Untitled Page

Joe flipped the sign and was surprised to see four teenage girl customers waiting just outside. They bustled in and Joe asked them “who’s first?” A young girl stepped up and showed him her tablet. “It won’t go sideways anymore” she explained. “What’s do you mean sideways?” It used to turn sideways when I turned it and it doesn’t anymore. “Oh! That’s just a setting, let me show you”. Joe found and changed the setting, then told her there was no charge and she was so happy she skipped out the door. Just as he said next, Walter came in for his rent payment. Joe immediately went to the back room and retrieved the envelope. He came back out and they stepped to the side and Walter whispered, “It’s all here?” “Yes, I got it ready earlier,” said Joe. Walter left and Joe returned to his customers.

The two other girls smiled and giggling asked Joe if he could fix their phone, hoping he would fix it free too. “I’ll try” he told them. They told him they dropped it into the pool and even after drying for three days it still wouldn’t turn on. Joe smiled at the still giggling teens and said “Be right Back” as he stepped into the office. Blink, the phone turned right on. He waited a few minutes and took the phone back to the girls. “Here you go, good as new” he explained. “Just keep it out of the pool, okay?” “You’re the best” one exclaimed as both rushed around the counter and gave him big hugs. “Is ours free too? One asked. “Yeah, yeah, okay” he said, “just get back from behind the counter so people don’t start to think it’s a thing”. “Thank you” they said in unison, and preceded to skip to the door. Once outside one of the girls’ moods changed and she shouted back at the store. “You shouldn’t be allowed to pick and choose who pays and who doesn’t.” “No” yelled the other, “It’s not fair!” and they proceeded on their way.
In the van, Kurt had caught it all. Both the man and the payment, well, the envelope with the payment inside was recorded plain as day, but he was so focused on the three girls that it slipped right past him. They don’t like you he thought they probably like someone more like me, he fantasized.