imagined his clothes would be soaked with sweat by now.
He checked the clock. The day moved slowly. He didn’t mind. Sometimes the slow
hours were easier. Less was required of him.
After 1 PM, there was another lull in customers. William pulled out his Gameboy and
started playing Tetris. The bell from the door chimed while he played the first
level.
His boss, Mr. Stanza, walked in with a woman. William shut off his game and slid
the device into his back pocket.
Mr. Stanza walked up to the counter, and the woman moved beside him.
Melanie. He recognized her immediately, even with her shorter hairstyle. He would
never forget those brown eyes.
“Melanie,” William said.
“Hey, Melanie,” Emily said. “I haven't met a man with that name before. I'm Emily
Martin.”
“William,” Mr. Stanza started. “This is the daughter of a good friend of mine. She
needs a job this summer while she's home from school. Since Darryl quit, she can
help out here until we find someone permanent.”
“Okay, that sounds good,” William responded. A wave of caution rushed through his
body, telling him he needed to abandon ship.
“Make sure that you train her good,” Mr. Stanza told him. “I don't want another
Darryl.”
“I'll make sure of it,” William reassured his boss.
“I'm going in the back office. Show her around,” the owner told him. He walked into
the area behind the cash register and made his way to the office.
“Hey, um,” William started. “Emily. Do you remember me?”