Bryan nodded, though he still seemed troubled.
“Am I getting written up?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Bryan. I’m sure.”
I watched Alaric hesitate.
“Can I ask why you’re so worried?”
Bryan looked confused.
“Because of the other complaints.”
Alaric pulled out a chair.
“Let’s talk about those.”
I started to excuse myself, not wanting to intrude on an employee’s private conversation.
But Bryan surprised me.
“Can Jennifer stay? She helped me.”
Alaric asked if he was comfortable discussing his experiences in front of us.
Bryan said yes.
Then he told us something that made the afternoon feel entirely different.
He’d worked at the supermarket for almost a year.
He liked stocking shelves because he knew where everything belonged. He loved helping regular customers find things, and he was proud that he could pay his own bills.
But several customers had complained about him during the previous few months.
One said he’d kept her waiting too long.
