Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
“Yes, of course. I understand.”
But then the woman speaks again.
“But we do need a cashier. Candy Jones just quit yesterday to take care of her ailing mother, and she’s not going to be back for a while. Do you have any experience working a register?”
I bite my lip.
“Not really. This would be my first job, you see, but I promise I learn fast.”
The woman laughs.
“Well, at least you’re honest. I’ll take you back to Mr. Hemsworth’s office. He’s the one who makes our hiring decisions.”
“Oh, if you could just point me in the right direction I’ll be fine,” I say gratefully. “I don’t want to cause you any trouble. You’ve already been so helpful.”
The red-haired woman grins and pops her bubblegum.
“Don’t worry about it, sweetie, because I haven’t done much. I’ll go check if he’s there first. It’ll only take me a minute.”
“Okay, thank you,” I say in a shy voice.
The woman disappears for a few minutes, and then reappears.
“This way,” she calls, beckoning with her hand. I follow her down Aisle Six, and we pass through a door in the back that leads to a darkened hallway. Then, we stop before another door on the left with the word “Manager” on a plaque.
“Here you go, sweetie,” the woman remarks, cracking her gum again with a smile. “Mr. Hemsworth is expecting you. Go right in.”
I nod, and take a deep breath while straightening my dress with sweaty hands. This is it. Make it or break it.
He’s waiting, and it’s time for me to take the plunge.
3
John
I stare at the calculator, willing it to read a different number, but it doesn’t change. The numbers stare back at me, loud and clear, making me sweat.
ShopMore is in deep shit.
The store was doing well up until about a month ago. In fact, it was thriving. Profits were higher than they’d ever been, and we’d been thinking about doing more partnerships, as well as stocking goods from local vendors. Customers love the extra zing they get when they’re buying home-grown goods from locals.
But now, none of that matters because the world has gone to shit. Don’t get me wrong – people are still buying groceries, and some are even stockpiling supplies. But this damn virus is ruining my life. It’s impossible to predict what they want other than toilet paper and antiseptic wipes. Those, we’re selling by the boatload.
I didn’t think it would get this bad, especially not in Corona, Idaho. Our town is small. I figured we would be safe, unlike New York City or Los Angeles.
Yet here we are. Everyone is supposed to stay inside unless it’s an emergency, so we have customers, but they look scared when they come in. They jump at the littlest sound, and throw things in their cart before running back out.
Plus, there’s the problem of demand. A lot of people stocked up on groceries a couple of weeks ago, so I might see another rush in the next few weeks as those families run out of necessities. Everyone else, though, can’t afford much more than the basics right now. That’s why ShopMore is in deep shit. We have a cash reserve, of course, but I hate seeing it erode.
Still, I’m better off than most. My family owns the chain, and we’ve been in business for a hundred years. We have plenty of money, and I dare say we’ll survive. I just hate seeing so many of our long-time customers suffering.
I stare at the numbers before me again. It’s not great. If people aren’t earning money, then they’re not spending it, and if they’re not spending it, I’m not making a profit. I have a couple of months until the situation becomes dire. It’s going to take a lot to recover from this, though. If business doesn’t pick up soon, I’ll be shutting the doors to the store for good before the summer ends.
But I can’t think like that right now. A negative attitude is a surefire way to bring disaster on yourself. The store has made it through worse times, after all, including the Great Depression, the Great Recession, and two world wars.
Suddenly, a voice interrupts my dark thoughts.
“Mr. Hemsworth, it’s us,” sings Kathy on the other side of the door. “Are you ready for the interview?”
I grimace a bit. Kathy is one of my best employees, but she can get annoying sometimes. She’s always on my back to find a woman, but I keep telling her that not everyone’s as lucky as her. Kathy and her husband have been together twenty years, and have three kids to boot.
“Come,” I say in a surly voice. I half expect Kathy to burst inside, but then the door opens and it’s silent. I glance up, and the world comes to a halt because this isn’t Kathy. Instead, it’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. She bites her lip and stares at me tentatively.