spin back around.

“I was…thinking…I dunno.”  She takes a deep breath and grips at her long braid nervously.  “I was thinking of trying to get a game together.  I’ve never GMed but I thought I might give it a try.  Maybe put up an ad at the college and try to get an in person group together.  What do you think?”

“Y-You’d be a great GM.”

“Thanks!”  She says.  “Hey, I know you don’t play but…”

“I-I-I’d like to try again.”  I grasp onto this lifeline with both hands.

“Great.”  She smiles a smile that lights up this whole island.  “Maybe you could swing by sometime.  We could roll up a character for you.  I’ve got all the books and dice and stuff.”  She nods at the load of groceries.  “And I’ve got tea.”

I giggle.  “Yes!  I’d love to make a character with you.”

“When?”

“Huh?”

“When?”

“Um…uh…maybe…next weeee…”

“I’m free tonight.”

“Yes!”  I gasp loudly.  Composing myself a moment I say again more calmly.  “Yeah.  I’d like that.”

“Awesome.”  She says with a little hop.  “See you tonight.”

“See you tonight.”

Winona hops into her truck and is soon roaring away.  I turn and head back into the store to finish my shift, my skipping feet barely even touching the ground.

Chapter 11