Set Fire To My Heart

Chapter 3: Where There's Smoke, There's Fire

Looking around the backroom, Castiel drops another giant purple dildo into a box with more of the same. He reaches up and wipes the sweat from his forehead. There are times like now when he questions his sanity to do all of the counting by himself, but he reminds himself that his store is successful due to the extra work. Castiel sighs and looks up at the whiteboard with the special orders list. He smiles when he sees Dean's name. Letting his mind wander, Castiel daydreams about delivering his customer's items. What does Dean's voice sound like? What kind of personality does he have? Would Dean rebuff Castiel if he asks him on a date? The thoughts start to swirl, and Castiel braces himself against the desk, feeling a little dizzy.

Glancing at the clock, Castiel pushes off the surface and peeks out the door to the sales floor. One last customer is checking out with Samantha, and he patiently waits while she serves them. When the person leaves, Castiel walks over to the counter. "Hey. How about we call it an early day? I need to finish up all this counting, and you've been working very hard this past week," he offers.

"You sure about that, Boss-man?" Samantha asks, looking around the store. "I could clean or something if you need me to. There is a bit of a mess under the register here," she finishes, smiling.

"I'm sure. This place is so tidy, and I would take a chance to eat my lunch on the floor," Castiel chuckles, gesturing around him.

Samantha grimaces. "I would advise against that, sir. It may look clean on the surface, but the danger is what lies beneath. People track in a lot of nasty things, but if you're sure, I'll be happy to take an early day. Thank you," she smiles again, looking at the sunshine beyond the storefront. "It's a nice day. Maybe I'll go on a picnic," Samantha walks around the counter, disappearing behind the door and emerging shortly after with her purse. She stands next to Castiel, a brow cocked. "You're sure you don't need help?"

Castiel shakes his head. "Thank you, but I'll be fine. This isn't my first inventory. Please enjoy the day, and I'll see you tomorrow," Castiel smiles, and his hair falls messily around his head as he tips his chin towards the door. He follows Samantha to the entrance and locks it behind her. Castiel takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Quickly, he takes stock of how much he still has to count, and how much time it'll take. A few more hours, tops, he figures, then he can go home, too. He starts on the front of the store, marking and tagging products as he goes.

An hour later, Castiel steps back and looks at his work. He nods. "Not bad," Castiel mumbles to himself. Suddenly, he hears a popping noise and scans the store. Shrugging, he checks his watch and walks into the back room again. "The last push, Castiel. We can do this," he chuckles to himself and hauls up a box of costumes onto the desk.

About a half-hour goes by, and Castiel starts to feel incredibly warm. He fans himself as beads of sweat trickle down his neck and disappears into his shirt. "I don't remember having the heat on," he muses as he checks the thermostat. Looking at the little box triggers alarm when Castiel notices smoke trailing from under the door. He squints at it and tests the door handle. It's only slightly warm, so he takes the chance to open it very slightly, knowing he could cause a backdraft. The first thing he notices is the front register engulfed in flames. The heat is stifling in the small room. He winces and looks for a means of escape from the front, but the area is quickly filling with more fire. Castiel closes the door, and takes some of the costumes, stuffing them under the door. "It'll be okay. Just stay calm," Castiel reminds himself, crossing the room to the back door. He unlatches the lock as he dials the emergency number on his phone.

"Nine-one-one, please state your emergency," the calm voice comes over Castiel's speaker.

"Hello, my name is Castiel Novak. I am at nineteen seventy-nine, route twenty-nine. I would like to report a fire. The location is called The Pleasure Zone. I am the owner," Castiel provides the information and pushes at the door, but it doesn't move. He shoves at it again with his shoulder, and still, it doesn't budge.