Training Amy (3 page)

            “So I noticed there’s a lot of erotica books.”

            He nodded as if people said that to him all the time. “The big chains don’t carry a lot of that stuff, it’s too controversial. And trust me, women read a lot of it. It’s one of our biggest sellers.”

            “Yeah, I guess sex sells.”

            “Did you see the romance section?” He snorted. “My grandmother used to read those books by the bagful. She and my mom used to trade them.”

            She laughed. “I’ve never read a romance novel or erotica so I don’t understand the appeal.”

            “Certainly you’ve read some forbidden books? The Sleeping Beauty books by Anne Rice under her pseudonym? Or
Story of O
?” he asked.

            She shook her head. “No.”

            His look turned to disbelief. “Every woman I know has read at least one of those.”

            “Are they romance?”
            “Not exactly. More erotic. You should read them when you get a chance.”

            She laughed. “Have you read them?”

            “I didn’t have to. One of my ex-girlfriends told me all about them.”  He shrugged. “You know, my ex may have left some books at my house. I’ll check my shelves and bring them in for you.”

            Laughing and feeling a bit bold and silly she said, “You
have
read them! She left them at your house and you were bored and you read them.”

            He chuckled openly. “Well aren’t you a brazen little brat. I think you’ll fit in well here.”

            She gave him cheesy smile. Eric was a nice guy. She liked him. Good looking, smart, fun to talk to. Everything Paul wasn’t. Of course Eric was also at least ten years her senior.

           
Closer to closing time, Eric had already moved her onto the register.  Brad spent a great deal of the evening straightening the stacks, talking to customers, and stocking books as needed. Several customers stopped in for special orders that were stowed behind the register. It became her job to pull them.

            She was marking a special order picked up when she felt a tap on her hand. Looking up, Paul was standing there. "You didn't call me. So I called and your mom answered and said you got a job. Thanks for letting me know. Thought I'd pick you up and we could go back to my place."

            A sick feeling ran through her gut. She hadn't really wanted to tell Paul where she worked, let alone have him stop by. She'd have to have a talk with her mother about that. "Sorry, been busy," she said. Turning to put the special order log-book back on the shelf behind her she rolled her eyes. This didn't go unnoticed by Eric who smirked.  "Look, Paul, I don't get off for another hour so maybe you should go get some coffee or something and come back."

            He was dressed in a blue button down shirt and a pair of tan Dockers with black leather dress shoes. That was his idea of casual. "I'll be back at nine-fifteen," he said. With that, he turned and left, but not without a glance back over his shoulder with a frown in Eric's direction.

            "Boyfriend?" Eric asked, clearly amused.

            She rolled her eyes again. "Yeah and it’s not really working out. I've been thinking about dumping him."

            "Oh?" 

            She took a dusting cloth from under the counter and began wiping down the register, the screen, the credit card terminal and the counter.  "He's really exciting if you couldn't tell. I can't handle that much excitement in my life," she deadpanned.

            Eric laughed. "Wow. Is that code for lousy in bed or what?"

            Was she really that transparent? Her face went three shades of red. "You could say that, and add to it the fact that we never do anything fun anymore. I mean – how many guys in their early twenties walk around dressed like that unless they're a Republican or a Jehovah's Witness?" 

            He laughed again. "I totally understand. My ex was just like him. If you want, I'll call her and we can set them up."

            She giggled. "And encourage them to breed? God no!"

            Just then Brad set a stack of books on the counter with a thud. "Who are we encouraging to breed?"

            "Vanilla, suit wearing Jehovah’s Witnesses," Eric said in a hushed tone.

            Brad smiled and shook his head a little. He smacked the stack of books he set on the counter. "I always walk in on the end of those conversations. Here, let's see what the return policy is on all of these and get rid of them. They're not selling."

            Eric nodded, "Okay." He turned to her, "The joy of book returns. Here's how it works..." With that, Eric showed her how to process returns, strip the books that needed to be stripped and by the time he was done, Brad had already seen the last customer out, locked the door, put the closed sign on the door and turned off the main lights.

            "So when is your Mormon boyfriend picking you up?" Brad asked.

            She looked outside just in time to see Paul pull up in the black Chrysler his parents bought him when he graduated High School. "Right now evidently."

            "I know who's not getting any tonight," Eric said with a snicker.

            Her face flushed red again. "Umm, yeah."

            "Well you better get your bag and go. He might pull a tire iron of the trunk of that car and try to kick me and Eric's asses," Brad said, trying not to laugh.

            "Man, I know. He gave me that shitty look earlier, too. Doesn't that kid know I could take him out with one hand?" Eric crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Paul through the window.

            Once she'd gotten her bag and wrote her time out on her timecard she took a deep breath and shook her head at all the male posturing. While it was a little bit flattering, it was kind of childish. "I'll be here by one tomorrow. Good night!"

            Brad and Eric bade her goodnight and Brad let her out the front door, locking it behind her. Paul was standing there still staring down Eric through the window.

            "Stop being an ass, Paul. You're gonna get me fired."  She stood at the curb next to the passenger side door thinking he was at least going to open it or unlock it for her. But instead he stepped off the curb and went to the driver’s side and got in. She pulled on the door handle. It was locked. He leaned over and unlocked it. She got in with a huff and put on her seatbelt, very aware that Paul was glaring at her.

            "I don't think I like you working here."

            She turned to him, literally seeing red.  "What? Fuck you! I like it, I need the money, and you don't have a say."

            "Are you going to be a bitch all night?" He was still glaring.

            She rolled her eyes. "I don't know. If you're going to be an asshole, yeah. Maybe!"

            "So which one of them are you fucking? The blond?"

            Her eyes flew open. "Seriously? I’ve only worked here since one o’clock this afternoon! I’m not
doing
either of them."

            "I don't know.  I see my woman working with two men..." He didn't finish the sentence, just started the car.

            She couldn't believe it. The idiot was actually jealous of her bosses. "Take me home," she demanded.

            "You're not coming over tonight?"

            She whirled around  in her seat to face him.  "Seriously? You just accused me of sleeping with my boss. You show up at my job and stare my boss down and you expect me to go home with you? Fuck you, Paul."

            "Then get the fuck out of my car."

            He might as well have slapped her across the face. If that was the way he was going to be... The thought kind of trailed off into a numb nothing. She undid the seatbelt, grabbed her bag, and jumped out of the car. "We're through," she said, slamming the door behind her. As he pulled from the curb the tires squealed.

            She watched after him, seething with anger. There was a noise behind her. Turning, she saw Brad standing there holding the door open. “Come back in here and I’ll give you a ride home in a minute. I have to wait for a collector.”

            Eric was now sitting at the desk looking through a catalogue of books. “Is she coming back in?”

            “Yes I am.” Amy walked back in. She plopped her bag on the counter and buried her head in her hand.

            “You alright?” Brad asked.

            “I’m really angry,” she said.

            “Take some deep breaths.” He rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. Just then there was a tap at the front door. Brad hurried and opened the door, letting the older man in. He was wearing a black trench coat and had dark hair slightly graying at the temples. He was a big guy, too. She wondered if the three of them belonged to the same gym. Clearly they were all lifting weights or something. She left her head in her hands.

            “Gary, you’re late.” Brad led the man behind the counter and toward the back room.

            The man, Gary, had given her the once over as he came in and given Brad a questioning look. She’d seen him out of the corner of her eye. “I got caught up.”

            They disappeared into the back room.

            Eric got up and joined her at the counter. “So you’re going to sulk over that asshole?”

            “He had the audacity to ask me which of you I was sleeping with. That’s how jealous and stupid he was being. Then he told me he didn’t like me working here as if he controls me or something. So I ask him to just take me home. He gets all pissed because he’s not getting any and tells me to get out of the car. So I did and I told him we’re through. I’m done.”

            “Well, you can certainly do a lot better,” Eric agreed.

            “I could do worse, too,” she pointed out.

            “You could,” he said with a laugh.

            “Now I feel bad. I’m totally putting Brad out. I can still catch the bus,” she reached for her bag.

            “No,” Eric said flatly. “You can’t. We don’t want you sitting at the bus stop this late at night. This isn’t the safest neighborhood for a woman after dark. He and I discussed it before we decided to hire you. Either he or I will take you home at night, unless you have a friend or someone to pick you up.”

            “What if I’m totally in the opposite direction?” she asked.

            “Aren’t you up by Clearview?”

            She nodded, “Yes.”

            “That’s right on the way home for both of us,” he assured her. “I’d just take you home now but I have to pick up a friend at ten. So you get Brad tonight.”

            She kind of laughed.

            “What’s funny?” he asked.

            “Any bets Paul is sitting outside my house waiting for me to get home to see how I get home?” Stifling a yawn, she pulled at her pony tail, tightening the band.

            “If that’s the case, I dare you to just tell him Brad was the best lay you ever had. Then the guy will go berserk on Brad and Brad will kick his ass,” Eric suggested.

            “Brad doesn’t strike me as the violent type,” she said honestly.

            “He’s not, usually. Under the right circumstances, however, a guy like Paul would be wise to shut up and walk away. Though I suspect Paul’s not the wise type,” Eric finished.