"Good morning, my names Steven... anything I can help you with today?" The tired looking man pushed himself from the desk and began arranging the countless postcards that endlessly spun on the display.
"Well Steven, I was hoping if you could point me to the section of souvenirs what weren't mass produced pointless Knick-knacks?" A slightly cocky, intrigued grin appeared as he ushered you to lean over the desk.
"Depends how much you want to pay..." he whispered into your ear, you're heart began to race. You had only wanted to start a conversation with the person who had caught your eye from the moment you walked into the museum but now it seemed like you were about to be initiated into the black market. "We've got a fresh shipment of Tutankhamen's toes, I reckon they'd make a lovely pair of earrings, I'd be careful though they might be a bit fragile by now." He stepped backwards and held back a chuckle. "No, sorry it's a museum it's all just tat to be completely honest with you. Some of it better than others and if you're lucky you can pick a few things up that make quite decent paperweights... sorry." He returned to sorting through the mostly untouched trinkets and tokens that adorned the counter top.
"That's a shame, I wanted to pick something up for my nephew he wasn't able to come."
Steven gazed around the store before raising his finger in triumph and ushering you to follow him around the store.
"A ha! We haven't long had these in, a lovely teddy of the one and only Taweret, ancient Egyptian goddess of childbirth and fertility. Maybe not all too applicable to your nephew but look at her... isn't she cute? She's a hippopotamus with a little ankh and... stuff." You took the soft plush from his hand. "So what do you think?"
"Yeah it's cute, good choice, he'll love it."
"Fantastic!" Steven exclaimed. "You get a cute Tawaret for your nephew and we get to remove some dead stock that nobody seems to want to buy. A win-win situation I would say." You followed Steven back to the till.
"Well, I would quite happily have one too, I'm not sure about the whole childbirth and fertility thing though."
"Fortunately for everyone I don't think the Egyptian deities are watching over us, they could be quite... vengeful and not exactly nice."
"Then I think there could be another beneficial option for both of us, I'll buy another one and help you get rid of some of that dead stock if you will join me for a coffee after you finish tonight?"
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Written by Aaron.