Roommates & Soulmates

Ch133: Alec's Employment

Alec didn't really know what to think as he walked toward the building. With absolutely nothing to go on, he was having a hard time picturing how his first day at work would go. For as long as he could remember, work meant waiting for people to get home. The idea that he was the one out doing the work was very alien to him.

Walking in it felt just like any other time he'd been here. Alec was after all familiar with how a grocery store looked. By the main doors were the fresh vegetables and fruits displays, and then the aisles started on the right. The problem was that Alec didn't really know what he was suppose to do, or where he was suppose to be.

To his great relief, someone was there to greet him. The man's tag read Brentan with the word Manager underneath it. Brentan gave Alec paperwork and set him with the task of filling them out.

And so Alec started his shift sitting in what was probably a staff room, filling out forms about himself. So far so good, though he wished Maia was here. It would be nice to see a familiar face. With a sign, Alec looked up at the clock again. Had he really only been here for a half hour?

The silence in this room was intimidating. Alec could hear the sound of the fridge whirring as if it were a loudspeaker. Finishing another set up paperwork, Alec looked up at the clock again. It had only been five minutes since he'd last checked it. Eventually a staff member came to eat their lunch, and Alec was spared from the silence. Though this staff member didn't talk to him at all, she created some background noise that drowned out the humming fridge.

When Alec was pretty sure he'd completed all the paperwork, he got up and went to find Brentan which turned out to be easier than he expected in such a large building.

"Good," Brentan said as he accepted the tediously finished paperwork."Today you will be working with Jamie." Then he pointed behind Alec who turned.

Standing behind the deli counter was a rather tall man with dark black hair, a round face and tanned skin. He had a hat on with the grocery store logo on it as well as a black shirt with the same logo.

"Just shadowing for today," Brentan told Alec, pointing again. Trying to take a hint, Alec turned and headed toward this Jamie person.

"Hi," Alec said awkwardly as he approached.

"New meat!" Jamie said with enthusiasm.

"Alec," Alec corrected, trying to avoid getting an unfortunate nickname.

"New meat," Jamie repeated with a grin. Alec's face must of given him away since Jamie added, "Oh don't worry. You'll only be new meat till they hire again. And besides, you'll get your name tag in a few weeks."

"Great," Alec sighed.

"Onward," Jamie chuckled. Then he turned and pointed to a display before explaining exactly what it was. "Pre-made salads are here, and deli meats over there. Past that is the fancy cheeses, but that case requires far less maintenance."

Alec tried to remember everything as Jamie continued the tour. He took specific note of the large rotisserie oven full of chickens.

"Don't go getting fond of that," Jamie told him. "That is every newbies worse nightmare."

"Why?" Alec asked nervously.

"Because you have to clean it," Jamie grinned. Alec gulped. Then Jamie stopped in his tracks and turned to face Alec. "Oh don't look so worried. I'm just teasing."

"Oh," Alec said cautious.

"Yeah," Jamie replied. "You won't get stuck doing that till you've had a little more training. And it isn't that bad really. Just think how bad it would be if we didn't have a rotisserie to cook the chicken."