“It's tradition to start fist fights over Rocky the Robot Dog?”
“Mr. Carrington to the televisions department,” said a kid over the PA system. “Uh, immediate assistance required.”
He sighed loudly as if the demand that he actually work was going to kill him. How could a slacker like him have managed to keep the store running for so many years, anyway?
I'd ponder that question later. The hoopla and shouting from the TV section promised that something not good was about to happen.
“Tailing me around the store, eh, Sarah?” Asher looked at me over his shoulder with a boyish grin. “Never knew you had such a thing for me. Looks like I was right about you after all.”
I blushed over the fact he'd caught me following him. Ugh, if only I didn't get so nervous around him. Felt like a nerdy high-school teenager with a silly crush all over again.
“I'm not tailing you. Just curious to see what mess you've gotten yourself into this time.”
He paused in his tracks, causing me to nearly run into him.
“Know what I think? I think you're trying to steal company secrets.”
His expression was deadpan. I stammered for a response.
“Are you crazy? What sort of secrets would I want to steal from you?”
“I dunno. Maybe you see all these happy customers of mine, and you're envious.” He smiled again and patted me on the back. “Shame more folks aren't into playing with dusty old antiques these days.”
He was making fun of me, the bastard! Typical of him, really. The two of us had exchanged plenty of jabs in the past few years. When two businesses compete, it was to be expected.
And still, through it all, he never ceased to try out his latest pick-up lines on me.
“I prefer the term 'vintage,'” I snapped as he strode toward the TVs. “And not everything in my store is old, you know. They're just simpler toys without flashing lights and sound effects.”
“What's the point in that?” He grabbed a drone from a display. “You ever played with one of these babies? Great for racing. How about a competition once the store clears out? All in good fun, of course.”
Before I could think of a witty reply to his offer, an employee ran up to Asher, flapping his arms as though trying to take flight.
“Mr. Carrington, sir! You're needed in TVs. Like, real bad.”
In that section, there was a line of people standing at the counter demanding to speak with the manager.
“What do you mean, there's no more?” A lady thrust a flyer in the worker's face. “The ad says there was supposed to be fifty of this television on sale today.”
“I really do apologize,” the kid stammered, fiddling with his eyeglasses. “But it seems there's been a mistake. We only have ten of that model in stock.”
Asher skidded to a stop, looking pretty thunderstruck. I couldn't help but smirk.
“Uh-oh. Bait and switch, huh?” I teased him. “Even I know better than that, and the only thing I do is sell 'antiques.'”
The lucky ones who'd scored their TV scurried away to the registers with their cart. The rest surrounded the customer service desk, demanding compensation for Asher's error.
He chuckled nervously. “So, Sarah. Ever wanted to be the boss of a major electronics retailer? It's loads of fun. Here, I'll let you try it out for a day.”
He tried to hand me his name tag, but I slapped his hand away. I felt an electric jolt when our fingers met. He studied me and gnawed his lip as if he couldn't stand the frustration anymore.
He'd felt it too, hadn't he?
“Uh, no thanks. I've got enough trouble dealing with the constant slew of old folks at my own shop. They just love arguing about the price of this and that. Always wanting something marked down.”
A little kid, pushing a shopping cart with another child riding inside, tore gleefully down the aisle packed with annoyed shoppers. He crashed into a rack of batteries, upended the whole thing, and sent hundreds of packages flying.
“What sort of parent lets their children run around willy-nilly?” A woman yelped as the boys sped past her, nearly knocking her down. “This is preposterous. Where is the manager of this godforsaken place?”
Asher looked like he wanted to hide in his office. I silently gloated – this was what he deserved for always teasing me – but deep down, felt just a tiny bit bad for him.
“Hello, son.”
A booming voice resounded above the chattering crowd and the beeps of the cash registers. Asher and I whirled around. A large, stern-looking man stood before us.
He had a few wrinkles and was beginning to bald, but otherwise looked very much like Asher. He wore a fancy suit and a scowl.
“Five years you've been in charge of Slicker Image, and you still can't get the store under control.”
Asher challenged his father's stare. “Give me a break, old man. It's a shopping holiday. Don't act like you don't know how those things work.”
He ignored his son, turned to me, and then smiled with his hand out to shake.
“Hi there. I'm Heath Carrington, Avery's father.”
“Um... Nice to meet you,” I said, wincing from the strength of his grasp.
“Likewise. I was beginning to think my boy would never get married.”
A shiver went up my spine. Asher and I exchanged confused looks. Was this guy going senile?
“It's so nice to finally meet Asher's fiancee.”
Chapter 2 - Asher
Sarah Masters was one of the most gorgeous women I'd ever met. She was sweet, smart, and could even take my teasing without barely batting an eyelash.
But marry her?
Had my father gone certifiably insane?
He and I stood face to face while the river of grumpy customers parted to move around
