THE RECORD SHOP ⋆ 𝗱𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗵𝗹

seventeen

MARCH 10, 1991. OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON.

"SO, DAVE'S HOME today?" Josh, from his place in the front of shop stacking records, asks Evie behind the counter calculating sales for the week.

"Yes, he is," Evie smiles, tearing her eyes away from the numbers on the paper in front of her to look at Josh.

"You two are so cute," he says, shaking his head and Evie laughs.

"I'm not sure if cute would be the word I would use to describe us," she says.

"Well I think you guys are cute. You're so in love. It's sweet," he tells Evie.

"Thanks Josh," Evie laughs, "Hey when are you going to tell Ruby you love her?" she asks and now it's Josh's turn to laugh.

"I'll tell her I love her when she tells me," he says plainly.

"You're gonna make her say it first?"

"Sure. She's blunt, so when she loves me I know she'll just come out and say it. But she hasn't said it yet, so I don't know if she loves me," Josh explains his logic.

"Right. I guess that makes sense," Evie agrees, understanding Ruby in the same way that Josh does. And he's right, she will just come out and say it when she's ready. Unlike Evie.

They settle into a silence and continue working away with very few customers for the next hour or so, Evie still stuck crunching numbers and Josh downstairs organising new stock and packaging orders. Finally, the bells on the door jingle as someone enters the shop.

Evie looks up from the book she is consumed in to greet the customer who she quickly realises is not a customer at all.

"Hey, you," Dave smiles at Evie from where he's standing at the door and she stands from her seat, making her way over to him.

"What are you doing here?" Evie states, not expecting to see Dave until after her shift was supposed to finish at 5pm.

"I couldn't wait to see you," Dave admits, placing his hands on either side of Evie's face and leaning in to kiss her.

Evie sighs as they pull apart, "I've missed that."

"I have too," Dave agrees.

Josh must hear them from downstairs, because he comes back up to greet Dave happily.

"Hey man! How was tour?" Josh asks excitedly.

"Hey, it was really good, but I'm happy to be home," Dave tells him, looking back to Evie with his last few words as if she is his definition of home.

Despite talking on the phone every day, Evie has still missed Dave a lot, mainly she's missed his physical presence and has been craving just being able to hold him or stand near him.

"Evie, clock off early. I'll close up if you want," Josh offers and she looks between Dave and Josh.

"Oh, are you sure? That's three hours on your own," Evie asks.

"I'll be fine, shop's dead today anyway. You two go," Josh insists.

"Thanks Josh," Evie smiles as she walks behind the counter to collect her stuff and clock out.

"Thanks," she hears Dave say quietly to Josh as she's crouched down to grab her bag from the floor.

"Alright, have a good afternoon. Thank you again," Evie tells Josh with a hug before she and Dave walk out the door.