Free Bird

Get to Work, Dude

You knew it was rude to dip out on helping Lucy and her sons unpack, but you really did have to get to work. So you said your goodbyes and hopped back on Remmi. You drove quite a bit faster than you should have in order to get to the video store in time, but it couldn't be helped. You pared your bike at the back of the store before tripping over yourself to get through the back doors to clock in.

"Hello Y/N. In quite the rush, aren't we?" Max, your boss and a generally nice guy, if not a little snarky, greeted you as you skirted up to the counter. You breathed out a giggle as you looked up to the man.
"Sorry about that Max. I was helping out some new folks move in. Divorced mom with two boys, she's real pretty too, you would like her." You reply with a smile, situating yourself behind the counter to grab your badge and start stocking movies on the shelves. What you said peaked his interest. A sweet woman with two boys? She must have been experienced with raising them with little help if the father wasn't in the picture. He would have to meet her, to see if she was the one that could finally help wrangle his boys.
"Oh? What was her name, sweetheart?" He asked you. Max had been something of an adoptive father, taking you under his wing when your dad died two years ago.
"Lucy Emerson, and her boys, Michael and Sam. Michael's around my age, and Sam is about 14." You replied, currently stocking the horror section. Horror had always been one of your favorite genres. There was always improvements being made in the production of each movie, but you couldn't deny your love for the classics either. "Frankenstein" and "Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein" were some of the best movies you had watched, but a new favorite of yours was "Halloween". A psycho killer stalking babysitters? It was new n a classic way, in fact it scared you so bad that you refused to babysit for a year after watching it.

Max hummed before going back and checking something in front of him. You didn't care, your thoughts drifted back to "Halloween" as you moved to stock the comedies. You didn't know why, but stalkers always enthralled you. Like having someone who only saw you? Loved you enough to take the time out of their days to watch your every move? Creepy sure, buy me dinner first, but there was something about it that you found sweet.

You came o the conclusion that you were mentally ill.

..........

Around three o'clock, Michael swung by the store.
"Hey, Y/N, Mom and Sam are going job hunting later tonight, so we were gonna be by the boardwalk for a bit. You mentioned you had been living here for a while, so I was just wondering if you wanted to be my tour guide tonight?" Michael's hand went to the back of his neck as he looked down, slightly embarrassed at needing someone to show him around at his age. Cute.
"Something like that, yeah. Of course I'll show you around. I get off at seven. Just meet me here with your mom, we're hiring." You chuckled, slightly at yourself for trying to help Max score a date with Lucy.