Settling In

By Elise

Kim Barrett/ Cindy

It was her day off so Cindy ran some errands and picked up some groceries and more cleaning supplies. They had a new home to work on. She still couldn’t believe it, the last two mornings Cindy had expected a knock on the door and Mr. Barrett telling her he had been drunk it was all a mistake.

In the back bedroom she found a sofa, chairs for the table, and a mattress. Well the mattress went straight to the dumpster. All in all place just needed a good scrubbing and a bit of polish. Unlocking the door and going in Cindy looked around, well maybe a lot of polish. She still wasn’t satisfied with the look of the old wood floor.

They set the bags down on the table and Jake bopped his balloon from the Glen New Year’s Eve party tied to the back of the chair. "That was fun. Can we do it again tomorrow?"

Cindy shook her head, "No silly boy that was a party. You only have parties on special occasions, like New Years Eve. Did you have fun with at cute little girl? What was her name?"

Jake smiled and nodded as he tried to stealthily snag a cookie from the bakery box. "Yeah, her name is Brook. We had lots of fun."

Cindy put a finger on top of the bakery box and gave him a chiding look. Then with a shake of her head and a smile set a cookie in front of him. "Only one, I believe you’ve had enough sugar for a week. Maybe we’ll stop by the boarding house when we’re out one day and see about a play date. Her mom and dad seemed to be very sweet people too."

Jake mouth full of cookie gave her a thumb’s up. Laughing Cindy poured him a small glass of milk and put the rest of the groceries away. This little town was full of friendly people. It was really nice way to meet everyone and Cindy had made a friend herself too.

Marie and her husband Bud are good folk. Cindy felt that she and Marie had a blossoming friendship in more ways than one. Their goal to plant blue flowers through out the Glen. She wondered how Mr. Barrett would take the news of her filling the planters. Most everything she needed was in the store except the actual plants. Speaking of the store she had just enough money left from payday to get slip covers for the sofa and chair cushions.

Turning at the sound of Jake setting his cup in the sink she smiled. "Let’s go down stairs and find something nice to cover that ugly furniture with."

Shopping, that idea appealed to Jake. Taking her hand he started for the door making Cindy lean back to grab her purse from the counter. "Hold on there speedy."

Kim looked up as he heard Cindy and Jake coming out of the back room. While she was gone to the gathering yesterday he’d slipped up stairs. Over the last couple of days she had scrubbed the apartment spotless and had even made that old dumpy furniture shine. Jake’s room had a bed. And by the look of the sheet folded over the arm of the couch that was where Cindy had been sleeping.

The sparse rooms kind of surprised him. There were a few nick knacks that looked to have been well traveled with nicks and chips. The bags and boxes he’d seen in her car really were all they owned. And that wasn’t a whole hell of a lot.

Jakes room had a small plastic tub in the corner that held a ball, stuffed lion, a few worn books, a few toy cars, a couple of action figures, and a box of building blocks. "Not much for a kid these days." Kim had no idea why that bothered him. Yes he did, he just didn’t want to remember.

Shaking off the vision of that mostly empty box Kim watched his employee walk though the store carefully adding as she picked up what looked like slipcovers and a frying pan. Jake came running over with the latest Power Ranger Morpher to show his mother. Cindy smiled and nodded that yeah it was cool. He heard her tell Jake that he could save his allowance for it.

Cindy couldn’t help but grin when he took off to sit on one of the chairs in front of the televisions at the sound of the Sponge Bob Square Pants theme song. Looking at the items in her hand she sighed and put back the pan and the toy.

When she walked to the counter Kim walked over and rang her up. "G’day, Mindy. That comes to twelve, forty."

Cindy looked at him not because he screwed up her name….. again. "They’re marked…."

Giving her a look he cut her off, least his action be thought of as kind. "You get an employee discount."

Giving him a look then shaking her head, a grin. That was a big discount, close to if not at his cost more than likely. There might be something underneath that grumpy exterior after all. "Oh, well that’s good to know, thanks."

Standing tall stuffing his hands in his pockets. "There is a mattress in back that was returned. It is still covered but the tags have been torn off. I can’t resell it on the floor but if you like you can take it, I don’t like the idea of tossing new product in the rubbish bin."

Nodding at the thought of sleeping on a mattress instead of the lumpy couch. "Yeah, I’ll take it, thank you. Can you ring me up for a set of sheets and a frame too. Thanks to that discount I’ve got enough for it."

Kim nodded his face the same stingy business face he always wore. "There is a frame that comes with that brand. Both were returned. I’ll get it up the stairs, don’t want you to slip and sue for damages. Just watch the floor."

Cindy smiled and gave him a teasing salute, then at his glance cleared her throat. "Of course Mr. Barrett. I appreciate it very much."

He nodded to her then disappeared into the back of the store. Jake came over and sat behind the counter and pulled out a flap book he kept hidden under the register. Cindy smiled and handled customers thinking about Mr. Barrett. Even though he almost never got her name right and was not always very nice he had helped her more than anyone ever had.

After a while Kim came back and leaned against the counter. "I saw the balloon upstairs. You went to the party after all."

"Yes we did. The entire community almost was there I believe. It was very nice, everyone was very welcoming." She smiled knowing what she was about to say would please him. "I mentioned the store to a few people and the sale coming up in the children’s department."

That earned her a grin. Cindy thought he was actually handsome with out that constant scowl. Kim was quite surprised but of course she wanted the business to succeed. Her job and now her home was here. Everything depended on it, like him. His entire savings plus the business loans his life depended on the success of Barrett’s. Not just his life, now Cindy and Jake’s too. "Very good, hopefully they won’t have gotten too smashed and forget about it. Now that you’ve partied with the locals I guess you’re setting in alright."

A soft smile touched her lips. For the first time in a long time she felt comfortable in a place. "Yeah, we are settling in. I think the Glen is someplace we can stay. Maybe put down some roots as they say."

That was good to hear. Cindy would be in the apartment across the hall, why the hell did he care about that? Nodding to her he turned the sign on the door and leaned back waiting for the couple of customers still shopping. "Good, I’d hate to have to train someone else. Takes up to much of my time, and you picked things up rather quickly."

Jake leaned against her leg and yawned staying up so late last night and all the sugar he was finally crashing down. Rubbing his hair she laughed softly at the round about compliment. "I thank you… I think. Let me help close up. It’s the least I can do for giving me a soft place to rest my head tonight."

Kim nodded with a grin. "Sounds like a fair trade semi free labor." When she looked at him with her head cocked, he grinned wider. "What? Well you’re working off your soft place to sleep."

Cindy smiled when he laughed then changed it to a cough. He had a nice laugh probably didn’t use it except to count his gold coins. "Alright, Ebenezer Scrooge let’s shoo these folks out I would like to go try out that mattress."

They checked out the last customers and made sure every thing was locked up and in its place for morning. Cindy was yawning herself. Looking around she found Jake laying on one of the sofa’s snoring softly. Kim walked over and glanced down at the boy sprawled. Cindy grinned hoping he wouldn’t be too miffed. "I’m sorry, he was so worn out still from his late night at the party he must of zonked."

Kim shook his head, something about this ankle biter softened him a touch. His words might have been harsh but his voice just couldn’t hold the tone as he spoke. "I’ll let it pass this once. I’ll carry him up…."

Cindy smiles softly. "Yeah, you don’t want a lawsuit if I slip on the stairs. Or a funeral to worry about either I gather."

Giving her a look as he carefully picks up the boy. "Do you have any idea what just a coffin costs these days?"

Shaking her head Cindy laughed and opened doors and turned off lights as they went. At the apartment she left the door open as she went in and pulled down Jakes covers. Kim lay him down and watched this mother take of his shoes and tuck him under the covers. She took the lion from the box and laid it next to Jake as she kissed his head.

With a soft grin she waved for Kim to follow her out. He was different, Mr. Barrett had never joked with her before.

Kim walked to the front door and turned. "I’ll see you on time in the morning then, Lindsey. Good night."

Cindy smiled wondering if he would ever get her name right. He probably did it to irritate her needing someone to be grumpy with. "Good night, Mr. Barrett. Thank you."

When the door closed Kim stood for a moment looking at it. He didn’t want attachments he had a business to run. That was his soul focus becoming the man his ambition told him he could be. A high roller, a man with power and wealth. Turning and sticking his chin up Kim walked into his apartment. He didn’t need anyone but himself.

Cindy sighed as she turned from the door and dropped her shoes next to the door. After the late night last night she had gotten up early to start making errands. Now she was ready for dreamland.

Yawning she turned off the lamp and walked to her room where she assumed Mr. Barrett put mattress since it wasn’t out here. Suddenly she stopped, there wasn’t a cool wood floor beneath her feet anymore. Cindy turned the lamp back on and looked at the floor. There was a large floor rug, she hadn’t bought that. He didn’t, did he?

Moving to her room she found the frame and mattress already set up with a gift bag sitting in the middle. Sitting on the edge of the bed she opened the bag and found a set of blue sheets, the frying pan she was looking at, and the toy that Jake had showed her.

She sat back in a moment of shock. A note fell off the sheets and into her lap. "To help you settle in. Kim."

Laying back against the fluffiest pillow she’d ever felt Cindy held up the note and read it again. Nothing snide, nothing saying she owed him for it, nothing indicating that he expected pay back of any sort. Cindy didn’t take gifts well. Receiving them had been very rare. Especially from someone like her boss who as all about the bottom line. "Maybe he has multiple personality disorder." Rolling to her side she picked up the frying pan and looked into the shiny new bottom. "Maybe Kim Barrett isn’t as prickly as he seems."