Chapter 28

Sean's mother held out the phone to Sean and said, "Your boss is calling."

"I wonder what he wants," Sean said walking over to his mother. He had been getting ready to leave for work.

"You might ask him rather than me," his mother answered.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Sean asked.

"I don't have a clue," his mother answered.

"Should I hang up and then call him to find out what he wanted?" Sean asked taking the phone from his mother.

"Sure," she answered with a smile.

Sean held the phone up to his ear and said, "Hello, Mr. Catchums."

"Sean, could you work this evening?" Mr. Catchums asked.

"This evening?" Sean asked.

"I've hired a couple of new people and I want to train them during the quiet time. I won't need you until four," Mr. Catchums said.

Sean said, "I'll be happy to train them. I've even been working on some great sales scripts for others to use."

"That's okay," Mr. Catchums said after a long pause. He quickly added, "I'd rather do it myself."

Sean said, "Are you sure? I would love to be put in charge of corporate training."

"I'm positive," Mr. Catchums said. He mumbled, "Note to self — do not put Sean in charge of training new people."

"If you're sure," Sean said sounding a little disappointed.

Mr. Catchums said, "I'd really appreciate it if you'd come in tonight."

"I guess I could come in," Sean said.

"I hope that this doesn't ruin any of your plans for the evening," Mr. Catchums said.

"I'll have to cancel my date with Suzie," Sean said with a frown.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I really need you tonight," Mr. Catchums said.

"That's okay. I'll be there," Sean said wondering how he was going to break the news to Suzie.

"Great! I'll see you at four," Mr. Catchums said. He hung up before having to exchange more words with Sean.

After he hung up the phone, his mother asked, "What did he want?"

"He wants me to work tonight instead of this morning," Sean said.

Indignant, his mother said, "Friday night is date night. Doesn't he know that?"

"I guess not," Sean said.

"You better hustle your bustle down to the store and get some candy for Suzie before you break the bad news to her," his mother said.

"I have a bustle?" Sean asked.

"You bet," his mother said.

"Wow, I never knew that," Sean said.

"You had better go now," his mother said.

"Okay," Sean said not trusting his mother's insistence that he leave. It wasn't that he was of a suspicious nature, but that he was naturally suspicious.

Stepping outside, Sean ran into Chom. The Dwarf was walking around in a circle while holding his head in his hands. Chom moaned and said, "Oh the pressure!"

"What pressure?" Sean asked.

"Deadlines! I can't stand deadlines," Chom said throwing his arms up in the air.

Looking at all of the parts scattered around the yard, Sean said, "You haven't done anything."

"There's plenty of time," Chom said dismissively.

"I thought you were worried about the deadline," Sean said.

"I am. I hate them," Chom said.

Looking up at Sean, Pip asked, "You wouldn't be interested in changing the deadline, would you?"

"Let's see ... If I change the deadline, then there will be no movie, no popcorn, and no sodas tomorrow night," Sean said rubbing the back of his head.

"I keep forgetting that," Pip said stamping his foot on the ground.

Sean said, "I've got to get to the store."

"Going to buy us some sodas?" Chom asked hopefully.

"Not until after I get my truck," Sean answered.

"Are you sure you aren't a Leprechaun?" Pip asked.

"Positive," Sean answered.

"You negotiate like one," Pip said.

"Not quite," Liam said.

"He needs to learn how to act properly when negotiating. No wailing, no moaning, and no falling on the ground; it is embarrassing," Agar said.

"You can say that again," Pip said.

"No sodas until I get my truck," Sean said.

"I would really like a soda right now," Chom said sadly.

"We're going to have to find another source for soda," Pip said.

Twenty minutes later, Sean entered the convenience store and looked over at Sam's replacement. The middle-aged woman looked familiar, but he couldn't place her immediately.

He went to the shelf that held the candies. He looked over the entire selection before picking the simple box of chocolate covered cherries. He had been hoping for one of those assortments of chocolate candies that were common around Valentine's Day, but there wasn't one.

Taking the box of chocolate covered cherries to the counter, he leaned over and read the name on the name badge worn by the woman behind the counter. It only had her first name — Betty.

He wasn't particularly subtle about where he was looking.

Irritated at him, Betty asked, "Are you enjoying the view?"

"What view, Betty?" Sean asked looking at her face.

"You were checking out my breasts, pervert," Betty answered.

"Really?" Sean asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Your eyes were glued to them," Betty said caustically.

Scratching the back of his neck, Sean said, "I thought I was reading your nametag."

Betty looked down and remembered the nametag. She said, "Oh."

"Sam worked here for a month or more before I learned his name. I thought that I wouldn't make the same mistake again," Sean said setting the box of chocolates on the counter.

"It really looked like you were checking out my breasts," Betty said feeling a little embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," Sean said. He smiled and said, "If it makes you feel any better, my Mom says that all boys my age are perverts."

"She's probably right," Betty said thinking that a more accurate statement would be that all men are perverts, but she didn't say anything to that effect. She smiled at Sean and said, "It is nice to meet you."

"It is nice to meet you. I'm Sean Connery Michaels."

"You're him," Betty said looking at Sean with an odd expression on her face. She'd heard a lot of stories about a young man who frequented the store and sowed confusion with each visit.

"Maybe," Sean replied. He stared off into space for a moment while thoughtfully stroking his chin and then said, "Let's see. First I'm sorry, then I'm Sean Connery Michaels, and then I'm him. I wonder who I'll be next."

"Huh?"

"Never mind, I'm just having an existential crisis," Sean answered with a smile.

"Oh," Betty said. She looked down at the box of chocolates and said, "I guess I better ring you up."

"I've never been rung up before," Sean said. He flashed a grin and asked, "Will it hurt?"

"Pardon?"

"You said that you were going to ring me up. I just wanted to know if it will hurt," Sean answered.

Betty frowned and said, "I meant that I was going to ring up the box of chocolates."

"That's much better although ringing a bell probably makes more sense. At least ringing a box of chocolates won't hurt me," Sean said. It dawned on him that she could have been making reference to calling him on the telephone.

"Huh?" Betty said.

Shaking his head, Sean said, "Never mind."

"Chocolate covered cherries?"

"Yeah, they were the closest to a box of chocolates that I could find here," Sean said.

"Who are they for?" Betty asked.

"My girlfriend," Sean said. He looked away for a second and said, "I have some bad news to tell her."

"Take flowers," Betty said pointing to some flowers sitting in a small bucket.

Sean looked at the flowers for a moment and then asked, "When did you start carrying flowers?"

"I grow them," Betty said. She had taken the job thinking that she'd be able to make a little extra money selling her flowers in the store.

Sean said, "Ah! You're the plant lady. I thought you looked familiar."

Betty rolled her eyes at the all too common characterization of her as the plant lady. She said,

"Yes, I'm the plant lady."

"If you had been bent over and facing the other way, I would have recognized you right away,"

Sean said.

"Bent over and facing the other way?"

Nodding his head, Sean said, "Every time I've ever seen you, you've been outside working on the flowers. All I could see of you was your butt."

"My butt?"

"Yes. It is probably the most recognized butt in the county," Sean said.

"Oh," Betty said with a frown.

Seeing that she looked upset, Sean said, "Don't feel bad. You have a nice butt."

Shoulders sagging, Betty said, "That'll be $4.65."

"Let me add some flowers to that," Sean said walking over to the bucket of flowers.

"Okay," Betty said thinking that she'd never be able to work in her garden again.

Max entered the store while Sean was picking out a bouquet of flowers. Looking over at Sean, he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Buying flowers for Suzie," Sean answered.