Unwanted Heat

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I blindly slap my alarm clock, groaning when I see that time says it’s four am. My muscles whine as I push myself into a sitting position and demand at least a few more hours of sleep. I worked more than twelve hours yesterday and despite that I couldn’t fall asleep until close to midnight, thanks to my incredibly loud neighbors who thought it would be a good night to have a party. I think the only reason I finally fell passed out was from pure exhaustion because the noise level certainly didn’t decrease.

Thankfully today I am only working at the bakery so by early afternoon I should be back at home where I can hopefully take a nap. I swear if the department store calls me this afternoon I may be tempted to ignore the call because I don’t think I could make it through another twelve hour day even if I wanted to. Although the tip Bridget left me after calling me in early the last time she needed something made the long day very worth it. Perhaps if she calls I will go in after all, well maybe if I can at least get a small nap in.

I take a fast shower even though my body begs me to stay in longer and let the hot water ease some of my sore muscles. As much as I would love to, the building has a very limited supply of hot water and I know from experience if I spend more than eight minutes the water will turn ice cold without warning. After learning that the hard way, I now set a timer for seven minutes so there’s no chance of ice water coming out of the shower head before I’m finished. There’s nothing worse than having that happen while you still have a head full of shampoo. Quickly dressing in a pair of jeans and my bakery shirt, I make myself a bowl of hot oatmeal for breakfast. I’m not a big breakfast person, but I know I need to put something in my stomach before I start my shift. There are days when it can be so busy that I don’t get a break until my shift is over and by then I would be starving if I didn’t eat before I started working. By the time I finish eating and my coffee is done brewing, it’s nearly four thirty, meaning it’s time to leave.

A subway, bus ride and thirty minutes later, I’m walking the last couple of blocks to the bakery and arrive one minute before my shift is due to start. I work the same shift each day so my schedule works out perfectly… even if I despise having to wake up at four in the morning. “Good Morning Ginny,” I greet the owner as I walk in.

“Morning Kenzie, how are you?”

“I’m good, thanks. What can I get started on?”

“Actually, I need to talk to you, if you have a moment?” I nod.

“Please come to my office.”

I follow Ginny back to her office… in the eighteen months I’ve been working here I haven’t been in her office, except for the day she interviewed me. I have butterflies in my stomach for some reason. I know the outcome of this meeting is not going to be a good one… I just know it.

I fear what Ginny is going to talk to me about but there is no avoiding it.

“Kenzie… there’s no easy way for me to say this,” Ginny takes a deep breath and briefly pauses. My heart is beating so loudly I’m almost certain she can hear it. “I’ve decided I’m going to retire and my daughter has invited me to come live with her in Texas.”

“I’m so happy for you Ginny! I know how much you’ve missed your daughter since she moved.”

“I have and she called me last night to let me know she is expecting, so by moving in with her, I will be able to see my grandbaby whenever I want. I can’t imagine living in New York and having her and the baby so far away.”

“Congratulations!”

“I’m going to sell this place and while I’m going to tell the new owners how wonderful each of my staff members are, I can’t guarantee they are going to keep you on once the ink dries.”

“I appreciate you putting in a good word for me.”

“Kenzie, I wish I could do more to protect your job-”

“I understand. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”

“I can’t help but worry about you, you know that. If the people who end up buying this place are morons and end up letting you go I will give you a glowing recommendation to wherever you want to go next. I’ll do anything I can to help you… you’ve come so far-”

“Thank you but I promise, I will be okay.”

She squeezes my hand across the desk and I can see the concern in her eyes. Along with a few other entry level, minimum wage paying jobs, my interview with her was set up by my case worker on my second day in New York. Ginny and I clicked almost instantly; she never asked me any questions about my past or why I moved here. She knew where I was living at the time of my interview and knew who scheduled me for the interview but she never brought it up. She instantly became like a mother figure to me -she was the type of mother I always wish I had. She makes sure I have enough hours scheduled each week and always offers any extra shifts to me instead of one of the girls who work the register. She’s the type of person who cares about everyone and doesn’t ask for anything in return.

“I’ll keep you updated on the sale of this place, but right now my attorney is reviewing offers so we are probably still a couple of months away from one being accepted and the paperwork completed.”

“Thank you, I appreciate you telling me about this.”

“Please don’t tell the other girls. I’m not ready for everyone to know just yet. I worry some of the others might jump ship and leave just you and me working all these hours.”

“I won’t say anything.”

“We have a catering order I need you to work on this morning; here’s the order information. Someone will be by around 7:30 to pick it up.”

“No problem, I’ll make sure it’s ready.”

I try not to focus on what Ginny told me; there’s not much I can but wait and see where things fall when the bakery eventually sells. I’m not going to start looking for another job because I would much rather stay here. Even though Ginny wouldn’t run this place anymore, it’s familiar to me. I know all the recipes by memory, the register is easy to use and I really like the area. We are surrounded by large office buildings in a very busy section of the city which means everyone is always on the go. There are several stores within walking distance that I can hit if I need something before catching my bus. Even though it wasn’t a tough decision, I very quickly decide to stay on with Ginny and see what happens. If the new owners decide to replace all the staff, then I will find another job. I’m pretty certain that the experience I have gained here will help me get a job at another bakery. There are several chain ones in the area and although I love the individual ownership of this place, if I have no choice I will move on.

“Kenzie!” Ginny comes around the counter a couple of hours later.

“Someone is here to pick up the PFS catering order-”

“UGH they’re early,” I sigh, glancing at my watch. “Give me a few minutes, the banana nut muffins are just about ready to come out of the oven.”

“No problem, just bring it up front when you’re done.”