Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 59659 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59659 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
The drive-through pharmacy was also a big hit, and several of the folks that Mark saw regularly had switched their prescription pick-ups to our store for the occasion. It was far more convenient than their other options, and they seemed happy to support the store anyway.
Everything was going splendidly, and as I oversaw the opening both from the mirrored window in my office and from milling around on the floor to get down in the crowd and see what they were really saying, I could not be prouder of everything that we had accomplished.
Especially Melanie. She was an absolute rockstar the whole day. Greeting customers at the door, she put on a smooth, effortless charismatic face for the company that certainly won her new loyal customers and endeared her to employees both that had been there for years already and those that we hired new to help with the now larger store.
“It’s a shame this is a soft opening,” Norma said, coming up beside me as I watched Melanie laughing with an older lady who she seemed to know from years of patronizing the old store.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“I said, it’s a shame that this is only a soft opening,” she said. “Seems like we could probably go at this pace for hours yet.”
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Almost six,” she said. “I’ve instructed the boys to start ushering people to the front for a few minutes now.”
“Look at you,” I said. “Always on top of things. No wonder Melanie thinks so highly of you.”
She beamed and rocked back on her heels for a second.
“Yeah, well, it’s also why she made grocery manager,” she said. “If she’s going to have ownership duties all the time, someone needed to be in control of the day-to-day, and if anyone knew how to do that, it was me.”
“Indeed,” I said. “I was in on the discussions to make you grocery manager. And for Amy to take your old position.”
“Amy’s so good,” Norma said. “She’s on for closing tomorrow, right?”
“I believe so,” I said.
Norma nodded.
“Well, at any rate, I’m just glad Melanie can do what she does best,” she said. “Be the heart of this place and check in on everybody else to make sure we are being the brain.”
“She’s good at being the heart of operations,” I admitted. “She’s good at everything really.”
“Yeah, yeah, you have a perfect fiancé,” she said, laughing. “I’m going to head up the door to help usher people out before you gross me out talking about how perfect the two of you are together. Newsflash, we already know.”
I laughed as Norma walked away, heading to the front of the store to open doors and try to get the wall of shoppers to calm down and start filtering out. Slowly, the store became quieter, and when the last one was rung through, we shut the door, and Melanie embraced me in the center of the store.
“How was that?” I asked. “You looked amazing out there.”
“Maybe I looked that way today but give me a week and I’ll be back to putting out fires with some of these people, I swear.”
“Stop being modest,” I said. “You are a natural at being the face of the company.”
“Dad was too,” she said, growing misty-eyed for a moment. “I remember he always used to greet people at the door with a big smile. He remembered names too. Like I saw him call this one customer by name and they had moved away and come back, gone for something like five years. Dad’s mind was like a vault. You couldn’t get anything past him.”
“Sounds like an interesting man,” I said. “I wish I would have known him better than as the grown-up who owned the store.”
“Me too,” she said. “He would have loved you.”
“And he would be so proud of you,” I said. “I’m positive of it. Everyone here loves you, and I’m just the lucky one who gets to take you home.”
Just as the last of the customers filtered out, Mark, Camden, Ryan, and Graham made their way inside. They looked like they were still as energetic as they had been that morning during the game, and I wondered just how many of the cupcakes and coffee they had gotten into.
“All right, buddy,” Camden said, “time to get a move on.”
“What?” I asked.
Ryan had his hands on my shoulders and was pulling me away, the rest of them forming a wall between me and Melanie.
“It’s time to go,” Graham said.
“Go where?” I asked.
“Your bachelor party, stupid,” Mark laughed.
“But the wedding isn’t for another week!” I exclaimed.
“We know that,” Camden said. “Which is why it’s much more surprising to kidnap you now. Plus, if we do it tonight, you can’t chicken out on us at the last minute later.”
“Who said I’d chicken out?” I said, still trying to stop the horde that was now dragging me almost to the door.