Read Online Tall Poppies by Louise Bagshawe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Louise Bagshawe
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expression. ‘Really. My folks kept a seven-eleven. I used to ‘ she nearly said ‘do the’, but change.d it to ‘- help with reordering and stocktaking.’
‘Yeah? You good at math?’ he asked, a slight interest creeping into his tone.
‘Top of the class. Look, why don’t you let me sit with you and sort those receipts? If you think you can use me, give me a month’s trial. If not, I’ll stop bothering you:’ She fought to keep the anxiety out of her voice.
57
He paused for a second, then nodded. ‘I guess it couldn’t hurt.’
‘I’m Nina Roth,’ Nina said, weak with relief.
‘Frank Malone,’ the old man said, shaking her hand. ‘So you understand these order forms?’
Nina started at Green Earth at six bucks an hour. She reordered stock, washed the windows, and hand-painted the storefront a cotton-candy pink. The small price list Frank kept at the counter was replaced by bold cardboard signs for special offers and discounts. Compared to the chaos of her mother’s deli, Green Earth’s simple product line was a breeze to keep track of, and soon Nina could tell her boss what was selling and what wasn’t.
‘Word got around fast, and more customers started coming in. Nina gave them all polite, efficient service, and made sure she learned the names of the regulars. Frank .was impressed.
‘How come you work so hard?’ he asked her one night, as she combed through a pharmaceutical catalogue. ‘You don’t have to stay this late. You should be out having fun.’
‘I like to work,’ Nina said truthfully.
It was true, she did like to work. She had a million ideas for improvements, and Frank Malone was eager to try them all. A widower of seven years, the store was all he had left, and Nina Roth made it an exciting, friendly, bustling place to be. As they started making a little money, he gave Nina a raise; not much, but better than nothing. Nina slaved all hours, she worked like a demon. For one thing, the bright, airy store was better than her dingy motel room. For another, she wasn’t the fun seeking type. And finally, she knew she had to make herself indispensable to Frank Malone before the inevitable happened.
It took four months.
58
‘How’s my favourite girl?’ Frank asked one morning, as Nina unlocked the front door.
‘Good. You know, Frank, we should think about
advertising. Posters round town. The local paper.’ ‘Too expensive.’
‘It’ll pay for itself in a month.’ She took off her coat and hung it in the back.
‘Well, I’m glad to see that.’
‘What?’ Nina asked, turning round.
He gestured at her stomach. ‘You’re putting on a little weight at last. It suits you, you should eat more.’
Nina braced herself. He’d have to know some time. ‘It’s not that, Frank. I’m pregnant.’ Blank astonishment. ‘You’re pregnant?’ She nodded.
The ld man’s face darkened. ‘Boyfriend’s not around?’
‘No.’ Nina’s grey eyes were expressionless, and for a moment Frank Malone felt uneasy. Nina was such a serious, determined kid. Seventeen going on forty-eight.
It was clear she was in no mood for arguments.
‘You need any help?’
‘No.’ She wondered if she was being too snappy. ‘But thanks all the same.’
When she’d picked up her meagre savings, Nina had just one thought in her head. She’d get a plac.e, find a job to cover the rent, and spend her money on an abortion. It was terrible to lose her scholarships, but she couldn’t stand it a second longer; she had to get out of Park Slope. Nina wanted a place of her own, away from her selfish parents, away from St Michael’s and the kids who laughed at her, a million miles away from Jeff Glazer. The pain of what he’d done to her was unbelievable. Jeff said she was nothing. Her parents treated her lik
nothing. Nina felt so lonely and so hurt she’d thought she would die.
There was no way she’d take a c6nt from Jeff. In his world, money bought everything,
‘Yeah? You good at math?’ he asked, a slight interest creeping into his tone.
‘Top of the class. Look, why don’t you let me sit with you and sort those receipts? If you think you can use me, give me a month’s trial. If not, I’ll stop bothering you:’ She fought to keep the anxiety out of her voice.
57
He paused for a second, then nodded. ‘I guess it couldn’t hurt.’
‘I’m Nina Roth,’ Nina said, weak with relief.
‘Frank Malone,’ the old man said, shaking her hand. ‘So you understand these order forms?’
Nina started at Green Earth at six bucks an hour. She reordered stock, washed the windows, and hand-painted the storefront a cotton-candy pink. The small price list Frank kept at the counter was replaced by bold cardboard signs for special offers and discounts. Compared to the chaos of her mother’s deli, Green Earth’s simple product line was a breeze to keep track of, and soon Nina could tell her boss what was selling and what wasn’t.
‘Word got around fast, and more customers started coming in. Nina gave them all polite, efficient service, and made sure she learned the names of the regulars. Frank .was impressed.
‘How come you work so hard?’ he asked her one night, as she combed through a pharmaceutical catalogue. ‘You don’t have to stay this late. You should be out having fun.’
‘I like to work,’ Nina said truthfully.
It was true, she did like to work. She had a million ideas for improvements, and Frank Malone was eager to try them all. A widower of seven years, the store was all he had left, and Nina Roth made it an exciting, friendly, bustling place to be. As they started making a little money, he gave Nina a raise; not much, but better than nothing. Nina slaved all hours, she worked like a demon. For one thing, the bright, airy store was better than her dingy motel room. For another, she wasn’t the fun seeking type. And finally, she knew she had to make herself indispensable to Frank Malone before the inevitable happened.
It took four months.
58
‘How’s my favourite girl?’ Frank asked one morning, as Nina unlocked the front door.
‘Good. You know, Frank, we should think about
advertising. Posters round town. The local paper.’ ‘Too expensive.’
‘It’ll pay for itself in a month.’ She took off her coat and hung it in the back.
‘Well, I’m glad to see that.’
‘What?’ Nina asked, turning round.
He gestured at her stomach. ‘You’re putting on a little weight at last. It suits you, you should eat more.’
Nina braced herself. He’d have to know some time. ‘It’s not that, Frank. I’m pregnant.’ Blank astonishment. ‘You’re pregnant?’ She nodded.
The ld man’s face darkened. ‘Boyfriend’s not around?’
‘No.’ Nina’s grey eyes were expressionless, and for a moment Frank Malone felt uneasy. Nina was such a serious, determined kid. Seventeen going on forty-eight.
It was clear she was in no mood for arguments.
‘You need any help?’
‘No.’ She wondered if she was being too snappy. ‘But thanks all the same.’
When she’d picked up her meagre savings, Nina had just one thought in her head. She’d get a plac.e, find a job to cover the rent, and spend her money on an abortion. It was terrible to lose her scholarships, but she couldn’t stand it a second longer; she had to get out of Park Slope. Nina wanted a place of her own, away from her selfish parents, away from St Michael’s and the kids who laughed at her, a million miles away from Jeff Glazer. The pain of what he’d done to her was unbelievable. Jeff said she was nothing. Her parents treated her lik
nothing. Nina felt so lonely and so hurt she’d thought she would die.
There was no way she’d take a c6nt from Jeff. In his world, money bought everything,
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