13
Emma was sitting on the merchandise counter kicking her feet and drinking a soda. She’d just finished setting up the booth with the assorted merchandise to be sold later that night at the concert, and decided in her boredom that she deserved a break.“And we pay you the big bucks to sit on your ass?” a familiar voice asked as its owner approached from side.
Emma smiled and turned her head to see AJ and a very large man walking up to her, “I wouldn’t call what I get big bucks by any means… You’re the big spender, remember?”
AJ smiled, “Oh yeah…”
Emma gave a wave to the big man standing nearby, “Hey…”
“Hey, yourself…” he said with a smile.
“Oh yeah… Marcus, this is Emma… Emma, Marcus, my bodyguard.”
Emma chuckled, “Now that’s a job I bet gets the big bucks…”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” AJ asked as Emma and Marcus both chuckled.
“Nothing…” Emma smiled. “Just that you’re a very important guy and I’m sure you pay Marcus well…”
AJ rolled his eyes, “Whatever… so what are you up to?”
“Just sitting on my ass…” Emma chuckled. “And wishing this place allowed smoking inside.”
“You don’t have work to do?”
“Not really… I set up already, so now I just have to sit around and wait for the rabid fans to come rushing in…” She gave him a wink and laughed at the look on his face. “Hey, I’m serious… you should see some of the fights that break out over your pretty little face when I tell someone that I just sold the last glossy of you to the girl who was in front of them.”
Marcus laughed again and AJ whined, “Shut up… both of you.”
“No thanks…” Emma smiled and slid herself across the counter so that she was inside of the sales area. “Wanna see what my favorite item is?” She didn’t stop to hear AJ’s reaction, but bent down reaching into a box and pulled out an item and then jumped back onto the counter and slid herself back across to the side where AJ was now leaning against the counter. She smiled and handed the item to him, “Little tiny AJ face on a handy ball point pen.”
“Jesus…” AJ said as he looked at the pen and laughed at the picture of his face on the pen.
“I have several of them… all you, of course. Well, I have one of Nick cause he actually remembered my name last time I saw him… but the rest are all of you.”
“I didn’t know you were such a smart ass…” AJ said with a smile and stuck the pen in his pocket. “I’m not sure if I like you when you’re all cocky and not soaked with rain.”
“I like her…” Marcus said with a chuckle.
“You want a pen too, Marc? You can walk around and when people ask you who you work for, you can point to your pen and say, ‘Cute little dude on my pen…’” They both laughed again and AJ rolled his eyes but smiled. Emma then stretched across the counter on her stomach and reached for another pen then sat back up and tossed it to Marcus.
“Thanks…” he said with a smile and slid the pen into his pocket.
“No problem…” she said and looked at AJ. “That’ll be ten bucks for the two pens… Tips are also accepted, I know how much you like to over tip.”
