ＣＡＲＰＥ ᵒ ＤＩＥＭ

The First Day And The First Sign

Pavin rushed down the bike path that weaves its way across the sandy public beach. Being 17.5 minutes early for her first shift is a must. Pavin had always been a bit odd like that, very particular with how she liked things to be completed. Finally arriving at the surf shack she applied for she climbed the wooden stairs and entered the building. The windows and door were left propped open, providing the room with a light breeze and tossing the wind chimes that were strung across the front porch.

"Hello? Mr. Yates?" Pavin called hesitantly behind the counter. The older man who had provided her with the new job was no where insight. A tall, young man came from the back room carrying a box of t-shirts with him.

"Tim isn't here." The attractive man said while dropping the box on the floor in front of himself. He reached out his hand and shook hers. "Reid Clark." He smiled.

"Pavin Jackson." She stuttered a bit, pushing a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear.

"Ah, the new girl!" He teased while gesturing to the box. "Care to give me a hand hanging these shirts? A new shipment for the summer just arrived and Old Tim's got us both down on the schedule...Guess I'll be training you this week."

"Yeah, no problem...I can't imagine training is that gruesome though." Pavin teased while pulling a shirt out of the box.

"I don't know. Working with me can be pretty tiresome. I know how to put people to work." Reid smiled a bright smile and headed behind the counter. "Tim wants us to price these puppies and I can't find a damn sharpie. Be right back." He lightly jogged to the back room and disappeared from sight. Pavin continued removing the shirts from the box and sorting them into their correct size piles. This sort of job was nothing for her and she needed work experience for her application for pharmacy school. The beach has been her comfort place since she was a little girl, working at the surf shop would be a fun experience for her. A woman and her young daughter walked into the store and started browsing the clothing racks.

"Hello." Pavin called to them, pulling herself up from the floor. "How are you ladies doing today?" She smiled at them warmly.

"We're doing great." The mother replied, shooting a dazzling smile back at her.

"Anything I can help you look for?" Pavin asked, praying they would say no. She had no idea what this store had and didn't have yet.

"Oh, no thank you. We're just browsing." The woman replied. Pavin gave them one last smile and started moving the shirts up onto the cabinet behind the cash register. She could overhear the conversation between the mother and daughter from across the room.

"What about this swimsuit, darling?" The girl's mother asked while holding a high top light blue bikini towards her daughter. "It would look lovely on you, dear." The young girl blushed and looked away.

"I can't wear a bikini, Mom. You know that..." The girl sighed while looking down. She was a larger girl, but no where near fat. She had broad shoulders and was a very athletic build. Pavin kept her head down, staying out of the girls business. She picked up a box from behind the counter and opened it up. A new shipment of high waisted bikini bottoms had just arrived at the shop. Suddenly her attention was drawn up from the box as the girl raised her voice with her mother.

"Mom, I'm fat! I can't wear a bikini in public. People will stare at me." She yelled at her mother, getting a little teary eyed from the embarrassment. Her mother was taken back and put the swimsuit down defeated. Pavin grabbed out one of the new high waisted bottoms and crossed the room to the girl who dug through the swimsuits upset.

"Hello." Pavin smiled from behind her. "Swimsuit shopping isn't always fun, huh?"

"Not at all. I hate summer." The girl sighed turning her attention to Pavin.