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 Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 4:20 pm
He'd wasted the first two months of freedom by lounging around, stealing starseeds and wooing ladies.
Well. Lady. He couldn't really justify his interactions with Kari as anywhere close to wooing, but there were interactions, at least. Kind of.
Anyways.
The money had run dry and his parents (and Penny) had cut him off from his constant mooching. Snack funds were running low, he had no dough to take Cass out on dates with and most importantly, he had zip for fundage when it came to new video games.
It was time for the inevitable: it was time to find a job.
After several days of dwelling over the perfect spot for him to spend the rest of his days (until he figured out something better to do), he'd finally made his decision and that decision had involved the mall. So, with his faithful new friend on his arm (who else was able to calm his nerves like her?), he made his way into the mall entrance, eyes darting around at the various shops around them.
"Thanks for coming with me, by the way."
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Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:21 am
When he asked her to come with him, she'd agreed easily. Cass enjoyed spending time with her Ali bear and she liked browsing games at the store. She didn't play frequently, but she dabbled and was pretty good at video games when she wanted to be.
"Sure thing babe," she replied, squeezing fingers around his bicep.
Her outfit was tamer than usual, with dark tights under dark shorts and a top that covered most of her torso. There was still a nice dipping v-neck collar because she thought she might need to take advantage of her feminine wiles to help the boy out. "I'm pretty sure they'll hire you. If not, I bet I can get them to hire you."
The woman was terribly convincing when she tried and when she wasn't, she was persistent enough that she rarely stopped until she got what she wanted. "Don't worry, we're not leaving until they hire you."
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Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 11:58 am
He laughed at that, not because he didn't believe it - if anything, he knew Cass had a way about her that would make most men fall to their knees. "That's the spirit, babe. Take no prisoners."
Gamestop had been the most simple of solutions, when it came to the question of where did he want to work. The food industry seemed too greasy and boring while the retail industry consisted of mostly clothes (boring) or things like sporting goods (extra boring). He liked girls and video games, which drastically limited his scope of choices.
Then there was Gamestop. He knew enough about most game types to coast by in a general conversation and he was okay enough, he felt, when it came to recommendations. After all, why suggest a game if you've never played it, right?
Tugging her a little closer to his hip, he took a deep breath as he waltzed them through the front door of the small shop. Normally, he was ready to dart to the New Releases section, but this visit was far more serious than just a game reservation or retrieval. This was a difference between being poor and having money.
"Do I look okay?" His volume was hushed as he turned to his companion, a tinge of uncertainty in his voice.
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Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 3:01 pm
Allowing herself to be pressed closer to his taller frame, Cass let her bright green gaze wander across the store taking note of the immediate attention she and her companion seemed to receive from the lone employee in the store.
It was early enough that they likeyl weren't busy enough to warrant two people out on the floor which meant that she could work her magic easily if she needed to.
"You look great," she assured him, taking a moment to pull herself away so that she could properly examine his outfit. Stretching onto her tip toes she kissed his cheek. "For luck. If you can do this without me, I'll make sure to reward you with something better. Kay?" She winked at him before she tapped his nose and walked backwards away from him.
"I'll be browsing but close by, you got this."
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 4:46 am
Hands moved up to comb down any stray hairs for the twentieth time since leaving the car, the teenager doing his best to focus on the questions his sister had drilled him on the night before.
Why did he want the job?
What were some strengths he had?
Weaknesses?
Why should he be hired?
His tongue ran across his teeth nervously before offering a half-smile to the girl who'd kissed him for luck. He was eighty percent positive that she hadn't left any lipstick stains but hell, even if she did - what was the Gamestop guy gonna think other than cool?
Nodding his head, he made his way to the front desk and straightened his shoulders.
"Hey, I'm Alrik Rey - I have an interview at two for a job?"
He'd filled out the form the day before, the manager, Freddy, requesting his presence for a proper "talk" the following day. It was clear from the young redhead's nametag that "Freddy" was the sole soul in the store for the afternoon and he dug through a nearby file cabinet, thumbing through the tabs for what Ali could only presume to be the "R" section.
"My second man called in today so I'm afraid I cant take you to the back - can we have it out here?"
Freddy was clearly eyeing Cass's presence and Alrik took a moment to feel grateful for his accompanied support. "Yeah, that's fine."
"Cool, cool. So tell me, why do you want to work here?"
Taking a deep breath, Alrik smiled and opened his mouth...and balked.
"I...I mean, I love video games? And...I'm really good at them?"
Alrik Rey was one question in and already floundering.
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 2:01 pm
True to her word, Cass was nearby browsing some of the latest xbox releases. Plucking a game from the shelf she studied the artwork on the cover as she listened to the conversation passing between her not-boyfriend and the manager of the store. Turning over the box she pretended to read the back and the storyline before she caught wind of Alrik's flailing when it came to the interview process.
A shake of her head and a sigh later, she placed the game she hadn't actually been looking at back on the shelf and plucked a game she knew he'd know enough of and strode over to the counter.
"S'cuse me," she quipped, sliding the game and her arms onto the counter. Looking seriously from Alrik to the man, Freddy, she made sure to position herself so that her shirt left a nice little distracting view. "So I'm really on the fence and need a little advice." She pushed the game out with her forefinger. "I'm thinking of buying this but...I need a little more info than what the box gives me."
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 3:01 pm
As the beautiful woman slid up next to him, it was clear that Freddy began to tense in her presence while Alrik gained back a sense of confidence. The tightly coiled fear that had wrapped itself around his brain was slowly loosening as the amazing girl who'd come with him was clearly providing a distraction for him to collect himself with.
God, she was the absolute freakin' best.
The game she'd picked out was an oldie, something left on the shelf for the sake of variety, in Alrik's opinion.
"Hey, I wouldn't go with that one - not unless you're into subpar graphics." He cut in before Freddy had time to speak. The redhead clearly wasn't enthusiastic about the way his interviewee was dissing the game a potential customer was interested in. Still, Alrik continued, this time with confidence, "If you're into first person shooters, I know a much better one you'd be interested in."
Without even giving it a second thought, he was pushing off the countertop and heading towards the New Release section. Gamestop was like a home away from home for him and the young Rey knew the store like the back of his hand.
Plucking up one of the newer releases (and thirty dollars pricier, at that), he offered her the box while pointing towards the back. "Better gameplay, better graphics. It's made by the same company, but the one you had was one of their first games. They've come a long way since then, so you're better off benefiting from their experience than experiencing their mistakes, right?"
Freddy, who'd slipped out from behind the counter, watched the interaction. The scowl had softened and turned into a more... curious look.
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:17 am
While inwardly, Cass was preening at her own cleverness, outwardly she was wearing the confused expression of a girl who didn't seem to know much about video games at all. Alrik would know that wasn't true, they'd played a few games together before, but Freddy didn't know that and that was all that mattered. Green brows furrowed and she pouted, staring at the choice of game he seemed to dismiss with a confused look.
"Someone on tumblr said it was a must play." She lied, shrugging while watching him saunter off to collect a new and 'better' game. He was doing almost exactly what she expected and she purposely picked a game she didn't own quite yet so that if she ended up buying it, then it wasn't some duplicate she'd have to return at some point.
Carefully she took the game from his hands and pretended to examine the back of the box with interest. Her ability to feign how much she cared was astounding. "Well, the art does look nicer." She hummed, making herself sound a little vapid. "You got any tips then, since you've got soooo much knowledge on this?" Her lashes batted at him and she pouted, for effect. "I mean..." she sighed, glancing at Freddy from the corner of her eyes. "You think I need anything else?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:25 pm
He internally winced at her exaggerated sooo, hoping to goodness that Freddy wasn't tipped off that the wonderful woman in front of him had created a ploy to make him look in front of his (hopefully) future employment.
Glancing back at the mousy looking redhead, it appeared that Freddy was completely distracted by Cass and her attire. That was also okay.
"Weeeeeell," he said slowly, "The one you have in your hand is for the PS4. If you're into PC version, they also make it for that format. Personally, I'm more of a playstation guy, myself, but there seems to be a bit more camaraderie when it comes to the PC community - if you're okay with dealing with a bunch of tough skinned guys and gals, I'd stick with the PS4."
Taking a moment, he cleared his throat and took a step back, as if collecting himself and realizing what he'd done.
"I'm sorry for interrupting, Fred, I just --"
"You're fine." Freddy said dismissively before turning full attention to the green haired girl standing by the blonde. "Everything Al here said was true, though I'd suggest investing in one of our guides if you think you may need assistance, miss."
One hand moved back to point at the rack of guidebooks and cheat guides - things Alrik himself scoffed at using, unless it was a last resort.
"May we help you with anything else today?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:09 am
A long strand of green was plucked from where they fell across her shoulder and Cass twirled it around one finger, shifting on the counter to re-position her goods. "Huh." The woman looked properly confused about the fact that the game could be played on a PC format, green eyes flicking from Alrik to Freddy then back to the blond.
"I think I can handle it." She said, even if she looked like she might not. While Cass followed the pointing finger to the guide racks, she wrinkled her nose at the prospect of using a guide for help. "Can't I just come back and ask you," she looked pointedly at Alrik before looking at the actual employee too, "for help if I need it? Like, you guys work here right? Betcha know all the tricks for this stuff."
Pulling her finger free of her hair she pressed two fingers on the top of the game case and slid it closer to the redhead. "Just this." Drawing her hand back she slipped fingers into the front of her shirt to pull out her card which she offered to Freddy between two fingers. "If I get stuck, I'll come back to ask for you two."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 7:32 pm
He owed her big time.
The subtle little you guys work here right question had been downright amazing. Cass was just as good of an actress as she was a dancer, as far as Alrik Rey was concerned. He'd have to spend the first bit of his first paycheck paying her back for the video game that she was buying to keep the charade up, but it would be worth it (plus, it was a video game he actually wanted to play later!!).
He opened his mouth to respond to her inquiry but Freddy had already whisked her up to the register to ring up the purchase. He was cordial - or as cordial as a video game nerd at a video game store could be - and then returned his attention to Alrik after the young woman was checked out.
The clipboard was in his hand but he looked straight at the teenager instead of the attached application. He opened his mouth to speak and Alrik braced himself for the congratulatory welcoming he knew he could expect.
"You do realize that I saw you both walk in together, right?"
Okay, not what he was expecting to hear. Alrik felt his stomach drop as the manager gave him a smirk. So maybe he hadn't been paying that close attention to the worker when he'd stepped foot inside the Gamestop. Time to figure out a Plan B, the---
"But you know your stuff, kid, that's easy enough to see. You suck at interviews but your taste in women is..." the other man glanced in Cass's direction, "Pro. She isn't possibly your sister, is she?"
The hopeful look on the manager's face was almost amusing as Ali shook his head. "No, she's just a friend," he admitted, albeit while gritting through his teeth, "But she does like video games, we didn't plan to--"
"I don't care what you did, if you can promise to have your friend come around now and again to visit, you've got the job."
Alrik couldn't really approve of the means of obtaining the job but... it was a job offer. He had a job offer.
Alrik Rey had obtained his first job!
"Yeah, I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Easy on the eyes, huh?"
Handshakes and words were exchanged, Alrik getting information and instructions on when to show up and what to wear for his first day of orientation. He'd get a call later, according to Freddy, with details for the drug test and background check, as well as discussion about pay.
A wave and a few strides later and Alrik was making his way out of the store, one hand protectively pressed against Cass's backside, as if reminding Freddy of who the pretty woman had come into the store with.
"I should thank you," he mused quietly to his partner, "It seems that he was so enamored by you that it didn't matter that we were pretending, back there."
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:47 am
The dancer was always aware of the eyes on her and she probably hadn't missed the fact that Freddy had likely seen them enter together. GameStop wasn't that big after all, but that wasn't the point. The point had been to make sure that Alrik relaxed and showcased that he was knowledgeable, because he was. He had just needed a less stressful opportunity to show it, which she was happy to provide.
She had wandered away, pausing to look at the guides recommended so she could stay busy and listen in. Aware that eyes were lingering on her, she looked up to offer a smile and finger wave before she put the book back into place. Soon enough, her boytoy had returned to her side and whisked her out of the store.
Cass didn't miss the possessive press of fingers against the small of her back however and once they were far enough down the sidewalk she laughed. "I figured," she admitted, looping an arm around his back. "And you should, because I'm awesome." Her face turned towards his so she could flash a grin his way. "But I'll teach you all about my favorite ways to be thanked later." When she bit her lip and grin it was clear that she was thinking something devious or inappropriate. Or both.
"Right now," she said, swinging in front of him to walk fingers up his chest before they slid to the nape of his neck and drew him down towards her, mouths centimeters apart. "I want to take you home with me so I can congratulate you on your brand new job." She stretched up, lips brushing his. "Whaddya say?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 8:08 am
He gave her a quizzical look when she mentioned teaching him - he'd figured treating her out to dinner and a little bit of spoilage would do the trick. Apparently Cass had other plans, which only made him wonder what in the world could she want t---
Her arms wrapped around his neck and all thoughts proceeded to halt in their tracks. Lips drew up towards his and he blinked in startled surprise before his brain caught up with the conversation and he grinned widely. Congratulate him? If it involved her and those tempting lips... he was in. Definitely, one hundred and ten percent in.
The kiss was chaste in comparison to her normal ones, but he was too excited to beg for more, especially when there was a promise of what she clearly was referring to some epic make-out sessions in his near future.
"I'd say... why are we still wasting time at the mall, then?"
Wrapping his arm around her waist once more, his pace noticeably picked up as he guided them towards the escalator closest to the exit.
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