euphoria. ━︎━︎ RESERVOIR DOGS !

[ O4 - CALM ]

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : ❝Come See About Me❞ - The Supremes

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WHEN OZ TURNED FIFTEEN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, he got his first cassette signed by Alexander O'Neal. It wasn't first-hand. He never met Alexander O'Neal face to face and asked for an autograph before O'Neal was chauffeured backstage. He got it from the black market, and it could have been Alexander O'Neal's penmanship, a forged one, or O'Neal's penmanship resold by some guy who was an autograph reseller. It was likely the latter. 

It was then that Oz stuffed the cassette in his pocket and simply walked out. The store didn't have the budget for cameras or a sensor. But the cassette was never placed in the Walkman. It was to be sold to someone who lived down the block and loved 80s music. Oz felt it was too old. The guy slapped twenty bucks on Oz's palm and walked back inside his garage. 

Oz had his record player but immediately switched to whatever could help show off how cool he really was when he peaked. He put stickers on his boombox and it sat on its throne near the wall. 

Kate used the record player during business hours when Oz wasn't home. When he came home, The Supremes record was spinning on top, and Kate surprised him with homemade bread pudding. 

Oz was popular, but this year he began losing that spark, as well as the sales. He took a few days to reflect on how four hands are quite better than two in this scenario, and after an awkward walk-in between Kate and him and a stubborn customer, he knocked on the door that led to Kate's apartment from the weird layout of his house. He said the words, "Fuck it. I'm recruiting you." Along with the next three, "You're my assistant."

But good assistants know when to separate the strain and quadruple-check the strain before handing it to a man with a gun in his holster 24/7.

Stephen halted his car on the side, looking to his left of the house. Almost immediately, Stephen was crossing the narrow road to the adjacent neighbourhood, storming up to the front porch and knocking loudly on the screen door. 

"Oz!" A pause. "OZ!"

The door swings open to show Oz in his pyjamas. Oz, with a slight grin on his face, greeted the man with a playful tone, "What happened, Richard Reese? In search of ya inner peace?" He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Cut the shit, will ya, asshole? Where's your assistant?"

Oz shrugged nonchalantly. "You just missed her. She left a few minutes ago."

Confusion washed over him. "What? How could I have missed her?"

Oz leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Well, she probably had some errands to run. Or she's shopping, on a date, I dunno jackshit. Why? What's got you all riled up? You seem upset with her."

Stephen's irritation boiled over. "You're damn right I am. I asked for the strongest ounce you guys had, and your idiot assistant gave me CBD!" Frowning, Stephen couldn't help but question Kate's suitability for the job. 

Oz's face lights up, stunned. "Say honest, man."

Stephen glares at him. 

"Are you sure?" Oz asks.