Now #2
If there’s anything I’m thankful for, it’s that the two of us were brought together again. She defended my honor without me asking her to do so. I’m very lucky to be surrounded by friends like her.
Alright, my shift at Sweet & Salty starts at 4 p.m. and goes until 9 p.m. It’s currently 3 p.m., which means I need to find my car and head over to Sunset Cove. I parked behind the business administration building, but the parking lot is massive.
As I walk over to the parking lot with my backpack chilling on my back, a cool autumn breeze hits me.
Now that it’s November, I guess Florida decided it was time for us to see what cooler weather is like.
This means it’ll be in the high 70s and low 80s until we get lucky next month and truly experience what winter feels like.
Pulling out my car keys, I press the unlock button a few times until I see the reverse lights blinking. When I turn on the engine, I’m met with A/C that I turn down to the lowest level.
It’s off to the races, so I can make it to work on time.
I not only successfully made it to the store on time, but it only took me about thirty minutes to get here. That’s incredible timing, considering the amount of traffic I had to deal with on the way here.
Pulling into a parking spot relatively far away from the store, I park the car and grab my purse. I get out of the car and lock it, heading inside to start my shift.
The parking lot at The Promenade is pretty busy for a Friday afternoon, which tells me it might be a busy evening and night.
The door chimes from the bell installed to alert us when customers enter the store.
Damn, it’s packed in here.
Willow is helping two female customers over in the romantasy section, and Laura is ringing up customers on our tablet at the checkout area. There’s a line that goes all the way to the entrance into the store. Two other employees are managing the line, so it doesn’t get out of control.
I clock in my starting time on the tablet in the back of the store and lock my personal items in my locker except for my phone, which I slide into the back pocket of my ripped jean shorts.
Today’s look is casual meets comfort. I’m wearing a graphic tee, dark-wash jean shorts, white Converse sneakers, and a lightweight gray cardigan.
“I cannot wait until the season is over because this is bananas,” Willow says.
I jump. “Don’t scare me like that. Also, it makes the time go by faster, and it’s nice because we have more customer interactions.”
“True, but some of the customers we’ve interacted with have been horrible.”
“Comes with the territory of working in retail, Will.”
“I haven’t seen you this happy in weeks. What gives?”
“Nothing. I’m happy to be here and spend some time with my friend.”
“Okay, I’ll take your word for it.”
We head out of the back area and get back into the main area of the store. I walk over to the checkout area where Laura is.
Laura lights up when she sees me. “Hey, Vi.”
“Hi, Laur.” I survey my surroundings. “Wow, it’s so busy here this afternoon.”
“I know. It’s been like this since noon. Let me know if you need any assistance if you get too overwhelmed. Okay?” She grins.
“Okay, I’ll let you know if I need any help.”
“I’m going to head into the back and grab some more stock.” Laura walks away from me, heading into our storage area.
As I walk back over to the checkout counter, I’m stopped by a twenty-something woman with light brunette hair in the contemporary romance section. “Excuse me, have you read this book before?” She shows me The Plus One by Mazey Eddings.
“Yes, I have. It’s one of my favorite books of all time. If you love mental health representation, you’ll love this one. Are you a fan of spice?”
“Yeah, I’m not a dark romance-level fan of spice though. What kind of mental health rep is in this?”
“Anxiety and PTSD.”
“I’ll take it. Thank you for your help.” She walks away from me, getting in line.
She shoots, and she scores.
I wonder how many more recommendations I can make that customers will be interested enough to buy. I have another six hours here, so I hope to rack up more wins.
The line has been non-stop all night.
I haven’t seen the store this busy since this time last year. I ended up recommending twenty-five books, which were all wins. I helped Laura ring up customers, while Willow and the other two employees helped manage the line and assist shoppers.
Willow and I clock out on the tablet in the back. I unlock my locker to collect my belongings, making my way back to the front of the house.
“Hot damn! That was some wicked lightning. I’ll see you guys on Sunday.” She waves to us as she walks out the door.
“Are you okay to close up on your own tonight?” Laura asks.
“Well, I am the assistant manager. I think I’m more than capable of doing this on my own.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, that’s right. You’re a big-wig now.” She giggles.
“Not funny, Laur.”