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This
Other Eden by Michael Hemmingson
Then it Happened
He needed cold hard cash. He had a final paycheck coming. He wanted to have it mailed but he was broke and needed the money immediately. So he went to that big ugly department store. His former co-workers stared at him, whispered, pointed. Maybe he wanted to gloat - he didn’t feel bad at all. He walked straight to the back of the store. The GM was sitting behind a small metal desk, wearing a white dress shirt, cheap tie; he had a stain of mustard on his chin. The guy was tall and thin and in his mid-twenties; he looked up and said, "What are you doing here? Don’t bother begging for your job back, Evans."
"I came for my last check," Harry said.
"Yeah yeah yeah, that’s what I figured," said the GM, opening a drawer, reaching in, and handing over an envelope.
On the envelope was scrawled, in big block letters: EVANS
"Thank you," Harry said and turned to leave.
"Think you’re something special now, don’t you?" said the GM. "Well, you’re not. You hear me? You’re not! You’re a slacker who never takes anything seriously and a year from now you’ll be back begging for your job and I’ll laugh at you and turn you away!"
Harry stopped.
"What do you have to say to that, Mr. Big Shot Lottery Winner? Huh? Tell me, Mr. Special."
Harry walked away from what promised to be a bad scene. As much as he’d like to punch the GM in the mouth or kick the guy in the balls, it would only cause him trouble and he wanted to be done with the place.
He immediately encountered Bob, who was wearing a thin tie. Bob’s new goatee sprouted from his chin like a dark fungus.
"What the fuck, Harry," said Bob, hitting Harry’s chest with an open palm.
"Hey," said Harry.
"What’s $1000 to you, man?" and Bob hit Harry again, but not hard. The GM was watching and didn’t make a move to stop it.
"I don’t have $1000," Harry said.
"Yeah well...I don’t believe you."
"Believe what you want."
"$500 then. C’mon, help me out, dude."
"Bob," Harry said, looking Bob in the eyes.
"Fuck it," said Bob and Bob turned and walked away. Donna Fey, who worked in women’s shoes, grabbed him and gave him a kiss. Harry didn’t mind. It was a nice kiss.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"Hoping some of that luck of yours will rub off on me," Donna Fey said. "Believe me, I could use some luck."
He kissed her back.
"Well," he said.
"Call me," she said.
He’d asked her out once and she turned him down, just like Rachel.
"I will," he said.
"Will you?" she said.
"I will," he said.
"You promise?" she said.
"I promise," he said.
"I’ll hold you to it," and she slapped him on the butt as he walked out of the store.