Working For A Boutique - Part 1 (Patreon)

ALL STORY LIST

PARTS - PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9 | PART 10 | PART 11 | FINAL PART

My father died in Desert Storm when I was a baby. My mother struggled for a short time before moving back to the Midwest to be near her parents. She finally gave up about a year later and killed herself. The court decided to place me with her parents, who farmed just outside the outskirts of the city.

With no memory of my real parents, I grew up in their care.

Henry and Marion were honest, thrifty, hard-working people who believed in self-discipline and work ethic. I began helping out on the farm at an early age and was no stranger to hard work by the time I entered school.

When Henry dropped over dead of a heart attack while working in the fields, Marion decided to sell and move to the city. She found work in a discount store and made a good life for us.

I did well in school and enjoyed the challenge of academics as well as athletic competition. At 5' 6" and 145 lbs., I was too small for contact sports, but I excelled with the swimming team, lettering in my freshman year. We didn't get much respect from the guys who played combative sports like football and hockey, but the school was quite pleased when we went to the state finals and placed third in my first year.

I turned sixteen in May. In short order, I completed my Driver's Education and got my license. With Marion's help, I purchased a used car and then got a full-time job for the summer at J.J. Anderson's department store. If things worked out, I might be kept on part-time during the school year, though there were restrictions because of my age.

Jacob and Joshua Anderson founded the J.J. anderson company in the late 1800s. In the beginning, they sold dry goods and hardware. They offered quality goods and credit terms for the working class at a time when credit wasn't always available. By the end of the Second World War, the company had dropped its hardware line. It concentrated on selling quality but moderately priced clothing. The founders' sons, John, Jo-

Seph and James continued the family tradition by expanding the chain to twenty-five stores.

In the late 1980s, the effect of the competition from larger discount chains and the flood of cheap imported goods forced the company to re-organize and downsize their operations. Half of the stores were closed, and the product line was reduced. Fewer brands were offered, and the high-priced, as well as the budget end of their merchandise, were dropped. With only twelve stores and a much smaller inventory, they were still able to offer quality clothing but at affordable prices for the average working people of the area.

Through the Nineties, business continued to decline but not in a rapid fashion. It was slowly being reduced by the big box stores and cutthroat pricing. The founders' grandchildren could see the handwriting on the wall, and it wasn't long before rumors were flying about a possible sale to a larger chain.

I worked hard that first summer. I applied myself and was given a raise after three months. I spent most of my time unpacking merchandise, pricing and tagging it, and putting it out on the floor where it was needed. In addition, after night stocking, I would clean the restrooms, floors, and windows. Once a month, the floors were waxed and polished. I got along well with everyone and was respected for my hard work.

By the time I started my sophomore year, I was well versed in all my responsibilities. Except for an initial meeting each night with the supervisor, my work was no longer monitored closely. With my hours cut back because of school, I was not part of the day-to-day operations, so buyout rumors occasionally caught up with me.

Normally, during the first weekend in November, we would be getting in Christmas merchandise and decorations. It was then I learned that the axe had finally fallen. We had been bought out by a West Coast chain of Women's clothing stores. Exact details were not available, but corporate reps would be visiting each store and talking with employees.

Losing your job is bad enough, but it happening at this time of year made it worse.

Many employees had families to support. I could get by working part-time until I was finished with school, though I wasn't sure if there would be a place for me in a women's clothing store. We would all be in the dark for the time being, so everyone kept working and hoped for the best.

There would be no merchandise shipments until the entire old inventory was sold out. This meant, of course, no holiday stuff. There would be an immediate markdown of fifty percent on all merchandise. Slower moving inventory would be shipped to other stores where it was selling better. Final markdowns would take place the week of Christmas, and then whatever was left would be packed up and shipped to a warehouse to be auctioned off. Company reps would be in to see us the weekend before Christmas, and we would be notified of our status.

The closeout sale was heavily advertised, and the response was overwhelming, to say the least. We were pretty well cleaned out by the end of the next two weeks. Following the Thanksgiving holidays, I helped box up and ship the remaining inventory to the warehouse. The meeting had been moved up to the first weekend in December, and we would be informed about the store's status and who would be let go.

I arrived at the store for the 9 AM meeting to find the new owners looking over the building and making notes on their clipboards. Once the meeting was called to order, we gathered around the front cashier's area and listened with interest as the corporate rep began to speak. The woman in charge was tall and thin with a short hairstyle. She appeared to have a permanent scowl on her face. She was dressed in a black pantsuit and flat shoes. She wore no makeup and spoke with a sharp, clear voice.

"Good morning. I will be brief. This buyout will enable our company to expand here in the Midwest. With the stores cleaned out, you will all be laid off for several months. During that time, the store will be re-configured to suit our needs. You will be called in for an interview when we are ready to hire, and if you are brought on board, you will make things ready for the new product line and stock the new inventory when it arrives. We don't anticipate any delays, so stay close to the phone. Most of you will be eligible for unemployment benefits until then. Thank you, and good day."

The meeting broke up, and we all went home. I found many part-time jobs in the want ads, but I needed more of a permanent part-time job to go with my schooling, so I didn't apply for them.

After New Year's Day, I got a phone call to report for an interview at the store on a Saturday afternoon. I was a little nervous. If this was a women's department store, what would they want with me? I walked in the front door and was amazed at what had been done.

The old store had several cashier counters in the front, and they were still there, but the rest of the store had a much different look. The old store had a large main aisle running the entire main floor with men's clothing and shoes on the right-hand side and women's clothing and shoes on the left.

At the rear of the store, there was a side exit on the right and a stairway on the left that led to a balcony with children's clothes and shoes. Straight ahead at the rear were the two restrooms on either side of the large double doors that led to the backloading area and the employee lounge.

All the fixtures had been removed, and new ones were put in place. Also, the walls were painted a delicate pink color with white trim. The floor tiles were pink and white and had been highly polished. The right side had areas marked off with tape indicating a large section for lingerie and a slightly smaller one for shoes. A beauty shop and wig salon were next to the rear exit. The entire left side was marked off for clothing. The balcony at the rear had a banner reading "Formal/Bridal."

I turned left and walked up the stairs of the front balcony, which had housed the offices of the old store. At the top of the stairs, I stopped at the front desk and introduced myself.

"Good morning. I am Danny Weston. I have a 2 PM appointment to see Ms. LaRue." The receptionist looked at her appointment book and then gave me a big smile. "Have a seat Danny. She will be with you shortly."

I sat down while she buzzed Ms. LaRue on the phone. "Your 2 PM is here."

I was still trying to figure out the playful smile she had on her face when Ms. LaRue walked up to me and extended her hand.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Danny. Please come back to my office." I followed her along the corridor to the manager's office.

"Please sit down," she said as she closed the door. I took my seat in the chair opposite her desk.

She sat down and glanced at the folder in front of her.

"You have been highly recommended by the former owners, and I would be very pleased to have you join us. There will, however, be some changes in the things you will be required to do for us. Is that understood?"

"I understand that this is a different type of store, but exactly what would my new duties be?"

"First, you will be responsible for general cleaning and upkeep the same as you have always done. Second, you will be handling only some of the merchandise, making sure it is tagged, priced, and properly displayed. Third, there will be other assorted duties as- signed, and I use that term as an all-inclusive one to cover miscellaneous things. There will also be the occasional once-in-a-blue-moon jobs that may surface. Is that clear?"

"Yes, it is. What would my hours be? I have school, you know, and I have to work around my class schedule as well as my swim meets, which begin shortly."

"I understand. You will keep us apprised of your class schedule and the dates of your swim team's matches. This will enable us to schedule you for work well in advance, so I won't have to be concerned about you missing any school function as well as keeping you here when we need you. Do you have a copy of your schedules with you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."

I opened my case and handed her a photocopy of the information she needed. "Excellent. It's good to see you are well prepared. I like that. We expect the same job

performance from you that the previous owners did. Be certain you understand that we

will deal with incompetence or insubordination in a harsh manner. If you have any questions about how something is to be done, don't hesitate to ask. Once tasks are assigned, go do them. I like people who know how to get things done quickly and properly. Do you have any other questions?"

"No."

"Good. Thank you for coming in. I will mail you your work schedule in a few days. I'm glad to have you on board, and I'm looking forward to working with you. You'll be getting the same wage as you were making before. In about ninety days, you will be eligible for a raise. Have a nice day."

I stood up and shook her hand. She followed me out to the main office, where she handed my file to the receptionist. As I left, I noticed that quizzical smile on the reception- ist's face again, almost like she knew something that I didn't.

When I got back home, I found a police officer waiting for me. Marion had been killed in a car-jacking incident at the mall. She had been shot through the head and had died instantly. Her assailant drove off. At the next intersection, he slammed into a cement truck and was killed.

I drove down to the morgue to identify the body, then called a nearby funeral home to make the arrangements. I didn't have time to grieve or feel sorry for myself. I knew I had to go ahead and make the best of things.

A local attorney who had helped Marion with the sale of the farm agreed to help me with the estate. After the funeral, I closed out her savings and checking accounts and de- posited everything into my checking account.

Her safety deposit box had the title to our small two-bedroom condo and her car. The insurance company gave me a check for the totaled car. Her life insurance policy was small, but it would cover the funeral and burial costs. We didn't know many people, and except for a few of Marion's co-workers at the discount store and Ms. LaRue, no one else came to pay their respects.

After the funeral, I packed up Marion's clothes and donated them to a local charity. There were no relatives to notify and few bills to pay. I had the power and phone bills changed over to my name as well as the title to the condo.

Because of my age and the fact that there were no relatives, my attorney convinced the judge to continue to let me live on my own, for which I was very grateful.

The letter from Ms. LaRue arrived a week after everything had been settled. I opened it up and read the letter of hire and the enclosed work schedule. I would begin work the next Saturday.

I had just got caught up with the schoolwork I had missed during the funeral, and now I could start work again. I wanted to keep busy. Finances were not an immediate problem, but in two years, I wanted to attend college, and I would need more than the savings I had and my earnings from the store to be able to pay for the cost of a good education.

That first weekend, I finished assembling some storage units and also a few small counters. The racks for the clothing were next; after assembly, I moved them out on the main floor. New cash registers were installed, and the office received new furniture as well as new computer terminals. After cutting up the shipping cartons, I cleaned up the loading area, then swept the main floors.

I was quite surprised to find myself the only male employee from the old store. In fact, I was the only male employee, period.

The next day, I assembled and set up the beauty shop chairs and merchandise counters in their proper places. I put together some shelving units for the wig salon and installed several mirrors as well.

I worked two nights unpacking and storing the beauty shop and wig salon supplies in their respective cabinets during the week. I found myself feeling a bit uncomfortable having to learn where to store cosmetic supplies as well as the wig care products. I had no idea of the number of things a woman uses to look nice, but I learned fast, and there were very few things Ms. LaRue found out of place.

That Saturday, a large shipment of clothing came in. I stocked the shoe department first. While I was doing that, two of the new girls stocked the lingerie department. The next day we all stocked the dresses and skirts in the clothing section.

I worked quickly, and Ms. LaRue was quite pleased with having the store completely stocked and ready for opening two weeks early. She found everything to be where it was supposed to be and without any pricing errors. After a complete walk-through of the main store, she checked the beauty shop and the adjoining wig salon.

"Everything looks great. The only thing remaining is the stock for the formal wear shop on the upstairs balcony. That should arrive sometime this week. Have a good night."

I headed for the time clock to punch out. When I got in the back room, several of the younger girls were giggling and laughing about something, but they shut up quickly when I arrived. I punched out and wished everyone a good week.

As I walked out the back door, the laughing began again. I couldn't imagine what they found so amusing. I wasn't paranoid or anything, but I almost got the feeling that something was going on that I wasn't aware of. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it had something to do with my being the only male in the store. Or perhaps the idea of a male working in a feminine environment and having to learn about makeup, wig care, and the proper way to display women's clothing, shoes, and lingerie had given them a reason to laugh at me. Anyhow, I couldn't let it bother me. I needed this job and would do whatever it took to remain in Ms. LaRue's good graces. Little did I realize exactly how dedicated I would have to become or how soon I would be tested.