Pop's Shop by StrappySandals
Author's note: This story began as a Lesbian story, basically with the lead character a tribute to Nicole Coenen of YouTube fame. But as things sometimes happen, the story went in another direction, as she lost her spot as the lead character to her mother, who became just too compelling to ignore. I will still recommend readers check out Nicole's videos, as I am a big fan of her earthy 'Search for Self', and request that she get all the likes and followers she deserves. As for the rest of this story, I hope you like it. It is a story that is difficult to categorize, does not feature as much overt sex as some of my stories, and was quite difficult to finish. But I think I like it and hope you do too. Any comments and/or feedback would be tremendously appreciated.
Also, everyone engaging in sexual activity is over the age of 18, and a willing participant in the activity. Enjoy!!
I was puttering around the workshop, late on a Wednesday afternoon, when she came into the shop. A little worn around the edges, but a very pretty kid carrying a big-ol' fan. "Hey, what's goin' on kiddo?" I asked. "How can I help you?"
"Um, I don't know," was her rather nonresponsive response.
"Well, what are your doin' with the fan?" I asked, not wanting to play games with her.
"Oh, the fan," she exclaimed, seemingly surprised that I noticed her carrying the thing.
"Yeah, the fan," I said with emphasis. "Is it 'broke' or something?"
"Yeah, it is," she admitted. "I mean, I don't have any money or anything, but I was wondering if you could take a look at it, and see if you could fix it," she asked in the shyest way imaginable. "I live two doors over, in the attic of old Mrs. Howser's house," she offered in explanation, "and I see you here all the time fixing stuff, so I thought maybe you wouldn't mind helping," she added in that same incredibly reticent way.
"I am more of a carpenter than electrician," I hedged, "but there are only a few things that can go wrong with an old fan like this," I said, then adding, "let's put it up on the table and take a look."
So, we did that. I unscrewed the back grate, wiped away the years of greasy dust, took the fan blades off, and lo and behold, the answer became clear. "It looks like the bearings are shot," I said. "See here on the shaft where there are burn marks and a groove is worn into the steel shaft," I showed her. "That happens when the shaft tries to spin, but the bearings no longer turn, thus heating everything up until the system has a functional seizure. Sorry to report, but this old fan is dead, and not worth fixing," I concluded.
As I explained the situation to her, I watched her body almost cringe, as the death of her fan seemed to affect her in an almost visceral way. "DAMN-IT!" she screamed to herself under her breath as her body tensed up.
"Hey, it's an old fan, and you can get a brand new one at Wal-Mart for 20 bucks or so. Just go get a new one," I suggested, with a rather 'no big deal' tone.
"I don't have 20 bucks," she admitted rather angrily. "And do you know how hot it gets in Mrs. Howser's attic during the summer?" she continued with her angry tone. "It must be a hundred and fifty F'n degrees during the daytime, and not much cooler at night," she added, making me feel like a total piece of crap for my flippant attitude. "DAMN-IT!" she moaned once again, a little louder this time.
I felt like smacking myself in the head as I realized this kids probably got near nothing for resources and is desperate for some relief. It was a long time ago, but I still remember that look and feel of desperation. And that look and feel was now standing right next to me, and I felt terrible for not recognizing it sooner.
"What's your name girl?" I asked to soften the mood.
"Nicole," she offered, almost begrudgingly.
"Well Nicole, are you open to negotiating a deal with an old man?" I asked.
"What kind of deal?" she asked, with appropriate distrust.
"I have two fans sitting in the corner over there, that I rarely use. I will let you borrow them for the summer, or until you can get suitable replacements. And during the daytime, if the heat is still unbearable, you can come over here and chill out in the shop, or my office to cool off. There's a good air conditioner in there. A TV, and pull-out couch too. It also has a lock on the door so no one will bother you," I offered.
"And what do I have to do to get that?" she asked, again with her tail feathers clearly in fight or flight mode.
"You don't
have
to do anything," I started. "But I could use some help around here on occasion," I added. "Clean up, answer the phone, putting my tools away. Hell, maybe I could even teach you something about carpentry if you're interested, that is. The first day you can pay off the loan, and then if we find we can work together, maybe we can work out a small hourly salary for your services. What do ya' think?" I asked, hoping she'd be receptive to the offer.
"Why would you do that?" she asked incredulously. "You don't even know me," she commented.
"Well, I'll get to know you!" I responded sternly. "Mostly though, I'm offering to help you, because when I was your age, someone stepped up to help me, and I promised back then to return the favor when I could afford to help. So, I'm offering to help you, with no real strings attached, other than your promise to do the same when you are able. Deal?"
"Can I bring my little brother and sister over on the bad days too?" she asked.
"Absolutely," I replied.
"Then we have a deal," she concluded, suddenly with a big smile on her face.