Annie
Thursday brought a sweltering temperature, which meant more beachgoers, and a whole lot of customers. Nathan and I were working twice as hard to help all of the tourists find suncream and water bottles, and the regulars check out the new surfboards. We barely had time for a toilet break.
“Hello, do you need anything?” I approached an Asian couple that was mindlessly wandering around the store.
They looked up and smiled at me. “Hi, we’re looking for a ‘skim-board’? It’s for our son.” The woman gestured to a little boy who was staring open-mouthed at our surfboard range. He looked to be about ten.
Skim-boards. I wracked my mind for their location, and the deals and combos for the range. I led them over to one side of the store and gestured to the smaller rack of large, flat boards that were situated below the shark repellent gear.
The little boy ran over and began inspecting the boards, pointing at a few that he liked.
“What’s the price range like for these boards?” the father asked.
I froze. Dave had specifically told me what each board would cost, and I’d made a mental note. That mental note had suddenly disappeared, and I was hesitant to bother Dave, who was out the back sorting out new stock. Would he disapprove that I’d so quickly forgotten?
Before the silence could drag on so long that it was evident I was a rookie, I felt a heat beside me. Without looking over I could tell it was Nathan, no one else wore the dark blue boat shoes.
“Well the one on the lower rack is second hand, so we can give it to you for about twenty five, and the higher ones are all brand new. Their range is thirty five to fifty, depending on the style you want.” His deeper voice spoke with confidence, and I saw that he was flashing his customer smile, a faked grin that put the customers at ease. His real smile was broader, and made small dimples in his cheeks.
The parents nodded thoughtfully and we left them alone to make their decision. I walked back to the till with Nathan hot on my heels.
“Thanks back there, I had a mental blank.” I could feel the blush on my cheeks.
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll be your knight in shining armour,” he joked. “You just have to ask.”
I was about to reply, but the Asian couple had approached with a brand new board in tow. They placed it on the counter.
“We’ve decided on this one.” They smiled, and their little boy was bouncing on his heels in excitement.
I scanned the barcode and charged them forty dollars. Just as they were exiting the store, Dave wandered out from the storeroom and patted me on the back. “Good job kiddo, you seem to be working well.”
“Thanks, but it was really-” I looked for Nathan to help give him credit, but he was nowhere to be found. “I had some help.” I finished lamely.
Dave shrugged. “Nonetheless, you’re doing a good job.” He gave me a smile and wandered out the back again.
The store was empty now, and all I could do was sit back on my heels and wait for a customer. The price tags had been checked, the new stocks ordered and distributed, and all of our paperwork was up to date.
“Hey,” Nathan walked out from seemingly nowhere, with a smug grin on his face.
“Where did you go? One moment you were here, the next you just disappeared! I was going to tell Dave about you helping me but…”
Nathan laughed. “I may have hidden behind some surfboards in the window display.” He scratched the back of his head and looked sheepish, an act that was adorable. “But hey, it worked didn’t it? Dave gave you the credit?”
