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“Fine,” I agree.
I’m just going to have to be out of my comfort zone for a while. I’m determined to make this opportunity work, I’m willing to put in the effort and go the extra mile. I eagerly sign the contract Blake prints for me, grateful for the Monday to Friday schedule from nine until two-thirty. The wage is more than I could have hoped for, and the hours perfectly accommodate my responsibilities as a single mother. Blake also hands me a cheque for work clothes with instructions to ask Olivia what to buy.
“It should be enough for a couple of items,” he says. When I see the amount, I have to resist rolling my eyes. It’s so much money for just a couple of items. I take it with unsteady hands, feeling out of my depth. He’s right about needing Olivia. I wouldn’t know where to start buying expensive clothes and shoes. I usually buy whatever is on sale.
I try to be friendly and approachable to my new colleagues, introducing myself to them as they pass by the back office or when I’m in the front of the store. Their responses are lukewarm. I can’t shake the feeling that they’re giving me the cold shoulder. It’s disheartening and I remind myself not to take it personally. Perhaps they’re just used to their routines and are not quick to warm up to newcomers. I think about Blake’s words, and I wonder if he’s right. Maybe I shouldn’t focus on making friends but on doing my job well.
Throughout the day, I immerse myself in reading the store’s policies, absorbing the intricacies of the business. Blake provides me with some basic training on the different types of jewelry, their features, and how to assist customers effectively within this kind of environment. He’s thorough and patient, and I appreciate his guidance. His mood seems to improve. He’s not half as grumpy by the time we leave for lunch. He takes me to a little bistro around the corner and we try to find common ground, mostly talking about Olivia and the kids.
Before I know it, the day comes to an end.
“Come on, Lily. Home time,” Blake says, appearing in the front of the store.
I’ve been tasked with polishing the glass and I hesitate. There’s so much that I only got halfway through. I tried to do it properly, making sure it was gleaming and not a single fingerprint remained.
“Leave that. Tiffany can finish it.”
To the side of me, Tiffany scoffs, looking less than pleased.
He gestures for me to leave, and it doesn’t go unnoticed by the girls. I watch them exchange a look of disbelief as I stand and then follow him. I feel relief. It’s not been a long day, or particularly hard, but wearing those high heels has my feet aching. I’m tired and clueless about navigating the social complexities of gossiping girls. I can’t help but wonder what might have caused their animosity toward me. But I brush it off, reminding myself that I’m here to learn and grow in this new environment, and I won’t let any negativity deter me from doing my best. I have Blake on my side and that’s all I need.
By the time we pull into Olivia’s driveway, it’s almost three-thirty. I’ve saved so much time. I’d only be halfway here by now. It means that I get to spend more precious minutes with my daughter.
As we step out of the car, I hear laughing children and we walk around to the back garden. Olivia is nothing but a fabulously rich auntie and has built an entire playground there. I collapse onto the swing bench and kick Olivia’s shoes off. I think I have blisters on my blisters. My feet are going to have to toughen up.
“Mommy!” Emma squeals, popping her head out from inside the little playhouse, which is connected to the swing and slide. “Me and Ethan made a sandcastle!”
“That’s nice, honey!” I call back.
Meanwhile, Blake makes a beeline for his son. I’m surprised when he climbs into the messy sandpit, still wearing his fancy, stuffy suit, and shoes. After the big deal he made about appearance and clothes, this shocks me. I watch curiously as he seems to relax for the first time today. That grumpy look on his face is finally gone and he looks relaxed as Ethan stands and cuddles into him. He might be difficult to work with, but I can’t deny that he’s an excellent father to that little boy.
“How was work?” Olivia asks me, making me jump out of my seat. I was so entranced watching Blake and Ethan that I didn’t hear her approach.
“It was…interesting,” I settle on. I don’t want to badmouth the staff in front of Blake after I’d stood up for them. Especially because he’d been right. I gratefully accept the glass of red wine that Olivia passes to me.
“Were they all rude?” she asks as she sits next to me on the swing. “Blake told me that the last manager left without notice because they forced her out.”
Well, he hadn’t told me that, I thought to myself. He only told me that I was replacing Mina. I’m not sure who Mina is and I don’t want to ask.
“They were awful,” Blake answers for me. “I wish I could fire them all.”
Olivia bursts out laughing.
I’m not sure if he’s joking or not, but he’s grinning for the first time that day, half-sprawled in the sand while Ethan buries his expensive shoes.
“What about Lily? Do you think she’ll cope?” Olivia asks her brother.
“She’s all right,” he replies with a bit of a shrug.
“That’s Blake language for you did fantastically,” she translates.
At this, I perk up.
“I did?” I ask him, looking at him hopefully.
“As I said, you did fine,” he replies, sounding unimpressed and a little nonchalant.
Olivia grins, looking between the two of us, a pleased expression on her face.
