Slip we mailed out got sent back. I don’t think she’s gonna last.”
“What makes you say that?”
Billie scrunched up her face in disgust. “She’s so argumentative, Robert. Yesterday she gave me grief about the new uniform.”
“Oh, yes about that…”
Before he could continue Chelle burst through the door, talking in a panicked way as she passed their table. “Sorry, sorry, sorry! My alarm didn’t go off.”
Billie was giving her a dirty look and was about to say something when Robert cut her off. “It’s fine. Listen, my brother is here taking blood and urine samples.”
She stopped in her tracks. “Come again?”
“It’s ok. He’s a doctor. We’re giving you all better insurance benefits so this is for that.” The rest of the staff had been so accepting he expected her just to fall in line with the others at the promise of new perks.
“Is that really necessary? If you want to give us better insurance you can just give it to us, can’t you?”
“Well, um…”
Billie rubbed her forehead in annoyance. “Chelle, change and go get it done or go home.”
Chelle gave Billie a look that clearly said, ‘fuck you’ nonverbally. Robert couldn’t say he blamed her. Had anyone spoken to him that way he’d have had the same response. Instead of heading for the change room Chelle turned on her heel and headed right back for the front door. Robert jumped up and ran to the door blocking her from leaving. “Whoa, whoa. Where are you going?”
“I was told to go home,” she said, her voice becoming hard.
“No, Chelle please. Don’t leave ok?” He took her arm and pulled her into the hallway by the office out of everyone’s line of sight so it was just the two of them. “Listen. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t have to. It’s the insurance company. They have this whole thing with pre-existing conditions and all that junk. They just want to make sure nobody’s dying before they hook them up with extra coverage, that’s all. Please don’t leave.”
Chelle crossed her arms, clearly annoyed. “Why not? If that’s the way I’m going to be talked to Robert, I don’t see why I should stay. I like it here but there are other jobs.”
She was on the verge of telling him to ‘take this job and shove it’. He didn’t blame her. “Listen. I’m sorry about that. Billie’s just cranky over the whole wedding. She’s stressed out, we all are. It’s been a rough couple of days but I’ll talk to her. I promise it won’t happen again. Please stay. And this insurance is good. Trust me, you want it.” She still didn’t look convinced. “And I have your tips from last night in the office. It’s over two hundred dollars.” It wasn’t, but it would be worth parting with the money to keep her.
“That much? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Yeah, yeah. People got really generous all of a sudden. Hey they were drunk, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth eh?” Robert couldn’t remember having told so many lies in quick succession in his life and Chelle narrowed her eyes not quite believing him, but sighing at the prospect of the money. He knew then that he had her.
Before she could answer the office door opened and Paul stepped out with Lisa who was just finishing up. Lisa was rubbing her arm. “That wasn’t so bad now was it?” Paul said as she slid past them. Lisa looked a little woozy.
“I hate needles,” she said, before making her way back to the dining
“What makes you say that?”
Billie scrunched up her face in disgust. “She’s so argumentative, Robert. Yesterday she gave me grief about the new uniform.”
“Oh, yes about that…”
Before he could continue Chelle burst through the door, talking in a panicked way as she passed their table. “Sorry, sorry, sorry! My alarm didn’t go off.”
Billie was giving her a dirty look and was about to say something when Robert cut her off. “It’s fine. Listen, my brother is here taking blood and urine samples.”
She stopped in her tracks. “Come again?”
“It’s ok. He’s a doctor. We’re giving you all better insurance benefits so this is for that.” The rest of the staff had been so accepting he expected her just to fall in line with the others at the promise of new perks.
“Is that really necessary? If you want to give us better insurance you can just give it to us, can’t you?”
“Well, um…”
Billie rubbed her forehead in annoyance. “Chelle, change and go get it done or go home.”
Chelle gave Billie a look that clearly said, ‘fuck you’ nonverbally. Robert couldn’t say he blamed her. Had anyone spoken to him that way he’d have had the same response. Instead of heading for the change room Chelle turned on her heel and headed right back for the front door. Robert jumped up and ran to the door blocking her from leaving. “Whoa, whoa. Where are you going?”
“I was told to go home,” she said, her voice becoming hard.
“No, Chelle please. Don’t leave ok?” He took her arm and pulled her into the hallway by the office out of everyone’s line of sight so it was just the two of them. “Listen. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t have to. It’s the insurance company. They have this whole thing with pre-existing conditions and all that junk. They just want to make sure nobody’s dying before they hook them up with extra coverage, that’s all. Please don’t leave.”
Chelle crossed her arms, clearly annoyed. “Why not? If that’s the way I’m going to be talked to Robert, I don’t see why I should stay. I like it here but there are other jobs.”
She was on the verge of telling him to ‘take this job and shove it’. He didn’t blame her. “Listen. I’m sorry about that. Billie’s just cranky over the whole wedding. She’s stressed out, we all are. It’s been a rough couple of days but I’ll talk to her. I promise it won’t happen again. Please stay. And this insurance is good. Trust me, you want it.” She still didn’t look convinced. “And I have your tips from last night in the office. It’s over two hundred dollars.” It wasn’t, but it would be worth parting with the money to keep her.
“That much? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Yeah, yeah. People got really generous all of a sudden. Hey they were drunk, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth eh?” Robert couldn’t remember having told so many lies in quick succession in his life and Chelle narrowed her eyes not quite believing him, but sighing at the prospect of the money. He knew then that he had her.
Before she could answer the office door opened and Paul stepped out with Lisa who was just finishing up. Lisa was rubbing her arm. “That wasn’t so bad now was it?” Paul said as she slid past them. Lisa looked a little woozy.
“I hate needles,” she said, before making her way back to the dining
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