Читать книгу The Cell Phone Lot - Greta Gorsuch - Страница 6

Chapter Two

Jessica loved her job. For over a year, she worked at all five stores. She read about new makeup lines. She ordered makeup and bath products from the main office in Dallas. She decided how to display them in each store. She did makeovers for customers. One lady bought over a hundred dollars’ worth of cosmetics after a makeover. Jessica answered questions and made suggestions. She felt great about herself.

Each store was different. One store, in the historic part of town, had mostly older customers. The men mainly wanted shampoo, while the women wanted makeup. Another store, near the college, had mostly young female customers. They wanted makeup and perfume.

Jessica made good money. Brandon, who was a lawyer, made a lot more. Veronica, who was still in college, studied engineering. She told Jessica, “I have a summer job at an engineering company. I’ll make more than you.” Jessica smiled. Veronica just wanted to believe that. Jessica saw her father once or twice a week. Over dinner, Juan Vasquez listened to Jessica’s stories about work. He said, “That’s great, Jessica. You seem happy.” Then he got quiet again. Jessica washed the dishes. Then she kissed her father before she went home.

She had an apartment at the newest building in town. She didn’t know anyone yet. Her neighbors were all young professionals. They were always in a hurry, carrying lattes. Or texting on their expensive smartphones.

So, with all this new brightness in her life, what went wrong?

It all started with the manager’s daughter at one of the stores. Against Wintergreen Drug Store rules, the manager hired his own daughter as an employee. The girl went to college but couldn’t find a job after she graduated. Her name was Cammie.

Cammie had blond hair and pink lips. Her eyes were blue and hard. She always looked angry. She sometimes had bad skin. Jessica once suggested some skin-care ideas, but Cammie said, “I know more than you!” Then she turned and walked away. Whenever Jessica visited that store, she found Cammie in the makeup section. Cammie picked things up and put them back down. Once or twice, Jessica saw Cammie put something in her pocket. Cammie saw her looking and said, “What are you looking at?”

Jessica said nothing.

“I have a question for you, since you know so much!” said Cammie. “Why do you have this makeup so far away from the door?” She pointed at a new line of makeup from London.

“I don’t know why it’s there,” said Jessica. “That’s not where I put it last week.”

“Huh!” said Cammie. Then she walked away. Again.

Jessica spent an hour putting the display back in the right place. Then she wrote what happened in her notebook.

Next, Cammie told her father that Jessica smoked. That she smelled bad. “Who would buy beauty products from her?” she said. Jessica never smoked at work. She shampooed her hair every day. She didn’t know how Cammie knew she smoked. Was Cammie going through her purse in the back room?

Then, this morning, the manager walked up to Jessica and said, “Come with me.” Jessica stopped working and followed him to the back office.

“Explain this,” he said. He pointed at her bag. It was full of makeup and perfume from the store! How did it get there? Jessica didn’t know.

“I didn’t put that there!” she said.

“Please leave,” the manager said. “I’m calling Dallas.”

And now Jessica’s life was over.