Valley of the Dolls

(xvi) A Businesswoman Worth Her Salt

"Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein," JJ criticized, staring at the melted mess.

Blair adjusted her pair of navy-brimmed Christian Dior sunglasses over her nose, lips coated in chapstick that smelled like piña colada and just a hint of the coconut water she downed in the morning. JJ could smell the aroma from where he was standing, on the opposite side of the group with his hands in the pockets of his old shorts.

Kiara rolled her eyes, wrapping it in the cloth and handing it to Blair. The boy claimed he wanted to go with to save her in case of impending doom, but he really knew them as a team would be a lot more effective than him watching form the corner of the room. "Like you could've done any better."

"I could have done much better," JJ stated as if it was obvious. "I took a welding class."

Blair grimaced, "you?"

"Yeah. Is it that hard to believe?" JJ smugly smirked. She rolled her eyes as she handed him the cloth-wrapped gold. He liked playing games with girls, wrapping them around his fingers and snapping them in half. But there was something about messing with Blair that made him feel warm at the stomach."You know, I did a bunch of shit. Like, I took a Karate class."

"You know, Maybank," she tapped at the sleek frame of her sunglasses, staring amusedly through the blueish frame, "some kids were dropped on the head as a baby. But something tells me you were thrown out a fucking window. From the highest level of an industrial building. Maybe smacked by a ceiling fan, too."

His jaw fell agape, slapping a hand over his heart in mock offence as he grasped at his shirt and pretending his heart was failing him. "You hurt me."

"Alright, can both of you stop flirting and go do this?" John B interrupted their banter, earning a scoff from Blair.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off," the blonde mumbled, holding the blotch up in irritation. Blair grimaced at the sight, wondering which gods would help them now. "How did we get this job anyway?"

"'Cause you're the best liar," Pope answered nonchalantly. He wrapped an arm around Blair's shoulders lightly, smiling as she slid out his grip, flipped him off and started walking towards the entrance of the pawnshop. "You'll be fine."

          Sarah rested her head on her little sister's shoulder for a second and sighed. "And you're the glamour, little sister. You're the actress," she said.

"I should be flattered, but I really just wanna kill you," Blair muttered under her breath.

JJ's chuckles mixed with the soft jingle of a bell hanging from the threshold, clinching as they opened the door and closed it again. It was a small shop filled with the most basic of useless shit, barely enough space to fit them all. Humidity clung to her skin like a lifeline, pulling the air from her lungs as she followed JJ to the front counter, the gold tucked inside his backpack as he fiddled with the straps. The others were spread all across the shop, trying to look as nonchalantly uninvolved as possible.

"I see you buy gold," JJ grinned at the woman, leaning against the counter.

Blair shot her an exaggerated smile, but she remained unamused no matter how much hospitality they spat out. Irritated, she pointed the sign above her head. "That's what the sign says, don't it?"

"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it," JJ threw his backpack on the counter, southern accent peaking, "because I'm about to blow your mind."