Ecie & Esme II: Another Day Like This

Two

'Ecie Woodrow-Thurgood! How have you been?!'

Ecie spun round with her arms full of new clothes and grinned at the familiar face.

'Caner,' she grinned trying to hug him with full arms. 'What are you doing here? You told me you were away this weekend.'

'Well there was a change of plan,' he smiled looking at her. 'I see that our summers together have left you looking amazing as usual.'

'You're looking good too,' Ecie nodded looking at Caner West's arms. 'You're looking really good. It's so good to see you.'

'Well I just thought that seeing as my plans for this weekend got canceled, maybe we could hang out for a bit.'

'I can't,' Ecie said biting her bottom lip nervously. 'I'm so sorry. I feel so bad leaving you all by yourself this weekend.'

'That's cool,' Caner shrugged. 'It's fine, I don't want to impose...'

'I'm supposed to be having brunch with my dad tomorrow,' Ecie said. 'You should join us. It'd be fun.'

'Okay then,' Caner nodded. 'Brunch tomorrow sounds good. What about in the mean time?'

'Well, in the mean time, I need to work,' Ecie laughed holding up her arms. 'These won't fold themselves, and I've also got a ton of orders to make before we close.'

'I could stay and keep you company,' Caner suggested. 'I really wouldn't mind.'

Ecie looked at Caner. 'Okay then. If you're sure.'

'Of course I am,' Caner laughed. He kissed Ecie on the cheek and pulled her close to him. 'We'll make a great team.'

'Of course we will,' Ecie laughed pressing her cheek against Caner's and carrying the clothes past him. 'Now tell me Caner,' Ecie said kneeling down on the floor. 'What happened to that blonde who thought she was your girlfriend?'

Caner let out a loud guffaw. 'What ever happened to me meeting your sister?'

'Well she wasn't interested,' Ecie laughed. 'And who can really blame her?'

Caner laughed. 'What's not to like about me?'

'Well where to start...?' Ecie teased.

'Be nice to me,' Caner joked. 'Or I won't invite you back to my father's yacht club next summer.'

Ecie and Caner laughed.

'I want to know what happened to her,' Ecie laughed. 'She practically had you for the whole summer.'

'She left a couple days ago,' Caner replied. 'You have no idea how hard it is to entertain guests.'

'I think I have an idea of what it might be like,' Ecie replied.

'So what about your sister?' Caner asked again. 'I was so looking forward to the idea of twins.'

'You are disgusting,' Ecie laughed.

'Don't tell me that you don't miss me,' Caner laughed. 'I know you do. I mean why else are you on the floor, if it's not to stop your knees from knocking.'

'You are so full of it,' Ecie laughed as she hit Caner playfully. 'When are you going to get off your high horse?'

'When I get you back baby,' Caner laughed. 'Then it'll just be you and me forever.'

'Oh please,' Ecie laughed. 'You wish.'

Caner nodded. 'Oh yeah baby.'

'You're scaring away all the costumers,' Ecie said looking around the store at the people who were beginning to stare at her and Caner.

Caner took his wallet out from his back pocket and opened it. He pulled out three hundred dollars and his American Express card. 'Tell me what to buy.'

Ecie looked at Caner for a moment then started laughing.

'Oh right Ecie,' Stacy, a co-worker at Chêne de Pois, said. 'Are you going to be able to get all those orders done by closing? It's just that I don't think I'll have enough time to finish...'

'I'll be fine,' Ecie nodded. 'I already managed to do half of the orders already, so all I need to do is look for the other catalogue and order the rest of the stuff.'

'Oh that's great,' Stacy smiled. 'You are a complete and total savior.'

'It's nothing,' Ecie smiled. 'I was wondering if maybe I might be able to order in a couple of special pieces. I've especially seen some really great jewelry and I think it would be really good to perhaps have some of it here in the store.'

'I think it's a great idea,' Stacy nodded. 'Did you call the East Coast and ask them about it? They'll want to make sure that it's all cost effective and so on.'

'I haven't yet,' Ecie replied. 'But I just wanted to get a second opinion on it before I went to the head-honchos.

'Well you should call them as you do the orders and stuff,' Stacy advised. 'Anyway, I've got to run because I have an appointment. I'll see you tomorrow?'

'Yeah,' Ecie nodded. 'I'll text you in the morning.'

'Okay sweetie,' Stacy smiled. She hugged Ecie. 'I'll see you tomorrow.'

'So what are you doing tonight?' Caner asked as he folded up a men's tee and placed it with others he had folded.

'I'm meeting someone,' Ecie replied. 'You know, kind of like a catch up.'

'Oh right,' Caner nodded. 'So who is he?'

Ecie shrugged and smiled. 'I don't think you'd really want to know.'

'Oh right,' Caner nodded. 'I get it. Naughty exes, yet you won't give me another chance.'

'We were never together,' Ecie replied watching as Caner folded tees. 'We hung out loads and we still do.'

'Of course we do,' Caner grinned.

'Great,' Ecie said nodding. 'Will you be okay to fold all this stuff by yourself?'

'Where will you be? I don't even work here.'

'I'll be in the back room looking for the other catalogue that we usually order from. I need to finish placing all of the orders before closing,' Ecie replied. 'Once I've found the catalogue, I'll come right back out again and then we can continue our lovely discussions.'

'Okay then,' Caner nodded. 'Sounds good to me.'

'If you finish really soon then you can help me look for the catalogue,' she continued. 'It's a4 and has about five hundred pages. I've marked out with tape the pages I want and there should also be some stray sheets of paper in it.'

Caner nodded. 'I will definitely keep an eye out for it.'

'Thank you so much,' Ecie said moving towards the back room. 'You're doing an amazingly awesome job.'

Caner grinned. 'Thanks boss.'

'Where did you find it?' Ecie asked standing up.

'Down the back of the sofa,' Caner replied pointing back at the old sofa. 'Does this mean I get some kind of prize?

'Great work,' Ecie replied opening the door and holding it for Caner. 'How about that as a cool prize.'

Caner shrugged. 'Sounds pretty sweet to me.'

Ecie laughed. 'Thank you for spending the day with me; you made it lots of fun.'

'No problem,' Caner smiled. 'Thank you for having me.'