Diego smoothed the front of his striped polo as he checked his reflection in the dark glass of the arcade's front door. The neon lights of the street sign behind him cast blue and pink streaks across his visage. Staring back at him, his reflection showed a modestly tall nineteen year old, slim in frame, with a day's stubble beginning to emerge on his upper lip. Diego's eyes flicked quickly over to the "Help Wanted" sign scribbled on paper posted behind the glass walls. Running a hand over the curls of his hair, Diego took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
A wave of air conditioning and scent of popcorn greeted him as he entered the whirring, buzzing, and dinging world of the arcade. Bright screens cast a pale glow over the faces of teens and young adults alike as they gathered round cabinets of Ms. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, and Galaga to cheer on their friends. The sun had set outside; the dark and bright clash of the interior arcade caused Diego to squint slightly as his eyes adjusted. He scanned the rows of games cursorily, glancing out of instinct at his favorites. Q-bert and Burgertime were both taken by young kids who didn't seem to know what they were doing. Diego chuckled and thought that if he got the job, he'd be sure to show some of the younger kids a few tricks of the trade.
Approaching the counter, Diego made sure to put on an easy going smile. He saw that the manager Sam, only one year older than Diego himself, was filling bags of popcorn. Diego laughed quietly as he watched Sam scoop one load of popcorn into a bag and then another into his mouth. The guy loved to snack apparently, Diego thought; remembering Sam's trim track days in high school. They had never been close friends, more friendly acquaintances but Diego had no idea that Sam's body weight had exploded when he began working at the arcade. Sam's love handles were wide enough to resemble an armchair. He hoped that Sam had enough fond memories of him to offer Diego the job.
"Hey Sam," Diego said casually but confidently, offering a friendly smile.
"Oh hey Diego," Sam said, his mouth full of popcorn. "What's going on?"
"I wanted to inquire about the Help Wanted sign out front," Diego asked. "I'm out of junior college for the summer and love this place. Working here for a few months would be excellent."
Sam placed the scoop back into the popcorn machine and wiped his buttery hands on his work polo. The shirt struggled to contain his soft mass, the wide indentation of his belly button jiggled as he walked over to Diego.
"Hey man, that would be great. I already know you're a good dude and I've seen your arcade skills." Sam was grinning but a dark cloud passed his eyes briefly. "But you know what...I'm not sure you'd fit in around here."
Diego frowned slightly, his brows furrowed.
"What do you mean, Sam? I love video games," Diego said, raising an eyebrow. "If you'd like a demonstration, pick any cabinet and I'll show off some of my skills."
Sam frowned slightly himself, his chubby cheeks and chin bunching up. "No it's not that, I can't fully put my finger on it but something changed when I started working here...like the first day..." Sam's voice trailed off as the thought left him. "No you know what? You're perfect. You're hired!"
Diego felt a rush of excitement inside. His summer vacation was about to be filled with cool air conditioning and video games.
"When can you start?" Sam said, back to filling popcorn bags and dropping alternate scoops into his own mouth.
"Right now," Diego said enthusiastically. "Thanks so much Sam, this is wonderful."
Sam laughed, his cheeks bulging with popcorn.
"Nah man, I love that you are so into it. Let me get you a roll of tokens and a drink, hang out, take in the vibe of this place, and we'll get you fitted for a work shirt tomorrow. Hey Paul!" Sam said, looking away from Diego to the prize wall.
