by
Mark 'Ponyboy' Peters
Chapter Eighteen
As I sat down on the chair opposite Mrs Mack's desk, she closed the door and then turned to me.
'How are you doing today, Grayson? I take it you've heard from Rafael what happened yesterday?' she asked, before sitting down behind her desk.
'I'm okay, thanks. And yeah, Raffa did mention what happened to Tom.'
'Well, just so you officially know, Tom was dismissed for breach of company policy, okay. It wasn't your fault, it was all on him, so I don't want you feeling any guilt about what happened. All staff had been advised recently of the company's zero tolerance towards any form of bullying in the workplace.'
'Yes. I understand that.'
'So, please just keep that in mind if there are any similar incidents, okay? We will take action if required.'
'I will. Thank you.'
'And how is your face? Looks like he got you good.'
Instinctively I touched the bruise and scratches on my cheek. It was tender to touch, but other than that it wasn't too bad.
'It's okay,' I replied. 'Looks worse than it actually is, I think.'
'Well, we're very sorry that happened to you. I've started filling out the Incident Report that will be required, but I'll need to get some more information off you later today, okay?'
'Sure.'
With that she gave me a nod, then rifled through some papers on her desk, before settling on one page and reading it for a few moments, then looking back up at me.
'So, the other thing I wanted to discuss with you was what we spoke about recently, with regards to what may happen if a full-time position became available. With Tom departing, that obviously now leaves a position open in the store, and I'd like you to consider it.'
This was something that hadn't even crossed my mind in the past twenty-four hours. Had I just been offered that job we had spoken about?
'Of course, I need to discuss this further with Mr Webster, but before I do so I just wanted to make sure you were still interested?'
'Yes, of course. I would be very interested.'
'That's good. We might need to do a bit of shuffling around, as it probably wouldn't be a good look for you to step straight into Tom's job, but I have a few ideas that I want to discuss with Mr Webster, so once I've done that, I'll talk to you again.'
'Thank you. I really appreciate that,' I replied.
Mrs Mack stood up, so I did as well, then she moved towards the door. Before opening it however, she stopped and looked back at me.
'Please don't take this the wrong way, Grayson, but it looks like you and Rafael have become pretty friendly lately,' she said.
Instantly I could feel a rush of blood to my face.
'I think the two of you can be good for each other,' she added, while at the same time placing a gentle hand on my shoulder and giving me a smile. 'And don't let anyone tell you otherwise.'
'I . . . ummm . . . thanks,' I somehow managed to reply.
She opened the door for me and as I moved to step through it she said, 'If you ever need to talk, I'm always here, okay?'
I gave her a nod and left her, going off in search of Mike, to see what work was waiting for me.
* * * * *
I found Mike loading trolleys at the loading dock. He looked my way but didn't say anything, just finished what he was doing, so I waited for him.
'Did Mrs Mack catch you this morning?' he eventually asked, once he'd signed off on the delivery and waved the driver off.
'Yeah, that's where I've been.'
'What did she want?'
'Told me about what happened to Goodwin yesterday. Said she needs me to help with filling out some incident form later.'
He gave a grunt, then attached the signed delivery dockets he was holding to a clipboard and hung it on a hook in front of his desk. It was easy to see that his mood this morning wasn't exactly great.
Turning back to me he said, 'Well, you better get started on the trolleys that are ready to go, then I'll need you to check off the deliveries that have come in this morning.'
'Sure thing.'
'And try to stay out any fights today, won't you,' he added, while making a rather sad attempt to smirk at his own jokes.
'Yeah, whatever,' I replied, as I headed for the line of trolleys that I just knew would be waiting for me.
Once I was out on the shop floor and delivering the stock to the various departments it didn't take long before I began to notice people's reactions as I went about my job. Things were different. I received a few smiles and a few people said 'Hi', which I must admit didn't happen very often before. There were also a few snarls, mostly from those who I knew to be friends of Tom. Then there were those who deliberately turned their backs on me and walked away, but after the events of recent weeks I was starting to become accustomed to that.
I had been branded an outcast by those who thought the problem was me and my sexuality. Of course, I can understand why some people might feel uneasy or threatened when someone they know turns out to be gay. I don't have to like it, but I can understand it, seeing as I live with that every day in our household.
At one point I had a load of stock to be delivered to the department that Raffa worked in, Housewares, and had hoped to be able to talk him, but when I got there I found him talking to Mrs Mack. He gave me a discreet wave, which caused her to look around to see who he had waved to. She gave me a quick smile, before they both set off in the direction of her office.
Did one of the ideas that she mentioned earlier, that she was wanting to talk to Mr Webster about, involve Raffa, I wondered? I figured I would find out the details sooner or later.
I dropped off the boxes of stock for Raffa to work on later, then headed back to the loading dock for another trolley. Even before I made it out there I could hear the delivery bell being rung persistently, but there was nothing that would have prepared me for what was waiting for me as I raised the roller door to respond to them.
I looked down from the loading dock only to find it was Animal who had been ringing the bell. Of all the people that were on my list of those I was dreading running into, he was right at the top.
My guts churned and my head spun as I saw recognition dawn on his face, before he looked up at me and grinned. And it was an evil grin. I could almost see the cogs ticking over as if he was trying to figure out how to get his hands on my arse again.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
'Well, if it isn't the cry baby!' he said to me, 'Looking for a bit more of this?' he added, while grabbing hold of his package and giving it a vigorous shake, before then making a move to climb the ladder up onto the loading bay.
'S-stay t-there!' I said to him, my voice cracking, my hands trembling and my legs seemingly turning to jelly.
'What?'
'Y-you heard me,' I spat. 'You can wait down there until Mike gets back.'
There was no way I was going to let this arsehole get anywhere near me.
'You little cunt,' he hissed. 'Just who do you think you are?'
'I'm the little cunt that's going to report you to the cops for sexual assault, for what happened that night, if you take one step closer. I said NO, arsehole!'
'Where's Mike? Let's sort this shit out,' he said, with his voice raised.
It was then that I heard Claire Brady, the Office Manager, ask from behind me, 'Is everything alright, Grayson?'
I looked around to find her standing at the doorway to the invoice office in a familiar pose, hands on hips and frowning.
'Can you page Mike and ask him to come out here please?' I asked.
She gave a curt nod then moments later I heard her voice over the store PA system paging Mike and asking him to return to the loading dock. I could hear a note of urgency in her voice, so I hoped that Mike heard the page and recognised that.
Once that was done Claire came back to the doorway to wait and watch. She could obviously sense that something was up, and I was grateful for that.
Thankfully it was only a minute or so before I heard Mike coming.
'What's the emergency, Claire?' I heard him ask. He was still a short distance away and it wasn't until I moved sideways and peered around the corner that I could see him.
'Young Grayson seems to have an issue with a delivery,' she replied, just as Mike reached me and noticed that the roller door was up.
In an instant he took in the entire scene and uttered, 'Fuck!'
'About time you got back,' Animal said to him, sounding thoroughly pissed.
'What's going on?'
'Your boy won't let me in, that’s what’s going on! Told me not to come up,' Animal complained, as Mike looked my way. 'Then he tells me he's going to call the cops!'
'Can you blame him?' Mike replied. 'I told you there was a problem and you needed to stay away from him.'
'I ain't letting a punk like him stop me from doing my deliveries,' he said, before making a move once again to climb the ladder.
'Just . . . just hold it,' Mike said.
'What?'
'Stay there. We'll unload the truck. Don't you come up here or go near Gray, otherwise . . .'
'Otherwise what, Mike?'
'Otherwise we're all in the shit, dumbass!' Mike hissed.
Finally something seemed to have registered in Animal's brain and he backed away a few steps. I glanced over to the office door and noticed that Claire was still there, watching every move. I wasn't sure how much of the conversation she may have heard but judging by the expression on her face she'd heard enough.
Mike looked my way and said, 'Grab a pallet jack and start unloading. And let's make it quick.'
* * * * *
I wasn't there when Animal finally drove away. Once we had finished the unloading Mike told me to make myself scarce while he signed for the delivery and saw him off, so I went in search of Raffa, taking some more stock out for his department.
He looked up and saw me coming and smiled, but then his smile quickly changed to a frown. He knew something was up.
'What's happened now?' he asked.
'Just had a stand-off with Animal. Mike wasn't there and I told Animal I didn't want him to come into the building, so I made him wait while we called for Mike.'
'Yeah, I heard Claire call him over the PA.'
'Fuck. I just went to pieces when I raised the roller door and saw him there,' I blurted out. 'Claire must have seen or heard something and came out of her office. And thank Christ she did.'
'Are you okay?'
I held out a hand in front of me to show him how badly I was still shaking, despite everything having taken place at least a half hour ago. I wanted so badly to be able to hug him right now and have him tell me that everything would be alright.
'That answer your question?'
'Yeah,' he replied.
'So, how has your morning been?' I asked, as I remembered him going off with Mrs Mack earlier.
'It seems I'm being moved.'
'What? Where to?'
'Apparently, I'm taking over Tom Goodwin's department. Apparently, they need to make room for a new Trainee Manager, so they are going to do a bit of a department shuffle. They do that every now and then so that us trainees get some experience in all the departments in the store,' he said, before adding, 'I wonder who the new guy might be?'
'Yeah, I wonder too,' I replied, but I'm sure the grin on my face told him all he needed to know.
'You sly dog. Is that what she wanted you for this morning?'
'Something like that. I knew it was going to come sooner or later . . . just didn't expect it quite so soon. She did say she needed to talk to Webster first, so nothing is official yet. I guess I'll just have to wait to see what she says.'
'Not sure yet when it will be happening, but damn, boy! It's going to be great the two of us working together.'
'But we already do.'
'Yeah, but this is a bit different. You're not full-time at the moment, but once you start a traineeship there are other things we will be doing that relate to that, like attending courses and stuff. At least now I'll be doing them with someone I'm friends with, instead of that other dickhead!'
I chuckled at that description of Tom, but I was also kind of excited at the thought of what was ahead. Being able to work with Raffa would also be a huge help, I knew, as he'd already been on the traineeship for a year. Things were looking up.
Just as I was about to head back to the loading bay we heard a call over the PA system, asking me to go to the Personnel Office.
'Looks like you're up!' Raffa declared.
'Damn. Well, wish me luck!'
'You don't need it!' he replied, before quietly adding, 'Still want to do that thing at the clinic at lunch time? I'm happy to take you and introduce you to Chase . . . he's the male nurse who runs it. Totally cool dude.'
'That'd be great. Thanks. I'll meet you out front?'
'You betcha.'
* * * * *
When I reached Mrs Mack’s office, I found that she wasn’t alone. Mr Webster was there talking to her, leaning back against a timber cabinet, his arms crossed in front of him. They both had serious expressions on their faces.
I knocked and was waved in by Mrs Mack and she pointed to the seat opposite her. ‘Thanks for coming, Grayson.’
Mr Webster closed the door after I had entered.
‘We just wanted to discuss with you what we were talking about earlier, Grayson, but before we do that, Mrs Brady said there was an issue at the loading bay earlier, so would you mind telling us what happened?’
‘Something to do with a truck driver?’ Mr Webster asked.
I could only nod, as I felt my throat go dry and my body starting to shake.
‘Was he . . . did he . . . have something to do with what happened to you recently?’
I looked from one of them to the other and back again. In an instant I saw my future, my job offer, my world, evaporating. Was this really happening?
To be continued . . .
Authors Note:
Hi there. It has been a while since I have posted anything new on Nifty. I guess life gets in the way sometimes.
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