It Must Have Been Love

7: Challenge Accep-Ted

The dreadful first week of working at Funkey Munkeys was finally coming to an end in one hour and thirty-two minutes. Yes, I counted. With each passing second, I could see my hard earned first paycheck right in front of my eyes.

I've never been so jumpy and excited in my whole existence as much as I was on Friday. My Cheshire cat grin didn't waver throughout my shift. If possible, the grin became wider and my face glowed with each tick of the second hand on the mini clock tower we had in the store.

No one could ruin the jolly good mood I was in today. Not even Joe, the grumpy Korean guy who had assigned me to the arrange and put the stuff back in place after the kids are done selecting the toy of their liking and left behind a mountain of the poor rejected ones.

Humming a happy tune under my breath, I started picking up toys from the pile and sorted through them as per their aisles.

"You're scaring the poor kids away, Allie." Connor came from behind me.

I flinched. "God, Connor!" I put my hand to my fluttering heart, "What'd I do?"

"I've been hearing the kids say stories about some grinning clown in the back of the store who lures the children to her lair with her evil smile."

"Oh, kids these days," I shook my head and sighed.

"It's not their fault. It's yours. Honestly, if you ask me I think you're bordering on creepy too. What's up with you? Ha! Let me guess. Have you got a date tonight?" he wiggled his eyebrows, ridiculously.

Clasping his hands together, he batted his eyelashes imitating a lovesick teenage girl.

"No!" I threw the plastic rattle on his face, wishing to break his amazingly sculpted jaw but to my horror, it landed straight on Mrs Wilden's big stomach and then cluttered to the ground, noisily.

I should really get some aiming practice. Wincing, I waited for the scolding I'm about to get from Mrs Wilden.

That woman gave me the chills sometimes.

"WHAT is going on here? Is that how you behave with all the kids here?" I eyed the kids behind her who ran away as soon as they heard the thunder of her voice.

I mentally snorted. Look who's talking. Clown or no clown. At least I was a source of entertainment for kids but this woman made them run away like mice.

"It slipped from my hands, Mrs Wilden. It won't happen again," I apologised sincerely but not before glaring at Connor from the side of my eye. Connor was enjoying the drama he was getting, that was for sure.

"That's Strike One for you, Miss Grey. Two more strikes like that and you'll be out." I felt like a little rebellious demon chicken who was getting a scolding from Mother Hen. "And as for you, Mr Jackson. I suppose you have other duties to resume?"

That was no question. She left no room for argument. Raising the notepad all the way up to her eyes, she started scribbling something in the book.

Probably writing a few kind words about me.

I constantly wondered how this lady could have owned the right to this store. I mean, doesn't she scare everybody on the staff enough already? How are children suppose to come and buy stuff when Medusa is standing behind the counter in all her glory?

It makes me think that there's some another side to her too. A motherly kind, generous and giving side, I suppose.

"Are you two going to stare at my face all day? There ain't no candy here! Go, work!"

Okay. I take my words back. There's no other side to this woman. She just likes to annoy the hell out of her employees. Period.

We scattered like mice in different directions, Connor and I. Pushing the cart to another aisle, I started putting the stuff back in its place.