*** Solana ***Mr. Gonza was now standing two feet from Solana’s table, looking quite interested in her response to his question. Had she been talking aloud? Wasn't it a symptom of madness?"Ah. Yes, sir. Everything’s alright." Solana replied quickly. "Good.Visa is down. Accept other cards and cash. Or have them use the QR code." He informed her."Got it." "Tell the others." He gestured with his head to the other cashiers before turning away. Sol nodded. A customer was now pushing his cart toward her table at the same time while the manager was walking away. The market was somewhat full now, which meant they were about to get very busy. She didn't want to forget to pass the manager's instructions to the others, so she decided now was the best time to do so."Just a moment, please." She told the customer who was now at her table and unloading his cart. Going over to the next cashier, she delivered the message. Then to the next. Moments later, she returned to her table to find Mr.

*** Solana ***Solana stood frozen by the open door to the interviewer's office. Facing the door, facing her was 'her' tall, long lash, brown-eyed stranger from Friday night. He was sitting on a large chair, a laptop open in front of him on the scanty equally large oak desk. "Come in." He said without looking up from his laptop.She considered turning around and running back down the stairs, out the lobby, and back onto the street. But she stood frozen for only a moment longer and when she lifted her legs, they carried her forward into the office. Somehow, she remembered to shut the door behind her. On shaky, nervous legs, she went to stand in front of the desk."Have a sit. Welcome." He raised his head to look at her then. His eyes did not linger. It was a very brief look before he redirected his gaze to his laptop screen. There. He saw her. If he was shocked, he was hiding it well. Totally in control of his reaction. Or did he not recognize her? She was sure she was not looking any

*** Phil ***Phil stood at the supermarket's first floor, looking below, and telling himself he ought to get back inside his office to reply to an email that was waiting- His assistant appeared with his tab.“I’m pretty sure I said phone, not tab!” He tried his best not to glower at her. She didn't move immediately. Instead, she stood slightly wide-eyed and open-mouthed. He could not tell if that was surprise or irritation on her face and he did not care at all.“Phone, Linda! Go on.” He shooed her away.The truth was he could not recall what he asked her to bring - whether it was his phone or the tablet. Maybe he expected her to read his mind and know the device he needed at that point. Phil was horribly distracted. And very irritated for no reason. He has been standing here, in front of the door leading to his office on the first floor, since he got back from his short break. From where he stood, he could see most parts of the supermarket sales floor. He could not see all the way

*** Phil ***Phil sat still at his office desk, hands crossed on his chest, laptop open in front of him. Eyes on the screen, he tried to decide how he felt about what he was staring at in his email. The voices right outside his door interrupted his thoughts. "What's this about?""I've sent him an email and I'd like to see him about it." Came the reply. "I wasn't sure about CCing you, that's why I didn't..."Why was Linda asking her too many questions? She was not a stranger here. He already knew who was waiting to see him. That voice. His eyes went back to his laptop screen and this time, he hovered his mouse on the email he had expected nearly every day since after her first month on this job.There was a knock and Linda came inside his office. "Solana wants to see you...She sent her resignation?""Let her in." He said without looking up. He opened the email finally and stared at the first sentence of the girl's resignation without reading further.In the last two days, he'd allowe

Solana sat in her new office, working on the first task Mark had given her some two hours ago. She lifted herself off her chair to steal a peek through her office glass door at the wooden door across from her office. The boss' door! Looking around her large office, she wondered if it was a good thing that she didn't share the space with anyone yet. It was the same size as the boss' but had two other desks in the corner. She guessed if he hired other admin staff, they would sit there. Because her door was a see-through glass, he would see her anytime he was passing through. Anyone would. She didn't know how she felt about that. But did she have a choice?"I can do this." She whispered again while exhaling deeply. It was her second day on the job, and the meeting with her new boss this morning indicated that the job had really started. Yesterday had been such a peaceful day. She had seen Mark only once in the morning.She had used the opportunity to look around the place. She also met