Accidents Happen - 8. Chapter 8 - Trouble with Gifts

Chapter 8 – Trouble with Gifts

At eight am on Sunday morning Charlie finally took his car out of storage. Since Tina had been willing to pick him up everyday Charlie had put his car into his parking spot at the apartment, covered it, and only stopped to keep the battery charged and it clean. Needless to say it really hadn’t been driven anywhere in over five months.

I hope I remember what I am doing. The thought shot through his mind when he finally got behind the wheel and pulled out into traffic. First things first, I need coffee. Charlie headed over to Dunkin Donuts and got a medium black. He treated himself to a cinnamon bagel with cream cheese too. He grabbed a table and sat down to have breakfast. Too early for the mall yet, and the local places aren’t open yet either. Why did I get up so early?

Realizing he had time to waste Charlie decided to people watch. He watched out the window as crowds pulled up and either came into to get coffee, or walked next door to the Laundromat to do their laundry. Some people came by themselves. He watched as young men and women seemed to rush in; coming to throw all their laundry into a machine, then turning around and heading back out. Some took the time to come in and grab something for breakfast before heading out in their cars for other errands. Then there were the families. As he sat by the window he watched some families turn into moving crews as bag after bag of laundry was passed through the various members, from the car to the doorway of the Laundromat, in what seemed to be a never-ending parade of bags. So many people doing what should have been the same job so differently just fascinated Charlie. In fact, he got so lost in watching the chaos around him that when he finally glanced at his watch it was already ten after ten.

Charlie gathered up his garbage and tossed it in the trash. He headed back out and drove to the mall. He figured if there was any place he could find something for Rebecca and Kathy it would be there.

The twins were the favorites of all his nieces. He didn’t see them as often as he would have liked, but the girls had always gone out of their way to get to know him. Rebecca was the bookworm of the two. She was always working on a new project; writing a story, finishing some translation, or just sitting in the corner her face buried in a book. It was her desire for knowledge that led her to college. Kathy was her polar opposite. Kathy loved the outdoors, hiking, gardening, soccer, and swimming. She had won countless awards for sports. Due to the strength of her sports career, and help from Rebecca, she had also gone to college. The two girls were due to finish their degree this December. Charlie was very proud of both of them. He could remember when they had told him they had gotten accepted to Vassar.

“Hey Unc, guess what?” Kathy asked standing on the front stoop as he answered the front door.

“Someone let you out of their sight, so you decided to bother me?” quipped Charlie as he let them into the house.

“Honestly, you two should just give it up. No one would buy your show, you are both horrible actors,” stated Rebecca as she kissed Charlie on the cheek on the way into the house. “We figured we would tell you, and then the grandparents.”

“Tell me what?” asked Charlie. The girls hardly seemed to do anything without giving him a phone call. They had jokingly referred to him as their older brother and sounding board for ideas.

“That we got into college,” began Kathy. “But, we doubt the rest will care as much as you.”

"In that case you either got into Harvard or Vassar. I know you two too well. Which accepted you, or did both?”

“Well we wanted to stay together so it was Vassar,” Rebecca said simply.

“They accepted me into their Computer Science program,” Kathy stated proudly.

“Of course they did, sis. Me, I am going into their English program. I don’t think I want to teach at the high school level, so might just go on for my Masters and PHD in it.”

“Well that is terrific my darlings,” announced Barbara from the doorway of the living room.

“Grandma, how the hell are we supposed to surprise you if you eavesdrop?” Rebecca stood up and walked over to hug her.

“Yes, Grandma, you know you seem to guess or hear everything before anyone gets to tell you,” grumped Kathy as she too walked over to hug and give her a kiss.

Charlie smiled at the memory. Well now he just had to find something perfect for their birthday. So he was off to the mall.

Nearly two hours of shopping found him getting Kathy a personalized bag for her sports stuff, and a new snow globe. He had been giving one to her ever since he had earned enough money to buy his own gifts for his family. She had proudly put each one out on a shelf. The last had been one of Lady and the Tramp. Disney was one of her weaknesses and she loved anything that came from there. The problem was he still hadn’t found anything perfect for Rebecca yet. Checking the time he realized he had to leave the mall and head back towards his home so he could pick up his mother’s gifts for the girls.

Driving through Patchogue he was not surprised to see he couldn’t park on Main Street. The town had been slowly trying to bring people back to the heart of the village. Now there were all sorts of restaurants, specialty shops, and places of interest. It was getting harder and harder to ignore how the village was coming back to life.

Turning at the nearest corner, Charlie planned to park as close as he could so he could and just walk back to the frame store. As he pulled into the nearest empty spot, he looked up and noticed that the old music shop was no more. Instead, it was now a book store. Glancing at the sign he stopped cold. On a piece of stylized wood, which looked like a scroll, were the words Reeds’ Reads. He had unexpectedly come across Scott Reeds’ store.

At first he just sat there staring. Come on, you know you should go check on him. His mind was already steps ahead of his body. Just thinking momentarily of Scott filled his mind again with that image of his bright blue eyes. Shaking his head he slowly got out of the car and headed over to the store.

Looking in the window he could see they had taken over part of what was the empty store next door. Behind the counter was a girl with jet-black hair, black makeup, and even black clothes. Charlie laughed as he remembered some of the Goth kids from college. There didn’t appear to be anyone else in the store at the moment. Charlie took a deep breath and stepped inside.

“Hi. If you need help with anything just ask,” stated the girl behind the counter as she continued to pour over a book in front of her. Charlie smiled realizing she couldn’t really care less about his intrusion into the store. Charlie could smell the rich scent of books, leather bindings, and even the pine and cedar that had been used to make the shelving.

The front was made up for children and had an area for people to do readings. The store had it is usual divisions for romance, science fiction, new age, self-help, children, and there was even an area for manga. What surprised Charlie was the special editions area. Here he found signed copies of various books for sale and all of them came with proof of signature. Among them was a signed limited edition of Harry Potter. Charlie knew he had to have it for Rebecca.

“Excuse me,” Charlie began to get the girl’s attention.

“Yes,” she said, finally looking up from the book. She had sky blue eyes, but to Charlie something seemed a bit off.

“Um,” Charlie began still trying to figure out what was bothering him. Seeing the girl looking at him he finally came back to himself. “Yes, I want the signed edition you have of Harry Potter.”

“You realize that is expensive and nonrefundable,” she stated in a no nonsense tone of voice.

“Yes,” Charlie said with a smile.

She got up and grabbed some keys. She went back to the locked case, carefully opened it, and took the Harry Potter book out. Locking the case back up she carefully carried the book to the front of the store where she wrapped it. Figuring out the bill, she rang it up and Charlie happily paid for it.

“Before I go, is Mr. Reeds here?”

“Oh, no, Dad isn’t here right now.”

Dad isn’t here right now? Oh my God, the man is married. I almost killed a family man. Charlie nodded and took his package and headed out to his car. He never looked back.

“Hey, Julie, who was that?”

“Don’t know. He paid cash for the book. God I wish I had that kind of money. But he did ask for Dad.”

Nick stood and shook his head. He had been organizing things in the back room and had just seen someone leave the store. He had hurried out in case he could be of assistance, but it seemed he was too late.

“Julie, you really have to stop calling him that.”

“What are you talking about?” Julie looked at Nick rather angrily.

“Calling Scott Dad. Someone is going to take you serious one day.”

“Oh come off it. I don’t look anything like him.”

“Who would know? You wear oversized clothes, dye your hair, and wear blue contacts. Unless they had seen you before they wouldn’t have any idea.”

There was a pause while Julie thought it about. Unlike Nick with his dark Italian looks she might be mistaken for something.

“You’re right, I guess. But face it, with the way he takes care of us he is like a dad and we only work for him.”

“You were suppose to ask any strange guy if they were the one,” Nick pointed out to Julie.

“You don’t think he might have been the one from the accident? I mean he was cute and all, but he seemed too pulled together to let himself walk into traffic.”

“I don’t know, but you better hope Scott doesn’t find out.”

“Better hope I don’t find out about what?” The deep voice of Scott Reeds bounded across the store as he walked out of the storeroom in the back. His cast shined in the overhead lights and in his hand was the key to the back door.

Julie smiled sweetly. “That I think I overcharged the guy who bought your Harry Potter signed edition.”

Scott nodded and waited to hear the rest, but then Julie turned back to her book and Nick slid neatly back to the storeroom to finish unpacking the latest shipment.