Chapter 2

One of my jobs was in the produce section of a huge natural foods store a mile from my apartment. I walked there or took the bus as needed since a car was not in my budget. I also worked at a used clothing shop on the other side of town. Neither of these jobs set the world on fire, but they made ends meet.

I’ve been doing both jobs for a long time. I was bored out of my mind, and though I longed for male companionship, I knew I was hardly a candidate for such. I hadn’t changed much, physically, in the years since college. I was still pretty skinny, but at least my skin had cleared up. My looks weren’t impressive as far as I was concerned. Pale skin and black hair that fell constantly into dull gray eyes did not a handsome man make. My jaw wasn’t square, and I was the furthest thing from rugged. The offers I did receive were usually from people who were more desperate than I was. No thank you.

There you have it. I was in a rut, and nothing made me happy. But hey, I paid my bills, let my neighbors borrow flour or whatever, and spent my time alone, watching cable and wishing things were different.

* * * *

“Georgie, I need you to restock the citrus, please. Lemons, grapefruits, oranges. They cleaned us out yesterday,” my very pregnant boss Darlene said to me when I reported for work at five o’clock on a Thursday morning. My shift would end at one-thirty in the afternoon. “Once you’re done, set up a display for gala apples and kiwi, okay? Oh,” she added as she glanced at the clipboard in her hand, “we have a new manager starting today, Ry Archibald. He’ll be taking over for me when I go on maternity leave next week. He’ll be in around eight.”

I nodded before she moved on to hand out assignments to the others. I found an apron, and as I pinned my nametag on my polo shirt, I wondered if the guy would be a jerk. Darlene had been decent, as managers went, but she had been an oasis in the desert of fucktards and egomaniacs who’d paraded their way through here on their way to something “better,” which they never let us lower-rung folks forget.

Most of the people I worked with at this hour were zombies, just like me. I had to have two cups of coffee just to be awake enough to make the walk to the store. Even the murderers and rapists were asleep right now.

I waved at Buzz as I passed the meat department. He’d been here as long as I had, and loved his job. He was a burly guy, married to the man of his dreams, and had three kids through a surrogate and adoption. He’d been the only employee to befriend me, not put off by introverted behavior. We had lunch together most days, where I listened to stories about the shenanigans of his kids, and heard all about the mercurial nature of his artistic spouse. Sounded like heaven to me.

I got to work and forgot all about the new manager until Darlene called us into the mandatory employee huddle before the doors opened to the trendy, über professionals and stay-at-home parents who would soon grace the aisles of our store.

She clapped her hands to get our attention. “Everyone, today will be a great day. We’ll be professional and polite, no matter what—right, Randy?” She stared pointedly at the redhead who tended to be a bit terse with rude or clueless customers. I didn’t blame him.

He shrugged and grinned.

“And,” Darlene continued, “last but not least, let me introduce you to our new produce manager, Ry Archibald, who’ll be taking over, starting next week. He’ll be shadowing me for the next few days, and then he’s all yours, poor thing.”

That earned her a chuckle from everyone there, even me. We weren’t a bad crew. The few rotten apples we had were overshadowed by the good work ethic of everyone else. I looked at the new guy. He seemed familiar, though I wasn’t sure from where. I never went out, or at least I hadn’t since…hmm…

Ry smiled at everyone, his broad frame intimidating but…comforting, somehow. He caught my eye, and I swore he stilled for the barest of seconds before his gaze moved on. I probably imagined it. Anyway, it was time to get to work.

An hour after the doors opened, I took my “lunch” break and bought a couple of bean burritos at the employee discount rate before heading to the staff kitchen to heat them in the microwave. I purchased a grape soda from the machine next to the refrigerator, then sat next to Buzz.