Authors Note: Hello and welcome to another one of my stories! ^_^; I can't say exactly what this is about… hence the vague summary -.-;, But it came to me at work, so I'd appreciate any feed back. =D Positive or negative… ._.
Warnings: Complete story rated R for sexual content, language, and mild violence.
Chapter 1 rating: PG-13 (Language)

"The Daily Deal"
By: AikoShrek

Chapter 1: The deal...

"Don't look up… become preoccupied… scowl or something!"

This is when the cashiers try to make themselves as unfriendly looking as possible. Not enough that the boss comes over yelling, but just so that the customer feels the need to go to another register.

You see… we cashiers had a 'daily deal' as we called it. Whomever the last customer approaches to ring up their merchandise had the unfortunate honor of staying late with the manager and director for re-stock. And since we were short handed at the moment, it took twice as long because it was simply you and the manager.

Looking unapproachable is not as easy as it sounds. Especially when the only word to describe me is 'adorable'. I mean, don't get me wrong, my boyish charm gets me everything in life…but at the moment I wouldn't mind looking like Claire at the register beside me…

She is probably the least profitable employee at this wonderful-fucking-establishment. I doubt I've seen anyone other than her age approach her. Let me ask you this, how many earrings can physically fit in the lobe of someone's ear? Whatever number you're thinking… multiply it by three. That's more like it! Maybe it looks good on some girls, but it has done irreversible damage to the length of her ear lobes. It's almost as if her ear lobes brush against her neck. And the long earrings she wears make this horrible clanking noise that clashes with the jangle of her bangles that cover three quarters of her left forearm. But the most horrific part of this anti-social girl is most definitely her hair, or lack there of. She is sporting he buzzed-bald look with a thin ponytail, letting the last few greasy straggly pieces of hair hang from the low left side of her head near her neck. If not for her name being Claire, you would surely confuse her with the opposite gender.

But on the other hand, some confuse me with being a girl sometimes for my attractiveness and pierced ears. Just because I always look good, doesn't mean I'm high maintenance. And therefore, let me make this clear. I'm a guy! Alright? An 18 year old guy! Working… at "Wheels and deals"…

I'm not saying I'm perfect though, I know I'm not. My unfortunate feature would be the size of my eyes. Yes, I've been given the pleasure of my left eye being slightly smaller than my right. It's not enough that you'd recognize it right away or that you'd suddenly exclaim after one glance at me, but if you were looking at me… really carefully looking at me, or if I mentioned it, then you'd notice. It's definitely not anything that a customer could see from the end of the register lanes, that's for sure.

Back to the situation. The lady was obviously studying something on the end of my lane, and if I remember correctly, it was batteries. What's so hard about that? Some are cheaper, but the others last longer.

So there I was, hunched over my counter and pretending to be writing in the pedestal book. It had been going off randomly without anyone even walking through. Unfortunately, if you forget to record even one alarm, it can result in a 'pay deduction' or worse yet…getting your ass fired. Not like I would have given a shit, mind you. I just like having some money I can call my own.

Anyway, she finally chose the longer lasting brand. Nice job. Next she appeared to be looking up for an open register. Okay, time to look back down. I quickly and desperately ducked behind my register, while trying to look distracted.

A few seconds later I made the mistake. The mistake of glancing up to see if I was in the clear. Shit! She saw me and smiled. That was it… that's when I definitely lost.

"Hi, are you open?"

Unfortunately, "yeah."

She dropped the pack of batteries onto the counter and a small yellow and white slip of paper in front of me. Damnit, just my luck. Now I had to print an order…

"Where do I pick this up?"

Smiling slightly now, I took the ticket and begin to ring it through, grabbing the batteries to slide closer to me as I spoke, "You're going to bring your receipt back tomorrow after 5:30 once I finish ringing you through."

She looked slightly thoughtful for a moment, pursing her lips slightly before shaking her head slightly. "No, I'd like it now," she replied as I totaled her transaction.

"I'll just need you to write your name and phone number on the back of this please, so we can have it ready for you tomorrow," I continued and ignored her. She obviously didn't seem to understand.

"No, I'd rather have it now, thanks," she smiled a little, although faltering at the corner of her lips.

"I'm sorry, but that's our policy. It's a 24 hour assembly," I shrugged, gritting my teeth discretely. I did not want to call service for help. I just wanted to get the hell out of here.

"No, I don't want it assembled," she laughed a few short times, raising her brows expectantly until I realized what she meant.

Oh… I glanced behind me where I heard some small snickers wafting towards me. Low and behold, my wonderful co-workers. The other two cashiers who had escaped ringing the last customer. They escaped re-stock. Shit.

"Sorry about that, ma'am," I sighed, rolling my eyes to myself.

I bagged her batteries and pushed the ticket towards her. "Forty two fifteen, please."

She handed me a twenty dollar bill as she repeated, "…and where can I pick this up?" the ticket dangled from her outstretched hand.

I handed her the receipt along with her change. "Customer Service."

"Thanks, I'm in a rush," she added with another small smile.

"Just let them know," I replied, although an annoyed tone crept in ever so slightly.

She turned from me, dropping her wallet back into her back before heading to the front of the store for Customer Service.

I sighed, running a petite hand gently through my messy blonde hair. I closed my eyes momentarily as it fell back perfectly into place. 'High maintenance', I laughed at the thought, hitting the 'sign-off' key on the register.

Snatching my water bottle from beneath the register, I heard the annoying warble of someone trying to use the store-wide intercom.

"Aki to Customer Service, Aki to Service."

Sighing loudly with a slight grumble, I took my pace to a run, ignoring the sloshing sound from the water bottle and the screech of sneakers as I stopped at service, letting out a deep breath and smiling slightly at the vigorating, even though short, jog.

"Yes?" I asked, my eyebrows rose slightly in expectation.

The woman behind the counter turned from the exit once hearing my energetic voice. She put up a finger, silencing me as well as the official 'hold on' she was famous for.

I couldn't help rolling my eyes and the small smile that tugged my lips at the moment. I crossed my arms leisurely, leaning over the counter and glancing down into the RDD bin. Return-Damage-Defective. If I'm lucky I score things from there when they can spare them. Nothing looked too good. I made a mental note to check the back later tonight.

"So you're on tomorrow with Daryl," she finished her conversation, or rather, public broadcast, with the man standing down by the exit.

"Melinda…" I whined slightly. "It's nearly ten," I bounced on my feet a little. Eight hours can call for some bouncing. Especially from 'adorable' me.

She turned to me with a sigh and the ever-present look of someone who's worked in one location for too long. Or maybe it's just the fact that Customer Service deals with the bitchy people…

"You're re-stock?" she asked simply, staring down at the schedule.

I nodded a little, hearing the snickers of my approaching co-workers. "Checks please!" the short haired girl sang out. She leaned on the counter beside me, snatching her check away as Melinda held it out automatically, doing the same for the quiet boy accompanying her. I studied them both before glancing over to my left seeing Claire saunter over beside me.

"Check," she said simply, receiving it a moment later.

"Did you call me for something or maybe you just don't need me tonight?" I asked a little more than hopefully, judging from the smirks that were emitted from my co-workers seconds later.

"That lady needs a boxed bike," she said simply, pointing over her shoulder with an uncapped pen.

I leaned over slightly, seeing the same woman I had just helped. She seemed to be interested in the bulletin for camp services we offered.

"Now?" I whined slightly, putting a tired and annoyed expression on.

"Go to the back and see what we've got. I don't know who's still here, I'm not sure if everyone clocked out or if the guy's here."

"What guy?" my attitude perked, a slightly more flirtatious aura appearing.

"The new director," Melinda slighed, glancing up with a hint of annoyance. "I want to lock up, can you go get the bike or what?"

"Yeah, yeah… I'm going," I mumbled, spinning on my heels and bouncing slightly on my way towards the back room. I continuously pulled the cap of my sport-water bottle open and closed it with my palm, keeping a steady rhythm as I hummed along with the store music.

The next thing I knew, my bottle was no longer in my hand. My back was flat on the ground and the cold and dirty tiled floor was pressed against my cheek, a heavy weight forced on top of me. I struggled to open my eyes, spotting my water bottle still rolling away from me, a small trail of water left along the floor. A low groan made me turn my head, seeing someone pushing themselves up from the ground with their palms pressed against the tile, their hair hanging, concealing their appearance.

My hands came up slowly, touching whatever was on top of me carefully. I judged it to be a box. A very heavy box.

"Shit," the person I had seen beside me mumbled.

The box atop of me was lifted and I breathed deeply at the new flow of air into my lungs. A hand was held down to me and I made a move to grab it, but it was quickly drawn back.

"Oh," the voice spoke again, this time a careless phrase as he spotted the brightly colored red vest I wore.

I blinked repeatedly, shaking my head slightly and pushing myself up from the ground with my hands behind me. I looked up slowly and with a confused expression to see the person moving away from me.

The light brown hair swept past me, or rather, over me, as he headed for the front of the store. "Thought you were a customer," he said in a calm and normal toned voice, not bothering to glance back.

I watched him for a moment, not recognizing him, nor realizing what had happened until her turned the corner ahead, suddenly regaining my voice and spat, "Watch where you're going!"


To be continued in Chapter 2