a Head or Tails fic for thespian15
Title: These Boots are Made for Walking -
Genre: Are you Being Served?
Rating: G
Prompt: Then she walked out the door into the bright morning sunshine.
Requester:thespian15
Jon, I hope you like your bit of AYBS silliness! My thanks to you and my beta, Sparky.
There was never a day that was as anticipated as a sales day. Even better, staff got first dibs on the items being put up for sale.
For some reason, it was a day that no one was late, no matter the weather or the inconvenience.
Mrs. Slocomb rode up the elevator with a lump in her throat. She’d had her eye on a certain purse and she was only hoping that it was still there. Sales items often went strangely missing.
She exited the elevator, relieved that no one else was milling about the purse display. Mr. Humphries seemed to have zeroed in on the suits, while Mr. Lucas was going through the various shirts.
Miss Brahms was standing behind the counter looking a little forlorn and it was there that Mrs. Slocomb headed after signing in.
“Whatever is the matter, dear?” Then she spotted the suitcase. “No!”
“Yes. Seems his wife wasn’t keen on him after a little bit on the side.”
“But you are better than that.”
“I know.” Miss Brahms sniffled and looked away. As Captain Peacock approached, she darted into the Ladies Fitting Room.
“Is there a problem, Mrs. Slocomb?”
“Men!” she fumed as she picked up the suitcase and followed her colleague. Captain Peacock glanced over at Mr. Humphries and Lucas.
“Don’t look at me,” Mr. Humphries said. “I was busy with my Y fronts.”
“Lucas!”
“Also innocent.” He stopped at giving the man a rude gesture. “I’ve been busy checking out the sale items.”
“Good. Perhaps you’ll buy a decent tie.” As Peacock turned, Lucas sent him a two-finger salute… cautiously, beneath the security of the counter.
“Coward,” Humphries murmured.
“Better that than being stuck doing inventory on Saturday night.” He watched Humphries try on a jacket. “Bit loose in the back, but the sleeves will ride up with wear.”
“Don’t lie to me, I work here.” He rehung the jacket. “I wonder what’s going on over on the women’s counter.”
“Shirley came in with a suitcase. Either she’s running away from home or back to it.”
“You don’t mean--”
“Yup, he kicked her out.”
“That cad!”
Lucas grinned. “That’s what his wife said, too.” Mr. Humphries’s pile continued to grow. “Are you going to leave something for the customers?”
“Perhaps.” He looked over at the display of gaudy-colored disco boots.
“You wouldn’t!” Lucas was aghast as Humphries walked over and picked up a set of knee high lime green boots.
“Who’s going to stop me?”
“Anyone with some fashion sense, I should think.” Captain Peacock answered. He looked at the Ladies Changing room. “I am worried about Miss Brahms.”
“Well, I did warn her. When you get involved with a married man, you always come away with scars.”
“Personal experience?” Lucas asked, smirking.
“Many a time I sat up with my mother, consoling her. Her eye will wander.” He rolled his and replaced the boots.
Mrs. Slocomb came back on the floor and scurried over to the purse display, selecting her prize and carrying it back to her counter. Mr. Humphries walked quickly to her. “How is she doing, dear?”
“Men are worms and I am unanimous in that.”
“I couldn’t agree more, but how is she doing?”
“I told her she needed to pull herself together, march right back over there and demand her rights.”
“But she hasn’t gotten any,” Mr. Lucas said. “She’s the other woman.”
There was a wail from the fitting room and Mrs. Slocomb spun, directing all her fury at the men’s junior. “How dare you!”
“Mrs. Slocomb, what do you suggest?”
“Well, it would be a bit of a hardship, but what if we give her the day off to sort out her situation?”
“A sale day?”
“It’s either that or I have a feeling she’s going to hand in her resignation.”
“We can’t have that.” Captain Peacock took a deep breath and considered his options. “All right, let me go see Mr. Rumbold.”
Shirley Brahms rubbed her reddened eyes and took a deep breath. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all, my dear. We’ll muddle, through… somehow.”
“Thank you. Thank all of you.”
“Not at all.” Captain Peacock beamed at her. “It’s the least we can do for a beloved colleague.”
“Or at least one he’d like to,” Mr. Humphries murmured to his bill pad.
As if her heart was completely broken, Miss Brahms continued to pack her suitcase amongst the tears. Captain Peacock didn’t hear. He was watching her tuck her sale items away.
Then she walked out the door into the bright morning sunshine. The things she went through for a day off…
Genre: Are you Being Served?
Rating: G
Prompt: Then she walked out the door into the bright morning sunshine.
Requester:thespian15
Jon, I hope you like your bit of AYBS silliness! My thanks to you and my beta, Sparky.
There was never a day that was as anticipated as a sales day. Even better, staff got first dibs on the items being put up for sale.
For some reason, it was a day that no one was late, no matter the weather or the inconvenience.
Mrs. Slocomb rode up the elevator with a lump in her throat. She’d had her eye on a certain purse and she was only hoping that it was still there. Sales items often went strangely missing.
She exited the elevator, relieved that no one else was milling about the purse display. Mr. Humphries seemed to have zeroed in on the suits, while Mr. Lucas was going through the various shirts.
Miss Brahms was standing behind the counter looking a little forlorn and it was there that Mrs. Slocomb headed after signing in.
“Whatever is the matter, dear?” Then she spotted the suitcase. “No!”
“Yes. Seems his wife wasn’t keen on him after a little bit on the side.”
“But you are better than that.”
“I know.” Miss Brahms sniffled and looked away. As Captain Peacock approached, she darted into the Ladies Fitting Room.
“Is there a problem, Mrs. Slocomb?”
“Men!” she fumed as she picked up the suitcase and followed her colleague. Captain Peacock glanced over at Mr. Humphries and Lucas.
“Don’t look at me,” Mr. Humphries said. “I was busy with my Y fronts.”
“Lucas!”
“Also innocent.” He stopped at giving the man a rude gesture. “I’ve been busy checking out the sale items.”
“Good. Perhaps you’ll buy a decent tie.” As Peacock turned, Lucas sent him a two-finger salute… cautiously, beneath the security of the counter.
“Coward,” Humphries murmured.
“Better that than being stuck doing inventory on Saturday night.” He watched Humphries try on a jacket. “Bit loose in the back, but the sleeves will ride up with wear.”
“Don’t lie to me, I work here.” He rehung the jacket. “I wonder what’s going on over on the women’s counter.”
“Shirley came in with a suitcase. Either she’s running away from home or back to it.”
“You don’t mean--”
“Yup, he kicked her out.”
“That cad!”
Lucas grinned. “That’s what his wife said, too.” Mr. Humphries’s pile continued to grow. “Are you going to leave something for the customers?”
“Perhaps.” He looked over at the display of gaudy-colored disco boots.
“You wouldn’t!” Lucas was aghast as Humphries walked over and picked up a set of knee high lime green boots.
“Who’s going to stop me?”
“Anyone with some fashion sense, I should think.” Captain Peacock answered. He looked at the Ladies Changing room. “I am worried about Miss Brahms.”
“Well, I did warn her. When you get involved with a married man, you always come away with scars.”
“Personal experience?” Lucas asked, smirking.
“Many a time I sat up with my mother, consoling her. Her eye will wander.” He rolled his and replaced the boots.
Mrs. Slocomb came back on the floor and scurried over to the purse display, selecting her prize and carrying it back to her counter. Mr. Humphries walked quickly to her. “How is she doing, dear?”
“Men are worms and I am unanimous in that.”
“I couldn’t agree more, but how is she doing?”
“I told her she needed to pull herself together, march right back over there and demand her rights.”
“But she hasn’t gotten any,” Mr. Lucas said. “She’s the other woman.”
There was a wail from the fitting room and Mrs. Slocomb spun, directing all her fury at the men’s junior. “How dare you!”
“Mrs. Slocomb, what do you suggest?”
“Well, it would be a bit of a hardship, but what if we give her the day off to sort out her situation?”
“A sale day?”
“It’s either that or I have a feeling she’s going to hand in her resignation.”
“We can’t have that.” Captain Peacock took a deep breath and considered his options. “All right, let me go see Mr. Rumbold.”
Shirley Brahms rubbed her reddened eyes and took a deep breath. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all, my dear. We’ll muddle, through… somehow.”
“Thank you. Thank all of you.”
“Not at all.” Captain Peacock beamed at her. “It’s the least we can do for a beloved colleague.”
“Or at least one he’d like to,” Mr. Humphries murmured to his bill pad.
As if her heart was completely broken, Miss Brahms continued to pack her suitcase amongst the tears. Captain Peacock didn’t hear. He was watching her tuck her sale items away.
Then she walked out the door into the bright morning sunshine. The things she went through for a day off…