Page 7 of Of Potions and Honey
When she was finally, mercifully, allowed to clock out, twenty minutes after her shift ended, she didn’t even have to find Mr. Lewis. Her manager seemed to appear behind her out of nowhere as she was leaving the break room to go and look for him.
“Miss Gardener. I hope you understand what an abysmal performance I witnessed from you today.” He wagged his finger at her. “I would prefer if this didn’t become a regular occurrence.”
Acutely aware of several people nearby who were beginning to pay attention, Mira tried to keep her voice low. “I’d prefer if we could discuss this in your office.”
“No, no, I think your colleagues would benefit from understanding what went wrong here today.” He raised his chin and looked down his nose at her. “We are a Golden River emporium, not some shabby corner store. It is imperative that we keep up with the demands of serving our most honoured customers with utmost perfection and attention.”
“I understand,” Mira ground out. “I was-”
“Being supremely inefficient,” he cut her off. “I trust that you will find a way to increase your performance as the job demands, Miss Gardener.” He smiled, all teeth. “Now, run along, and I expect to see you back here tomorrow bright and earlyfor the opening shift. I don’t think I need to remind you of the consequences if you’re not here at seven-thirty sharp.”
The smile was what did it. The tone, she’d heard a thousand times, the way he spoke to employees as if they were children. But he usually did it in private, didn’t put on a performance for theirmost honouredcustomers, a display of how much they mattered, and how little the people were valued who kept the place running. How replaceable they all were in the end.
Fine. If that was the case, Mira was happy to oblige. She’d put up with this for long enough. If she was so easily replaced, then they could damn well just do that.
“No, you don’t, Mr. Lewis.” Mira took care to keep her hands steady, her voice sweet. “I am perfectly aware.” She grabbed the strap of her purse a little tighter. “And I think I don’t care much about those consequences anymore.”
Sod him. Him and the company and the people following the exchange as if it was a little play she and Lewis were performing for their amusement. She didn’t need this, not anymore. Thanks to Uncle Lochlin, she had an alternative now. So Mira made what would end up either the best or the worst decision of her life right then and there.
“I quit, Mr. Lewis. Effective immediately. I’m afraid you’ll need to open the store by yourself tomorrow.”
It took a second or two until his smile froze, then slowly disappeared.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
“I am letting you know that I am resigning,” Mira said slowly, her face hot but a feeling of triumph crawling up her spine as she smiled the same smile he had moments earlier. “As of right now, I do not work for you anymore.”
“But-” He inhaled sharply. “This is unacceptable. You can’t simply quit on the spot. There is a process-”
“I know the process. Verbal notice must be followed by written notice, and I will be sure to deliver that first thing in the morning.” She swallowed down a sudden burst of nerves. Wait. What was shedoing?But she couldn’t stop herself, or bring herself to back-pedal. Didn’t want to. “Good day, Mr. Lewis.”
She swept past him, taking petty satisfaction in bumping against his shoulder as she did. He didn’t snap at her the way he usually would. In fact, she didn’t hear him make any noise at all until she reached the stairs.
“Miss Gardener, you can’t-”
She didn’t stop to listen to what he thought she could and couldn’t do. She’d been forced to do that for long enough – no more. She left the shop floor, left the whispering customers and the gawking cashier and Rue, wonderful and bewildered Rue, as she hurried down the stairs, across the ground floor with its discounts and featured items, and didn’t stop until she had left the emporium and rounded the corner down the street, where she finally stumbled to a halt and caught herself on a lamp post.
“Oh, rats.”
She gulped, trying to keep breathing. What had she done, quitting on him like that? An alternative?Really?
Eyes wide, Mira leaned against the wall of the store behind her, ignoring the worried glances of passers-by, and stared at the overcast sky. Well. Seeing as he had insisted that they do it out on the shop floor, the cat was definitely out of the bag. No mutual, awkward pretending that this had never happened. If the news didn’t reach senior management by closing today, she would be rather surprised. So she really didn’t have a job anymore, did she.
She blinked as a flock of pigeons passed overhead. No, she didn’t have a job – but she did have a shop.
I guess I’ll consider it after all, Uncle Lochlin.
Four
WhenMirashutthelid on the suitcase, it felt like she was closing her own coffin. Which was perhaps a tad dramatic, but nonetheless, it very much punctuated what had been two weeks of frantic activity as she was trying to up and reorganise her entire life.
“I labelled all the book boxes.” Gemma strolled into the room. “Are you taking all of those on the train?”
“No.” Mira pressed her hands on the lid of the suitcase to hide how much they were shaking. “They’ll be shipped to Emberglen, my mother is taking care of that.” Begrudgingly. As she had let Mira know many times. “Just put them by the door with the other boxes.”
Gemma waltzed back out again with a nod, and after a moment of wrestling her nerves under control, Mira followed. Rue was already busy stacking the neatly labelled boxes along the wall of the tiny kitchen and living room. There wasn’t much here. Most of the furniture had come with the apartment, including – regrettably – the bed. The mattress, at least, was hers, and would arrive some time next week with the rest, soshe wouldn’t have to spend too many nights on the old couch. It had taken days for her back to stop feeling sore after she’d come home.
What was left were her books, some seasonal clothes she wouldn’t bother stuffing in a suitcase, and a few more personal odds and ends. Nothing she would need immediately, so after some prodding, her mother had agreed to send it to Emberglen once Mira was at the house to receive it.
