Employee Of The Month Ch 01 1

The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly over the heads of the bored crowd of Moo & Oink employees who were huddled near the Back to School displays at the front of the store. They were looking anywhere but at the entrance where Jerry, the store's owner and manager was holding a clipboard, stumbling through the weekly meeting. He cleared his throat for attention as the meeting dragged on.

"It's great to see everyone participating in our Farm Fresh Fridays Sale!" Jerry droned on, referring to the weekly sales promotion. Each team member donned farm animal style aprons: chickens, cows, pigs, and lambs, all paired with matching headband ears and a farm related pun to greet the customers with.

"Ahem! That brings us to our Moo & Oink employee of the month award!" Jerry's voice came out with his usual forced enthusiasm, though he was met with a sea of glazed expressions. He lifted a $100 gift card from his clipboard. "Now, without further ado, it's time to announce our Piggy of the Month!" He waited for the mildest reaction from the crowd but got none.

"Jessica!" Jerry announced, trying to get a round of applause going. He scanned the crowd and finally spotted Jessica lingering in the back, her arms crossed. She was hiding and hoping, like every other month, that maybe just maybe, Jerry would skip this part. No luck.

She dragged her feet to the front, where Jerry was already applauding enthusiastically. "That's, what, your fifteenth Piggy Award Jess?" he asked as he handed her the gift card. Jessica shrugged. "I stopped counting," she muttered, giving the card a quick glance before tucking it in her apron. After two years of working at the store she had a collection of them by now.

"Remember everyone, our greeting for the sale promotion is 'Have a moo-some day!'" Jerry announced, but the employees had already started to disperse, eager to return to their mundane tasks.

"Hey, listen, don't think I'm not proud of you, Jess," Jerry said, following her as she made her way to the registers. "I mean, if I had ten of you, we'd be the best darn grocery store in town!" Jessica gave him a skeptical look. "You're lucky you have one of me at all".

Jerry chuckled and walked away to open the store to the waiting customers. It was a Saturday morning in late August and the small Northwestern college town was buzzing with the influx of new freshmen and returning upperclassmen as another school year kicked off.

Jerry was quintessentially average, in his 40s, a bit softer around the middle than he'd have liked, but with a friendly smile that signaled, "I'm the manager". Standing a full six feet tall, he had a way of seeming approachable with a corny charm.

Jessica took her post at her register, her hands retying her pink colored pig apron and adjusting her pig ear headband as she waited for the customers to trickle in. With her raven dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, a few stray strands framing her face, she had a look that could stop someone from getting too chatty at checkout.

At 18 there was nothing girlish about her features. It was all high cheekbones, an oval jawline, and full lips that never smiled. Her porcelain complexion contrasted sharply with her dark hair and deep blue catlike eyes that would squint when she felt challenged. She had a quiet intensity to her that bordered on intimidating. A classic beauty and all business.

From the back the apron hugged and accentuated her lean but shapely figure that curved in all the right places. She wore it over her white polo uniform shirt and black work pants. Pants that no matter how much she tried to size up or go for the trendy 90s look would always perfectly contour her butt. She stood at a measly five foot five, though she carried herself with the confidence of someone a foot taller.

Oftentimes married men sent on errands, grocery lists in hand, would angle their carts toward her line, ignoring the open registers with shorter waits because they spotted Jessica standing at her register. Some came with feeble attempts at casual conversation talking about the weather or stumbling about the food they were buying, but Jessica's strict professionalism cut through their efforts every time. She was always courteous and efficient, scanning each item with speed and a no nonsense rhythm that matched her attitude.

If one lingered too long she'd look them straight in the eye and hit them with, "Is there anything else I can help you with?" Her words were polite, but the look in her eyes was a pure get out of my sight dismissal, and they'd soon find themselves pushing the cart through the parking lot wondering what happened.

Jessica didn't flirt, didn't indulge in small talk, and never let the extra male attention faze her. For her, the job was about getting things done, and her beauty was just an obstacle she had to learn to work around. That was just as true for her at the Moo & Oink Market as it was at her high school.

To her classmates, Jessica was mostly a mystery. She didn't go to parties, she didn't talk to boys, and she didn't care about whatever social norms she was supposed to follow. All they knew was that her name was on the honor roll every semester and that she was the most beautiful girl at school even though she didn't care about wearing makeup.

"I can spend an hour putting on makeup or I can be here helping out," she once shared with Jerry.

If she wasn't at school she was at work. Her position was only supposed to be part-time but that changed within weeks of her starting the job. It wasn't long before she was working Sunday to Sunday, coming in on her off days sometimes just for an hour or two. She quickly moved from bag girl, to stocker, to cashier, slotting in where she was needed. It helped that she lived in a townhouse complex with her single mother down the street from the store.

By the following week the small college town had fully settled into the rhythm of another school year. Students drifted into the grocery store in the evenings to restock on junk food. The late summer days brought a predictable rhythm to life that Jessica appreciated. She began spending more time at work than ever before developing a bad case of senioritis.

Jessica was returning early from her break when she heard Jerry's voice. "Hey, Jess," he said, scratching his head. "Any chance you could uh help me out and take down those back to school signs?"Jessica gave a short nod, shifting the direction she was walking. "Sure thing," she set off in her usual pace as she moved to where the cardboard displays were propped near the front doors as Jerry followed.

With a quick squat, she reached for the bottom of the largest display, her hands gripping the cardboard edge as she stood up. Just as she straightened up, her apron's knot gave way falling down her sides. She sighed, turning toward Jerry with a rare request. "Could you help me with this?" she asked, pushing her hips out slightly as she hugged the cardboard display.

Jerry hesitated drying his sweaty hands on his jeans before stepping over. "Yeah, no problem." He moved in behind her his fingers working quickly as he looped the straps with a little bit of nervousness seen in his trembling hands as he messed up the first knot. Jessica, thinking he'd finished, took a step forward, her mind already moving to the next task.

"Whoa, hang on-" Jerry blurted, but it was too late. The loose end of her apron strap caught underfoot. Her balance wobbled as she wrestled the large display and she tipped backward, right toward Jerry. Without a second thought Jerry reached out, catching her just below her waist as she landed against him, managing to step on his toes.

"My mistake," Jessica stammered. She shifted her feet off his toes as Jerry steadied himself with a nervous chuckle. "It's uh it's alright," he said, grasping the apron straps again, tugging them into a neat bow right above the small of her back. He was close enough he couldn't help but notice the faint scent of her shampoo coming off her ponytail, a hint of vanilla and lavender. His eyes drifted down her back, taking in the sight of her round butt. The bow knot was finished and the extra slack fell perfectly between her full cheeks.

"Done?" Jessica asked, glancing over her shoulder. "Uh yep all set,"he said, stepping back forcing a casual smile. Jessica set off again.

At the end of the aisle, unseen by either of them, Jerry's friend Roger leaned against his cart, eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face. He had witnessed the whole scene and was already crafting a narrative in his head. He let out a low whistle, muttering to himself,"Jerry you lucky dog...didn't know you had it in you."

Roger and Jerry were an odd pair. They met ten years ago at a dive bar hours after Jerry had finalized his divorce from his high school sweetheart. The new reality of single life was hitting him hard and Roger was there to assure him the single life wasn't so bad and to cheer him up with the dirty jokes. Roger, for all his rough edges, had helped Jerry through one of the hardest times in his life. And Jerry, in return, made sure Roger was never entirely alone.

At 53, Rogers prime days were far behind him. He was balding and noticeably overweight, his wide frame testing the buttons on his flannel shirts. He carried himself with a slight swagger despite looking like a worn down old dog. Roger lived alone just down the street from Jessica in the same row of townhouses. Roger would daily wander into the Moo & Oink to chat Jerry up during his shift, crack a few jokes, and to pick up another 24 pack of beer.

As Jessica slipped around the corner to put away the display, Roger leaned his hefty frame against his cart pushing it down the aisle at top speed, eyeing Jerry with a mischievous grin. Once he was sure she was out of earshot, he approached casually. "Hey Jerry," Roger began, his voice a little too loud for the quiet of the store. "What's the story with you and Miss Jessica, huh?" he said, casually.

Jerry looked on, brow furrowed. "What are you talking about, Roger?" "Oh, don't play dumb," Roger said, giving Jerry a nudge with his elbow. "I saw that whole little scene with the apron, ahh. Not exactly the most subtle of signs you know what I'm saying?" He raised his brows in a knowing way, leaning in with a look that begged for details.

Jerry chuckled, shaking his head. "Roger, you've really been hitting the booze too hard if you think there's anything going on between me and Jessica. She's a good kid. Smart, hardworking, all business."

Roger snorted. "Business, huh? Sure didn't look that way. She asked you for help, didn't she? Come on, you've been in the game long enough to know when a woman's interested. She didn't need your help with that apron. She was testing the waters."

Jerry crossed his arms, laughing off Roger's suggestion. "You're reading way too much into it old friend. She just needed an extra pair of hands, that's all."

"An extra pair of hands," Roger repeated, chuckling as he raised his brow again. "That's not all she was looking for, if you ask me. The way she teases you...a girl with her looks doesn't ask for help with something like that unless she's trying to send a signal."

Jerry gave an exasperated sigh, "Look, I'm her boss. She's a high school senior. She works hard, she doesn't cause trouble, and most importantly she's my best employee, so don't go getting in her way. She sure isn't flirting with me. It was just an apron, Rog. Nothing more to it."

Roger let out a low chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief. "All I'm saying is, don't be surprised if she asks you for 'help' again." He wagged his finger at Jerry, then leaned in closer. "And when she does, try not to be so dense, alright? For my sake, I'd like some details."

Jerry rolled his eyes, shoving Roger lightly. "You really have lost it this time. Now go buy your beer and enjoy the rest of the day. Let me do my job, I'll stop by your place later." Roger's theories were outrageous, but they did add a strange sort of color to his day. Roger rattled his cart away, grabbing a candy bar and giving Jerry a wink as he passed, convinced he knew something Jerry didn't.

The rest of the day, Jerry couldn't quite shake what Roger had hinted at. The thought gnawed at him, a sense that maybe, just maybe, there was something he'd missed in Jessica. Was she sending signals, or was it just his imagination? Jerry pushed it aside, throwing himself into his work, but he couldn't help noticing Jessica just a little more carefully as the day went on.

Later that afternoon, Jessica was busy at the checkout when an elderly customer approached, waving a frail hand in the air. An old man in a wheelchair asking for help with his grocery bags. Jessica was the quickest to respond and greeted him politely.

"Could you help carry these out to the car, darling? My legs aren't what they used to be." His joke fell flat on Jessica and she could sense his eyes all over her as she grabbed his bags. "Lead the way," she replied with her usual professional voice, lifting the bags and following him to his car his parked car near the entrance in a handicap spot.

As she opened the trunk and started setting the bags inside, he said, "Nice to see a young woman who knows how to serve a man. You don't get that kind of attitude much these days."

"Thank you I do pride myself on my service," she replied flatly as she leaned into the trunk of the large Oldsmobile. "Can you place those bags deep in there", he motioned with his arm, "Don't want them rolling around while I drive."

Jessica didn't flinch, she'd dealt with customers like him before; keeping her composure was part of the job. Her butt was at eye level to the elderly customer in the wheelchair and he salivated every movement of her hips.

"On second thought, could you put the eggs in the back seat instead?" he asked, with a grin that suggested he just wanted to watch her maneuver around his car. Jessica nodded, picking up the bags again and leaning into the back seat to place them down, hearing his appreciative hums behind her.

She straightened up after placing the eggs into the backseat. He pulled a crumpled bill from his pocket, waving it toward her. "For the service, sweety. Go on, take it" he gestured. "That's not necessary, just doing my job,"she declined politely. "You earned it, it's yours," the old man pressed on. Out of the corner of her eye, Jessica noticed Jerry in the parking lot, rounding up stray carts and occasionally glancing her way.

"Well," she added, her tone shifting to something softer, "I'm technically not supposed to accept tips. But if you insist, I suppose I could look the other way just this once." She turned around, angling her hip toward him and tapping the back pocket of her pants. "You can put it here," she said, looking back over her shoulder.

The elderly man's eyes widened in delighted surprise as he slipped the bill into her pocket, his hand lingering with a sequence of gentle pats. "Good girl, I knew you were my favorite for a reason," he muttered approvingly before giving her a final squeeze and wheeling himself into the driver's seat.

"Have a good day," Jessica straightened up, brushing off her apron. She turned and caught sight of Jerry standing an aisle over in the parking lot, watching the whole scene from behind the row of carts. She gave him a quick nod and headed his way. She knew he'd seen it.

As she walked up closer to Jerry, she could sense him watching her, as though trying to piece together a puzzle he didn't yet understand. Jessica approached Jerry in the parking lot, hands tucked casually in her apron pockets and fell in step, helping him wrangle a row of carts.

After a moment, Jerry cleared his throat, glancing over at her with a hint of Roger's words in his mind. "So, uh... what was all that back there with ol Mr. Thompson?" He raised an eyebrow, nodding back toward the parking space where the elderly man had been.

Jessica leaned her weight into the long row of carts. "The old man? Just going the extra mile, you know, exceptional customer service." She gave him a quick glance. "Thanks for noticing. It makes me feel appreciated."

Jerry gave her a half-smile, his expression a mix of intrigue and uncertainty. He seemed to want to say something else, but he held back, instead focusing on getting the carts settled in a straight line. They corralled the carts back into place, securing them with a firm push, and Jessica reached into her back pocket, pulling out the crumpled bill she got as a tip.

She unrolled the bill holding it up with both hands as she pulled and snapped it into view. A one dollar bill. "I worked by butt off for this," she said looking at Jerry. It was the first time he'd ever heard her make a joke. Jerry chuckled as they entered the store, Jessica went back to her duties, leaving Jerry staring after her, his mind racing with questions he couldn't quite put into words.

Bye the following week the crispy Fall season had arrived, it was a Saturday, the kind of day that was practically made for football. The town was buzzing with excitement for the big game. For Jessica, it was just another Saturday at the Moo & Oink. She was restocking the liquor aisle that had been raided by college students the previous night. The clink of bottles were interrupted by Roger rushing his cart down the aisle. Somehow, he always knew when Jessica was working. Maybe it was just coincidence or maybe he had some way of tracking her down like a bloodhound on a scent.

"Look who it is," Roger's voice rasped from behind her, "Little Miss Piggy of the Month, huh? Saw your photo on the wall again. They must really like you around here." He gave her a once over, making no attempt to hide his stare. Jessica didn't even turn around to address him. She didn't need to look to know who was speaking. "How can I help you, Roger?" she said in a monotone voice devoid of any warmth.

"Since you asked, for starters you can help me by giving that resting bitch face a rest for a minute. Don't me wrong, you're drop dead gorgeous sweetheart, but smiling wouldn't kill you."

Jessica snapped her head towards him, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Do you ever take a day off from drinking, Roger? It might improve your health. The wild caught salmon is on sale in aisle 12."

Roger chuckled, puffing his chest out, "I'm still in my prime baby! Besides, neither of us knows how to take a day off. You're always working, and I'm always...doing what I do." He motioned toward the beer in his cart with a lazy flick of his wrist. Jessica took a moment to think before replying. "I get my homework done in class. I don't waste my time at home, mindlessly scrolling through my phone like most people. So why not do something productive and come to work?"

Roger chuckled again,"You ain't as brainwashed as I thought, kiddo. Most of your generation doesn't know their asses from their phones." He took a look at his watch, glancing over toward the cashiers. "Big game starts soon, huh? Why don't you give yourself a break and come watch it with me?"

Jessica paused, her fingers hovering over a bottle of cheap tequila. She turned and asked, "Why do you care about the game? You didn't even go to school there."

Roger's lips twisted into a grin as if he was about to give a great speech. "I took a half a semester's worth of classes there back in '79. Fucked enough college sluts to be a Bison, you know. Too bad they don't give diplomas out for that," he amused himself into laughter. "Plus, I kept the damn facilities clean for over 15 years before my accident." He pointed toward his leg with a grimace, alluding to the workplace accident that had landed him on disability ever since.

Jessica was doubtful of his story, but gave him the smallest bit of respect for the time he put in working. "I can respect that," she said with a bit of warmth. "About the only thing I can respect about you."