Sam Campbell needed to escape, escape from her life, her messy divorce, and all the pitying looks. Looks she couldn't ignore when everyone in town had known her and Cam, had known her shame and failure. So, she took the first job she could get, teac...
'My Dude's Pies' stood out starkly in bright yellow letters on the front of the otherwise nondescript brick building. There was nothing particularly special about it from the outside. It didn't stand out in any way. It looked like most of the other businesses along the main street in Hawkins. Nothing that would really catch your eye or bring you pause but the inside was an entirely different story.
Sam's eyes widened at the riot of color that greeted her as they walked through the door. The walls were painted a neon green with a huge mural of a slice of pizza riding a wave decorating the largest wall. The other walls were filled with various artwork, all quirky and eclectic: a cow wearing sunglasses, a tiger in a garish purple velvet suit, a collection of paintings of trolls' toys with a rainbow of brightly colored hair. Multi-colored lights hung from the ceiling and snaked around the walls. The furniture was a mish mosh of neon colors, her eyes assaulted with glaring shades of hot pink, flaming red, electric blue, and florescent yellow. The floor was white tile, blocks of the same brilliant shades sprinkled throughout.
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"My dudes!"
Sam looked up to find Argyle coming through the swinging doors from the kitchen, his arms raised over his head in greeting. Of course. How had she forgotten that Argyle owned the pizza place in town? The decor here perfectly matched the loud fashion choices of the man currently walking toward her, pulling her into a bone-crushing bear hug.
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"Hi Argyle," she gasped, her chest constricted with the force of the friendly embrace.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, friends?" he inquired. "You two craving one of my tasty pies?"
"I was just hungry, man. The lady said she wanted pizza, so here we are," Eddie answered.
"Wait..." Argyle stepped back, his fingers pointing between the two of them, dancing just like his eyes, a grin stretching his mouth wide. "Oh! Oh! Are you two dating now? Is this a thing? It looks like a thing. How did I not know about this?"
"No. Absolutely not a thing. This is definitely not a date," Eddie protested, his hands waving in front of him as if that were the most offensive thing he'd ever heard. "I'm just helping her out with a car. We ran to the junkyard for parts and I was hungry so I mentioned grabbing something to eat and she picked pizza. Just trying to be nice, man. Something new for me."
