Life in Retail

Good Deeds

"Is your mom not with you today?"

"No, thank goodness." I smile nervously, tying the apron around my waist.

"I suppose that's a good thing." Taki says thoughtfully. "Anyway, I was wondering, would you be willing to work those hours I suggested last week?"

*Beep*

The options pop up on the computer but I pause, facing him instead of hitting the "clock in" button. "So it wasn't just a cover?" I blurt out, placing my hand in front of my mouth because I didn't mean to just say it like that.

He smirks. "Well, it was, but then I got to thinking about how much it'd help me out." He leans to the side, looking me over carefully. "I wasn't lying about it getting busy after you leave. I needed to see how well you'd do for the first couple of months before I decided to give you more hours, and honestly, your age concerned me at first."

I avert my gaze. "Not that I'm not grateful, but if my age was a concern, why'd you hire me?"

"Want to hear the sad truth?" He relaxes his stance and stares out the front door. "I hired five people the same day as you hoping three of them would work out. You were not one of the ones I expected to stay, but now you're the only one left."

My jaw drops and the screen times out. I quickly swipe the card again and clock in this time. "It's that bad?" I mumble.

"Yup." He responds, his voice annoyed and void of any hope. "Just the way it is." He shakes his head. "Anyway, I'd love to have you more days in the week, but I know how adamant you were about the one day, so more hours it is. You up for it?"

I can't help but get the urge to volunteer for as many days and hours as he needs. He's been a really good boss to me, and it's surprising that the turnover rate is so high. Then I remember Yukito-senpai telling me about how there's supposed to be at least one other person here, but even though it's been a whole month since I finished training, it's just been Taki and me.

"Of course!" I offer him a smile. "So you want me here until 6:45?" It's the least I can do.

He looks over, surprised by my quick reaction. "Well, yeah. I guess since that's what your mom thinks you're working anyway, it shouldn't be an issue?"

"Not at all. I don't know why they didn't stay, it's not that hard a job." I furrow my brows.

He chuckles a bit, glancing away. "If the craziest lady I have ever met in my time in retail was here for your shift and you can still say that?" He just stares at me for a second, a small smile on his lips. "I hope you stay here for a long while."

My face softens. "Well, I don't have any reason to leave, and it's just one day a week. At least while I'm in high school, I don't plan on going anywhere."

He finally allows the smile to reach his eyes. "Thanks." It's so different from his customer service smile and I wonder how many people have seen it.

I blush a bit, feeling honored.

"Anyway, you happen to know anyone that's willing to work here?" He scratches the back of his head, the smile already gone. "With Yukito cutting down to one day a week too, I'll be doing interviews really soon."

My ears perk up. "Yukito-senpai is cutting his hours?"

"Yeah." He leans on the counter and stares blankly out the front again. "He already works a lot of hours at his other job and he needed more days off because it was tiring him out. Said he would've done it sooner, but he held on for me."

I lower my head, feeling sad. "If you don't mind me asking, how often are you here if no one else works here?"

He stays quiet for a while and I wonder if I overstepped my boundaries.