One Detention Saved My Life

Chapter 6

  "Are you ready for your first day of work? Dad asks as we pull up to the bakery.
   The bakery to me is like a dream that you don't want to wake up from. It's absolutely beautiful, decked out in red, blue, and orange paint. The building is somewhat small, but somehow a giant display case sits perfectly in the window with a few pies, cookies, muffins, breads, and cakes inside of it. The bakery has a few lights on, workers bustling around inside. It's so hard for me to rip my gaze away.
    "Tim, did you hear anything I just said?"
  I blink my eyes twice before responding.
  "I'm actually really excited about my first day at work."
    "Son, you're going  to do great," Dad replies smiling.
   I know I'll be great, Dad. Great at spying on you.
   As we walk into the bakery, a wave of heat hits me right in the face. I'm really kind of regretting wearing pants. I should have known it was going to be hot. The temperature outside right now is seventy degrees, and in here with the ovens going it makes it a whole lot hotter, but I refuse to complain.
   "Everyone, this is my son, Tim. He will be working here from now on,and I expect you all to make him feel welcomed."
   "Yes, Boss," they respond heading back to work, all but one, and he's staring right at me.
   This man has short blonde spiked-up hair. He also has a tatoo of an eagle on his arm, along with his right ear pierced. I gulp.
   "That's my assistant manager, Jimmy. He may look intimidating, but once you get to know him you'll find out that he has a soft side."
    Dad and I approach Jimmy.
   "How's the bakery doing today? Does everyone have their jobs for today?"
  "Yes, boss. Everything is running smoothly. Although, we need someone to help Olivia ice cinnamon rolls, and we need someone to run the cash register once the shop opens."
   "Tim, can help Olivia ice the cinnamon rolls, and run the register once the shop opens. Can you teach him?"
    "Of course, Boss. Anything else?"
    "Show Tim where the bathroom is so he can wash his hands. I'll be in my office attending to some important phone calls."
    Dad, goes through the kitchen, around the bend, and what I assume is his office because I hear the door shut. The smile fades off Jimmy's face.
   "You listen here you little brat; don't think for one second that I believe  your act. I know that you want to sabotage your dad's bakery, so I will be keeping a very close eye on you."
   "I don't know what you're talking about. You see I didn't want this job to begin with. I'm just doing this to make Dad happy," I reply as Jimmy walks me to the restroom.
   "Well okay then, but that doesn't mean I'm not keeping an eye on you. Get washed up quick. Olivia is the lady with the big black-rimmed glasses, with long black hair that is in braids. Aprons are on the hook outside the bathroom."
   I watch Jimmy leave and head into the bathroom.
    Jimmy, I don't want to sabotage Dad's bakery. I just want to know if he's hiding something from me.
    After washing up, I grab an apron and look for Olivia. I spot her at a large table icing cinnamon rolls. I approach her with a smile on my face.
  "Your Olivia right? I'm Tim."
  "That would be correct. These cinnamon rolls aren't going to ice themselves. It's  six thirty now and the shop opens in three hours and thirty minutes."
    I pick up a cinnamon roll and start icing it. By the time I'm finished Olivia is on her third one.
   "How can you work so fast?" I ask grabbing another roll.
    "Years of experience. I've been working here since  high school."
   "Has my dad always owned the bakery?"
    "Not always. My father used to own it, but he retired."
   "Shouldn't you be the owner?"
   "I could have been, but I didn't want to. Sixteen years ago your father bursts into this bakery looking for a job. I don't know how my dad knew this but he knew that your dad would be a good boss and owner."
    I frown down at the cinnamon roll I'm icing.
   "Sixteen years ago right before my mom was about to give birth to me, Dad left."
   "Your father is a good man. He was young at the time."
    "I just can't trust him," I whisper.
  "Is this about your mother? Olivia asks.
"How do you know about my mother? Did Dad tell you?"
   "Yes, and he knows that you think he has something to do with her accident."
   "Well, does he?" I ask.
    "Your father told me that he met up with your mother after her shift at the grocery store. Things didn't go so smoothly, she got in her car, and the next thing he knew the cops called and said your mother got into a bad accident."
  "I just think the whole thing sounds fishy."
   "Tim, your dad loves you. He's been more . . . more alive. And the last thing he wants to do is hurt you."
    "He's already---"
    "Tim, stop talking on the job. How many cinnamon rolls  have you iced?"
    I turn around, and see an angry-faced Jimmy.
     "Four," I say calmly.
     "Four?" Jimmy repeats.
   "Yes, that would be correct."
   "Well, get a move on it! I have the power to fire both of you!"
   "I'm sorry, Jimmy. I'll work harder."
  "Very well. And when your father is not around call me boss."
   "Okay, Boss," I respond.
     Jimmy, walks away triumphantly.
      Jimmy, I really want to strangle you right now. You have no right to disrespect me, or Olivia.
      "Tim, let's get back to work. Jimmy, can really be an asshole sometimes, but he's not work getting fired over."
   "Your right," I say getting back to work.
   About three hours later, four dozen cinnamon rolls are iced. The store is about to open, but before it does Jimmy insists on checking our progress.
   "Tim, Olivia, how are the cinnamon rolls coming along."
  I'm about to speak but Olivia does before me.
   "Jimmy, all four dozen cinnamon rolls are iced."
   "I guess I was wrong about the two of you, you guys actually make a good team. And Olivia, I thought I told you to call me boss."
    "I will take your orders, but I refuse to call you boss. Greg, is my boss and always will be."
     Jimmy, doesn't respond as he starts to walk away.
    "Tim, go tell your father I'm opening the shop," Jimmy says in the distance.
   I don't argue as I make my way back to Dad's office. When I get there the door is shut, and a cell phone is clamped around his ear. I don't knock right away, because I want to eavesdrop.
    "Tim's fine," Dad says over the phone. There is a slight pause. "Yes, he still thinks I have something to do with his mother's accident."
    There's another pause.
   "There is no way on earth to convince Tim that I had no part in it. His mother will have to tell him . . . That is if she survives."
    There's another short pause
  "I have to go. I'm at work. I love you, Kelly."
   The line goes dead, and my hands are clenched hard at my sides. I breathe, trying to let my anger subside. Surprisingly it works. My anger is all out of my system as I knock on the door. Dad smiles and lets me in.
   "Tim, what pleasure it brings me to see you in my office."
  "Jimmy, told me to tell you that he was opening the shop."
     "That's good news."
    "Yeah, I guess. And Dad. . . I mean Boss, I noticed that you've been on your phone this entire time. The staff on muffin duty could really use your help."
   "Tim, you're right. I've just been so busy talking with the AC guys, and then Kelly called and I lost track of time."
   Dad and I leave the office together.
   "You sure you're going to be all right if I help John and Rachel with muffins."
  "I'll be fine. Olivia is a big help."
   "Olivia has always been a good employee," Dad replies walking in Rachel and John's direction. I head up to the cash register, where Jimmy is waiting for me.
   "Listen here Tim. I will show you how to operate the cash register once."
  Jimmy, wasn't kidding when he said he'd show me once, but luckily I'm a fast learning, and knew exactly what he was talking about.
   "You understand now?" He asks.
    "Yes," I reply as he walks away.
   Five minutes later I get my first customers, an older man and woman,probably a couple.
      "How may I help you?" I ask.
   "We would like to buy two cinnamon rolls with two sides of chocolate coffee, please."
    I turn around and shout," Two chocolate coffees pronto."
   I hear two coffee makers stir as foam cups are placed underneath them.
"Coffee will be done in two minutes, " a male voice shouts.
   I turn back and face the customers.
   "The coffees will be done in two minutes. Are the cinnamon rolls for here or to go?"
   "To go," They reply in unison.
     I grab two boxes, and place one gigantic cinnamon roll in both of them. The male that I yelled at a few minutes ago places the two coffees on the counter. I look up at the sign and notice the price of each item.
   "That will be ten dollars."
  The woman hands me a ten dollar bill, and I hand the man the cinnamon rolls and coffees. They don't move, but continue to stare at me.
    "What?" I ask.
     "You passed your test," the woman replies.
    "Test, what test?"
   They both grin. "Your grandfather and I wanted to see your work ethic before we introduced ourselves."
  "Wait, your my grandparents? I thought that they lived in Florida?"
  "We're your dad's parents," the man replies.
   "So you're really my grandparents?"
   "Yes, and I must say that you look a lot like your father."
    "Better his father than that psycho mother of his," Grandma mutters under her breath.
   "Sorry about her. Your grandmother can be quite rude sometimes."
  "If she can't accept my mother than she can't accept me. Now, if you excuse me I have customers to attend to."
  Grandpa nods his head as if he understands, but Grandma looks insulted.
  "Nobody talks to me like that!"
   Grandpa grabs Grandma by the arm. "Honey, let's get out of here. Tim, we will be in touch some other time."
   Grandma glares at me one more time before grandpa pulls her completely out of the bakery.
    Good riddance, Grandma. Your the one that's phycho.
   I work for another four hours straight. I sneak a cinnamon roll in there somewhere, careful not to get caught. Jimmy would kill me if he found out. It's not like I'm stealing. Dad, owns the bakery, so technically I'm entitled to everything in here. I finish selling to the last customer, when Dad approaches me.
   "Tim let's go home. My staff will clean up."
   "Okay," I reply as we head out of the shop.
  My first day of work didn't go according to plan. I was hoping someone would throw Dad under the bus, but they remained completely loyal to him. And my grandmother is absolutely phycho. There could still be a bond between me and Grandpa. I mean he seems like a pretty nice man, but never with Grandma. Anyone that calls Mom phycho is no friend of mine.