Multi-Dimensional Merchant System

Oliver woke up early the next morning to shower and eat before class. As tempting as it was to dive completely into the system and make a fortune, he saw the system as a supplement to his life, meant to enhance but not take over. He was happy with his life, though having more money certainly didn't upset him. As he got ready for a full day of class and then work, he paused at the thought of his job. Did he really need it anymore? Long hours at minimum wage was a lot less interesting now that he knew for sure he could make money with the system.

He rolled the thought around in his head as he walked to class. He didn't hate his job, but neither did he love it. It was easy, and paid the bills. That was it. He knew the place wouldn't be affected by him leaving. In a college town like this, most places had hundreds or thousands of applications on file from students looking to earn some spending money. Just as he walked into his first class of the day, he made up his mind to talk to his boss.

Using the system to pay his bills instead would free up a lot of time for studying and music practice. It was a win all around, as far as he could see.

Oliver was glad time seemed to fly by as he sat through his foreign language class. He chose Italian because of its connection with Opera, and it was a fascinating language to him, but, much like his chemistry class that came next, ultimately it was just to get the required course credits.

Unfortunately, chemistry felt like it plodded along, the professors monotone voice nearly lulling the entire class into a daze.

As he eagerly fled from the chemistry classroom, one of his classmates fell into step with him and clapped him on the shoulder. Glancing up at the dark skinned giant towering over him, Oliver gave a cheeky smile. “Thanks for waking me up, Sweet Tea. I don't need to be sleepwalking through campus after a class like that.”

Tyrone Biggs, or Sweet Tea as most people called him, was one of the biggest guys on campus and a member of the football team. What most didn't know was that he was also an honor student, and a hell of a chess player- which Oliver found out the hard way on the first day of class. And, as long as it wasn't game time, he was also one of the nicest people around.

A deep, rumbling laugh erupted from the gentle giant as they walked side by side. “Yeah, it was kinda dry again in there. You wanna grab lunch man?” At Oliver's nod, they walked along in silence for a minute before Tyrone spoke again. “I heard about the shit that went down man. You should party with me and the guys next time. Nobody starts shit like that around us. Plus, we got a big Halloween party in the works.” Tyrone gave him a sly look. “You and the Three Stooges are invited. Well, pretty much everyone is invited. But I wanted to make sure to tell you about it myself. We even got some of your fellow band geeks set up for some live music, dueling pianos kinda thing like that awesome bar you told me about.”

Oliver chuckled as he shoved at his friend, only managing to push himself away as the big guy stayed as stable as a rock. “You guys want me to play for the party, is that it?”

“Hey, don't be like that man. I want my bro to come hangout. If you don't want to play, no biggie. And if you do, they're planning a rotation so nobody is stuck with it all night. Already got like a dozen people wanting to show off. Plus,” Tyrone gave him a conspiratorial wink as he lowered his voice. “We're gonna set up a tip jar for people to request songs. All the people that play will get a split. So, what do you think?”

Oliver thought about it as they entered the cafeteria and grabbed food. He didn't need the money, but honestly it sounded fun. He knew his roommates would be ready to drag him to the party either way, so why not? “Yeah, I'm in man. Tell whoever is organizing us 'band geeks' to message me about it. Unless its Beth; I'm not interested if she's just going to go on another power trip.”

Tyrone gave him an amused smile as he shook his head. “Nah man, Dave is running it so it's all good. Just don't forget to get a costume. I'm going to try an organize a costume contest. Maybe give out goofy prizes, you know? Best costumes, worst costume, sexiest costume... Gotta motivate the ladies to show off,right?”

Oliver just smiled and ate his food as his friend rambled on about the party. He was honestly starting to look forward to it.

Walking into the small donut shop where he worked, Oliver headed straight for the manager's office. Usually the owner was getting ready to head home right now, so he wanted to catch him before he left. Rounding the corner before the office, he saw the door standing open with the owner, Mr. Patel, sitting inside looking over somethings on the computer. Mr. Patel was a short, older Indian man with a gentle smile. He was the kind of boss that was easy to work for, and typically worked just as hard as he expected of everyone else. All-in-all, a good boss, and one Oliver respected.

“Hey Mr. Patel. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Mr. Patel glanced at Oliver and waved at the other seat in the room, a knowing smile on his face when he looked back at the computer to shut things down. “It's about that time, isn't Oliver?” His voice was lightly accented and carried a tone of understanding.

At Oliver's confused look, Mr. Patel slapped his knee and laughed. “Oliver, do you know how long most of you college kids stay at a job like this?” Before Oliver could respond, he spun his chair to face him and clasped his hands together. “One or two semesters. They make a little spending money, then leave right around finals time. Well, those that don't come in hung-over all the time and make me fire them.”

Mr. Patel leaned forward, his eyes meeting Oliver's. “You've been here, what, a year and a half? And always been a good worker. Never missed a day until that little mess a couple days ago.” Seeing the slightly stunned look on Oliver's face, he laughed softly. “I always get a feeling when it's time for one of you to move on. And you're a good kid, Oli. I've been wondering for a while how I managed to keep someone as smart as you for so long. So, got a better offer or just wanting to focus on school more?”

Oliver gave his boss an amused smile. The man was incredibly insightful, and he understood his employees- sometimes better than they understood themselves. “I wouldn't really call it a better offer, sir. Working here has actually been good. But it probably is better for me right now.”

Mr. Patel gazed off into the distance for a moment as he though, then clapped his hands together and gave Oliver a nod. “Well, I can understand that. You can work the usual two weeks notice things, or just give me a couple days to hire and train somebody new.” He waved Oliver off before he could speak. “Ah, you know how it is in a college town. I got about a hundred new applications last week. I'll probably hire three or four tomorrow and start them training. I've been needing to hire a few more anyway, just to make sure all my shifts are covered..”

Climbing to his feet, Mr. Patel headed for the door, clapping Oliver on the shoulder as he passed. “I'll text you when I get them trained. You can let me know then what you want to do.” Pausing at the door, he glanced back at the young man that had done good work for him. “After that music you're studying makes you rich and famous, be sure to send me tickets to your concert. I've got this feeling that you'll do big things in the future, Oli. Big things.”

With a smile on his face, he walked out the door, leaving Oliver to think over what he said.

Making coffee, selling donuts, cleaning the store... The occasional lull in business gave Oliver time to work on homework. With the day winding down, he found himself with more time to think about the system and his future. Just from the numbers he had already run in his head, he could see the system paying for his next semester of college. With a little work, maybe he could pay off his loans while still in school. Starting out after college with no debt would be huge for him.

The chime from the door opening broke him from his thoughts. “Welcome to... uh, hey, Officer Ramirez.” Oliver stumbled slightly when he realized who had come in to the shop. What were the odds of seeing her again so soon, he thought. “What can I get for you?”

Officer Ramirez had been staring at a small notepad when she walked in. Her eyes snapped up to meet his at the friendly welcome, a small blush creeping up her cheeks. “Oh, Mr. Silk, hello. It's nice to see you again.”

“Call me Oliver, please. Or Oli. Most of my friends call me Oli.”

She froze in place for a second before erupting in giggles. A brief look of confusion crossed Oliver's face and she laughed harder. Waving her hands in apology, she shook her head and tried to get control of her laughter. “Sorry, sorry. I wasn't laughing at you... I mean... It's just... Ironic.” Taking a deep breath as her laughter faded. Running a hand over her dark hair, she gave him a bright smiled and explained. “My name is Polina, but my friends call me Poli. I can just imagine my mom saying...” Trailing off, her blush returned, much brighter than before. Looking at Oliver, she saw a hint of a blush on his cheeks.

They looked at each other silently, tension building, until Oliver cleared his throat and spoke. “Yeah, I can already imagine my friends teasing me, calling us 'Oli and Poli'.” Realizing what he had just said, his eyes went wide and he searched for what to say to not make the conversation turn awkward.

Polina glanced away, a shy smile on her face. “Well, to use your own words against you, you've got to buy me dinner first.”

As he words sank in, his worry fled and they both laughed. As awkward as he felt, Oliver realized he liked talking to her. It was exciting, yet comfortable. Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind. “Well, Poli, I suppose I should ask you two questions. What can I get for you this evening?” As her smile dimmed slightly, he gave her a wink. “And, more importantly, are you free this weekend?”