Caught In Intimacy

Chapter 2- Business Flyers

I hopped in the car and went straight on over to Vlad's house... well at least what was left of it. The fire department showed up too late to save it, I don't think it's a fixable situation. I seen him sitting on the floor just holding onto his head in grief. I walked up to him.

"You okay? Were you in the house? Any injuries happened?"

"My money..."

"Hm?"

"MY FUCKING MONEY! I HAD MY LIFE SAVINGS IN THAT FUCKING HOUSE AND THEY BURNT IT ALL TO ASHES" he shouted.

"How much was it?"

"IT DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER ANYMORE, ITS ALL GONE. IM GOING TO FUCKING KILL THEM!"

"Wait wait..." I interrupted. "Are you sure you didn't leave the stove on or something? How are you so sure that it's them?"

"I don't fucking cook. Do I look like a man that can cook to you Nico? Ugh I'm fucked- I'm screwed, I'm going to have to live in the basement of the shop."

"Look, you're no stranger to my house at all, and you're a good friend of mine, you can't stay in that filthy small basement in the shop." I handed him 500 dollars, "Look, take this and go get yourself some new things and you could move into my house tonight, I have the guest room the same way you left it last time... it's all yours."

"You don't have to do this Nico" he told me. "I don't want you to feel pity for me. I could get myself out of this situation"

"And how the hell are you planning on doing that? Where are you going to go and with what money? Quit the nonsense and come crash by my house until you're able to get yourself going again."

"Thanks Nico, I really appreciate it." he said.

"Anytime....boss."

I left and headed to a local print shop over on Toby Road. I promised Rachel that I would print some flyers out for her. Rachel is my cousin. We never really grew up close but best believe she always acts like I was her favorite cousin whenever she needs something from me. She was a few years older than me and so she never really payed much attention to me. She was always focused on doing "older people shit". I was 10 when she made me smoke my first e cig. I remember once she went missing during the middle of my birthday party. All of a sudden the day wasn't about me anymore, it was all about her. Everyone was worried about where she was, meanwhile they ended up finding her in the backyard making out with her boyfriend that was like 7 years older than her. She was a total mess.... still is to be honest. But she just started a little baking business. No, not the type of baking business that comes to mind at first. She doesn't bake cupcakes and cookies and macaroons, and all that good stuff... she makes edibles. Yes edibles, you know.... the stoner snacks. She made a little menu flyer thingy and wants me to print out about 60 of them for her to give out to her pothead buddies. So I headed over to the print shop and walked on over to the girl that does the printing.

"Hey, I wanna get 60 copies of—"

"Oh hey there" she told me while staring at me.

"Yea so 60 copies of these flyers, glossy or matte it doesn't really matter..."

She let off a flirty smirk at me. "Only if I could get your number once I'm done printing these flyers"

"Well that doesn't seem like the normal protocol for customers" I told her.

She smiled at me. "Nope, sometimes you have to bend the rules a little for certain customers... know what I mean?"