The door chimed when Pepper walked inside. It wasn’t long before he heard Rhino’s voice call out from the back room, “I’ll be with you in just a minute.”
He scanned the store and immediately saw a new display setup. It was a secure glass case with a high-grade metal lock on the door. Inside was a couple of Phantom Industries familiar rune card boxes. The high-gloss metallic packaging glistened under the case’s internal lighting.
On each side of the display was a large cardboard cutout. He couldn’t lie, the advertisements were on the verge of looking more creepy than welcoming. One showed a kid practically half his age with what looked like a living stuffed animal. The other one showed a senior citizen with a golem dog that looked more like Amprage.
Pepper’s attention was soon taken away from the case when he heard a high-pitched voice greet him in a smug tone. “If it isn’t the thief! Come to steal from us too, huh? Quack.”
He turned and saw a cinnamon and teal duck golem standing on top of a barstool. The chair was just high enough for the golem to see over the top of the sales counter. It glared at him with narrowed red eyes. Its black bill jutted out and seemed to snicker at him. But the unique coloration of the duck wasn’t what caused Pepper to stare intently at the bird, but rather the medieval helmet on its head.
Pepper slowly drew closer and realized the rest of the bird was clad in what looked like chain mail. One of the creature’s wings was wrapped around a long spear, and it lowered it and aimed the sharp point towards him. The duck seemed to shake and was so flustered with anger that it was almost trembling. “We have no need for the likes of you, thief! Now just turn around and—”
“Calm down, Captain Puddlesworth,” Rhino commanded as he stepped into the room from the back storage area.
“Quack!” was all the duck replied, and it shook its body and adjusted itself on the barstool.
“Hey, Pepper, long time no see.”
“Hey, Rhino. I figured I needed to stop in and see you. You know, regarding everything that happened and all.”
Rhino’s appearance told Pepper that the shop had been slammed with customers. The workload was certainly not slowing down, and his presence seemed like it was the last thing Rhino wanted to deal with. Rhino removed his glasses and wiped his face.
“Well… it certainly was something I wasn’t expecting to deal with. Most of the customers didn’t really bring it up. I did, however, feel I should review the majority of security camera footage whenever you were here without me. The inventory numbers always matched when I did the checks, but there is still that percentage of doubt that one needs to be sure of every now and again.”
“I get that.”
“The bigger problem, though… is that all the repair work started to pile up all over again.” Rhino paused and put his glasses back on. “So, when are you coming back to work?”
A small smile began to form on both of their faces. “Really? You’re serious? I still have a job?”
“If you want it.”
“Thanks, Rhino. I honestly didn’t expect you to keep me on.” A cool sensation of relief washed over Pepper, and he felt the tension in his muscles ease. He looked down at the duck familiar. “So, you got yourself a familiar, I see.”
Rhino smiled and glanced down at him. “Yeah… Captain Puddlesworth has been an interesting addition to the store. He gets along with most of the customers. He can get a little crabby too every once in a while.” Once Rhino was done commenting on the bonded golem, the duck flapped its wings and hoisted the spear high over its head. “Quack!”
The shopkeeper turned back to Pepper and motioned to the display case. “It was gifted to me as part of the deal to have them bring in their custom display case. A few videos in Golem Chat have gone viral and now the things are practically flying off the shelves. I already had five stolen before I locked them up.
“Phantom told me it wasn’t a big deal—a few minutes of collaborating on our inventory serial numbers and they were able to identify the stolen runes. They mentioned adding something to their internal server network so that once those specific cards connected to their network, they would remotely trigger a self-destruct sequence. It’s all part of their anti-theft initiative.”
“That’s a pretty smart way to do it.” Pepper turned and glanced at Amp. He tilted his head and playfully wagged his stubby metal tail. “There are some moments I look at him and truly wonder if he really is, well, real.”
“Pepper…” Amprage said, then continued after a slight pause. “Can I eat the duck golem?”
“No, you can’t eat him!” Pepper quickly looked at Rhino, who merely chuckled in response.
“But… there appears to be a natural instinct inside me. One which tells me to wring the thing’s neck… squawk box bad.”
“Look, Amp, you don’t need to act out every part of the dog personality profile. There are good traits and bad traits, as I feel we’ve already discussed. Eating other golems, critters, and pets is a bad trait.”
“But… it just looks so juicy!” Amp opened his mouth and chomped down. His metal mouth clanked and began to chatter as the teeth connected. “Just a nibble.”
“No! And if you keep this up, I won’t let you come to work with me. I’ll leave you at home with Meg,” Pepper warned. Amp whined, then pouted and turned to wander around the rest of the store.
Rhino laughed. “Amp seems to have a far more playful spirit than Captain Puddlesworth. I had to give three customers discounts because he followed them around and tried to bite their ankles.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t stab them with his spear.” Pepper motioned with his head.
“I honestly don’t know where that came from, but he’s certainly taken a liking to it. At least it’s not a crossbow. I have no doubt he’d be shooting bolts at everyone and everything he could.”
“Long live the Duck Kingdom! Tomorrow we march to destroy the beaver nation!”
***
Pepper could see Brent had not noticed him enter the restaurant. “Welcome to Rocket Burger, where we are— Oh, hey, P-Dub.” His friend turned. He looked like he had been completely drained of all life. Pepper felt a slight sensation of pity rise within him. He thought back to the time when he had suffered there as well.
His best friend’s face was pale, and Pepper thought that if Brent sat down, he would immediately fall asleep. “You look like you’re sick. You sure you’re okay?”
“You know the orange astral star shake?”
Pepper glanced over at the promotional poster pinned to the side wall. “You mean that one?” He motioned with his head.
“Yeah, that one. Let’s just say that using that as a dippy sauce for the flaming hot grilled shrimp is not recommended.”
Pepper’s face distorted in horror and his stomach immediately churned in agony. “Why would you do that? That hurts just thinking about it. You’re dipping deep fried seafood into a cold milkshake, dude!”
“Gary dared me… you know me, P-Dub… I don’t back down.”
Pepper moved a few feet to the side and looked down the food preparation line. His eyes locked onto the coworker. “Gary, seriously?”
A dark and diabolic chuckle bellowed out briefly. “You’re a loser, Brent.”
Brent slammed his left hand on the counter while his right hand shot up with a resolute index finger pointing in Gary’s direction. “I will not be defeated. I have an iron gut that can handle more than you know, Gary! I don’t… I don’t back—”
Before Brent could finish, he snapped around and sprang the few feet to the trash can. His head plunged down into the bin as his stomach heaved up its contents. It was a rough minute before he finished and slowly lifted his head. “Down.”
Pepper chuckled and rolled his eyes when his friend finished the statement, which was now pointless. “Is KT in?”
Brent nodded slowly and pointed towards the back of the restaurant. His face appeared to warn Pepper that there was another round of stomach upheaval on its way. Pepper quickly walked by his friend and did his best to block out the distinct sound of vomiting, which began just after he passed.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
A quick turn around the back corner and Pepper found the manager sitting behind her computer, her glasses resting on the tip of her nose. She turned and looked at him but quickly returned her attention to the screen. “Yes, love?”
“I need your help, KT.”
“Okay, well, if you need more hours to get back on your feet, I don’t know how much I’ll be able to do at the moment.”
“No, that’s not it.”
The manager turned back to him curiously and removed her glasses. She shifted in her chair and narrowed her gaze on him. “Hmm, what exactly do you need help with, then?”
“I got asked to prom.”
KT’s expression quickly changed to a giant beaming smile. Her hands formed into fists that trembled with joy. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him. “Yay! This just made my day, love. Andrea finally had to do the job you were too scared to do, aye?”
Pepper’s cheeks flushed as they ended their embrace. “Something like that.” He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m more confident in fighting demons than I am in chasing women.”
“Woman … wo—man. Singular tense there, love. I find out you’re going around behind Andrea’s back and I will help her dispose of your body. You hear?”
He chuckled and lifted his hands in defense. “Hey, come on, I didn’t mean it like that. Besides, I’ve had a crush on Andrea for years now. But like I said, I just didn’t know how to, well, ask.”
KT’s head wiggled back and forth as her energy could not be contained in her small body. Her bright smile and warm eyes looked at him like a proud mom with her kids. “So, what do you need help with, then?”
“What do I do for prom?”
“Well, dance, normally, you dingleberry.”
He sighed and his shoulders slouched. “I know that part, but like… I have to get a suit or something? Is there flowers or like do I…?” He sighed again and dropped his head. He took a minute to compose himself. His eyes finally lifted and he looked back at KT. “I just don’t want to screw this up and make Andrea regret her choice.”
KT smiled and her eyes widened in sympathy. “Aww love, don’t worry. She already regrets her decision.”
Pepper dropped his head and then chuckled. He felt KT’s hand reach up and give him a gentle nudge. “Thanks, KT.”
She laughed. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll come see you out in the dining area. Grab yourself some fresh hot French fries and dipping sauce and relax. I’ll get you ready for the big day.”
“You know I don’t care for our fries.”
“Yeah, but I do. And if I have you get them and just steal them from you, I don’t feel as guilty about eating them.” She patted his shoulder and returned to her computer. “Okay, I need to send out these few emails and then I’ll be out there, love.”
Pepper walked down the service line and gave Gary a fist bump as he went. Gary was preoccupied with verbally going back and forth with Brent. The two were mercilessly roasting one another to the point that the food itself barely being put together in any sort of appropriate way.
Pepper scooped himself a fresh batch of French fries. He salted them heavily and slowly made his way into the dining area. His eyes couldn’t help but linger on the far corner of the room. An elderly couple were sitting next to one another in a booth and holding hands while they slowly nibbled on their ice cream desserts.
He mentally replaced the two elderly lovebirds with himself and Andrea. He chuckled when he saw the bald spot on his head. Are we actually going to get to that point? he asked himself, picturing all the adventures that would await a young couple. He thought of buying their first home, walking through the front door, and decorating it over time until it perfectly reflected the life they would have. Pepper imagined Amprage trotting down the hall while a small blond-haired boy waddled from side to side as he staggered after the familiar.
A quick flash of light and the scene transitioned to a large grass field. Picture-perfect trees along the edge with radiant streaks of sunlight piercing through their branches. The warm summer evening wrapped around them while lighting bugs floated through the air and welcomed their laughter with enchantment. The whole time, the three of them held hands and walked barefoot on the soft grass.
Another blur faded in and transitioned Pepper to an orbital view that rotated gently. He and Andrea were both lying in a white woven hammock. A large oak tree provided them with shade while her voice softly sang to him. There were no words, merely a soft, soothing voice of comfort—the same sensation a warrior found when they returned home from battle victorious and clung on to the thing they had missed the most.
“Hello!” KT’s voice sounded at the same time as her finger flicked his forehead. Pepper flinched and shook his head slightly to pull himself out of the daydream. “Anybody home? You all right?” KT asked him.
“I guess I zoned out there.” He rubbed his head to ease the small throb that remained.
“Right, well, I don’t have much time to sit down with you and go over all the details. But I can at least get you started.” She paused for a second and then lowered her tone to emphasize what Pepper felt was her desire for him to really think about what he had asked of her. “Are you sure you don’t want to ask your mom or dad to help you?”
“I’m sure,” he replied. There was a slight pause, and Pepper did think briefly about his mom. He was actually afraid to talk to her about Andrea. She had never accepted Travis’s girlfriend and had been kept completely in the dark about the fact that he had been planning on asking her to marry him.
Back then, his mom had been an overprotective momma bear that always wanted to keep her bear cubs inside the den. Now, Pepper wasn’t sure what to make of it. He was certain, though, that she wouldn’t be able to relate to him and Andrea. But what parent could? The world, life itself, was different now—very different from when his parents were dating.
KT finally broke the silence between them. “Well then, you best get yourself a reservation at the most romantic spot in town.”
He sighed. “I don’t have much money.”
“Did my previous statement say anything about money?”
Pepper’s eyebrows furrowed and his eyes dashed off to the side. “Uhh, well, you…”
“I said you needed to make a reservation at the most romantic spot in town. Not the most expensive. Now clean out your ears and pay attention.” KT grabbed hold of a new clump of fries, dipped them in the sauce, and chomped away. “Call 269-244-8487.”
Pepper hesitated, but when he saw an aggressive look come into KT’s eyes he stopped wasting time. He swiped at his holodex and awakened it from its sleep state. His finger tapped away at the screen until the number was punched in and he heard the ringing begin.
“Thanks for calling Joseppi’s. How can I help you?” a woman’s voice said.
Pepper cleared his throat. “Hi. I was wondering if I could make a reservation.”
“For what night?” the voice asked.
“This upcoming Friday. Say… 6 p.m.?”
“Nope, sorry—we’re all booked out that night for the prom,” she replied coldly.
Pepper felt his shoulders slouch, and a sensation of disappointment entered his heart. “Oh… Well, tha—”
Before he could finish, KT cut in. “Put that call on speaker.”
His forehead scrunched with confusion as he looked at her and then back to the holographic display. “It already is on…”
KT didn’t waste another moment. “Hello, yes, who am I speaking with?”
There was a slight uptick of emotion in the woman’s voice. “This is Sherry.”
“Aww, hello there. Can you tell me, is Rachel there at the restaurant?”
A slight hesitation came over the woman’s voice that made Pepper think the woman was afraid to answer that honestly. “Well, yes, she is in the back, but—”
“Perfect. Put her on and tell her it’s KT.”
The woman’s voice now had a slight tone of irritation. “All right, then. Please hold.”
Pepper’s heart started to pick up, as nerves and anxiety were taking hold of him far more than he was comfortable with. He felt a strong sense of embarrassment, as he felt like he was being forced to be pushy when the answer was already no. Pepper didn’t normally push the matter in a situation like this, but he certainly didn’t want to suffer KT’s wrath and decided to follow her lead.
The wait was over when there was a slight crackle on the other end of the line. “KT, is that you?”
KT had already plunged a new round of heavily salted fries into her mouth and replied through a mouthful. “Well, hello, love. Why didn’t you call me last week? I missed you.”
The woman chuckled in response. “Aaron came down with a flu bug and then Jeremy was off hunting and the house was complete chaos. By the time it was all said and done, I simply wanted a warm bath, scented candles, wine and nothing else.”
“Aww, Aaron doing all right now?”
“He is—already back to school, running around and picking up far more germs than any eight-year-old should.”
“Well, you give him a big squeeze and tell him Auntie KT says she loves him.”
“I will, but… why the phone call? Everything all right with you?”
“Oh yeah, all good over here. All good except young Pepper sitting here with me needs to make a reservation for Friday at 6 p.m., but you’re all booked up.”
Pepper could hear some light taps on the other end of the line. He was sure it was the woman’s fingernails clacking away through the menu options on whatever touchpad they had. Rachel then let out a sigh. “Yeah, we’re completely booked out that entire evening.”
KT didn’t even waste time waiting. “No, you’re not. He’ll be there at 6 p.m. sharp, and you’re going to put him out in the garden.”
Pepper’s eyes widened in shock. He was about to cut in and tell Rachel to forget the whole thing, but KT’s pointed finger told him to let her handle the negotiations. He had never been embarrassed over a phone conversation until this moment.
“KT… look, we already have the entire place—”
“Don’t you give me that. Do I need to remind you about the time when you had to chase after Jeremy and needed someone to take care of Aaron?”
“Yes, but—”
“How about the time I worked three days of double shifts to cover you guys in the kitchen after your chef walked out?”
“I know, but—”
“And let us not forget the time at your wedding when—”
“Okay!” Rachel snapped back.
There was a devious smile on KT’s face, and she winked at Pepper and finished with a victorious nod. “Friday, 6 p.m. sharp, right?”
“Yup.”
“And he and his lovely date are going to be sat outside in the garden without any issues.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Rachel’s voice replied with a resentful tone.
“Excellent. I knew you wouldn’t let me down. Okay, we got to go and get him all suited up. Love you and talk to you soon.” The phone line went dead, and KT shook her head slightly.
“What exactly happened at Rachel’s?”
It was now KT’s turn to have her eyes widen in shock. There was a twinkle in her eye that warned Pepper he was on thin ice for even broaching the subject. “That is none of your business there, Mister. But a little lesson for you. Always know when to play the ace you have hiding up your sleeve. I just cashed in a big favor for you, so you better treat that gorgeous girl like a queen.”
“I will.”
“And not just Friday night either. That goes from now until the end of time. You hear? Because if my ears catch word of anything other than that, I’ll skin you alive and wear your skin around like a coat.”
Pepper sat back in his chair to gain some distance from her. He eyed the exit. She had never threatened him to that degree before, and KT was the one person he felt would do exactly what she said and not lose an ounce of sleep. “Got it. Loud and crystal clear,” he said, shifting in his seat.
“Excellent! Right, now it is onto the next item—flowers. Call 269-438-4323.”
KT continued to direct him through the rest of the phone calls he needed to pull off the perfect romantic evening. The only thing he needed to do now was borrow his dad’s small truck and go grab everything to be ready for the big night.