Atomic Landing: A Short Story
As he checked the cracked face of his iPhone for the twentieth time in as few minutes, he read: 9:58PM. "Just two more minutes." He thought. "Then I can kick these freeloaders out." He didn't REALLY think of his customers as freeloaders. In fact, it was his customers that made his shop, "Atomic Landing" so great. The sense of community where everyone felt free to do as they wanted and be themselves had made it a hub for nerds of all intensities. Of course, it was only the ones that were the largest nerds that hung out right until close, forcing him to get a bit more gruff than the normally laid-back 6' 2" male normally was.
Even at his most forceful, though, he was barely intimidating. His height, while substantial, was supported by a lithe …show more content…
frame often hidden by black tshirts themed with video game creator's logos. His dark black hair was cut in a rather trendy fashion for the position he held. Buzzed around the sides, it was blended up into thick wavy strands that hung across his forehead and hung down past his eyes until he raked it to the side. Truth be told, he looked less like a game shop owner and more like some indy barista. Were it not for his dress, one might mistake him for one.
His light blue eyes were in stark contrast to his jet black brows and hair, and his skin, while slightly pale, did anything but make him look sickly. His complexion was clear and bright, and when combined with his strong features, made him look rather regal. His limbs were lanky, but from his years of running cross country in school, and bending over to pick up stacks of toys and comics on his own, he had developed toned lean muscle that extended to his chest and core, making his form tight and fat-less.
He was donned in his normal work-day attire.
A black 'Atomic Landing' shirt where his logo was displayed in neon red clung tightly to his core. His snug, dark washed blue jeans finishing out the rest of his thin silouhette pulled tightly over some converse high tops.
He leaned over his glass display case, atop which also sat the register, to gaze across the large, thickly stocked room. His shop was actually quite impressive. He was proud of it. He had gone to a local business college right out of high school and worked his ass off in order to be prepared to achieve his dream of a shop. It occupied a rather large corner of a strip mall in an up and coming part of town. In the front, where he sat behind the display case register, were the collectors items that he dare not leave out on the floor.
Stacks of rare magic the gathering cards, collector's action figures still in the box, and some old, still sleeved comic books worth a pretty penny, all displayed immaculately. Right across from him in the front of the store, were the boardgames. Starting with the most popular and notable such as Risk, Axis and Allies and Settlers of Catan. He felt bad about displaying these "kids' games" up front, but come christmas time and birthdays, families that would never set foot in his shop come in droves to buy these notable games. Gotta make a living,
right?
Heading towards the back of the shop an area with all of the models, miniatures, paints, and rule books for the games they went along with were stacked on rows of shelving to the left. Across from there were immaculately alphabatized comic books. Then, in the very back of the shop, was the piece de resistance. About 15 10' long tables all in rows with chairs all around. It was here that he hosted Warhammer tournaments, Magic the Gathering on Friday nights, play tests for local game developers, and more. It was here that the last remnants of the night's customers hung about, debating some minor rule of "Order of resolution" in Magic.
"Hey guys! Time to wrap it up." He shouted to the back as he began to work through the till, the last of his duties before game night with his friends began. Just then, 2 of his game night cohorts came in, Sammy and Greg. He had known them both since business school. Both of average height, slightly overweight, but Sammy had bright, almost pale blonde hair tied back in a long, greasy pony tail and Greg had started going bald in the 10th grade. "Hey Guys." He said, glancing up for a moment before returning to his till.
"Hey Micah," "Hey dude." they said in turn, clutching their brown, greasy bags of the burger joint across the parking lot, as they did every week. "I'll be back there in a sec." He said, as they walked past him to the tables in the back. "Sid's in her car, smoking." Greg said to Micah. "She should be in here in a second."
"I doubt it." Micah said back, playfully. If he knew her at all, and he did. He knew her quite well. Then she'd be late. Not because she wasn't punctual, but because often she was in her own little world. Just then, the few stragglers from the back walked past him and out the door. "See you later, man." They said, all waving with their binders of cards under their arms. "Night guys, have a good one." He said, and he left from behind his counter to instinctively go lock the door behind them. Looking through the glass with his hand on the lock, he stopped, noticing the green Olds and the red pin point flash of the cigarette.
"Better not lock her out." He thought, as he smiled, watching her for a moment. He couldn't really make out her features from this distance and with the fact that it was night, but he had spent more than enough hours with her to know what she looked like from memory. In a word, he always thought she was mezmerising. Yes, that's the word he'd use to describe her. When they first met, her hypnotic stare made him speechless on more than one occasion. It wasn't until he had spent several nights of playing DnD with her that he had begun to get comfortable, and could speak to her in full sentences without seeming like he had a speech impediment. The attraction definitely hadn't faded, but he knew where he stood with her, and he was fine being "Just friends."
As a matter of fact, he had begun to think about hiring on a second employee, and she was his first choice, right before Greg. He knew she hated her job, and the customers LOVED her. Actually, loved was an understatement, but there's not a term to describe the way a 17 year old outcast feels about a 10/10 hottie who loves every game he does. Micah chuckled at the thought. Anyway, if she was go accept the job, he would know that there was nothing he could do about his attraction. The employee/employer relationship would make that less than ideal.
He finished out his till and joined his friends in the back, waiting on Sid. He heard the electronic 'ding' of the door sensor as she entered, and without turning around, he knew it was her from the signature crunch of her giant boots. "Close the door behind you, will ya?" He said.
Even at his most forceful, though, he was barely intimidating. His height, while substantial, was supported by a lithe …show more content…
frame often hidden by black tshirts themed with video game creator's logos. His dark black hair was cut in a rather trendy fashion for the position he held. Buzzed around the sides, it was blended up into thick wavy strands that hung across his forehead and hung down past his eyes until he raked it to the side. Truth be told, he looked less like a game shop owner and more like some indy barista. Were it not for his dress, one might mistake him for one.
His light blue eyes were in stark contrast to his jet black brows and hair, and his skin, while slightly pale, did anything but make him look sickly. His complexion was clear and bright, and when combined with his strong features, made him look rather regal. His limbs were lanky, but from his years of running cross country in school, and bending over to pick up stacks of toys and comics on his own, he had developed toned lean muscle that extended to his chest and core, making his form tight and fat-less.
He was donned in his normal work-day attire.
A black 'Atomic Landing' shirt where his logo was displayed in neon red clung tightly to his core. His snug, dark washed blue jeans finishing out the rest of his thin silouhette pulled tightly over some converse high tops.
He leaned over his glass display case, atop which also sat the register, to gaze across the large, thickly stocked room. His shop was actually quite impressive. He was proud of it. He had gone to a local business college right out of high school and worked his ass off in order to be prepared to achieve his dream of a shop. It occupied a rather large corner of a strip mall in an up and coming part of town. In the front, where he sat behind the display case register, were the collectors items that he dare not leave out on the floor.
Stacks of rare magic the gathering cards, collector's action figures still in the box, and some old, still sleeved comic books worth a pretty penny, all displayed immaculately. Right across from him in the front of the store, were the boardgames. Starting with the most popular and notable such as Risk, Axis and Allies and Settlers of Catan. He felt bad about displaying these "kids' games" up front, but come christmas time and birthdays, families that would never set foot in his shop come in droves to buy these notable games. Gotta make a living,
right?
Heading towards the back of the shop an area with all of the models, miniatures, paints, and rule books for the games they went along with were stacked on rows of shelving to the left. Across from there were immaculately alphabatized comic books. Then, in the very back of the shop, was the piece de resistance. About 15 10' long tables all in rows with chairs all around. It was here that he hosted Warhammer tournaments, Magic the Gathering on Friday nights, play tests for local game developers, and more. It was here that the last remnants of the night's customers hung about, debating some minor rule of "Order of resolution" in Magic.
"Hey guys! Time to wrap it up." He shouted to the back as he began to work through the till, the last of his duties before game night with his friends began. Just then, 2 of his game night cohorts came in, Sammy and Greg. He had known them both since business school. Both of average height, slightly overweight, but Sammy had bright, almost pale blonde hair tied back in a long, greasy pony tail and Greg had started going bald in the 10th grade. "Hey Guys." He said, glancing up for a moment before returning to his till.
"Hey Micah," "Hey dude." they said in turn, clutching their brown, greasy bags of the burger joint across the parking lot, as they did every week. "I'll be back there in a sec." He said, as they walked past him to the tables in the back. "Sid's in her car, smoking." Greg said to Micah. "She should be in here in a second."
"I doubt it." Micah said back, playfully. If he knew her at all, and he did. He knew her quite well. Then she'd be late. Not because she wasn't punctual, but because often she was in her own little world. Just then, the few stragglers from the back walked past him and out the door. "See you later, man." They said, all waving with their binders of cards under their arms. "Night guys, have a good one." He said, and he left from behind his counter to instinctively go lock the door behind them. Looking through the glass with his hand on the lock, he stopped, noticing the green Olds and the red pin point flash of the cigarette.
"Better not lock her out." He thought, as he smiled, watching her for a moment. He couldn't really make out her features from this distance and with the fact that it was night, but he had spent more than enough hours with her to know what she looked like from memory. In a word, he always thought she was mezmerising. Yes, that's the word he'd use to describe her. When they first met, her hypnotic stare made him speechless on more than one occasion. It wasn't until he had spent several nights of playing DnD with her that he had begun to get comfortable, and could speak to her in full sentences without seeming like he had a speech impediment. The attraction definitely hadn't faded, but he knew where he stood with her, and he was fine being "Just friends."
As a matter of fact, he had begun to think about hiring on a second employee, and she was his first choice, right before Greg. He knew she hated her job, and the customers LOVED her. Actually, loved was an understatement, but there's not a term to describe the way a 17 year old outcast feels about a 10/10 hottie who loves every game he does. Micah chuckled at the thought. Anyway, if she was go accept the job, he would know that there was nothing he could do about his attraction. The employee/employer relationship would make that less than ideal.
He finished out his till and joined his friends in the back, waiting on Sid. He heard the electronic 'ding' of the door sensor as she entered, and without turning around, he knew it was her from the signature crunch of her giant boots. "Close the door behind you, will ya?" He said.