Ellen was having a very difficult day. She had to hang up on two creeps and another customer who could only be described as belligerent. All she could think about was finishing her shift, grabbing some takeout, and heading home. She should be home in about an hour, but Chuck Stevens, her shift supervisor, almost always had some sort of surprise waiting for her toward the end of her work week.
Ellen looked up from her computer. Chuck was standing in her work area, and a little too close for Ellen's comfort.
“Ellie, do you have your weekly end-of-shift report for me?” Chuck asked.
She hated when he called her Ellie. Ellen suspected that Chuck was just toying with her. Ever since Ellen shunned his several requests for a date, he had been even more demanding and critical of her work.
“Reports are due at the end of your weekly shift,” Chuck said.
“Well, technically they are due on Friday.” Ellen usually finalized the report Friday morning, because she wanted as many extra calls as possible before her final shift ended. More calls meant bigger bonuses at the end of the month.
“That is only true if your shift is Monday through Friday,” he said with a smug expression on his face. “You work Sunday through Thursday, so I want that report in my inbox by 6 p.m., or I will need to write you up!”
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Ellen just sat there for a moment in stunned silence. This was the first time he asked for the report. Until now, he had always approved its submission on Friday. She would have to call Nigel and let him know that dinner was going to be late.
Nigel was in his junior year of high school, and though he went through the motions of getting essays written and sending them to colleges with acceptable video game development programs such as the University of Southern California (USC), or UC Berkeley, his primary focus was his video game side business. Ellen was constantly reminding Nigel that he had the responsibility of trying to get as many scholarships as he could so that Ellen wouldn't have to pay as much. At this rate, he may not need any tuition money at all. That thought scared Ellen more than any amount of extra night shifts.
At 5:59 p.m., Ellen got up from her desk and presented Chuck with a hard copy of her report for the week. He briefly glanced at it, then tossed it in his inbox dismissively.
“You can leave now,” Chuck said.
The bastard didn't even look at the report, she thought incredulously. She immediately left without another word to Chuck. At least she wouldn't need to see him again until Monday. Gary would be in charge on Sunday. She liked Gary's management style much better than Chuck's, but he only worked weekends.
She called Nigel on the drive home from her Bluetooth-connected phone. Nigel didn't pick up. She called again about ten minutes later when she arrived at the supermarket and was sent to voicemail! She decided to just pick up a ready-made roast chicken for their dinner.