The Gap Year

Chapter 10

'Are you in the turn tonight, Emma?'

'The what?' I looked up at the elderly couple who were wearing matching Grand Canyon t-shirts and beige shorts, not sure whether or not I should be offended by their question.

'The turn.' Still I was unsure of what they were talking about as they pulled out the plastic white seats and sat down at the plastic white table where I was working.

'You don't mind if we join you do you?' At last the old man asked. Not that I can ever answer with even the slightest hint of the truth, that no they bloody well can't join me, so sod off. But instead I flashed my best pearly whites with effortless ease; Dave the Head Reps hours of ruthless training having clearly paid off; "always smile down the telephone Emma and the customer will be able to tell that you are smiling.".

Never mind that they were preventing me from calculating this weeks (lack of) commission, and were thus delaying me from completing my days work and getting the hell out of St. Spiros III for the evening. Because it doesn't matter how long I'm here for (which already seems to have been the majority of my short life), I've always got time for my guests. Customer Service Charter bullet point 67. Just keep smiling Emma, and you never know they might sign up for that ghastly Bouzouki Boat and earn you another measly Euro in commission.

'So the turn, are you in it?' They really were persisting, clearly oblivious to the picture of bewilderment on my face. 'The show? Tonight's show.' The old man nodded at last recognising my confusion. 'It's Grease; are you in it?'

'God no!' I laughed. Customer Service Charter, Emma! 'I mean no, I'm not performing in it.'

'Oh.' Why do they look so disappointed, like I've just told them that the puppy they've rescued needs to be put down, 'We just thought you would be, seeing as Dave is playing Danny. We thought all the Reps were in it, and so we were really looking forward to seeing you, our Rep, in it.'

'I'm really sorry,' this is bound to be something that gets fed back to me as part of Dave the Head Reps weekly customer feedback review, 'but that's just Dave who stars in it for fun on his night off.' What a loser. Just because he went to some shady stage school in the West End he thinks the world owes him an Oscar.

'But you'll come watch though; we'll buy you a drink in Spiro's Bar, since we're leaving tomorrow.'

'That a lovely offer,' sometimes these old people are just too sweet, smiling at me like I'm their long lost granddaughter, 'but I've not been feeling too well lately, so once I've finished working on these numbers I'm going home to rest.' I grinned again, shuffling my papers together, hoping that they would get the hint and go occupy themselves elsewhere.