Chapter Text
Pomni was dead bored.
It was one of those work days that dragged on with no end. The type where the numbers on the clock seemed to be moving backwards. As nothing really happened for the day to progress forward.
Pomni attended her shop alone, reminiscing about the busy season. Thinking about all the fast days when the store was so busy the work day felt like a blink. Days she took for granted now that things had begun to slow down.
Running her shop wasn’t always this boring, especially since she lived so close to the beach. It was always her dream to own her own business. The second Pomni graduated from college she bought an empty store. Right by the water and made it her own. She was grateful for everything she had built for herself. How everything fell into place and worked out in her favor.
Her store was her favorite place in the entire world. Pomni sold everything under the sun. Key chains, trinkets, tee shirts, hats, and whatever the latest fad was. All little items you’d find on vacation and bring home for the memories. Sure some of her stuff was cheesy, but she loved it.
It was her dream, running her own business. Building her own schedule, crunching the numbers during the slower season. Spending a little during the busy season. She had it easy, lived in the apartment above the shop. Would spend the day running the shop. And would spend her nights walking along the ocean, debating taking up surfing, staring at the waves, sometimes going for a swim.
It was a peaceful, uneventful life. And it was everything she had ever wanted.
A life she had built from the ground up, with no one's help. And even when funds were short, or busy season sales were down. She always felt proud of the life she had created for herself.
It was the end of August, past the point of the summer rush. When the numbers in the shop dwindled. Sure money was a bit tighter this time of year. But Pomni spent her afternoons laying on the beach, counting shells and enjoying the quiet. She couldn't afford anything too lavish when the shop was slow, but she spent her free time in the sand. So it was a fair trade off, in her opinion.
The sun was begging to set behind the clouds when the front door of the shop rang. Practically a rarity this time of year. Pomni barely looked up from the register, absentmindedly scratching a lottery ticket she picked up on a recent run to the gas station. Using a quarter from the register to scratch off her potential winnings. She scratched off each square, just needing three in a row for the jackpot.
Shell.
Shell.
Rabbit.
“Awe man,” she muttered. Tossing the losing card down with a huff. Not that she expected to win big, but a dollar or two would’ve been nice.
She was so caught up in her card, she hadn’t even realized someone walked up to the counter.
“Wow I don't even get a greeting anymore?” a familiar voice rang through the store, and Pomni grinned. There standing in front of her register, was her old buddy Jax.
She met the guy when she first bought her store. He would spend his free time checking in on her. Helping her out if she ever needed something off a high shelf. He would never admit it, but Jax liked to check in on Pomni. At least once a day. Just to make sure everything was going okay for her. Jax was the first friend Pomni had made when she first moved to town, and he liked to look out for her.
Jax spent the days combing the beach with his metal detector. Finding washed up items to pawn for rent. When he wasn’t trying to win big, he worked the gas station up the road when he wasn’t combing the shores for treasure. She didn’t know how he was affording to live so close to the beach on such a small salary.
Jax and his many side hustles were a mystery to her.
But as odd as the hobby was, he did find some cool stuff. Old coins, sea glass, and random metal bits to name a few things. Sometimes if it was a really good find he’d bring it to Pomni first to show it off. Before he pawned it for cash.
Jax was a high school drop out, but he was very educated in the price of how expensive mundane items actually were. A talent few possessed, or at least one Pomni did not. Somehow, Jax always made a profit.
“Nope gotta earn it,” Pomni grinned leaning against the counter, eyeing the metal detector swung over Jax’s shoulder. He had a hand on his hip, a triumphant grin on his face. A telling sign he found something good, that grin on his face gave it away. His demeanor immediately piqued her interest.
“Darn, gotta work for everything around here,” he huffed, faking annoyance. Walking up the counter, fist closed, holding something tight in his palm.
“Did you find anything cool today?” she asked, because he always liked it when she asked.
“Yup, if I find the right buyer, I got groceries paid for the next three weeks," he grinned, "not to brag,” he held out his hand out to show her a bracelet. It was a stunning golden bangle, with little white gems designed to look like stars placed in a pattern on the length of the bangle.
He flipped it around, to show her the inside, tiny numbers, far too small for Pomni to read, stuck out to her.
“You see that little 20 right there?” he pointed, showing her the faint, sand ridden numbers etched on the inside of the bangle.
“Yeah,” she squinted, taking his word for it.
“That’s the date it was made. In the 1920’s,” he flipped it back over, “Made by an old company, that went out of business after World War Two, Gloink it was called,” he hummed.
“Gloink? What kind of name is that?” Pomni chuckled, she wasn’t the type to go searching for antique jewelry, but the name did sound familiar to her. Odd.
“Silly right? But their pieces are highly sought after, and finding any of them means – woosh,” he brushed his fingers together for dramatic effect. “Jackpot,” Pomni eyed the jewelry again. Taking his word for it. It did look expensive, even if she had no knowledge on the history of it.
“Oh!” he jumped up, hitting his hand on the counter with a grin. “I almost forgot the best part, you see those stars?” he pointed to the white gems, even under a layer of grime and sand they sparkled bright as ever.
“Yeah?”
“They’re diamonds, I looked it up. This type of bracelet easily goes for $500, if I’m lucky I can haggle for $800,” he beamed, as she gave the bangle one last look before turning back to him.
“Damn, good for you man,” she shook her head as he passed it to her to hold. Looking at the bracelet up close, holding it in her palm with awe. The metal cool to the touch. It really was a beautiful piece of jewelry. Not that she would ever spend hundreds of dollars on a piece of jewelry. Even if she had that sort of cash, it would definitely feel like a waste.
Even if it was really pretty.
Whenever Jax showed her his finds Pomni always liked to envision just how it ended up under the sand, in their tiny town. Maybe a rich noble woman had worn it during a swim back in the day. Or maybe it fell off of a ship, washed up from across the ocean, arriving at their tiny town. Just for it to end up in her hands, and later a pawn shop.
She passed it back to him. In awe of its beauty.
He pocketed the bracelet, and the conversation lulled.
“Hey, you wanna head down to the water?” Jax hummed, leaning against the counter, scanning the store for customers. “Big waves today, been watching them roll in,” he smiled, turning back to her. He knew how much Pomni couldn’t resist the ocean when the waves were big.
“I’ve been itching for a swim,” he sighed, feigning interest.
“Itching?” Pomni hummed, immediately interested. “Could be the horseflies,”
“Haha,” he rolled his eyes, laughing without any humor. “You in?”
“Hm yeah,” she took one look around the store. Eyeing the two customers that were meandering about. She could close up early. Especially if the waves were as big as he inferred. It had been a while since she had gone for a night swim. She could really use the time away from the store.
“I could go for a swim,” as soon as she spoke the words, Jax grinned. “Cool."
"Just let me close things up here, and I'll meet you down there,” she reached under the counter for her keys, offering him a wave goodbye.
“Hell yeah,” Jax grabbed his metal detector and pocketed his latest find.
“See ya soon, Pompom,” he called over his shoulder before the door shut behind him. And she rolled her eyes at the name.
Jax was good company to have around, even if he was sort of a dork.