Tommy tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he watched Marshall's name flash across the screen. A voice in the back of his head pleaded with him not to answer it. Just let it go to voice mail it said.
No I have to answer it he replied to the voice. I can't ignore his call.
He hit the accept button on the console as he could hear his girlfriend's voice once again telling him not to let him guilt him into staying at store.
I won't he thought as he tried to steel himself. Tell himself that he won't be cajoled or manipulated again.
My safety is more important than the store he repeated over and over again in his mind as he said "Hey Marshall."
"Hey buddy." Marshall said in a pleasant voice. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine."
I would better if this traffic would move faster.
"I know you are nervous about this storm bud." He said sympathetically.
Nervous I'm beyond nervous. I'm terrified. I'm scared out of my mind.
"I just wanted to let you know that I've spoken to the corporate office and they said you could close the store at five."
Close it at five are they insane he thought.
"Actually..." His voice cracked and then he swallowed against the lump that formed in his throat. "I've already closed the store." He then braced himself for the explosion that he was sure was coming.
"You closed the store." Marshall yelled through the car speaker. "What do you mean you closed the store?"
"I closed it." Tommy said flatly. "Five minutes ago."
"Who told you could do that!" The older man said seething was anger. Tommy was certain if he could reach through the phone and wring his neck he would.
"Govenor Stanton did." Tommy replied. "When he gave the evacuation order."
"Govenor Stanton." Marshall blustered. "Govenor Stanton is not your manager Tommy. He has no say in when we close our store or not."
"He gave an evacuation order." Tommy said.
"Yes a voluntary one." Marshall said. "It's not mandatory and even if it was one you should have waited until you heard from me or someone from corporate before taking it upon yourself to close the store." He then let out an expetive. "Frank is not going to be happy about this." He said referring to the owner of the Sonny's Containers chain.
No he is not going to happy Tommy thought. He is more concerned about lost profits than the safety of his employees. He probably would have us stay open through the hurricane if he believed it could make him a buck.
"Tommy I need you to go back to the store." Marshall said composing himself.
"I can't do that." Tommy shifted in his seat. "I have to go home, I have to pack, I have to get out of the city." A tide of panic began to rise inside of him. His heart to pound in his chest and he was finding it difficult to breathe.
He looked at the line of cars in front of him which were moving at a snail's pace. In frustration he slammed his hand against the horn and yelled "Move faster."
"Tommy calm down." Marshall said in a soothing tone.
"I can't calm down." Tommy yelled as he tried to catch his breath.
"Yes you can bud." Marshall said. "You are not going to do yourself any good if you freak out okay. So take in a deep breath and relax."
Tommy did as he told taking in a couple of deep breathes. He felt the panic slowly begin to assuage and he sunk back down in his seat.
"You okay bud?" Marshall asked in a gentle tone.
"Yeah." He said as his heart stopped trying to slamming it's way out of his chest.
"Good." Marshall said. "Listen I know I your scared right now but I need you to turn around and go back to the store."
"I can't." His voice broke again.
"Yes you can." Marshall said. "It's just for five more hours and then you will have plenty of time to evacuate."
"That won't be enough time." Tommy said flustered.
"Yes it will be." He said. "Ingrid is not expected to make landfall by eight."
"But the city will be gridlock by then." Like it was last time when Abner hit and we waited too long to leave. "I don't want to be stuck in the middle of traffic when this hits."
"You won't be stuck."
"I'm stuck in traffic right now." He said as he slowly made his way to the traffic light where his turn was. A turn he would have made three minutes ago if it was not for all the people leaving their jobs at the same time. "And with every passing minute it's going to get worse Marshall."
"I shouldn't have waited as long as I did. I should have left the store as soon as I recieved the alert customers or no customers." He said as he began to panic.
"Tommy..."
"I shouldn't have even bothered to close the registers or put money in the safe." He felt himself began to spiral again.
"Tommy."
"Who knows how much precious time I wasted."
"Tommy stop it." Marshall yelled.
Tommy closed his mouth and his body tensed.
"Tommy I left you in charge of the store because I believed you were man enough to handle the responsibility." He said. "Now acting like a little baby, put on your big boy pants and get back to the store and prove to me that my trust was not misplaced."
Tommy found himself squirming in his seat as his resolve began to melt. He did not want to betray his trust in him.
"Come on don't let me down."
The words hit him like a physical blow. He hated to let people down. He had already done that one too many times in life. He had been nothing but a disappointment the last year to everyone he has loved.
He did not want Marshall to be another person added to that list.
"Go back to the store." Marshall pleaded.
Tommy could feel himself giving in. The word okay slowly forcing itself out if his mouth as he was about to turn around.
"No." He said admantly resisting the compulsion to give in. "I'm not going back."
"Tonmy go back to the store or your fired." Marshall said firmly.
It felt like he was hit in the gut. Tears began to sting his eyes at the thought of being losing another job. He had already been fired once this year and he could not bear the shame of losing another.
But once again his girlfriend's words came into his mind. He could hear his mother telling him to stay safe. His family and friends would be more upset if he died because he decided a retail job was more important than his life.
And he could not put his family through losing someone else again because of a hurricane. He refused to let them go through that again.
"Then I guess I'm fired." He said with resignation in his voice as a calm washed over him.
"Tommy don't do this." Marshall begged.
"I have no choice." Tommy said. "I'll drop off my keys when this is over."
"Tommy."
"Bye Marshall."
"Tommy." Marshall said and then Tommy hit disconnect.
Tommy let out a breathe as he felt a weight lift off his shoulders
Marshall's name appeared on the screen again but Tommy ignored it as he continued to drive away from the store.
