thieves and such

"Bugger..." Izzy felt he'd had his head in the sand all this time. It took a lot of rehashing and what not with the shop just in time for holiday shopping.

They'd found a selection of vintage broaches to put out near the front. It was just costume, but it could be bagged by the bad guys if given the chance.

"I've often had nightmare of a burglary." He finally mentioned it to Dev who had helped with the Christmas lights in the window.

"Well, don't think it, will you." Dev gave him a glare. He needed to be around the corner at the pub serving up the old farts that never knew the weather. They'd rather stew in the establishment about the good times, gone by.

"Jesus, I don't want to but, it could happen." These were dangerous times. Ass-hole,s who had nothing better to do. He was on pins a needles.

"You'll let it show, you can't be a weenie." Dev pressed his lips tight. "How many months has it been since you've been a bloke?"

Izzy hugged himself harder. Must they calculate the outcome all over, again? His sister still had her angry way of showing him, she didn't like what became of him. She still had an eye for Dev who had done his best to treat her like a little sis and not  an object of affection. He knew time was ticking. And he knew he should let him go. They were still friends. Constant. But there was an ugly feeling of dread that Dev would find another. Any day now and it would just as bad as a burglary.

Izzy just nodded. Time to be a man.

"I'd feel better if ...you know I has some lesson in... Karate or I dunno, maybe handle a knife." Izzy was uneasy.

"Shut it." Dev barely breathed, crossing  his arms. "You wouldn't. And you know it." He winced hard.

"All right then, I'll go to the gym." Izzy was sullen then.

Dev gave him a hearty laugh as if that was the funniest joke he'd heard all day.