AVENGE

CHAPTER TWELVE - OWEN SEAGRAVE

12.

OWEN SEAGRAVE

Owen looked at his watch, Only an hour to go, he thought. He turned the corner of aisle eight and spotted the young man he was after. He dodged round a couple of customers with his usual smile and stopped next to his new shelf-stacker, "Christopher."

Christopher Jenkins looked up then stood as he saw Mr Seagrave looking down at him, "Yes sir."

"When you've finished here I need you to do one extra job before your break."

"Yes sir."

"We're running low on some of the soups and I need you to restock them as Emily has had to rush home."

"Okay sir. I'll be on it in a few minutes sir."

"Don't look so scared Christopher. You're doing fine. How do you think your first day's going?"

"Fine sir."

"See - my words exactly. If you need anything you'll have to ask Mr Johnson or Mrs Turner as I'm leaving early tonight."

"Okay sir."

"Good. Keep up the good work," Owen strode off to find his floor manager. He needed to give him some last minute instructions. He looked down as his phone vibrated then beeped. He took it from his pocket and answered the call, "Yes Louise."

"Hello Owen. I've got a customer waiting at customer services. She wants to see you. Do you want me to handle it?"

"Do you know what it's about?"

"No."

"I'll go. Can you find Mr Johnson and let him know that Miss Harrington had to rush off and that Christopher will finish off her job before his break."

"Will do Owen."

"Thank you," he cancelled the call and altered direction - back towards the front of the store. As he approached customer services he saw a young lady with short, black hair looking rather angry. A child, of no more than ten, was staring at the ground looking as though he'd done something wrong.

The sales assistant at customer services was about to get his attention but he nodded at her then stopped in front of the customer, "How may I help you madam?"

"You're the manager?"

It's on my name tag, he thought. "Yes madam."

"Good. My son," she paused and looked sternly down at him, "has taken this." She held out a box of Smarties, "I was wondering if you'd be able to have a word with him - you know - to stop this from happening again."

The boy already looked on the verge of tears and his cheeks were flushed.

"Certainly madam," Owen turned to the little boy. "What's your name?"

"David," his voice nearly broke.

"Okay David. Look at me," he waited for the boy to look. "Stealing is wrong David. Do you know that?"

David nodded.

"Did you know that if you steal the police will take you away from your mummy and shut you in a room with bars."

David's eyes widened and the tears began to flow.

"Do you want that to happen David?"

David shook his head, "No."

"Then I suggest you say sorry to your mummy and promise never to do it again."

The little boy looked up at his mother, who had already softened towards him, and said, "Sorry mummy." Then he looked back at Owen, "Sorry mister."

 "That's good David. Now you take them over to the nice lady and we'll leave it at that okay."

David nodded and took the Smarties from his mother's hand then shuffled over to customer services.

"Thank you for that," said the mother. "Hopefully that'll curb it."

"I'm sure it will. He looks like a good kid."

"Oh he is normally. I don't know what got into him."

"It's all part of growing up madam. Testing his boundaries and all that."

"Thanks again," the mother looked down at David as he hugged her.

Owen looked over towards the sales assistant and saw her mouth 'Ahhh'.

"Thank you for your honesty. Let's hope that did the trick," said Owen.

Mother and child left the store and Owen watched them go then hurried off to his office. He didn't have long left now and he still had a stack of paperwork to get through.

He'd been sitting at his desk for half an hour when his phone rang. Owen finished signing the form he was on and put it to one side as he picked up the phone, "Hello - Mr Seagrave here - how may I help?"

"Owen - it's me - you haven't forgotten have you."

A smile spread over Owen's face, "No April. I'm looking forward to it. Did you get Mr Morton's mark?"

"Oh yes. We'll be on the front row and taking part. Isn't it exciting."

"You bet. I've seen his show lots of times but I've never taken part before."

"When do you leave?"

Owen looked at his watch, "In about ten minutes. Which reminds me - I need to get on with my paperwork so I can leave. I'll see you there - bye."

"Bye Owen," April didn't dare add the other two words she was thinking. 'Love you'.

Owen replaced the receiver and continued leafing through his papers.