Dan & Phil Oneshots

Ski Shop

(Phil's POV)

All anyone hears about in college is where everyone's dream job is. On top of that, it's not uncommon to hear people talking about the jobs in the ski village nearby. People always lust after the jobs with a beautiful location and good pay. So, it's a good thing that I got one there. I work at the ski shop right inside the resort, just to clarify. We always get several customers each day, so my salary isn't something to complain about. My boss is very nice, the coworkers are pretty ok, and the view of the mountain is spectacular. 

Today, I finally got to take a break from organizing the ski rentals and went to the front of the store where all the souvenir shirts and jackets were. I always feel sorry for people who buy these: they're so expensive! Honestly, you can get something of the same quality at TK Maxx. "Hey, Phil! Mind doing me a favor?" PJ called from behind the desk. "Sure?" "Great. Can you take my spot while I use the restroom?" I waved him off and slid behind the desk, closing out whatever program PJ had open (it was probably a card game knowing him). After a few minutes of waiting, a customer finally came in.

"Hello and welcome to-"
"Can you fix this!?"
"...what?"

The customer, a man around my age, carried his skis over to the counter and plopped them down, flipping them over so I could see the bottoms. I gasped as I saw deep scratches running lengthwise across the metal. "I hit an extremely rocky patch while going off course. I didn't know they were damaged until I packed up for the day. Do you think these can be fixed?"

I bit my tongue a bit to keep myself from stating the obvious and picked up his skis instead. As we got close to the back of the store, I called out for Kyle, who worked on ski repairs almost every day. "What's up my dudes?" "Here's what's up," I said as I handed him the skis. He set them down on a bench and flipped them over, staring blankly at the damage.

"And you want these repaired?"
"Umm, yes, please," Dan responded.
"Look, I hate to tell you this, but these can't be repaired. The cuts are too deep to fill and sand down properly. Your best bet would be to get a new pair."
"But-but I can't afford a new pair."
"I'm sorry, but that's all I can offer." And with that, Kyle disappeared into the back room once again.

I turned to the customer, who now had tears welling up in his eyes. "Hey, Hey! Oh no. Please don't cry. Oh, let me get you a tissue." I ran back to the front of the store and grabbed a box, returning to the man and holding it out to him. "Thanks," he said as he sniffled and took a tissue. "No problem. The name's Phil. Phil Lester." "Dan Howell," he said before wiping his eyes. "I'm sorry about coming in here and ordering you to look at my skis. I'm normally more polite than that. I appreciate you finding help, or trying to find help." "No problem. Here, let me take you to the coffee shop next door."

"Oh, you really don't have to do that-" Dan began saying, but stopped as I grabbed his wrist and pulled him out the door. After paying for two caramel macchiatos, Dan and I were seated in a booth by the window with a view of the snowy streets. "What if I said I can help you get a job to pay for a new pair of skis?" "I would love it, but where would I get one?" "At the ski shop, of course!"

He purses his lips and ran his finger around the rim of his cup, staring thoughtfully at his drink. "Ok," he whispered. "What?" "Ok. I'll do it. When do I start?"

~

It was the next day that we agreed Dan would start. For a while, I had my doubts about whether or not my boss would let him work, but she didn't mind at all. All she required was that I trained him, and I couldn't argue against that. I was flipping through a magazine when he came in, letting a cold gust of air enter with him. He was wearing a cute hat with a pompom on top, and complete with his rosy cheeks from the cold, I could clearly feel my stomach start to stir.