It was just her luck, while Georgia Grace was packing up her things at Dogwood for she wouldn’t be staying there much longer, the silver chain that her small cross hung from, snapped. Thankfully she knew when it happened, the bag she had picked up had brushed against her chest, the zipper had somehow tangled into the necklace, and when she moved to free it, the delicate chain broke. “SHOOT!” slipped out of her lips as the chain fell to the carpet. The bag was set down on the carpet, as she moved to her hands and knees to pick up the chain, the small cross was not anywhere near it. This was NOT going to be a good day, she could tell simply from how it was starting off.
Moving next to the bag, she peered all over it, and nothing. The zipper was still shut tight so it couldn’t have gotten inside. Lifting the bag, she stood up once more, before flipping the bag over and shaking it, hoping to see the small silver cross fall from the bag. Which to her dread it did not. She had not been standing near anything so where could the cross have fallen too?
Sure that the cross had not fallen on the bag, she tossed it aside for the moment. Before she moved back to her knees, hands going to the carpet, as she searched. Well she was searching but then she sneezed, her right hand lifting to cover her mouth, as was common when one sneezed and had manners, eyes closing. When her eyes opened again, the cross was sitting a inch away from her left hand. Brow lifted in a curious fashion, before she picked up the cross, taking both it and the broken chain, slipping them into her shorts pocket.
Grabbing her bags, which since her visit here her belongings seemed to have multiplied, she made two trips out to her truck, placing the items inside the cab. She was going to have to take a detour. After saying her goodbyes to those at Dogwood, where someone like her could not handle being around all of those stiffs, and how they helped her see the light. Whatever that meant, she aimed her truck for the Garden District, according to Google Maps, a jewelry store called Graceful Glimmer.
She wasn’t sure if the place could help her, because Google didn’t really give her to much information, but it wouldn’t hurt to try would it? Pulling her classic Chevy that needed a paint job badly up out front, she slipped out of the open door. It was days like today that made her glad she did not have leather seats, for the skin on her legs would have been hot and stuck to the seat. Shutting and locking the door she made her way inside of the store, looking around.
Her longish auburn locks were pulled back into a pony tail, it was easier to drive without your hair blowing all over your face, a few wisps’ had escaped of course. A black tank top with silver stars across the left shoulder and continuing down her front in a diagonal pattern, paired with a pair of cut off shorts, in a dark blue shade. Black cowboy boots completed the outfit. She had been moving not planning on shopping when everything happened.
Steven Rio Terrafor, a man of simple tastes, hated wearing suits. He always had, but he knew he would get a better base of clientele if he wore them. He had gone in to work early in the morning, dressed in jeans and a rock & roll t-shirt, but before he had unlocked the door, he'd had to change into what he was wearing now. This of course consisted of patent leather shoes, black, matching his trousers which were held up by suspenders, not a belt. A crisp white linen shirt encased his chest and torso, adorned with a simple black silk tie, and a black sportscoat.
When the bell above the door rang, and the little southern girl came walking in, he had a pang of longing for her comfortable clothes, but didn't think she could be here to buy anything too fancy. She didn't seem the ritzy snob type. He plastered that customer service smile onto his face, and walked around the counter to where she was gazing at his wares.
"Welcome to Graceful Glimmer, where we make anyone shine. I'm Steven. How can I help you today?"
He despised his little script, and for the umpteenth time thought about hiring someone to write a better one. His necklace, of course, was the only thing out of place for his formal wear, but he never took it off, and plus he was the owner of the place.
Georgia Grace loved to play dress up when the occasion called for it. Thankfully for her, moving caused for nothing so fancy, and if one moved while in fancy clothing, they probably were not carrying bags themselves. Suspenders were making a come back, or maybe they never really left, but they were a it item. Not having to mess with a belt and they held the pants better then a belt anyways, and it wasn’t like you could cinch them around your waist to tightly, one size fit all! Yay for adjustable straps!
One might be surprised! The girl could play the ritzy snob sort when the situation called for it, but she was most happy playing the girl that was comfortable in her own skin type. At the words he said she let out a small laugh, but her hand quickly lifted and she made it more of a cough, and did not wish to be rude. She always felt bad for people that had to say tag lines, even if it helped keep the stores name or whatever message they wanted to get out there, in the back of your mind. “Nice to meet you Steven, I am Georgia Grace. I looked on Google and you seemed to be the only jewelry store I could find….I was curious if you have a way of fixing necklace chains or if you…sold them? Or maybe somewhere here that does?”
Of course, she saw all the diamond creations and wondered if she should of just walked back out…but she was there, and why not ask the man. He did ask how he could help her today and that would help her greatly! But she was not making her exit any such way, she was actually casting her miss-matched eyes, one brown one greenish hazel around the shop, and back to the man, Steven.
The man, whose underworld contacts called him Henge, listened to the girl who had happened upon his store.
"Well, it's a peasure to meet you, Georgia Grace. You just need the chain fixed? Not a problem. Let me see it, and I'll fix it right up."
When she handed him the chain, he headed over to a workbench and rattled some of the tools around before picking up a jeweler's loupe and a tiny pair of pliers. He slowly leaked his power into the necklace, softening the metal on the broken link. He fed it through the other side, and squezed it gently closed with the pliers. His ability came again, and this time hardened the entire chain. Now she would be hard pressed to break the chain without significant force.
"Have you been here long? I figure you're not a native or you would have known of at least one other shop."
He handed her the reinforced chain, and smiled that New York charm. His jade green eyes waited patiently for her answer.
When Steven said that he could fix the chain she let out a happy little breath. It was funny, the necklace and the small cross were the only gift she ever received without knowing whom they were from, and yet the item held such a high spot in things that were important to her. Her left hand moved down into the front pocket, carefully pulling out the chain and the cross, the cross was in her right hand, as she held out the delicate chain in the left.
Not that she owed him a reason, but she gave him one anyways. Her honeyed tone had a southern drawl from her formative years in a Georgia boarding school. “I was in the middle of moving and a zipper on a bag somehow caught the chain…” And now that the chain was in his possession he would see what happened.
“I’ve been in town for a few weeks.” She paused. “My previous times in the city…I did not have need for a jeweler so I did not look one up.” A small shrug of delicate shoulders. “Only you showed up on The Google. Should I be going to the other store?” She didn’t think he was not wanting business but maybe he was.
When he handed her the chain back, she quickly slipped the cross onto the chain. Before her face lit up with a happy smile, as if he had just given her the most precious gift, because he had fixed her chain. “How much do I owe you?”
Even as she was asking she was lifting the chain to secure it around her neck with the little cross dangling from it.
"No of course you shouldn't be going to the other stores. They can't do what I can. I don't know if you've heard of those companies claiming to buy direct from the importers? Well, I even cut that out. I am the importer of my own gems and materials."
He wasn't bragging, but merely stating facts. Though, he didn't tell her that he actually made most of his own gems in the back of the store itself. He watched her thread the cross back onto the chain, and slip it around her neck. He had learned long ago that if a woman brought in a necklace they had owned for years, for repair, then they probably didn't need any help with the clasp.
"Well, the town sure is a busy one, and there's no end to the entertainment, especially if you like drunken revelry. However, if you are interested in a mellower mood of party, I recommend a few of the jazz clubs, or the cafes. That'll be twenty five dollars for the repair."
He would have to look up the jewelers on Google himself, and then let his competition know about it. It's not a fair competition if one contestant has all the cards.
Flutter of lashes in a blink. And men said women were confusing? Really! Because he made it sound like she shouldn’t of came into this particular store then he saying she should. She looked thoughtful for a moment, but then her head shook. “I don’t watch to much TV. But I know that a window company, I think it might be Wallside Windows, they say, ‘We can do that, we are the factory.’ So I think I get what your saying.” Not completely because if she did completely she would realize that he wasn’t average run of the mill vanilla flavored human like she was. Not that we are sure she tasted like vanilla but yeah.
And thankfully the clasp did not give her any issues, because she would of felt rather silly. Some things she had trouble asking for help with, that was one of them, in most instances. She thought a female should be able to put her own jewelry on, after the first time.
Listening to the man’s next words, her head was bobbing as she was paying attention, never know what you might pick up. Her right hand was moving to her back pocket, where she pulled out a well worn men’s brown leather wallet. Opening up the wallet she plucked out a twenty and ten. “Any places you would suggest or would suggest to stay away from?” As she asked the question she would hand over the money. “Thank you.” Her hands moved to put the wallet back, obviously not expecting anything back. Besides he might give her a bit more information.
He should, his was one of those sponsored ad’s on the top of the page, and the others that were on the page were located outside of the city. Unless her Google was broken.
He took her money, and put it in the register. He grabbed a fiver out, and handed it over to her. "Here's your change. There are a few good spots. All that Jazz is nice. The Hookah is okay sometimes, but it gets a little rough as well, so I usually stay away from it."
He wasn't going to tell her that the reason he stayed away fromt he Hookah was because the owner was a complete bitch to him the few times they had encounters, or that one of the workers was his kinda girlfriend that might be in love with a vampire.
"Being that this is a city known for debauchery, I would advise you to make a friend and keep them around if you go out at night. If you like club/dance music, The Aerie is an alright place, though the music gives me a headache if I stay too long." He laughed because he could listen to the tremors in the earth, but the heavy bass of trance music kicked his ass like a jackhammer.
He handed her a card for the shop. "If you are ever in the need of more repair, or anything new, give me a call." He smiled those slightly tar tinged teeth at her.
When he handed her the five, she took it, because she wasn’t going to argue with the man. That was not something that a girl like her would do. The five was folded four times before slipped into the front left pocket. “Thank you.” Her attention was back on Steven again, because he was talking about places to go.
“So be sure to check out All that Jazz…but only brave the Hookah if I am feeling brave. Thank you for the tips.” A small nod of her head, because she did think that was good advice, or rather she hoped it was, and she might find out if she ever did decide to go check out All that Jazz. It was probably a good thing he didn’t tell Georgia Grace all of that, because she would want to meet the owner just to see if she really was a bitch. And then she would be curious about the other thing as well. Not because of the man, but because she didn’t know what a kinda girlfriend was, but she knew what being in love with someone felt like, and to her it stunk to the high heavens!
Another nod of her head. “Oh…I’ve been making friends.” A smile here because she had been making friends and she rather liked making friends. She just wasn’t so good at not going places on her own. “Thank you for all your help!” Not once did her voice not sound honey coating nor the twang, that people that were not from Georgia heard. Not that she was from Georgia it was the boarding school she adapted it and it stuck with her.
When he handed her the card, she accepted it and slipped it into her back pocket. “Thank you…You’ll be my first stop.” She lifted her left hand and fingers curled around the necklace and cross. “I really do appreciate you fixing this. I will be sure to come in and actually buy something once I get settled in.” And she was the sort that kept her word. “Have a good and prosperous day.” Her hand falling from the chain as she slipped out to continue on her way.
Steven smiled at her comments, and nodded where appropriate. He watched the young girl leave his shop, and it actually seemed to dim a little when she left. Oh, well. Back to the normal day to day, where the city's air was so thick, if you breathed, you were likely to drown.
