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ＦINN ＴEAGAN

"Oh good! Then until we get customers, you can help me stock the shelves," he said with a big grin. Pushing off the boxes, he grabbed the clipboard he had set on top of them and looked through the inventory. "So, we usually get stock every month from the mainland, but I forgot to order a few things two weeks ago, so we got extra shipment this time. Nothing huge. Just a few boxes of the large jawbreakers, gummie and sour bears, chocolate bars and an assortment of sour candies." Flipping through the pages of inventory again, he nodded in conformation at the information he told her. Looking back up at her, he set the clipboard on the counter and pulled the top box off the stack. If he remembered right, he put the chocolate on top, the box of sour candy in the middle and the jawbreakers on the bottom. "Okay, so the gummie bears are still in the back, but the middle box gets emptied over there on the wall where all the plastic containers are," he said motioning to the wall with his head.

Walking over to the opposite side of the store, further away from the counter, he dropped the box of chocolate at his feet and pulled the box cutter out of his back pocket. Cutting through the tape, he put it back into his pocket and knelt down, slowly, and began picking up handfuls of chocolate bars to put in their proper places. He pushed aside the pain that pulsed in his knee from getting up and down and continued to work. He wasn't allowed to give into the pain while he was at work. He had to muscle through; plus he had his pain meds if it got unbearable.

ＦINN ＴEAGAN

Finn put the last of the chocolate bars into their proper spots. Picking up the box, he walked to the back of the store and threw it into the dumpster. Walking back into the store, he grabbed the box of gummie bears and staggered out with them. He felt like it was going to be a slower day than originally planned thanks to the weather. It was supposed to start raining in the afternoon which meant hardly anyone would be out on the streets anyways. It was doubtful many would be walking the streets unless they had an umbrella; which he didn't. Oh man, that meant his bike was going to get wet. Oh well, he'd just have to live with it. It would probably be dry by the time he left work anyways. Or, he hoped so anyways. It was no fun sitting on a wet seat.

Walking towards his new employee, he set down the box and pulled out his box cutter. Dime's tail swished as he watched the two of them do their work. Sitting up, he stretched out his body before jumping down. He meowed before padding over to the girl and rubbing against her ankles. He meowed up at her wanting to be petted. Finn's golden eyes looked over his shoulder at the suck up of a cat he owned. "What a kiss a**," he muttered in amusement and with a light shake of his head.

ＦINN ＴEAGAN

Finn couldn't help but laugh. She had a point there. "Ya know, the mothers like him more than the kids do," he laughed. Dime really was a babe magnet. "If I wasn't already married, I'd have no shortage of prospects." It was a joke. He didn't really mean anything by it. Bree was his soul mate and no one could replace her. Plus, the best part of it was, she was carrying his baby. Now how could he leave her lie that? He wasn't the type to abandon anyone, especially someone he loved. He wasn't his parents. Actually, how much could they have loved him if they left him so easily. Twenty-one years later and not a single shred of knowledge of who they were or where they were. Oh well, water under the bridge now. He was making his own family and he refused to turn out like them.

Dime mewled again at the lack of attention he was getting. If he wanted to be left alone, he wouldn't have come over here. In fact, he shouldn't have come to his master's work if no one was going to pet him. He'd get more love from the female master at this point. Seeing that he wouldn't get anymore love from the woman, he padded over to his master and jumped on his shoulders. Finn's golden eyes glanced back at the gray cat, who instantly made himself comfortable on the ex-athlete's shoulders. Wrapping his bushy tail around his neck, he purred against his shoulder as he watched the teal one stock shelves. "I have a feeling it's going to be a slow day," Finn muttered as he focused on putting the gummie bears away.

ＦINN ＴEAGAN

Finn sputtered and coughed as Dime's tail flicked into his face. Blowing at his tail, he shook his head and continued his work. When he was finished, he pushed himself to his feet, wincing as pain shot through his knee. Dime meowed at him, his ear turning when he heard the pained hiss come from his master's lips. "Eh, I'm fine buddy," he lied, petting him. Dime knew the truth about his master's pain. He'd seen that look, heard that sound, every time his master was in pain. He meowed again before jumping off his shoulders and padding back up to the counter. Finn picked up the box and tossed it beside the dolly before bending down beside the box of jawbreakers; painstakingly slowly. As he was cutting open the box, he heard the door swing open. A mother and her young daughter walked in, the child immediately growing a big smile on their face and running through the store. "Good afternoon Finn! How are you and Bree?" the woman asked as she walked over to Dime and began petting him.

"Oh hey there Sharon!" he greeted happily, despite the pain surging through his knee. "We're fine! Bree just got back from visiting her parents actually." The woman smiled as she looked over to her daughter before turning her gaze to Rylee. "Oh my! Who are you? Finn, I didn't know you started hiring," she cooed with a kind smile. "Well, need all the extra help with a baby on the way, ya know," he replied with a casual shrug and a kindhearted chuckle.

ＦINN ＴEAGAN

"Oh well it's so nice to meet you!" Sharon cooed happily. The little girl ran around until her small arms were too full to carry anymore. Waddling up to the counter, she handed her mother everything she could get, who then put it all on the counter. "Rylee, why don't you ring them up while I finish stocking the jawbreakers," he said, motioning her over to the counter with his head. She was the cashier after all. He could focus on the rest of the work while she dealt with the customers. Or they could even switch roles sometimes. He didn't mind if she kept the store tidy while he helped customers, but for now he'd just let her do her job. Turning his attention back to the box of candy, he began moving it over towards the middle of the store where the jawbreakers were. With a deep inhale to try and control the pain, he began placing them into the plastic container that held them, hearing them clack together.

ＦINN ＴEAGAN

The little girl looked up at the woman with shimmering eyes of happiness at getting to eat candy. "Gummie bears!" she exclaimed with a big smile. Her mother chuckled softly. Fishing into her purse, she grabbed her wallet to pay for the candy. Sighing softly, Finn finished his work and pushed himself to his feet. Grabbing the boxes, he hauled them away, along with the dolly. Throwing the empty box away, he stored the still half full box of jawbreakers for when they began to run low again. Walking back out, the mother and child were leaving. Waving at them both, Finn smiled and waved goodbye before walking over to the counter and sitting in the chair that sat behind the counter. He needed to rest every once in a while; when his knee began to act up. Leaning back a little, he grunted when Dime jumped onto his stomach, curling up into his lap and beginning to purr. "Rylee, you can take your lunch break now if you'd like," he said as he looked over at her. "But if you do, could I ask you to do me a favor by chance?"

ＦINN ＴEAGAN

Oh good! He was glad she was agreeing to help him out. Sitting up, he reached for his wallet and pulled out forty dollars. "Go to Shark's Head in the Cerise district and get me three specialty rolls and a soda?" he asked, holding out the money for her. If she decided to refuse the request, then he'd just go himself. The only reason he was even asking was because he wanted to give his knee time to rest enough so he could get up and work some more. He knew he had a few more things to do before the day was over and he wanted to be home in time for dinner before Bree went to work; if she went to work. Speaking of! "Wait one minute..." he trailed off as he pulled out his phone with his free hand. Swiping his fingers across his screen he sent a text to his wife. "BREE! Ya wanna have lunch with me? I'm having sushi but I can get something else if ya want." Sending the text, he set his phone on the counter. "I hope you don't mind if I wait for a reply from my wife. She just got back home from her parents and we haven't had a meal together in a while," he said as he looked up at his teal haired employee.