Hi my name's Jim Sanderson, I'm six foot dead, thin, blond'ish and a Baker. At Thirty two I am still single, as was Pam, my twenty seven year old sister. I lived in a small village called Himpton at the old bakery, which I had resurrected with my share of the money from mums estate. Pam had bought a new house in a development about five miles away.
Pam tended to mother me, but I couldn't get mad with her. She was a bubbly natural blonde with a to die for figure, but a distinct lack of boyfriends. She had a job in London, commuting daily. Me, I liked the simple life, and baking made me happy. Over three years I had built up a good reputation, now I thought I might need assistance as the demands of baking and selling were becoming a bit of a chore.
I pulled the blind down in the window and went to lock the door, It opened just before I got there, a smart middle aged woman, well dressed, big smile came in.
"Jim Sanderson?"
"Yes, can I help you?"
"I've come about the job, the assistant shop keeper?"
"Oh yes, I thought the agency were handling it, could you wait a minute please?"
"Sure." she edged in the door and stood by the counter. I closed and locked the door, drawing the blind down.
"Please come through, I'll just be a minute."
I sat her in the back room and walked up the stairs, fishing my phone out, I rang the Agency.
"Hi, Lucy, yes it's Jim, Jim Sanderson. Yes, thanks, how are you? good, good. Lucy I have a lady here who's come about the vacancy, what! Okay, okay. I'm not sure how she knows then, okay thanks, no I'll deal with it. Bye, bye-bye."
I clanked down the stairs, she still sat at the table as I'd left her. She smiled, it was a good smile, making her look very attractive. I grinned back, then assumed a more serious face.
"Err, I just talked to the agency and they don't have any details for you, so I'd be interested to know how you found out about the vacancy?"
"Oh! You haven't spoken to Pam then? She said it would be alright to come over, she'd have a word with you."
She looked a bit taken aback, almost tearful. I smiled and looked at the land line, saw the flashing light, I had a voice-mail. I lifted my hand to gesture to her to keep sitting and walked to it. Pressing the button, we both heard my sisters voice asking me to see her friend Jenny about the vacancy, she's very nice and needs a job to make ends meet, she said. After saying she'd see me soon, the player clicked off. I turned and smiled at her and made an "I'm such an idiot" gesture, she shook her head and smiled again.
"So Jenny, I know now you're Pam's friend and you need a job, so why not tell me some more about yourself?"
"Well! err... phewth, umm, well I'm thirty nine and single, well divorced actually, thankfully no children. I live over in Bilton next door to Pam, and I'm jobless after my firm made me redundant in June last year. I've had a lot of temporary jobs since but haven't been able to find anything permanent."
"Okay, so this is a small one man business, I make and sell bread, cakes and pastries, I need someone who can be here on time all the time, isn't afraid of hard work and is personable and can strike up a rapport with customers. Can you do that?"
"I can, trust me, I'm a people person, I like meeting people and talking to them."
"I'd like you to sell them cakes and pastries too," I grinned.
She giggled and I felt that she would fit right in, there was something basically nice about her. I liked her straight away, I said I would phone the agency and say the post was filled, when could she start?
"Ohh, how about tomorrow, is that too soon?"
"That Jenny would be perfect, so shall we say about seven thirty tomorrow morning. I'll be down at five to start up and get the first batches in. I bake three times a day dependent on trade, so we'll be busy all day. Finally we need to talk money, I can afford about six pounds an hour, I will work out overtime with you and holidays as we go, is that OK?"
"Sure, I've no holiday plans so we can leave that for the time being, what should I wear?"
"I've got overalls and stuff, so if you come in and change that's best. I'll put any dirty clothing through my machine so don't worry about that. It can get mucky, so I find a need to change at least three or four times a day. I'm a stickler for clean clothing in front of customers. I have hats and nets too as we'll need to keep your hair covered. If you cut yourself, I have blue band aid's which must be worn. So you'll need to change any dressing when you arrive in the morning."
"Okay got that, well see you tomorrow morning."
"Oh finally, wear thin clothes as it gets extremely hot in the kitchen area. I tend to wear just boxers under my overalls, but you must wear whatever you feel is appropriate, but remember it's comfort over fashion OK?"
"Gotcha Boss," she grinned. I laughed and walked her to the door.
"Don't ever call me boss again, " I said smiling, "It makes me feel ancient, night Jenny see you tomorrow."
I closed up and began to sort the stock, what could be refrigerated, what would be scrapped. The stuff that couldn't be sold tomorrow I placed in crates by the back door. At six fifteen there was a knock at the back door and Sister Alice-Maria and another nun came in, I helped them load the crates into their van. I knew it went to help the homeless and I was glad to help. I hated wasting food, and this way at least someone deserving got some food in their belly.
I finished tidying and went upstairs to my flat. Opening the fridge I took out some pate and salad items, finding the bread I constructed a three layer sandwich, found a beer and went to the lounge. Sitting in my favourite chair, I sat back to enjoy a meal in the peace and quite. I must have dozed off because it was nine thirty and bedtime. I trotted to the bathroom, cleaned my teeth, had a strip wash and a pee. I went to bed and went off almost immediately.
At five I woke and showered and put on clean boxers and socks. I looked in the mirror, I'd leave shaving today, with light colour hair and skin, I could get away without shaving for a day or so. Going downstairs I pulled on a fresh pair of overalls and slipped into my clogs. I put the oven on, a big commercial beast, which took the trays of baking in on a wheeled trolley.
I started a dough mix and found my previously mixed dough from yesterday. I set it up to finish its prove and made my way to the mixers. I started to mix in the ingredients for the cakes for today. Busying myself I lost track of time until the front doorbell went. Remembering Jenny, I walked to the door and let her in. She grinned and pulled her coat off. I showed her the overalls and she went in the back to change.
She came back in and was pinning her hair up under a net. I showed her around and started her on transferring the proving loaves into the racks. When she'd done that I showed her how the oven worked and we pushed the first batch in. Closing the door, I saw her face reddening in the heat and she blew out her cheeks, as the door closed.
"I warned you about the heat," I said grinning, she nodded and fanned herself with a hand.
"Phew, you did, but it still a surprise," she said and grinned.
We worked steadily through the day. True to her word she seemed eager to go into the shop and talk to the customers and take their orders. At the end of the day the stock had sold well, better than the day before, some shelves were empty.
"Okay, well now we need to work out what we can refrigerate and sell tomorrow and what is going to the convent for the homeless run they do."
