Page 17 of Ethan

By the time Ethan came home, the questions in the other room were finishing up as well. Brook left her, telling her not to skip on meals again. She didn’t know what the woman would do to her if she did but she did try and eat a little more of the cheese and crackers that had been set before her.

For the rest of the evening, they hung out with the kids. They were unusually quiet tonight and seemed to know that she needed extra hugs. Even Tisha seemed to know it as well. When the pizzas that they ordered arrived, they ate them right there in the living room while watching television. The show they had on was silly, but the kids seemed to enjoy it a great deal. Shawn couldn’t have said what it was about if her life depended on it. It was that stupid to her.

When the kids were ready for bed, they spent more time with them than they had before. It was nice, she thought, having little people in the house. She had been working so hard in her earlier life with Shamus that she thought perhaps that was what had made him think that everything was his. Or not. She didn’t have any idea what made him the way he’d been.

Going to bed that night, she was glad for the comfort of Ethan with her. He wasn’t on call for the next several days, so they were going to get up in the morning and head out. She knew that he’d been planning for the most fun that they could have, and she was looking forward to it more than anything they’d ever done.

Sleep didn’t come easy for her. She knew that it was because she was feeling guilty about Shamus. Finally unable to even get her body to settle down, she decided to get up and go to her office. She had a few projects to work on and she thought that it might relax her enough to go back to bed.

By the time the sun was coming up, she’d done more than she had thought possible when she’d entered the large room. The logo and advertising campaign were finished up for Tucker Charites. She’s finished making the changes that were for the Henderson fuck up and was set to email it out when the sun was just cresting over the trees.

There were other projects, smaller ones that she’d done up for the family. She had been asked to design business cards for Hudson and his wife. A logo and a menu style for Jakes Place. There were also smaller projects that she had finished up for other members of the large family.

By the time they were loaded up in the car to start their adventure, she was about as happy as she’d been in some time. Everything was going to be about her getting her life together. The children and Ethan. Whatever came, it was going to be solved then and not put off until it was too far out of hand. Also, as the saying goes, she wasn’t going to sweat the small stuff as it was all small stuff.

~*~

Jack had never been to a wholesale market before but thought that it might be the place to be. There were all sorts of vendors there that he wouldn’t necessarily need to purchase from for the restaurant but he still took his time having a look around. He was also glad that Denver had come with him. The two of them weren’t in any kind of hurry but were there to enjoy themselves.

“Do you have any idea how many trays you’re going to need?” He looked at his list, glad now that he’d made it and the sizes of things they were there to order. Denver had a list as well, hewas looking for some art that would look good in the offices of the charity offices. “I’ve seen some of the art that’s here. I like it, but I don’t think that it’s what I’m looking for. Over there is some pottery that they’re selling. I’d like to go see what sort of art they’re selling.”

Along with the list of things that he wanted to purchase, they’d also been given a map when they’d signed up to come here. Each of them had a copy, and between the two of them, they had it all marked up as to where they wanted to go and which booth they had to visit. He’d even color coded his as to which were fun and which were important.

While Denver looked over the pottery, telling the man there several times that he was only browsing right now, Jack walked to the next booth. They were selling things that hotels would use. Even the little mints that were put on each pillow when the room had been cleaned.

“How much would it cost to get about a thousand of these?” The man told him that he didn’t want to get that many because they might go stale if he didn’t have a large use for them. “I do. However I thank you for letting me know that.”

They talked about what he’d use it for and thought that he’d be able to talk some of the nearby stores to put in the mints for free. Also, since they owned several hotels in the area, well, the Fosters did, he’d ask if he could put them in there as well.

“Once you pay for the type set and the logo to be input, you won’t have to do that again. Also, you might want to think about chocolates.” Jack told the man that he already had some of them. “Good for you, sir. Good.”

They talked a bit more and while the man was going on about specials that he was running, he reached out and got approval for the mints to be put wherever they owned a place. Excitement was surging through him because he’d only just gotten the logo and menu style from Shawn before they’d left for the week.Denver joined him just after he was signing the order form and looked about as frustrated as he was excited.

“You can’t do business by annoying the person just wanting to look around.” He laughed a little, loosening up his brother a little while he was at it. “I have an idea that the guy works on commission. That’s why he was so pushy.”

“Or, like you were, at one time, down on your luck and just wanting to make a sale.” They both turned back to the other booth and decided that Denver was right. The man had on a really good suit and he had a nice watch on as well. “Could be all for show, but I don’t think so.”

As they went around the rest of the showing, they made up stories about the other patrons and store people as they went. He was having such a good time that when Denver said he was hungry, he realized that they’d not eaten anything since breakfast. It was fast on coming to two in the afternoon.

Lunch was a huge affair. The meal was included in their ticket price for entering the shops, and they decided that it was well worth the twenty bucks each that they’d paid. People didn’t realize, of course, that they were full-grown lions and could very easily eat their weight in meat. As it was, they were just sitting at their table when a woman came up to them and asked them if they were finished.

“Actually, I don’t care if you’re finished. You’ve been lollygagging there long enough. Just move on so that I can have your table.” There were plenty of empty seats and neither of them could understand why she wanted the one that they were seated at. “Are you deaf? I said that now that you’re finished, get away from my table. I have very important friends coming and I will not have you sitting here doing nothing while we have to stand waiting.”

Neither of them moved. Jack had suggested to Denver that they should get them something more to eat, but he told himthrough their link that if one of them left the table, they’d have to give it up. He looked up at the woman when she kicked his foot.

“Ma’am, I don’t know what you’re problem is but we were sitting here first. Not to mention, there are plenty enough empty tables around that you don’t need for us to move. Unless you have a specific reason for wanting this table.” She told him that she needed to be seen. That she kept this place in business because where she ate or shopped the masses did as well. “I see. So you think that you’re important enough that the sun only rises and sets because of you?”

The smile that she gave him could have lit up a city block. The woman actually believed that she was the reason for the sun, and he thought that he’d have a bit of fun with her while still keeping their table.

“I’m sure that you’ve heard of me. My name will open doors for you and close them tight if you piss me off.” She looked around and waved at a group of women. They looked confused and even turned around when they looked as if they had no idea why she was waving at them. That made the two of them laugh. “What are you still doing sitting here? Didn’t I just tell you to get up and leave? My goodness, what is the world coming to when a woman can’t even get a man to do her bidding. I hope that you don’t try this on other women. You’ll never get married if you do. Just get up.”

“I’m married already, and my wife would never treat someone, a stranger, the way that you are. If you’re so important, then who are you?” She sputtered around, telling Denver that he’d better know who she was. “I don’t. Not any idea.”

Just as Denver was ready to turn his back on the woman, one of the men that they’d been talking to came up to the table as well. He looked annoyed at the woman then he looked at him and Denver.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Tucker, Mr. Tucker. I’ll take care of this for you.” He looked at the woman then after letting out a long breath. “Mildred, just give it up. These nice men will have you for lunch, too, if you don’t leave them alone. I’ve told you before that you do not have special privileges here. And you never will. We’ve asked you politely, several times, to vacate your booth in favor of something that will actually sell. You’ve been hawking your wares for fifteen years, and you’ve not made a single sale from here.”

They had drawn quite a crowd around them. While he was embarrassed by the attention, Denver, being a bit more savvy with people, used it to his advantage. Standing up, he shook the man’s hand and thanked him for recognizing him.