Flirting with the HR Girl

Chapter 1

The dazzling cosmetic department at Peterson's department store scrolled into Jennifer's view as she glided down the escalator. Her eyes skated over the mirrored Christmas displays already going up in October while her ears ignored the bass coming from the MAC counter. Her focus went right to the department manager, Selena, standing between a young woman in a crisp Clinique uniform and a much older one in a sagging, cardigan sweater. Selena's saffron scarf was bouncing through the air as her words swirled around the riveted customers and cosmetic employees. When she hit the ground floor, Jennifer straightened her black blazer as her low heels clicked swiftly across the tile towards the commotion. Heartrate elevating at the impending confrontation, she found herself wishing her coworkers could be just a little bit boring.

"Selena, may I have a word with you, please?" Jennifer said, stopping opposite her closest friend in the store.

"Not now, Jenny." Selena barely gave her a glance, her attention focused on her employee. "Ellie was late for the third time this week and-"

"I told you that wasn't her fault," Blanche, the older woman who barely came up to Selena's shoulders, interjected. "It's mine."

"Let's not do this here," Jennifer said, acutely aware of the customer and employee eyes alike surrounding them along with Ellie's reddening face.

"How can it possibly be your fault, Blanche?" Selena asked. The two had been through three store managers and the last nameplate change together. "Todd has you here at seven-thirty every morning, so he doesn't have to be."

"I forgot to leave Ellie the keys to my car." Blanche shrugged and pushed up her wire-rimmed glasses. Jennifer knew it was her defensive pose when she had to stretch the truth to protect her boss or, in this case, herself. "So, she had to wait for her uncle to give her a ride."

"Selena, Blanche, let's go upstairs to the HR office-" Jennifer tried again.

"Blanche, I know your car; it's in the same space it's been in for the last five years." Selena huffed and finally turned to Jennifer for validation of the proof the store manager's administrative assistant was covering for her granddaughter. "See what I'm working with, Jenny?"

"Selena, let's talk about it upstairs," Jennifer said giving the woman ten years her senior what she hoped was a stern look. Turning to someone that would listen, she said, "Ellie, please go clock in and start your shift. Blanche, would you like to come discuss this with us?"

"Nah." She smiled at them and patted her granddaughter on the arm. Then she reached into her drooping pocket as she took in Selena's rage. "I'll let this one here calm down and go smoke before Todd's conference call with New York."

"Fine," Jennifer said, holding in a sigh. Blanche had been with the store so long, not even the store manager bothered to tell her what to do anymore. Jennifer took Selena's arm before she could protest and led her to the escalator. The floor show over, cosmetic associates went back to helping customers at their bouquet of brand counters. "You never should have called Blanche down here to help with Ellie."

"I thought she would talk some sense into that girl!" Selena protested as Muzac's hallow rendition of Candle in the Wind enveloped them as they ascended out of the bustling cosmetic department. Within the month, Christmas music would start. And Selena would bitch but Jennifer would be secretly happy. It was one of the only things she liked about working retail. "I didn't think she would make up an alibi for her granddaughter!"

"That's why you come to me," Jennifer said as they rounded onto the escalator to the third floor. "The store has an HR assistant for a reason."

"You didn't answer," Selena said looking at her bright red manicure, her own defensive move. "So, Gary sent Blanche down."