Calling All Customers (Calling All... Book 3)

by Tara Ford

  Jenny moved round the counter to join her friend. “Yeah – good. We’re going to have an EPOS system put in next weekend.”

  “Really, I thought you couldn’t afford it?” Dayna remarked. “Oh, don’t tell me – you’re paying him in kindness are you?”

  Jenny laughed. “No, of course not…”

  “Err… You want me to pay him in kindness for you then?” Dayna pursed her lips, flicked a hip out to one side and perched a hand on it, while raising one eyebrow in a provocative way.

  “No, Day, you wanton wench – it’s not like that.”

  “Oh,” said Dayna, disappointedly. “What then? How are you going to pay for it?”

  “He’s giving me a second hand one to trial, free of charge, for a year.”

  “He fancies you – I told you so.”

  “No he doesn’t…” Jenny thought for a moment. “Well, even if he does… it’s all going to be proper. He’s drawing up a contract.”

  Dayna leant over closer and lowered her voice, “Well you want to be careful, Jen. Calvin had a right strop on his face when he realised you weren’t here.”

  “Huh – tell me about it!” Jenny frowned and looked out of the window to where Calvin stood, holding on to her dad’s ladder. “He bit my head off, when I came in.”

  “He’s hoping you two will get back together, eventually. You must know that.”

  “He knows that there is no chance. I haven’t gone through the last year of breaking up, selling the flat and dissecting our finances, just to rekindle the relationship.” Jenny shook her head, despairingly.

  “Well, I’d just be careful, Jen. He’s obsessed with you. I honestly think you could kick him in the balls and he’d still come back for more.”

  Cringing at the thought, Jenny huffed loudly. “I just wish my dad wouldn’t keep encouraging him. He makes it worse.”

  “Well why don’t you talk to your dad then?”

  “I have, Day, but he sees no wrong in anyone and thinks that I’m being too harsh on Calvin.”

  “Hmm,” muttered Dayna, “it’s tricky isn’t it.”

  “It certainly is… and to make matters worse, I promised to go for a coffee with him tomorrow, thinking that both you and Tasha would be here. I forgot that we have a different set up at the weekends. So I need to tell him that I can’t make it. I only agreed, so I could get rid of him the other night.”

  “I’ll be fine if you want to go out anywhere tomorrow Jen. I’m not bothered about being here on my own for an hour.”

  “No!” Jenny screeched and then clapped her hand to her mouth. “Remember, Day, we need to both agree that it would not be ok for me to leave the premises – please.”

  “Ok, not a problem. Chill out babe,” said Dayna, holding her hands up like she was just about to be shot.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so stressy. I think I need a good night’s sleep.”

  “You need something honey. You’ve got a tough time ahead – working seven days a week is no easy task.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  Patting her best friend on the shoulder, Jenny grinned and then left the counter to go outside and check out the new light fittings. “Wow, they are big aren’t they?” she said, arching her neck to look up at the one strip light, already fitted. “I can’t wait to see what it looks like tonight.”

  “Hopefully they won’t light up the houses across the road,” Dad laughed, and began to descend the ladder. “I’m going to put the switch behind the counter, is that ok love?”

  “Yeah sure, whatever you say, Dad.”

  “I’ve got you a timer plug as well, that way you won’t need to worry about forgetting to turn the lights on when it gets dark.”

  “You think of everything. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  Passing his power drill to Calvin, Dad walked into the shop. “You’re always saying that and you’d do just fine without me. Now, let me show you where I need to come inside with the cables.”

  Jenny followed him inside after shooting a cursory glare at Calvin – who probably mistook her brief attention as admiration.

  A moment later, Marj appeared from nowhere, entered the shop and tottered off down the first aisle in her usual, merry way, followed by two other people.

  It felt odd to have her dad behind the counter while there were people in the shop. “Are you going to serve a couple of customers while you’re here, Dad?” asked Jenny, in jest.

  “No, I am not,” he replied, a horrified expression darting across his face. “I couldn’t be doing with all that smiling and constantly saying please and thank you to everyone, all day long,” he added, in a whisper.

  “I know what you mean. It’s hard sometimes – especially when you’re feeling really fed up… and there’s nothing worse than wearing a false grin all day. It gives me jaw ache.”

  The customers seemed to come in surges. One minute there were up to ten people or more in the shop, the next minute there were none and that seemed to go on most days. The quiet moments could last for up to an hour sometimes, which caused concern for Jenny – she needed a steady flow.

  Standing at the back of the counter, she listened to her dad’s recommendations and instructions. It was simple really, a small hole would be drilled through the top of the window frame and the cables would then run to the side of the cigarette gantry, where a switch would be placed. Dad had it all sorted out and the disruption to the shop would be minimal. There would be a brief moment where the electrical power to the counter area would need to be disconnected but that wouldn’t be a huge problem, especially if it was during one of their quiet moments.

  “Dad, while I’ve got you here, could you have a look at that light?” Jenny pointed up to the ceiling. “It went out yesterday. I thought they would last longer than that…”

  “They should – maybe it’s a dodgy one. I’ll have a look when I’m done here.”

  “And Dad… do you have to keep asking Calvin to help you out?”

  “Well, I didn’t actually, Jen.”

  Jenny looked puzzled, “Why’s he here then?”

  “He called me and said he had the day off. He asked if I needed any help so I felt obliged to say that I was coming over here to do your lights and would he like to help. To be honest, I needed the extra hand anyway.”

  “Ok, fair enough,” said Jenny and turned to see several people waiting to be served at the front of the counter. Dayna worked quickly and efficiently, always remembering her good manners and huge, toothy grins. “Do you want a cuppa, Dad?” Jenny whispered.

  “Silly question,” said Dad, winking his eye. “Right I’m going to have to make some noise soon, to get the cables through.”

  “No problem – do what you need to do. I’ll make the tea.”

  Just as Jenny was about to leave the counter, she caught a glimpse of Marj through the window. She was standing outside, looking up the ladders with a pack of four, turquoise toilet rolls tucked under her arm. Jenny hadn’t seen Dayna serve her and wondered for a moment whether she’d paid for them. Surely Marj wouldn’t just take another pack of toilet rolls and walk nonchalantly out of the shop, in broad daylight – would she? On the other hand, Jenny hadn’t been paying attention to who Dayna had been serving, as she chatted to her dad with her back turned to the till, so maybe Jenny was being too hasty to cast an accusing finger at the defenseless old lady. But Marj was definitely guilty of toilet roll pinching yesterday. Dayna was currently too busy to ask, so Jenny strolled off to make the tea and take a much needed, five minute, time-out.

  Amazingly, one customer had complained about the noise that Jenny’s dad had been making as he drilled through the window frame. More amazingly, Marj had eventually hobbled off with another unpaid, pack of toilet rolls, Jenny had discovered when she questioned Dayna later. Standing by the toiletries shelf, Jenny noticed that she had only two turquoise packs left. She made a mental note to get some more and also to confront Marj, the next time she came into the s
hop.

  Calvin had come in to use the toilet again but Jenny suspected that his emptying-of-the-bladder frequency had more to do with checking up on her whereabouts. “Oh, Calvin – can I grab you for a sec,” said Jenny, just as he passed her in the aisle.

  “Grab me any time you like – you know that, Jen.”

  Jenny shot a distasteful glare at him, “It’s about tomorrow… lunch… I can’t go for a coffee. I forgot that the shifts are different over the weekends.”

  “Oh, great. When can you go then?”

  “Well I don’t know, Calvin. I don’t really see the point of it…”

  “Well that’s nice – thanks!” Calvin leant against the shelving and stared deep into Jenny’s eyes. “I only wanted to take you for a coffee to celebrate the opening of your shop. That’s not a lot to ask.”

  “Yes I know Cal… it’s just not convenient at the weekends.” Jenny was so annoyed with her own feelings of quilt that she wanted to kick herself.

  “During the week then?”

  “Well… you work during the week, don’t you?”

  “I’m not working today,” replied Calvin in his usual whinny, schoolboy voice. “We could have done it today but you were out gallivanting with some other bloke.”

  “Oh, don’t even go there, Calvin. Is that why you were sulking earlier?”

  “No it wasn’t… and I wasn’t sulking.”

  “Ok, I’m not arguing – this is ridiculous.” Jenny snorted. “Why aren’t you working today anyway?”

  “Sick,” replied Calvin.

  “You don’t look very sick to me.”

  “No, I’ve felt better as the day’s gone on,” said Calvin, sheepishly.

  “Hmm… that’s odd. Dad told me that you were going to help out, before today.” Jenny lowered her voice and added, “Cal, why have you booked a day off sick, just to work with my dad?”

  Calvin shrugged his shoulders and held his head down like a convicted man in a dock. “Wanted to help your dad and help you with the shop.”

  Jenny shook her head from side to side, “Calvin, you’ve got to stop this. You and I are over. Completely finished. Never again. You need to get on with your own life… and let me get on with mine. It’s a nice thought but we can’t stay the best of friends – it just won’t work.” Jenny cringed and held her breath as she waited for Calvin’s normally, pathetic response.

  “I can’t help caring about you, Jen,” he said, before slumping off with his hands tucked into his pockets.

  Clenching her fists, Jenny screwed up her face and screamed inwardly. This was exactly why she had left Calvin in the first place – he was still a creepy little dork.

  “The light at the front is working fine, love,” said Dad, as he entered the back office and plonked himself down on the stool. “Just a loose connection.”

  “Really? I don’t suppose it could have come loose by someone jumping about upstairs, could it?”

  “It would have to be an elephant jumping about, Jen,” Dad laughed. “They’re pretty solid floors above.”

  “Well it doesn’t sound very solid when he’s jumping about upstairs. I hear the noise every morning and at night too.”

  Jenny’s dad looked puzzled. “Kids?” he asked.

  “Nope – I’ve met the weird man that lives upstairs. I don’t think he has any kids. Well, I haven’t seen him with any… not that I’ve seen him much at all. But he just doesn’t strike me as being the type to have kids. I’m pretty sure he lives alone.”

  “Takes all sorts Jen,” replied Dad, wisely.

  “Hmm… it’s just odd that I only hear the banging in the mornings and evenings. He’s a very rude man too. I didn’t like him much when I offered to help carry his bags the other day.”

  “Well, whatever he is, I’m sure that the light connection wasn’t to do with him.”

  Smiling warmly, Jenny leant over and pecked her dad on the cheek. “What would I do without you to moan at?”

  “Moan at someone else?”

  “All done,” said Jacob, poking his head in through the door. “I’m off now. Calvin’s down the front, chatting to Dayna.”

  “Ok,” replied Dad. “Thanks son, have a good weekend and I’ll see you Monday.”

  “Yeah, thank you, Jay. I really appreciate what you’ve both done here,” said Jenny, glancing from her brother to her dad. “And thank you for putting up with him.” Jenny raised her eyebrows and directed her stare past Jacob, towards the front of the shop.

  Jacob tutted and rolled his eyes. “No problem for me Sis – I expect he’s more of a problem for you.”

  Grinning and nodding her head in agreement, Jenny smiled and then blew a kiss to Jacob. “See you soon,” she said, just before he went. “See Dad – Jacob knows what a pain Calvin can be.”

  “I’m trying, love, I’m trying.”

  “Oh, we know you’re very ‘trying’ Dad,” Jenny replied before ruffling her dad’s hair and laughing.

  Back behind the counter, Jenny’s dad showed her how to set the new timer for the exterior lighting. “I reckon you’ll need them to come on at about five ‘clock, for now. You’ll have to adjust it again soon anyway, once the clocks go back.”

  “Ah, that’s great. I can’t wait for it to get dark now.”

  “Well, put them on before it gets dark, they are energy-saving lamps. They’ll probably take a while to brighten up fully.”

  “Ok,” replied Jenny, excitedly.

  “And set the mornings too,” said Dad. Moving away, from behind the counter, he looked up at the clock, “It’s ten to five now, Jen. Not long to go.”

  “Do you want another cup of tea before you go? Then you can be here when they turn on.”

  Dad nodded and Calvin grunted a ‘yes please’. Jenny hadn’t actually asked Calvin if he wanted a drink but as always, he snuck in, unwanted.

  “Ooh, another one? Count me in,” said Dayna, before turning back to Calvin to finish telling him all about her new didgeridoo.

  There was definitely a wintry nip in the air as Jenny, her dad and Calvin stood outside the shop and watched the dull, bluish hue of the lights slowly grow brighter, to a crisp white light, reflecting onto the large lettering. J’s Convenience Store had come alive as dusk crept into darkness.

  “Woohoo,” screeched Jenny and beckoned through the window to Dayna.

  Following the last customer out of the shop, Dayna joined the group to marvel over the shop’s new nighttime appearance. “It looks even better than the daytime,” said Dayna, gazing up in admiration. “You’ve done a great job, guys.”

  Calvin grinned smugly and Jenny’s dad nodded his head. “There’s no mistaking it now, Jen – you’re definitely open in the evenings.”

  Jenny thanked her dad and even Calvin, for a job well done. She now awaited the surges of the daytime, to become late night, last minute rushes of the nighttime.

  And they did indeed ‘become’.

  “Jen, before I get going – two things,” said Dayna with a worried expression on her face.

  “Yeah, what’s up?”

  “Well, I was thinking… are you going to be ok here, all on your own for another two hours after I’ve gone?”

  “Yes, I’m sure I’ll be fine. Wish I wasn’t staying open until ten o’clock though, to be honest.”

  “It’s very late to be open – and on your own as well.”

  “Yes, I know. I don’t have much choice though. I can’t afford to employ anyone else yet.”

  “No, I know that. Do you have to stay open so late though?” said Dayna, sounding genuinely concerned.

  “Well, I’ve got to trial it and see if it’s worth doing late nights on Fridays and Saturdays. I could be on to a good thing at the weekends. There are bound to be lots of people going over to the pub – they may pop in to buy something on their way.”

  “What like, cigarettes? You hardly make any profit on those, you told me.”

  “Yes, I know… like I said, it’s just a trial
and there’s no need to worry, Day, that’s why I got the personal alarm fitted under the counter,” said Jenny, tapping the underneath of the counter top.

  “Yeah but who is going to come to your rescue, should you need to use it? There’s no one to come and help you.”

  “Have you heard how loud this thing is when it goes off?”

  Dayna shook her head.

  “No one will want to stay around here, hassling me, if that thing goes off – trust me.”

  “Ok, well I hope you’ll be all right.”

  Jenny nodded and smiled at her friend, “So what’s the other thing? You said two things…”

  “I work from ten until eight tomorrow night don’t I?”

  “Yes…”

  “Well, have you thought about how you are going to deliver the papers in the morning?”

  “Oh shoot, no I haven’t.

  “I don’t think the customers will appreciate getting their papers after ten o’clock, Jen.”

  “No, they were moaning a bit about having to wait until after eight o’clock.” Jenny thought for a moment and then added, “What can I do, Day? I just didn’t think about it…”

  “Well it’s a good job that I did then, isn’t it?” Dayna grinned pompously. “I was thinking… what about if Xaylan does it for you at the weekends?”

  “Xaylan?” Jenny remarked, trying to hide the shocked and horrified expression, creeping onto her face.

  “Yes, I thought… well, maybe he could earn a little bit of pocket money.”

  “How would he get up here, Dayna?” Jenny was worried – worried that she may be just about to employ Xaylan, the child from hell.

  “I could bring him up here.”

  “But the idea was that you have a lie-in on a Saturday, before your long shift.”

  “Ah, that doesn’t worry me. I’d be more than happy to bring Xaylan up here – I could even run him round to do it.”

  “Well, if you’re sure… I don’t have any other options at the moment. He’s too young to do a paper round officially, but I suppose we could work something out and give him a little pocket money for now.”