Well, I never thought I'd be putting a story into the "Mature" category! But here I am, a retired construction worker in my 'later years', recounting the relationship I had with a former co-worker who is waaaay younger than me. Best to get on with it.
I have been retired seven years, now. My wife retired four years ago, which gave me 3 years of 'alone time' at home after 46+ years of marriage. I went out to breakfast a lot, met with some guys I had worked with over the years, and generally just kicked around the house for the first year. Then money got tight. Reluctant to start digging too deeply into my retirement account, I took a part-time job with one of the local fast food places as a maintenance man. Which meant, basically, emptying the trash cans and keeping the parking lot clean.
I became friendly with the employees on my morning shift, as they relied on me to keep their area clean. There was always someone to chat with as we worked, and we got to know each other well. Employees came and went regularly, as they were mostly young, and this was an entry-level job. One such girl was Kacey, fresh out of high school. She was kind of gangly, immature and often late to work; but cute, like a lot of the girls. A lot of them, I think, thought of me as a father figure, and Kacey was no exception. In addition, we discovered early on that her great-uncles and aunt and I had known each other in high school! This gave us an added bond.
One day she came in late, obviously distraught. I couldn't help but notice the light bruising around one eye, despite a heavy application of makeup. She got a dressing-down from the manager, who didn't seem to notice, and went to work. Some time later she came to the back to have me open a box of hotcakes with my box cutter, and I took the opportunity to ask her what the matter was.
"Nothing," was her short answer.
"Okay, I replied, "but if you want to talk about it, let me know."
She hesitated, then hoisted two bags of frozen hotcakes over her shoulder. She looked at me and said, "maybe sometime." She gave me a wan smile and returned to work, but anyone could see her heart wasn't in it. She made a couple of mistakes on orders, and had to throw food away; a definite no-no in that business! Finally the manager advised her to clock out, take the day off and think about whether she really wanted to work there. I felt bad for her, as did her other friends on shift. She smiled bravely and clocked out.
I got off at 11:00, and ate the meal which I was entitled to. Then, as I pulled out of the lot and got to the corner, I saw Kacey standing alone. I beeped and rolled my passenger window down.
"Hey! You need a ride?" I enquired.
She shook her head once, then seemed to reconsider. "Hang on," she said, and came over to my window. She started to say something when a horn honked.
Another car had pulled up behind and I asked her to get in, then I pulled to the opposite side of the road. "What's up?" I asked, and all at once she began to cry. It was like an emotional dam had broken, after being bottled up all morning. It was a truly awkward moment. She was obviously upset, and I was confused and at odds as to how to comfort her, so I let her cry for a full minute before handing her a paper napkin from my console.
She breathed a deep sigh and dabbed at her eyes. "I... I'm sorry," she said, turning to me. Both eyes were red from crying, but her right eye also looked bloodshot. It was the same side of her face that bore all the makeup. "I'm a mess," she fussed, dabbing at her eyes. "I got up late, had a fight with my dad, and now I can't even make a fucking breakfast sandwich!" As she said that last, she began to cry again. I waited, watching her.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up," I said. "Chuck is a dick. He should have given you a few minutes to get yourself together. Everyone has bad days, Kacey."
Then I had to ask the question; it was the elephant in the car. "Did he put that shiner on your face?"
