THE RECORD SHOP ⋆ 𝗱𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗵𝗹

thirteen

JANUARY 18, 1991. OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON.

"SO, YOU'LL have the shirts ready by the opening on the 25th?" Benny questions Evie from the ladder which he stands on, hanging prints for an upcoming exhibition at the Society 90 studio space tucked away in downtown Olympia.

"Yeah, they'll be finished," Evie promises.

She's screen printing a batch of t-shirts with the Society 90 logo on the back and an original print of hers on the front. This was a project Benny set for her because he loved the print so much and wanted to sell them in the studio, splitting the sales with Evie 60-40. It was a print she originally did for the zine and is kind of tongue in cheek, depicting Virgin Mary in a prayer position with the words 'VIRGINITY IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT' pasted above her head. She wouldn't care if she wasn't making any money from the shirts, the fact that a shirt with her art is becoming accessible for people to see and buy is fulfilling enough.

"You're too good to me Evie. My hardest worker," he tells her, stepping down from the ladder and walking over to plant a kiss straight on the crown of her head.

"Anything for you Benny," Evie jokes back, laughing at his open display of affection.

Ben has been basically an artistic mentor to Evie, he's five years older than she is and they first met through him being a customer in the shop when she was 17. Evie would make the posters to go in the shop windows and was always sitting behind the counter drawing away in her sketchbook. Not much has changed. Benny took it upon himself to ask Evie about her art and she bashfully flicked through her sketchbook, showing off her punk and feminist motivated art. He had an idea for a zine, was just starting Society 90 as a business and he asked for her help. They've had a loving partnership since.

He and Evie work all through the morning, Evie printing and Benny curating the exhibition and at 1 o'clock, they give themselves a coffee break. They walk down the street to the café on the corner of the block, where they often find themselves in between long days in the studio.

They choose to sit at the bench which runs along the window at the front of the shop as they sip on their coffees.

"Uh Evie," Benny pauses their conversation to point towards the street.

Evie turns and notices what he is distracted by or rather, who.

"God," Evie sighs, looking down and hoping that he hasn't noticed her, but she hears bells ringing as the door swings open and they come face to face.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi," she responds, being polite although she doesn't feel she really needs to be.

"Hi Ben, it's been a while," he waves, acknowledging Benny.

"Hey Nick," Benny replies bluntly, always protective of Evie.

"Could we talk?" Nick pleas softly with Evie and she awards him a small nod before sliding out of her chair.

"Sorry," Evie sighs to Benny who shakes his head, assuring her it's fine.

Evie and Nick step out of the warmth of the café into the sharp breeze of the street and Evie can't help but feel like it's a perfect parallel to her comfort of being inside with Benny and her immediate discomfort of being outside now with Nick.

"So, do you think we could maybe talk without you bringing up my trauma and calling me selfish?" Evie snaps at him, not caring to be polite anymore.