Call on Me - Part 1 (Pick a Card Challenge - Sept 2012)
Genre: Modern day AU/AU
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Words: c1200. Part 1 of 3/4. Not finished it yet!
Warnings: Technically incompetent parent alert...
Comments: Yes please!!
****
I only went in for a phone.
Actually it was my mom who was looking for a phone. I was backup. She is the least technically minded person I know. I was so sick of her old, unreliable brick of a cell phone that I persuaded her that she really DID need a new one for her birthday. She grudgingly agreed. Her old one did have the battery cover held on with sticky tape after all. I was happy to pay good money to see the back of it.
“Jack, look!” She whispered in a voice loud enough for most of the mall to hear. She stopped in front of a display case and picked up a neat little Sony Ericsson between finger and thumb. “These ones are so tiny! I think I would lose it.”
I rolled my eyes and tried to pretend she wasn’t with me.
“This one has a camera too! Fancy that!”
“Mom, they all have cameras these days,” I muttered in embarrassment. I felt my face flushing red as half a dozen amused faces turned in our direction. No one I knew, thank god.
“Jack, this one has an apple on the back. Does that mean it’s environmentally friendly?”
This was going to be hell. What had I been thinking? I love my mom to death, but she has never been subtle. I know that I would do anything for her. Most of the time.
I noticed that one of the sales people had become free so I clutched at my mom’s arm. “Let’s go ask him over there.”
I pulled her towards the desk and we sat down on two trendy swivelling stools. I half expected my mom to spin around, which would make my humiliation complete. The guy behind the desk had his back turned as he filed some paperwork away in the tower of shelves behind him.
“Sorry guys. Be right there,” he shot over his shoulder in a deep drawl.
“Oh that’s ok, sweetheart,” my mom chirped. “Take your time.”
I shot her a look but she was oblivious, as usual.
The guy finally finished what he was doing and turned to face us. My heart dropped into my scuffed Converse Allstars. Blond, brown eyed and with a wide smile that could light up the room. The guy was gorgeous.
“Hi.” He looked at my mom first and then his eyes locked onto mine. I felt my heart stop. “How can I help you?”
I opened my mouth but I had somehow forgotten how to speak. “Uh… “
Luckily my mom came to the rescue. “Well hello young man. I need a new phone, if that would be possible?”
His smoky brown eyes released mine and I was finally able to breathe again. He turned to my mom and flashed that deadly smile again. “Of course. What were you looking for?”
“Something practical. Nothing too fancy. I don’t want any of those silly things that you have to fiddle with for hours. Isn’t that right, Jack?”
Ennis. His name tag said Ennis. I’d never met an Ennis before. I wondered if he was foreign, but he had sounded American. Nice voice too, to go with the nice face, nice body…
“Jack?” My mom jabbed me with her elbow.
“What?” I noticed that they were both looking at me. Was I meant to be saying something? Shit. “Um… sorry I missed that.”
Ennis took pity on me. “The phone for your mom. Any thoughts?”
“I… er… yeah. “
Ennis raised an eyebrow. The gesture pitched a jolt of lust straight to my groin.
I gave myself a mental shake. This was ridiculous. No way was this guy gonna be gay. I had to leave my libido at the door.
“Er… yeah,” I repeated. “iPhone.”
“Ok.” Ennis nodded and stood up to unlock one of the new models from the nearest display case. He handed it to my mom. “Have a look and see what you think.”
As my mom turned the phone over in her hands and Ennis explained what did what, I couldn’t help myself, my eyes caressed his body automatically. I guessed he was a couple of years older than me, probably mid twenties. Looked taller than me too, but it was hard to tell when I was still sitting down. The blue work shirt did nothing for his physique, but the way he moved told me he was fit and worked out. I imagined that he had a ripped body beneath all that blue polyester - but I would just have to imagine. Put him in the spank bank and move on, as they say.
“Jack?”
I tore my eyes away and felt heat flood my face. Damn. I hoped that I wasn’t blushing like a hormonal teenager. Even if I had been one not that long ago.
“Jack?” My mom spoke again. “Are you ok, honey?”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah. Sorry. Bit hot in here, huh?”
My mom blinked. “No, not really.” She took in my flushed face and then looked over at Ennis, realisation flaring in her eyes. She smiled and patted my knee with understanding. “Ah, I see.”
Oh crap.
Ennis looked confused. “Uh, did I miss something?”
I shook my head quickly, before my mom could say anything. “No, no. Everything’s fine. So what does this come with?” I gestured at the phone, hoping to change the conversation. Permanently.
Ennis was suitably distracted and continued to talk about the wonderful and amazing things that the phone could do. I liked that he kept his language simple and didn’t try to blind my mom with techno-babble.
“Any apps you think would be useful?” He addressed this to me.
“Uh yeah. Tom Tom would be good. How much is that?”
My mom looked puzzled “Tom Tom? Who’s he?”
“Satellite navigation, mom. Helps you find your way around when you’re driving.”
“Jack, I don’t need that. I have a road map in the car.”
“Mom, your map was printed before they built the New Jersey Turnpike.”
She slapped my leg. “Oh hush. It’s not that old.”
Ennis laughed and the sound turned my stomach upside down. “I’m sure we can sort something out for you.”
My mom beamed. “What a nice young man.” She turned to me, face of innocence, “isn’t he a nice young man, Jack?”
I glared at her, daring her to say something, anything to embarrass me.
Ennis watched the two of us, clearly trying to read the silent conversation. I gave him the best smile I could and asked what our options were. He talked me though various plans and I signed my mom up for a twelve month contract.
“I… do you guys have some more shopping to do?” Ennis asked. “I can sort out the paperwork and apps and stuff, but it will be about an hour.”
“Sure, we can grab a coffee,” I said, not trusting my mom to open her mouth.
I stood up too quickly and stumbled off the trendy stool. Ennis’ hand shot out to steady me. Did I imagine that slight tremble in his touch as his fingers closed around my bare arm? I shivered and he let me go, his eyes avoiding mine.
“Great. See you in a while,” he said to my mom. “I’ll have everything ready for you.”
“Perfect, thank you… Ennis,” she added as she read his name tag.
Ennis flashed her a quick smile as I pushed her out of the shop and in the direction of Starbucks.
TBC
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Words: c1200. Part 1 of 3/4. Not finished it yet!
Warnings: Technically incompetent parent alert...
Comments: Yes please!!
****
I only went in for a phone.
Actually it was my mom who was looking for a phone. I was backup. She is the least technically minded person I know. I was so sick of her old, unreliable brick of a cell phone that I persuaded her that she really DID need a new one for her birthday. She grudgingly agreed. Her old one did have the battery cover held on with sticky tape after all. I was happy to pay good money to see the back of it.
“Jack, look!” She whispered in a voice loud enough for most of the mall to hear. She stopped in front of a display case and picked up a neat little Sony Ericsson between finger and thumb. “These ones are so tiny! I think I would lose it.”
I rolled my eyes and tried to pretend she wasn’t with me.
“This one has a camera too! Fancy that!”
“Mom, they all have cameras these days,” I muttered in embarrassment. I felt my face flushing red as half a dozen amused faces turned in our direction. No one I knew, thank god.
“Jack, this one has an apple on the back. Does that mean it’s environmentally friendly?”
This was going to be hell. What had I been thinking? I love my mom to death, but she has never been subtle. I know that I would do anything for her. Most of the time.
I noticed that one of the sales people had become free so I clutched at my mom’s arm. “Let’s go ask him over there.”
I pulled her towards the desk and we sat down on two trendy swivelling stools. I half expected my mom to spin around, which would make my humiliation complete. The guy behind the desk had his back turned as he filed some paperwork away in the tower of shelves behind him.
“Sorry guys. Be right there,” he shot over his shoulder in a deep drawl.
“Oh that’s ok, sweetheart,” my mom chirped. “Take your time.”
I shot her a look but she was oblivious, as usual.
The guy finally finished what he was doing and turned to face us. My heart dropped into my scuffed Converse Allstars. Blond, brown eyed and with a wide smile that could light up the room. The guy was gorgeous.
“Hi.” He looked at my mom first and then his eyes locked onto mine. I felt my heart stop. “How can I help you?”
I opened my mouth but I had somehow forgotten how to speak. “Uh… “
Luckily my mom came to the rescue. “Well hello young man. I need a new phone, if that would be possible?”
His smoky brown eyes released mine and I was finally able to breathe again. He turned to my mom and flashed that deadly smile again. “Of course. What were you looking for?”
“Something practical. Nothing too fancy. I don’t want any of those silly things that you have to fiddle with for hours. Isn’t that right, Jack?”
Ennis. His name tag said Ennis. I’d never met an Ennis before. I wondered if he was foreign, but he had sounded American. Nice voice too, to go with the nice face, nice body…
“Jack?” My mom jabbed me with her elbow.
“What?” I noticed that they were both looking at me. Was I meant to be saying something? Shit. “Um… sorry I missed that.”
Ennis took pity on me. “The phone for your mom. Any thoughts?”
“I… er… yeah. “
Ennis raised an eyebrow. The gesture pitched a jolt of lust straight to my groin.
I gave myself a mental shake. This was ridiculous. No way was this guy gonna be gay. I had to leave my libido at the door.
“Er… yeah,” I repeated. “iPhone.”
“Ok.” Ennis nodded and stood up to unlock one of the new models from the nearest display case. He handed it to my mom. “Have a look and see what you think.”
As my mom turned the phone over in her hands and Ennis explained what did what, I couldn’t help myself, my eyes caressed his body automatically. I guessed he was a couple of years older than me, probably mid twenties. Looked taller than me too, but it was hard to tell when I was still sitting down. The blue work shirt did nothing for his physique, but the way he moved told me he was fit and worked out. I imagined that he had a ripped body beneath all that blue polyester - but I would just have to imagine. Put him in the spank bank and move on, as they say.
“Jack?”
I tore my eyes away and felt heat flood my face. Damn. I hoped that I wasn’t blushing like a hormonal teenager. Even if I had been one not that long ago.
“Jack?” My mom spoke again. “Are you ok, honey?”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah. Sorry. Bit hot in here, huh?”
My mom blinked. “No, not really.” She took in my flushed face and then looked over at Ennis, realisation flaring in her eyes. She smiled and patted my knee with understanding. “Ah, I see.”
Oh crap.
Ennis looked confused. “Uh, did I miss something?”
I shook my head quickly, before my mom could say anything. “No, no. Everything’s fine. So what does this come with?” I gestured at the phone, hoping to change the conversation. Permanently.
Ennis was suitably distracted and continued to talk about the wonderful and amazing things that the phone could do. I liked that he kept his language simple and didn’t try to blind my mom with techno-babble.
“Any apps you think would be useful?” He addressed this to me.
“Uh yeah. Tom Tom would be good. How much is that?”
My mom looked puzzled “Tom Tom? Who’s he?”
“Satellite navigation, mom. Helps you find your way around when you’re driving.”
“Jack, I don’t need that. I have a road map in the car.”
“Mom, your map was printed before they built the New Jersey Turnpike.”
She slapped my leg. “Oh hush. It’s not that old.”
Ennis laughed and the sound turned my stomach upside down. “I’m sure we can sort something out for you.”
My mom beamed. “What a nice young man.” She turned to me, face of innocence, “isn’t he a nice young man, Jack?”
I glared at her, daring her to say something, anything to embarrass me.
Ennis watched the two of us, clearly trying to read the silent conversation. I gave him the best smile I could and asked what our options were. He talked me though various plans and I signed my mom up for a twelve month contract.
“I… do you guys have some more shopping to do?” Ennis asked. “I can sort out the paperwork and apps and stuff, but it will be about an hour.”
“Sure, we can grab a coffee,” I said, not trusting my mom to open her mouth.
I stood up too quickly and stumbled off the trendy stool. Ennis’ hand shot out to steady me. Did I imagine that slight tremble in his touch as his fingers closed around my bare arm? I shivered and he let me go, his eyes avoiding mine.
“Great. See you in a while,” he said to my mom. “I’ll have everything ready for you.”
“Perfect, thank you… Ennis,” she added as she read his name tag.
Ennis flashed her a quick smile as I pushed her out of the shop and in the direction of Starbucks.
TBC