Greaser's Girl

Chapter 8: Labor

The next morning I woke up to the sounds of my Father rummaging through his suit case for a tie and a belt. "Where ya goin, Dad?" I asked in a sleepy tone. I sat up and immediately heard my neck crack. Sleeping on the hard floor with no pillows or blankets was not fun. "I'm heading to my first day of work, wanna come?" He asked. How can I go to work with him? Where was he working? "Sure Dad, but where you working?" I asked half asleep. He smiled and said "I bought a gas station right here in Tulsa, it's been here a long time so it's already got lots of local attention. It's also got workers already. Today I'm going to meet all my new employees and I'm gonna let them get to know me. We're gonna be there all day, you sure you want to come?" He explained. "Of course I'll go, I'll be ready in 30 minutes!" I responded happily. I'm so happy that he's excited about this new job, I was really worried about him. After his last job, I wasn't sure he'd be able to commit to something new. I think now that he's the boss, he feels a lot more secure.
I got up and rummaged through my suit case to find an outfit. I pulled out a pair of blue high waisted crop jeans and and white tee shirt that I tucked in my jeans. I brushed through my brown curls and left them down today.  I put on a swipe of red lip stick and to top of off the outfit, a pair of shiny red pumps with T strap. Surprisingly, where I come from, this is considered everyday casual, unlike something I'd wear to school, which would always be a skirt.
I walked in to the kitchen to find my dad eating a large red apple and reading a new book. "Morning!" I said to my father. He looked up, smiled and asked "Ready?" I nodded and we made our way out the door and in to the car.  As we started driving, lots of things started to become more familiar. This town was so small, by the end of this week I should be a pro about getting around here. About 3 minutes out we drove passed the street that the gang lived on and in about 5 minutes we pulled in to a gas station called 'The DX'. My dad pulled a key out of his pocket and opened the front doors. This was a small shop with things from snack and sodas to car tools and cigarettes. My Father made his way to the back of the store where he pulled out another key and opened a door leading to a small empty office with nothing but a desk, file cabinet, and a rolling chair. "This is perfect!" My father said, amazed by the fact that he owned all of this. It made me happy to see him happy. "It's 6:30am now, all the guys should be coming at 7am. There's another room here in the back, we're going to hold a meeting. Adara, can you set up some chairs facing the black board? I came by here yesterday night and set up a presentation, all you gotta do is unfold some chairs and put a paper on each of the chairs, got it?" He asked nicely. I nodded happily and opened the back room where I found a small stuffy conference room with a bunch of folding chairs leaned up against the wall. I did my job in less then 5 minutes. Now what was I gonna do all day?

"Hey Adara, come in my office for a second!" He yelled to me pleasantly. I walked in the office to find my father looking intently at a bunch of papers on his desk. You could tell when he was a little stressed because he always put his glasses, as if he needed a little magnifying glass to pay more attention. "I really really really hate to ask you if this, but I was looking over my business plan and it doesn't add up quite as I planned. I seem to have a short manned shift and I really need someone to fill it, do you mind? I'll pay you! I just really need to have 3 people on this shift, and I trust that I can rely on you to be a manager. I hope I'm not asking too-" I immediately cut him off and replied "I'd be happy to."