The job was only temporary. Rosie wasn't, therefore, entirely sure why she tired so hard to please. Another month and the effort she'd put in would be forgotten. Then she'd be back looking for work again.
'Good riddance',
she thought.
'I'll go forever insane if I hear 'Last Christmas' again. George Michael has a lot to answer for.'
All the labels on the spray snow were facing outwards. The red swirling baubles hung delicately from the shelf hooks. Her reflection swung by. Rosie's hands clamped down the fizz on the top of her hair. Trying not to look overworked was just one campaign she was losing. She smoothed the fizz into her light brown locks.
Rosie's reflection oscillated back round. This time it wasn't so bad, but the bauble still distorted her newly slender figure. Groaning at her bloated reddened image she turned her mind back to work.
From the corner of her eye, Rosie saw a shape move behind the till counter. Another customer lost in the drowning array of retail shopping. She sighs and moved to shoo them away. The customer shape soon took on the form of Rosie's area manger, Martin.
At 5'5 Rosie isn't short, but Martin stands a foot above her. His smiling hello takes the corner of her lips to new heights. Here's the reason she works so hard. Her friendly workaholic area manager. Martin is just as dedicated as she is. Just as polite. Just as tired.
Others views of Martin oppose her own glowing praise, which of course, she keeps in her head. Impatient, angry, bad tempered, dickhead. All words used to describe him, but she can't see it.
"Hello Rosie"
"Hello Martin"
"How are you?"
"I'm ok. How are you?"
"Fine, can't complain."
Formalities over, it was now time for the obligatory one-minute embarrassing silence.
"Ready for the long night?" Martin broke in.
"Martin! You're here! Great," Robbie sprang from the back door of the stockroom. He'd probably been listening. Martin was late again, as always.
"Hi Rob," Martin turned from Rosie towards a suited and booted Rob. "Ready to leave, I see."
"Yeah and thanks again for covering." Rob called back already half way to the door.
"Cya."
"Bye."
Martin turned back to Rosie. He stared at her forest green eyes watching Robbie leave.
'Rosie,'
he said to himself, letting his thoughts circle around the collected memories of her.
"I heard the delivery I put together came today."
"Yep, just in time for Robbie leaving," Rosie smiled.
"Better crack on then." A deep sigh followed, as he prepared to leave her. Then he was through the door and attacking the boxes with great alacrity.
'Keep busy,'
he thought; tearing aggressively at the first box,
'the time will fly by'
.
Rosie stared at the closed door. "Stupid Rosie," she said quietly. The name Rosie to her did not sound as mature as she wanted to seem. It belied her age. Twenty two short years. Her breasts still strained under her shirt, her nipples indenting the fabric. Her hair still had plenty of volume. Her lips still pink and full.
Martin was older than Rosie. A lot older, but for forty one he still had all the liveliness of a twenty year old. His smile creased his face, but it only made him seem generously warm hearted.
'You'd think he'd at least look at me, even if he knew he couldn't do anything,'
Rosie thought, her confidence crumbling even more.
The night continued on, with weary late night Christmas shoppers idling around the store. Rosie was indifferently passed boxes from the stock room door to fill the shelves. Shimmering lametta, pine candles, tinsel, garlands and the other trappings of Christmas passed through her hands as she caught momentary glimpses of Martin.
A customer with an apologetic smile and remnants of a snow globe walked up to Rosie. From behind the small two-way glass in the stockroom door, Martin watched as Rosie dealt politely with this careless customer, thinking that he wouldn't be so kind.
Martin's eyes were glued to Rosie as she flitted around the store. Martin had observed how Rosie had only grown in beauty since she'd been working there. Her energetic working style had amplified her curvy supple figure.