Hiding from Mr. Billionaire

11 Chocolate

"So, you're here for a job huh shorty?" asked the tall white man at the cash register with angry eyes. He looked foreign and had quite the mishap when he spoke certain words due to his strong European accent. Though one would barely notice it, that is if they stayed with him long enough. It was a quick adaption in comparison to the same certainty that she was now, in fact, a man. Excluding the facial hair.

"Er, yes," Vivian squeaked, shrinking. "I mean, yes." she corrected herself, lowering her voice for a masculine effect. It sounded horrid to her own ears, but it seemed to work. For the man rubbed his stubble beard and nodded cohesively to her words.

"Are you sure you don't want to work in construction instead?" the guy asked, eyeing her closely. "You look like you need to buff up a little if you're going to work in the storage room."

She shook her head.

"What about the factories? with your small body you can easily fit through a machine and work it," he mused.

"I disagree. I'm a lot stronger than you think," she lied convincingly, crossing her arms. "See this cut on my face?" she pointed to the closed wound at the bottom of her face that she got from her neighborhood cat, Chester. Now that her hair was all gone it popped out more than ever now. There was no hiding it. "Yeah.. I got this in a fight, yeah, with a man twice my size," Vivian continued lowly, making her throat sore. "He took a knife and cut me, so before he got to swinging I kicked him in the shin and made my move."

The guy grunted, trying to hold in his laughter. "That sounds like one fight you got there with. Sorry, who's the guy you fought?"

"Mr. erm- Smith," she said with a confident glare. There were far too many Smiths in this town for anyone to single out a one particular Smith. That she knew. "We didn't really get to names when we got rowdy last night."

"I must test this out myself at least, jus to make sure you aren't kidden me," he winked, slapping her on the shoulder playfully. Thought it felt more like a hit. Vivian held back a wince and nodded her head, her arm pounding in pain. That was most certainly going to leave a bruise. The tall man turned halfway and gestured to the back room behind the curtain. "The manager's right bac ought there puffin up a storm. Try not to piss that man off, he a hard one."

"Thank you," she huffed, walking up right towards the cloudy room.

"Oh, an jus one more thang," he said before she walked up. "Try to fix that ugly cut on yoer face, I learned from my wyfe that if you don't smooth it over every now and then, it creates an ugly bump there. You wouldn't want that."

Vivian thanked him for the advice and ducked behind a curtain, wrinkling her noise at the mounds of smoke that came from the back room. She waved it away to reveal a fat old man in a suit, with a box of chocolates laid out in front of him. The old man caught wind of her and leaned forward, blowing out another puff of smoke. "What can I do for you boy?" he said gruffly.

"Sorry to bother you sir. I've come here in search for a job," she said, putting up her best man front that she could muster. "I've always wanted to work in this shop since I was a little gir-boy. Little boy. Anyway, I've heard about that opening you got. And I just wanted to say that I'd be delighted to take any slot that's still open from you"

"One slot," he demanded.

Vivian blinked. "What?"

"I have lot's of men come in here everyday like yourself picking all these random slots. From experience, it doesn't work out for them. Not unless they really want it. That's business, I'm sure you'd understand that, boy. So I now abide by a one rule. You pick one slot, and I'll see if it's right for you."

"Well sir," she said confidently. "I want to work in the storage room."

The old man stood up and eyed her carefully, poking at her father's suit that was too big and too long for her. "This suit looks like it's wearing you, boy," he commented. "Have you no sense in the appropriate attire for yourself?"

"I got all my clothes stolen from me last night," Vivian lied.

"And they left that one?" he held up her loose sleeves with interest.

"That's my father's," she said truthfully. "I'm borrowing it from him till I get an actual job"

"Interesting," he repeated. "Interesting indeed."

She cocked her head to one side curiously. "If you don't mind my asking, what's interesting?"

He chuckled. "Your not fit for the storage room my boy, I need a man who's able to handle a steady job. I need a man that can catch a heavy box with one hand so he can carry two. At once. You on the other, don't look like you can carry one with two of those twig arms of yours. Come back when winter blows over with some meat on your bones and then we'll talk."

Vivian's eyes widened with horror. "As a fat man?"

"No!" he bellowed, flexing his floppy arm skin that barely fit in his suit sleeve. "Muscle, boy, lots and lots of muscle. I recommend lots labor work in the meantime, like a factory, or maybe construction. That's what you need right now"

"Ah," she sighed. "Well, I may not have muscle, but I got a lot of wit sir. Let you tell you about the my cut-"

"Stop fooling around this shop, boy," he cut in. "Either buy something or get out and come back after winter's up. That's my final offer."

"But-"

"Final," he finished for her, leaning back in his chair. He didn't look at her as he blew another puff of smoke in her face.

Vivian left the back room in despair, turning towards the cash register guy who was too busy talking to Agatha. Agatha? she questioned. Why would she be here?  Vivian looked down and saw a little boy eyeing the glass window filled with chocolate, licking his lips.

Oh.

That's why.

Just then Jasper walked into the shop impatiently, standing silently next to his sister. He looked dead as he walked into the colorful shop. Vivian let out a small yelp and tried to hide in one of the aisles. Her eyes never left that of Jasper, who was oblivious to her. "What incarnation ish you doin!" the tall man behind the counter yelled as Vivian walked into stack of milk chocolate bars and knocked them all over the ground.

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A/N - Please comment and vote :) stay safe!