2020-05-27 Thrifty's New Hire - Cory, Pixie, Paul, Mitch, Fiona, Ziggy

It was a quiet morning at Thrifty Foods. The delivery truck had gone out and Owen was driving today. It was Ziggy’s day off. Quiet meant a good time for tasks to get done, cleaning, straightening, restocking. Paul McLeod loved these days sometimes. The ability to get the store back into ship shape for the next round. They had a nice big shipment of dry goods in the store room that had just come in and it was all hands on deck time. Well as many hands as they had at the moment anyhow. He cross checked the invoice and made sure everything was there. For once it was perfect. Oh the little things. Now he could delegate. He pushed open the door to the back and called out to his stock boy.

“Cory, come load up, I’ve checked it all off. Get Pixie to stock the candy and the incidentals by the tills between her customers. Work on the aisles. I’ll help you as I can after I get the produce stocked up.”

Cory had just been straightening and wiping down all the shopping carts and baskets. It was a work spot that let him chat a bit more with Pixie and the baskets and carts had been really well cleaned the last few weeks. But now he was being called to stock and he dutifully went to Paul and grabbed the big rolling cart and began to load it with boxes of canned and dry goods. He knew the stock well so he chose boxes based on aisles and made his way to the center one with his first load. He had the gum and candy boxes for Pixie on top of the soups and crackers. So he took three boxes to Pixie and dropped them to her counter “Some sweetness for you M’Lady.” He offered and then as he heard Paul come out again, he didn’t linger but got back to where he was supposed to be working. Cory kneeled at a low shelf and pulled all the current cans of soup out to stock the newest dates in behind.

Paul wheeled out of the back with a similar cart stocked with produce boxes and whistled a bit as he ambled to the department.

In the meat department, Mitch Taggart was tying up fresh cut pork loin roasts with meticulous detail. At the deli counter, Joan McLeod was filling in temporarily and stocking up smokies and wieners and pepperoni sticks. She had come out of retirement to fill the gap while Melissa was on leave, before they hired a new server. Joan didn’t mind the work but she was feeling the 8 hours a day on her feet more than she used to. And to be honest, Mitch was a bit of a smart mouthed bastard. She would be happy not to be paired working with him.

Pixie smiled brightly as she chatted rapidly with Cory as she worked. She did the usual cashier maintenance of her desk  of cleaning it extra during these times. She sighed a bit and hummed as she worked.  She perks her ear up even as she checks out  an old woman and is bagging her groceries . She watches Cory walk up  with the boxes just as she finishes ,thanking the lady “thanks for shopping at thrifty’s ‘ she calls out happily . She giggles as he passes off the candy for her to stock . ‘Very kind of you  , good sir ‘ she says grateful as  he retreats. She begins to open place the gum neatly as she hum softly as she works


Ziggy walks in the door of Thrifty’s with Fiona.  It had already taken so long for her to tellFiona and then Fiona to make time and they to walk in..  Ziggy would never forgive herself if Fiona didn’t manage to get the job.  It was perfect for her.  Be around dead things and get paid for it.  She will walk up to the butcher counter with Fiona and then step back and loiter in her paint splattered clothing.

Fiona Reinhardt kept pace with Ziggy feeling like she was being ushered into some unknown world, the world of groceries, meat in particular. She was wearing a plain white shirt and black jeans and her black and white trainers. She had seen Owen’s uniform and she figured if she dressed the part it might bring her luck. She held her resume in one hand and watched Joan McLeod stock smokies. She could deal with that. Joan gave her a little wave through the cooler and then popped her head up “Hi Fiona, can I help you? Oh hello Ziggy.” Behind her Mitch was sharpening a knife.

Fiona pointed at the help wanted sign, gave Ziggy a little smile and looked back at both Joan and Mitch “I’m here to apply for the job. Is Paul around?”

Cory glanced up from his cans, overhearing but kept working.

A huge grin erupted across Joan’s face and she bellowed across the store “PAUL!!!”

Paul came jogging up looking concerned “Mom?” He saw Fiona and Ziggy standing there “Hello Ladies..” He said in his usual friendly voice while he waited from some meat department emergency to be reported.

Fiona gulped and offered Paul her resume “I’m here to apply.”

Pixie notices Ziggy and another woman coming through the door but they look on a mission .she start say a bubbly  hi  to ziggy before a man with black shirt comes up to look at the candy as he carries his basket   .she turn her attention to the consumer making  polite conversation with chatty man  as he debates his candy purchase . she santizes her hand on the pump on her desk. she pushed back her  hair. She secures her simple pink clip on the side of her head then santizes it again waiting his decision

Ziggy waves at Joan, but mostly stays back, trying to look like a normal customer.  Absently she tries to look like she is interested in the meat, but she is really just loitering in case Fiona needs an on the spot reference.

Paul takes the resume and looks it over, plucking a pen from his apron pocket “Ok….excellent. Well of course I know your babysitting skills..” He laughs “You’ve survived my girls.” He runs the pen down the page “Camp counsellor…..oh you’ve done your basic first aid…...that’s good…” He makes a check mark. “Have you done your food handlers?” He keeps scanning.

Fiona realizes she’s being interviewed on the spot and gives Paul her full attention “No but I can do that if it’s needed.”

Paul nods “Good…..good...Santa’s elf?” He smirks “I remember that actually. Lucy ate a breakfast of candy canes and puked them all up on Santa. Stuart Peterson was so polite about it…..” He laughs “OK so there’s your customer service I was looking for. Fiona…” He smiles at her “Why do you think i should hire you?”

Fiona straightens up to her full height “I’m a hard worker, punctual, efficient….and I have a keen fascination for dead things.”

Paul freezes and just stares at her now. Mitch cracks up in the meat department behind them.

Cory’s head comes up again and he looks truly worried.

Pixie is the middle of a quip with the customer . ‘Yes sir I'm pretty sure that candy bar doesn't have nuts… the label….‘ She trails off  and looks back as she hears some of the conversation and cracks a smile .Pixie wasn't the macabre type but this applicative seems very intriguing . She gets a bit closer to her till . she only caught half but the half she did was interesting. she  pretends to  check on the query as she handles the bar . she walks to just the end of her cashier desk to clarify what she heard

Ziggy winces a bit when Fiona mentions her fascination for dead things and Paul stares.  It is the answer that Fiona would give. That's not the point.  But then Mitch starts cracking up and Ziggy relaxes.  Mitch was a hard ass and, in her opinion, a bit of a dick.  His laughter had to be a good sign.  Right?

Paul gets over his shock at the answer and chuckles “Well that IS the job…” He glances over at Mitch. “Mitch? What do you think? Since she’ll be working with you.”

Mitch gives Fiona a slow nod and an almost smile before looking back at Paul “I like her.”

Joan looks up to the ceiling as if addressing the heavens and gasps and then exits the meat department and takes off her red apron looking hopefully at Paul.

Paul looks between Mitch and now his mother and laughs “Fiona, can you start today?”

Fiona looks at Ziggy, then Mitch, then Paul and Joan and nods. She glances around seeing 2 more people working and gives them each a little smile “Yes. Yes I can.” And all of a sudden Joan’s apron is looped over her neck and Joan is out the door like she can’t wait a moment longer.

Cory gives Fiona an awkward half wave and then looks to see if Pixie’s watching all this.

Pixie gets just closer to where she still near the counter looking at the bar  then looks up ‘yes doesn't  have nuts ‘ she say to the customer still looking at the scene in the back and beams at her new coworker giving her a welcoming smile before handing the man the bar and claps for Joan then Fiona “Welcome to Thriftys ‘ she calls out loud and cheerily to her .she looks at Cory with encouraging smile and wink . She turns to check out her customer still looking between Ziggy, Cory, Fiona and the man in the black shirt .

Ziggy beams when Fiona gets the job on the spot.  “COngratulations.”  she tells Fiona and looks at Paul.  “My condolences.”  and she turns back to Fiona.  “We’re coworkers!”  she twirls on the spot then heads for the doors.  “Now I can get the paints for the loading dock door….”  and she's gone unless she’s stopped.

Fiona looks overwhelmed but happy and calls back “Thanks” to the cashier and then waves back at the stock boy. She beams at Ziggy “Thank you so much Zig...see you.” And then looks to Paul and Mitch “And seriously, thank you.” She walks towards the meat department slowly “OK Thrifty’s Foods, I’m all yours and ready to learn.”