Page 18 of The Things We Treasure
The drive across town was filled with easy banter, mostly consisting of gentle mockery of the orc's hangover. It wasn’t as though the journey across town was far, and he’d much rather have walked, if not for the agreement that they had work to do. He drove them both back to the centre of town and into the car park they’d left only the day before. Pleased to have found a vacant spot even though there was a plethora of other occupants already in situ, mostly eager tourists looking to make good use of the sunshine.
“So, what’s the plan for today?” Brierley asked once the engine had stopped.
Breht turned in his seat to face her. “Well, we need to get the word out that you’re relaunching your product,” he said as impassively as possible. “And while you could rely on social media, you don’t currently have any presence on it.”
“Is that bad?”
He pulled a bit of a face before he answered. “Eh, not exactly. Social media is good to bring awareness to your brand, but you want actual footfall in terms of traffic, not likes and validation. Don’t get me wrong, if you were selling online, then it’d be invaluable, and you’d have to be Instagramming and TikTokking your way to success, but for what you’re after?” He shook his head.
“So what are we doing?” She asked with a healthy mix of curiosity and eagerness.
He leaned closer to her chair and fumbled about for something stashed on the back seat. She was conscious of how close he was to her; the scent of his fresh aftershave washed over her. After spending the night alone, she just wanted to get her business in order. Now her head was clearer, she wanted to get Ohpaua's relaunch out of the way before making another proposition. But the alluring scent filling her nose made her want to pull him closer, especially with the way he was intently staring at her mouth
Her mouth, the very lips he'd been kissing, replayed in his mind all morning. He wanted to press against them again, to feel that connection one more time. Last night had changed something in him—the way she'd touched him, the way she'd looked at him. He couldn't stop thinking about it, couldn't stop wanting her. Seeing her now, in the morning light, made it nearly impossible to focus on anything else. His heart was racing just from being this close to her. Instead, his fingers gripped a stack of small papers. "Getting intimate with the locals," he answered, putting a pile of papers on her knee. They were here to work.
“Do I have something on my face?” He heard her asking, and her fingers rose to touch the side of her mouth.
Suddenly aware of his continued staring, “No, nothing like that,” he answered, trying to give her a small smile. He opened his car door, the spell of her broken, and, still holding his own stack of leaflets, he got out of the car, crossing around the front to open Brierley's car door and helping her out of the car.
They made their way to the corner of the high street, where the highest percentage of locals and holidaymakers would mingle. It took Breht no time at all to hit his stride in confidently approaching people about the newly opening business. He drifted towards older couples and those adults that had no children with them, carefully picking out his targets to preach about Ohpaua to. Whereas Brierley took her time to warm up to the task, handing out flyers without really engaging with those who took them.
She drifted from one side of the street to the other, handing out the leaflets to anyone who would take them; a wide net of untargeted canvassing. She looked at one of the leaflets and marvelled at how elegant her newly designed store seemed. She hadn’t even seen inside of her own store yet; somehow, Breht had managed to get leaflets printed with new pictures of the shop and some of her jewellery. She looked between the leaflet and the happily chatting orc. Everything seemed to come so naturally to him, and she felt a twist of envy that his life seemed so perfect!
Another leaflet was randomly handed out. A young woman took the leaflet and looked at the pictures. Instantly, the young woman started chatting animatedly over the jewellery, and Brierley fell into her stride. Talking about the Paua shell came with natural ease; she adored speaking about their origins and the personal story behind the Abalone she used. Her passion finally won out as the young woman listened with rapt awe.
Breht managed to say a farewell to the couple he’d been talking to and passed out a few leaflets when he noticed that Brierley was animatedly talking with someone. He used her cheerful, distracted enthusiasm as an excuse to dip out and get them both a coffee. While he would be happy to help her give outthe leaflets, the more work she did herself in promoting the new store would only work in her favour.
When he returned, the leaflets tucked under his arm, hands full of coffee, she was talking to some other people about the store. He grinned. Proud of how quickly she adapted to the sales technique that suited her. There was the cold stab of possessive orcishness that churned his gut as he watched her talk to a potential customer, a man around her own age. His fingers tightened on the coffee cup he held, struggling to keep the very core of the inner beast under check. Brierley hadn't even noticed he’d vanished to get them a drink.
When she’d finished talking, he waved the cup at her, and she came bounding over with genuine joy plastered on her face. “I never realised this could be so much fun,” she enthused.
Her enthusiasm was infectious, and he grinned broadly behind his tusks. All the joy of the hard sale for him was a facade, something he’d trained at while under Dura’s studious gaze. While imparting this knowledge to her was something he’d cherish, something he longed to give to others to help them bloom. Today, he’d much rather be snuggled up somewhere, but if Brierley was happy, he was overjoyed.
It took Brierley no time at all to finish drinking the coffee and resume handing out the remaining leaflets and resume conversations about her work.
He filtered into the background, giving out leaflets to those he assumed would be interested in purchasing her crafts. By the time early afternoon came around, his stomach growled, and he insisted, with only a few of the papers left, that they grab a quick bite to eat and return to the store. He was excited to show her what he had done.
He slowly pulled up his car outside the front of the store. This was always the hardest part of a business reinvention. He dreaded it in case the owner hated what he’d done to the store. In truth, Ohpaua hadn’t been badly decorated but lacked personality. Lacked that taste of divinity that the new up-market designs required. Most of all, the store lacked the personal touch of its owner. Breht had only been back in touch with Brierley for a few days, but he had an inkling of understanding about her. He could only hope that he had captured it in the store.
As Brierley opened her side of the car, he took a deep breath. He got out himself, and she had already stopped still. Outside the front of the shop, there had been a run-down veranda; in place was a wooden frame with fairy lights dangling from it. Wrapped around were faux ivory-coloured flowers that gave the renovated veranda an intimate appeal. Dotted amongst them, a handful of vibrantly coloured flowers shone brighter, reflecting the colours of the para shells to be found within. Her expression was already a picture, reflecting the beautiful colours of the exterior with its vibrancy.
He watched her put the key in the front door. Not before taking in the sights of the canopy that displayed the store's name in delicate silver filigree, just like on the leaflets they had handed out. She reached up to touch it with her fingertips, a disbelieving glance given towards the awaiting Orc.
“I can’t believe this!” Brierley whispered.
Breht wanted to cover her eyes as the key turned and she opened the door. It was only when she took a step into the store, with him close behind, that he heard her gasp.
“What have you done!?” She squeaked.
Her words were like music to his ears. She was clearly thrilled with how he had the place redecorated. It was a lot brighter than when he’d first arrived, but rather than being stuffy and formal, there was a splattering of natural colours that broke up the stark white walls. Potted plants gave the shop a natural vibe of radiant energy. The legs of display chests had been painted in the rich colours of the paua shells and lined the walls of the room. Leaving the centre displaying columns of glass cabinets, ready to show off her crafts. The store looked affluent, but not at the expense of personality. And, she adored it. She turned in a circle, stepping up the singular stair at the centre of the store. Taking it all in. Basking in the glory of the renovations. Then, her eyes fell on the workstation. It was undoubtedly her workspace, but shown in pride of place rather than tucked away in a corner.
Instantly, she sat in the high-backed chair and picked up a couple of her tools, rearranging them. The orc leaned against the side of it as she sat down, “A big part of the appeal of your wares is that they’re made here, by you. I thought we should make that a bigger part of the store, too.”
“Oh, Breht,” Brierley sighed. The soft tone in which she cooed his name sent a shiver down his spine, rekindling all manner of delights that he’d been trying and failing to suppress all day.
“This is… I don’t know how I’m going to repay you for all this,” she stammered, standing from her chair and hurrying to the other side of the desk. She threw her arms around his neck and simply hugged the large orc, resting her head on his chest.
For a moment, Breht simply held her, his arms wrapped around her waist. But as the seconds stretched, the embrace deepened—her fingers curling into his shirt, his hand moving to cradle the back of her head. It was intimate in a way that went beyond gratitude. She could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her cheek, the warmth of him, the safety of his arms.
