Ashley (Part One)
One Foot Tall Fiancé
chapter 16
by
copier
· original author:
phantomstriker
“Oh, I know what you can do!” Renee brightened. “This actually works out perfectly, because I didn’t know quite what to do.”
You crossed your arms. “Oh? What is it? I’ll do anything I can to help out.”
Renee smile beautifully. “Hee, that’s sweet of you. Basically, my boss wanted to talk to me in her office. She said it was urgent, and sent me a text about it like ten minutes ago, but I guess she forgot I run the gift shop by myself during this shift. I can’t really leave the shop abandoned to visit my boss, can I? She’d chew me out for that.”
“That doesn’t seem quite fair.” You said. “How does she expect you to visit her and run the shop?”
Renee shrugged. “Don’t know, really. BUT, now that you’re here, I can hop on over to her real quick. You’ll just run the gift shop in my place!”
You paled, immediately thrown by her request. You’d expected maybe a job involving stocking the shelf or carrying some items, or maybe counting money in the register. But running the gift shop entirely on your own? You weren’t an Atlantica employee!
“Um…is that the best idea?” You asked. Renee nodded, leaning back and turning towards the shop’s exit. Apparently, she’d already decided this was the best course of action.
“It’ll only take me a few minutes, Jake. Five tops!” Renee held up her open palm to signify five. Nearing the door to the shop, she looked at you with an earnest, almost pleading expression. “I know you can do it! Just help people buy stuff and take their cash or credit.” Stepping further out of sight, she gave you one last parting remark. “Besides, it’s been a slow day. No one will even come in!”
With her lilting optimism, Renee disappeared from your sight. You watched the direction she’d left from for another minute, still a bit stunned at this sudden development. One second, you’d been robbed and squashed by an oblivious shop employee. Then you’d met a new friend and been offered a gracious proposition. Now, you were apparently a temporary employee at Atlantica for the next five minutes.
Sighing, you looked around the empty, almost eerily quiet store. Not much else to do, you paced back and forth on the countertop. Nothing the slight disarray of misplaced items and loose papers, you took it upon yourself to clean up Renee’s workspace. It was the least you could do for someone as nice as her. And it made your minor OCD tendencies satisfied with everything on the counter squared away.
Five minutes later, and you heard footsteps clapping against the ground in the direction of the gift shop. They sounded like flipflops, which you hadn’t thought Renee was wearing, but you were glad she was back none-the-less. Turning to the door and smiling, you prepared to wave and greet her…only for the words to die before they left your throat.
“Like…hello? OMG, is anyone even here?”
*****
Renee knocked on her boss’ door. “I’m here to see you ma’am. Sorry for my delay.” The reply from the other side of the door was muffled, but sounded like confirmation, so Renee let herself in. Her boss was buried in her computer, typing furiously and with a scowl on her face. Meekly, Renee slid into the uncomfortable chair in front of her boss’ desk. She was pretty sure her boss ordered the chair to be uncomfortable on purpose.
Her boss didn’t even look up at her. “Your tardiness has set me back, but that’s fine. I’ve compensated for it.”
Renee winced at her boss’ unyielding and analytical manner of speaking. “Wh-what did you want from me.”
Her boss glanced ever-so-slightly up at her, and managed a small smile. “Please, Renee. I’m not going to eat you alive. You’re here because I value you as an employee.”
The platinum-blonde girl blushed. “O-oh? Really?”
Her boss spun the monitor of her computer around to face Renee. “To battle falling returns from her gift shop, we’re ordering entire new stocks of exclusive products. I’d like you to share your opinions on each potential item we’re considering. Are they worth it? Will people buy them?”
Renee was floored, but recovered quickly and gave her boss a huge smile. “I can totally do that! I think I know our customers really well.”
“That’s what I love to hear. This may take a while though.” Her boss took a sip of coffee.
Renee waved her hand. “I’ve got all the time in the world, boss. If you want me to do this, I’ll give it my all, no matter how long it takes!”
*****
You crossed your arms. “Oh? What is it? I’ll do anything I can to help out.”
Renee smile beautifully. “Hee, that’s sweet of you. Basically, my boss wanted to talk to me in her office. She said it was urgent, and sent me a text about it like ten minutes ago, but I guess she forgot I run the gift shop by myself during this shift. I can’t really leave the shop abandoned to visit my boss, can I? She’d chew me out for that.”
“That doesn’t seem quite fair.” You said. “How does she expect you to visit her and run the shop?”
Renee shrugged. “Don’t know, really. BUT, now that you’re here, I can hop on over to her real quick. You’ll just run the gift shop in my place!”
You paled, immediately thrown by her request. You’d expected maybe a job involving stocking the shelf or carrying some items, or maybe counting money in the register. But running the gift shop entirely on your own? You weren’t an Atlantica employee!
“Um…is that the best idea?” You asked. Renee nodded, leaning back and turning towards the shop’s exit. Apparently, she’d already decided this was the best course of action.
“It’ll only take me a few minutes, Jake. Five tops!” Renee held up her open palm to signify five. Nearing the door to the shop, she looked at you with an earnest, almost pleading expression. “I know you can do it! Just help people buy stuff and take their cash or credit.” Stepping further out of sight, she gave you one last parting remark. “Besides, it’s been a slow day. No one will even come in!”
With her lilting optimism, Renee disappeared from your sight. You watched the direction she’d left from for another minute, still a bit stunned at this sudden development. One second, you’d been robbed and squashed by an oblivious shop employee. Then you’d met a new friend and been offered a gracious proposition. Now, you were apparently a temporary employee at Atlantica for the next five minutes.
Sighing, you looked around the empty, almost eerily quiet store. Not much else to do, you paced back and forth on the countertop. Nothing the slight disarray of misplaced items and loose papers, you took it upon yourself to clean up Renee’s workspace. It was the least you could do for someone as nice as her. And it made your minor OCD tendencies satisfied with everything on the counter squared away.
Five minutes later, and you heard footsteps clapping against the ground in the direction of the gift shop. They sounded like flipflops, which you hadn’t thought Renee was wearing, but you were glad she was back none-the-less. Turning to the door and smiling, you prepared to wave and greet her…only for the words to die before they left your throat.
“Like…hello? OMG, is anyone even here?”
*****
Renee knocked on her boss’ door. “I’m here to see you ma’am. Sorry for my delay.” The reply from the other side of the door was muffled, but sounded like confirmation, so Renee let herself in. Her boss was buried in her computer, typing furiously and with a scowl on her face. Meekly, Renee slid into the uncomfortable chair in front of her boss’ desk. She was pretty sure her boss ordered the chair to be uncomfortable on purpose.
Her boss didn’t even look up at her. “Your tardiness has set me back, but that’s fine. I’ve compensated for it.”
Renee winced at her boss’ unyielding and analytical manner of speaking. “Wh-what did you want from me.”
Her boss glanced ever-so-slightly up at her, and managed a small smile. “Please, Renee. I’m not going to eat you alive. You’re here because I value you as an employee.”
The platinum-blonde girl blushed. “O-oh? Really?”
Her boss spun the monitor of her computer around to face Renee. “To battle falling returns from her gift shop, we’re ordering entire new stocks of exclusive products. I’d like you to share your opinions on each potential item we’re considering. Are they worth it? Will people buy them?”
Renee was floored, but recovered quickly and gave her boss a huge smile. “I can totally do that! I think I know our customers really well.”
“That’s what I love to hear. This may take a while though.” Her boss took a sip of coffee.
Renee waved her hand. “I’ve got all the time in the world, boss. If you want me to do this, I’ll give it my all, no matter how long it takes!”
*****
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March 28, 2025
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