messie. rio, g.g

ONE

proposition !

     I SCANNED THE LAST item of the current customer I was ringing up, which was a middle aged, pregnant woman with a nasty look that could kill. 

"That'll be a total of 34 dollars and 68 cents." I gave her a small smile and folded my hands shyly as I waited for her to get the valid amount of money out to pay. 

Her hands opened her wallet and to my dismay, her eyebrows furrowed into a stressed manner and she looked up at me with pleading eyes. 

"I-I am so sorry, but my husband and I recently had just got divorced and I had just paid bills, a-and..." Her voice faded in a pleading tone. 

"I am so sorry to hear that ma'am, but unfortunately, there's nothing I can do to help you." 

"Are you sure? Not even the smallest discount? I really need to put food on the table tonight."

"I really would help you with a discount or anything of the sort, but it's against our store policies." 

"Not even just this one time?" She persisted. 

In response, I sadly shook my head. My stomach turned once I did so because her face twisted into a spiteful expression. She leaned in close to my face, so that I could feel her heavy, hot breath.

 "I have THREE kids and one on the way," She angrily pointed to her stomach and my eyes quickly averted down to look at her stomach and then back to her face, which was  uncomfortably close. "I am paying bills, changing diapers, cooking, cleaning, and doing almost everything that you most likely not have done yet because you're too ignorant to do anything responsible!" Her voice raised a little, causing me to back up.

My stomach was swirling with the type of fear you feel when a teacher yells at you or when you get in trouble and can't do anything to save yourself. This caused my heartbeat to go faster than needed by being put on the spot, I forgot how to handle this situation. I looked at this woman with fear in my eyes before replying after seconds of silence. 

"I am so sorry to hear that ma'am, and congrats on the little one on the way, but like I said before, I can't do anything to help you for it'll cost me my job and—"

"This is ridiculous! I am a mother of FOUR. How about some respect or better customer service! I'm never coming back!"

Good.

 With that, the woman stormed off, leaving her groceries behind in her cart. I exhaled deeply and began to walk around the register to deal with the abandoned goods.

"Woah." 

I turned around to see Annie leaning against the conveyor belt with crossed arms. "Trouble in paradise?" 

I gave her a small chuckled and nodded lightly. "Kept saying she was a mother and how I was too ignorant to do anything responsible." I huffed out a breath and put my hands on the cart, ready to put it in the back. 

"Aw, poor baby." Annie puffed out her bottom and lip and scurried to my side and wrapped her arms around me. I patted one her arms from under and awkwardly stood still. 

"Thanks Ann, very much appreciated." 

She let go and chuckled. "It's no problem, it's just you really don't deserve to be treated like that though. You've only been working here for what, 3 months? And that's the 6th time someone has yelled at you for their own problems." 

I shook my head giving Annie a face. "Nah, maybe it's because I'm doing something wrong. It has been awhile since I've had a job like this so I guess my social skills are gone." 

Annie replied with giving me a face. "[y/n] that—"

"Annie-Bannanie!" Boomers voice, well, boomed throughout the grocery store. This caused Annie's face to drop as she slowly turned around. 

"Hi, Boomer." She gritted through her teeth. 

"What're you uh, doing just standing there? Shouldn't you be at your register working?" Boomer crossed his arms and swayed forward. 

Annie rolled her eyes and turned to me. "Talk to you later [y/n]," Then turned to walk towards her register.  

I waved at her as she began walking and then it was my turn to walk away. Before I could walk a step, Boomer stopped me. 

"Where are you going [y/n]?" Boomer struck up. 

Where the fuck else—

"To put these items that a customer had left behind in the back." My hands stayed rested on the cart handle. 

"Right, right. Uh, well, I heard that that customer happened to yell at you. Again." 

I stayed silent and stared at him, not knowing what to say. 

"I'm gonna tell you though," He steps close to me. "If you fuck up again, I can fire you," He snapped his fingers, "like that. Not unless . ." 

He steps forward. "You wanna do me a little favor." His voice is at a whisper now and he had his fingers gliding along my forearm. 

"I-I won't let it happen again." I quickly turned around and pushed the cart in the direction of the back room. Before reaching the room, I felt Annie run up behind me. 

"What. A. Jerk!" Her voice was in a whisper-yell.

"It's okay." I kept walking in attempt to finish the job I meant to finish before. 

"It's not okay! He does that to literally every young girl here and it's disgusting!" 

I sighed and hummed in agreement before shoving the cart into the back room and made my way to the register. 

"Let me tell you what." 

I looked at Annie and saw that she was pondering her next words. 

"I know that you need money," I gave her a look which stopped her in her words. "Let me finish. I know that you need money, and you know that I need money. So I have a little business proposition." 

I quirked my brow. "Proposition? That's a big word for you to use." I chuckled. "And, 'business'?"

"I know right. I learned it from Beth." She smiled. "And business more or less." She leaned against the counter as I put a 'CLOSED' sign on the conveyor belt. 

"Do tell." 

"Well. . ." Annie began in a whisper. "My sister, Ruby and I were gonna make some money tomorrow and . . ." 

"And what?" I urged her on because I was tired of her leading on to unfinished sentences. 

"Would you like to join us?" 

The question seemed simple enough. "What're you guys doing to make the money?" 

Annie cracked a smile and was silent for a moment. "We're gonna rob Fine and Frugal." 

I stared at her, not sure if she was being serious. "Are you being serious?" I awkwardly smiled. 

"I am. We all need the money and you need it too." She put on serious expression and I gave her a wary look. 

"Annie, you can't be serious." I chuckled.  

"Oh, but I am." 

I shook my head at her. "I'm gonna go clock out now Ann." I began walking away from her. 

"Offer still stands up until tomorrow afternoon!" She yelled after me. 

I shook my head, laughing. 

She can't be serious.