Fresh Stock

This is a role play log where Matt White is seeking employment at Chen's Grocer. I don't blog every role play but I think other folks might find this one an amusing read too. I play Ushi and Sirius plays Matt. We had fun with this:)

Matt White wanders into the store hoping to check on the status of his application "Hi , is the manager around?"

Ushi Chen looks the young man up and down as if sizing him up for a fight "I'm a manager. You got a problem?"

Matt takes a step back at the scrutiny "No , I submitted an application last Friday , and was just following up on it"

Ushi  looks even more annoyed and start ripping through a pile of paper under the till drawer "Friday huh? Nobody tells me....." She finds a small stack of applications and squints at him "You're not Lisa.....or Buttface......ah...stupid kids..." she tosses the prank one into the recycling "Matt?"

Matt, feeling a little more uncomfortable , gulps and says "Yes Ma'am"

Ushi  gets out a red pen and starts making notes right on the application. She circles a few things without explanation and puts a big red X beside two others as she asks distractedly "You speak anything besides English?"

"No ma'am , just English" since he only knows a few Abenaki words , and they are on the other side of the continent

Ushi  makes another red X and then says "You're kinda small. Can you lift stuff?" with no regard for how insulting that might be sounding.

Matt nods "Yes Ma'am "

Ushi  looks around "Have you worked in a grocery store before?" she turns the application over to the blank side, now making her own illegible notations.

Matt nods "I spent about a year doing so back in my hometown in New Brunswick after school"

Ushi  nods, thinking about this and then sharply barks "Walk around with me. Let's make sure you're not a moron."

Matt  nods and follows as instructed "Yes Ma'am"

Ushi  stops at the meat department "We clean with bleach. Tell me how much you should put in a bucket."

"One part bleach to 20 parts water?"

Ushi 's expression is a mixture of mildly impressed and disappointed he didn't fail. She beckons him to the dairy cooler. The first row of whole milk has the furthest date stocked in front and the closest to expiry behind it "What did my stock boy do wrong last night here?"

"First in should be first out , otherwise product gets wasted and the store loses money"

Ushi  looks at him like he's a puppy "Good Matt. Don't get cocky, there's more." her tone flattens as the sentence ends. She moves to the produce cooler.

Matt apologizes "Sorry Ma'am , I was only trying to properly explain what was wrong and why."

Ushi  smiles a bit, but it's kind of a scary smile. She scans the lettuce which all looks great and frowns, moving to the fruit "Pick me the perfect canteloupe."

Matt  looks over the melons , comparing their colour first of all , then picks up one , notices that it is still a little too hard , puts it back down and picks up another , turns it around looking it over and notices a soft spot at the bottom , sets it apart from the others , and picks up a third one that feels not too hard but not with any noticeable spots and hands it to her "I think this one is very good Ma'am""

Ushi gives Matt a steely look and takes the melon. She turns it and sniffs the bottom and then her expression softens "Edible. Let's go back to the front. I'm going to call one of your references while you wait and then I'll decide."

Matt  heads back to the front of the store , and moves over by the wall to stand and wait patiently , without leaning on the wall , giving her space to do as she needs to , in case customers or clerks need her for something while he waits.

Ushi  looks around and randomly picks one of the people on his list. Her side of the conversation goes like this "Hi, this is Ushi Chen. Matt White has you as a reference and wants to work in my store." She waits and then looks impatient "Yeah yeah yeah...that's fine. I only have a few questions. Did he steal, did he show up drunk or high and is he a pain in the ass?" She waits, laughing at the confusion of the person at the other end "You want to work with a pain in the ass? OK, whatever....I got what I need lady." She puts the phone back on the receiver without so much as a goodbye "Bit of a freak eh? So Matt, you still want the job?"

Matt looks uncomfortable again but knows he needs something to keep money coming in and knows he can handle the work , if not the comments "Yes Ma'am , if it pleases you"

Ushi  gives Matt a look as if to express there's not much in the world that pleases her at all but then nods "You'll do. I'll get you an apron. Wear a white shirt and black pants. You'll start on stock and train your way around if you don't screw it up." She slides the application back across the counter "Write your social insurance number on here so I can pay you. Can you start today at 4? Truck comes in at 3. You'll have lots to unpack."

Matt nods "Yes ma'am" comes over and writes his s.i. number down "I will be here a few minutes before 4 ma'am"

Ushi  takes the paper back "See you then Matt." It's not in any way a warm welcome but it's her way.