tender. Plus, I was losing focus. After so much dripping and mopping, I gave up and took a cold medicine designed to dry me up. My throat ached and my head pounded. I probably needed to take a sick day but that was out of the question. At least maybe I could sleep in one morning. I asked Bama, “What did you work out with Laurel?”
“She’s coming in to sign paperwork. Maybe even tonight. She’s supposedly been scrapbooking for four years. Knows how to work a cash register. Really, we only need another set of eyes. And hands.”
Bama hesitated. “I need to take off early. We have that special Last Minute Gift crop tomorrow night, and I need to finish my holiday shopping.”
I knew she was lying. She bragged to me earlier in the month about how organized she was, how all she needed to finish was getting gifts wrapped. I thought about calling her on it, but really, I figured she needed a graceful way to end a bad day. I must have waited too long to respond because she rushed in with, “Hanukkah’s only two days away, right?”
I nodded. “Go ahead and leave if you need to. Did you give Clancy a call?”
I could tell Bama was considering refusing my friend’s offer. We’d talked before about the problems associated with hiring good customers. Frankly, I didn’t think we had a choice. I added, “Clancy’s willing to work for free.”
“How come? Nobody does anything for free.”
“She likes to keep busy.” I didn’t divulge my friend’s family problems. They were none of Bama’s business.
Bama chewed her bottom lip. “Clancy would do a good job here in the store. She’s smart, professional, and she catches on quickly. Between her and Laurel, I think we could put an end to our shoplifting problems. But I don’t think we can let her work for free. That’s not right. It’s taking advantage of your friendship. I’m surprised you’d suggest it.”
“I’m not suggesting it. I just wanted you to know how willing she was. I’m thinking we should offer her store credit. She’s new to scrapbooking. That would give her a chance to buy more supplies.”
I guess my tone of voice betrayed my irritation. Bama agreed with the store credit idea on the spot. In fact, she seemed downright conciliatory. I decided to push my luck. “Any idea if we’re ahead of projections? Will there be a Christmas bonus?”
“I’m still working on the accounting. A few of the manufacturers offered discounts if we paid quickly, so that’s my priority.”
She watched the store while I took my small, mobile canine herd around the block for peeing, pooping, sniffing at, and general overhauling of the neighborhood landscape. That airhead Fluffy must have tangled her lead five times in the first five minutes alone. At one point, I could have doubled as Gulliver after being tied down by the Lilliputians, I was wrapped so thoroughly in leashes. With a lot of hopping and tripping and ducking under and over the cords, I managed to get back to the store so Bama could leave. She was on her cell by the time I put my charges in lock-down mode. Okay, call me a bad person, but I eavesdropped. I overheard her say, “I don’t know … don’t panic … think of something …”
Not very interesting stuff.
The next few hours dragged on and on. My eyes drooped and I actually almost fell off the stool once.
At 6:20 I closed out the register. Laurel hadn’t stopped by. I worried a little that she changed her mind about helping us. Maybe after hearing about our garbage fiasco, she decided ix-nay on the impromptu anatomy lesson we might offer. I couldn’t blame her.
When I checked the numbers on our cash register reconciliation form, the paltry sales figures concerned me. Where were all our customers? Had they all been scared away?
I started to awfulize, to think of the worst possible scenarios. Maybe the rest of Cindy’s body had been found. Maybe she’d left another missive pointing to me. Maybe we were the lead story on the
“She’s coming in to sign paperwork. Maybe even tonight. She’s supposedly been scrapbooking for four years. Knows how to work a cash register. Really, we only need another set of eyes. And hands.”
Bama hesitated. “I need to take off early. We have that special Last Minute Gift crop tomorrow night, and I need to finish my holiday shopping.”
I knew she was lying. She bragged to me earlier in the month about how organized she was, how all she needed to finish was getting gifts wrapped. I thought about calling her on it, but really, I figured she needed a graceful way to end a bad day. I must have waited too long to respond because she rushed in with, “Hanukkah’s only two days away, right?”
I nodded. “Go ahead and leave if you need to. Did you give Clancy a call?”
I could tell Bama was considering refusing my friend’s offer. We’d talked before about the problems associated with hiring good customers. Frankly, I didn’t think we had a choice. I added, “Clancy’s willing to work for free.”
“How come? Nobody does anything for free.”
“She likes to keep busy.” I didn’t divulge my friend’s family problems. They were none of Bama’s business.
Bama chewed her bottom lip. “Clancy would do a good job here in the store. She’s smart, professional, and she catches on quickly. Between her and Laurel, I think we could put an end to our shoplifting problems. But I don’t think we can let her work for free. That’s not right. It’s taking advantage of your friendship. I’m surprised you’d suggest it.”
“I’m not suggesting it. I just wanted you to know how willing she was. I’m thinking we should offer her store credit. She’s new to scrapbooking. That would give her a chance to buy more supplies.”
I guess my tone of voice betrayed my irritation. Bama agreed with the store credit idea on the spot. In fact, she seemed downright conciliatory. I decided to push my luck. “Any idea if we’re ahead of projections? Will there be a Christmas bonus?”
“I’m still working on the accounting. A few of the manufacturers offered discounts if we paid quickly, so that’s my priority.”
She watched the store while I took my small, mobile canine herd around the block for peeing, pooping, sniffing at, and general overhauling of the neighborhood landscape. That airhead Fluffy must have tangled her lead five times in the first five minutes alone. At one point, I could have doubled as Gulliver after being tied down by the Lilliputians, I was wrapped so thoroughly in leashes. With a lot of hopping and tripping and ducking under and over the cords, I managed to get back to the store so Bama could leave. She was on her cell by the time I put my charges in lock-down mode. Okay, call me a bad person, but I eavesdropped. I overheard her say, “I don’t know … don’t panic … think of something …”
Not very interesting stuff.
The next few hours dragged on and on. My eyes drooped and I actually almost fell off the stool once.
At 6:20 I closed out the register. Laurel hadn’t stopped by. I worried a little that she changed her mind about helping us. Maybe after hearing about our garbage fiasco, she decided ix-nay on the impromptu anatomy lesson we might offer. I couldn’t blame her.
When I checked the numbers on our cash register reconciliation form, the paltry sales figures concerned me. Where were all our customers? Had they all been scared away?
I started to awfulize, to think of the worst possible scenarios. Maybe the rest of Cindy’s body had been found. Maybe she’d left another missive pointing to me. Maybe we were the lead story on the
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