He who is filled with love is filled with God himself -St. Augustine
"Evie, Ray, I have something to show you." A middle-aged shelter resident led them to the kitchen's pantry where BIG DOG was reared up on his hind legs, reaching for a large can of peaches on the top shelf.
"That's amazing." Ray watched as BIG DOG carefully placed the peaches on his back. "Who reprogrammed him?"
"I did," the muscular, ebony man said, shyly. Charlie hadn't uttered more than ten words in the five years he'd been at the shelter. Now he was excited to tell anyone who'd listen about BIG DOG's positive attributes. "He's just misunderstood." He patted the dog's metal head. "Joe's good with hardware. He fixed Mr. Bumble's tongue."
"You and Joe should come over to CENTIEN. We could use your talent." Ray smiled as Mr. Bumble trotted out of the room, perfectly balancing the canned peaches.
Charlie beamed. "That sounds great, Mr. Sinclair. I'll tell Joe."
"What'd I tell you about poaching my employees, Sinclair?" Deedee put her hands on her hips in mock anger, a wide grin on her face.
"Did you really need to fix his tongue?" Evie asked, worriedly.
Charlie laughed. "He needs his claw tongue."
"Why'd you call him Mr. Bumble?" Deedee drew her eyebrows together, perplexed.
"Once I show you his trick, you'll see." Evie, Deedee, and Ray followed him and Mr. Bumble out of the kitchen and into the shelter's community dining room. In the corner, a large Christmas tree was being decorated by Prince and the residents."
"Watch this." Charlie picked up a box of glass ornaments. BIG DOG took a moment to peruse the round globes. With exquisite delicacy, he picked the gaudiest one in the box. Grasping the globe, the claw tongue whirred as it snaked out to fasten the ornament on the uppermost branches. Charlie smiled like a proud father. "He really likes the color red."
"It's official —he's putting the star on top." Deedee exclaimed.
Ray handed her a tiny package wrapped in gold foil. Ripping open the paper, she cried, "Oh my lucky stars." Holding the keys to her new lemonade-colored Tesla, she gave Ray a bear hug that nearly killed him. His ringing phone saved him from Deedee's deadly embrace.
"Feliz Navidad." Vince shouted. He sat next to Lear and his wife in a tropical setting, tan as a coconut. "I called to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Ray, thanks for the security consulting job." He took a large sip of his pina colada. One of Lear's many wild children ran by, knocking the phone out of his hand and breaking the connection.
Evie hugged her former boss. "You destroyed the ICARUS software like you promised. Right?"
"Consider it done." Sinclair smiled as he uncrossed his fingers behind his back.
Evie smiled radiantly. "Now that we've saved the shelter and you're paying the interns, I want to ask you something, Ray. Why'd you keep calling me an Oompa Loompa?" Prince, who'd just graduated from a vegan culinary school, hovered in the background, listening to their conversation.
Ray looked sheepish and happy at the same time. "When I was a kid, I loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I mean, I really loved that movie. I wanted to be Willy Wonka and have hundreds of adoring Oompa Loompas around me. Workers who worshipped me." He grew serious. "You were never an Oompa Loompa, Evie. I was. Before I met you, I felt so hollow and empty inside. I was a Grinch, and the interns hated me. You're my Willy Wonka, my hero. You should be running CENTIEN."
Reaching up on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I'll be your Oompa Loompa, Mr. Grinch."
Prince held a branch of mistletoe over their heads as they kissed, happily sighing. "Soon there'll be a ton of little Oompa Loompas running around underfoot."
A/N 🔊
I'd like to thank all the wonderful readers who kept supporting The Asshole App! Your wonderful comments made me laugh, warmed my heart, and inspired the panster in me to finish a second story on Wattpad!
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A special thanks to TheWatttpadWeirdo whose wonderful stories inspired me to try a refreshing new writing style. 😉
Thank you again everyone! 🥥 👻❤️