Read Online The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere - Free Book Online

not?” Marshall asked, annoyed.
    Jason looked up from the screen. “I didn’t think—” He stopped.
    Marshall waited for him to finish. “What? You didn’t think it was import—?”
    â€œNo,” Jason said, cutting him off. “I just assumed he’d either—”
    â€œDo you listen when someone speaks or just wait for your turn to talk?”
    Jason paused, waiting. “I just assumed he’d come back or call you.”
    â€œWhat’s the greeter’s name at the front of the store today?”
    Jason shrugged, thinking. “I came in the back way today.”
    Marshall stepped up to his office and pulled open a file drawer. “I need you to take a quiz,” he said. “It’s information about the store.” He sat at his desk and stapled two sheets of paper together, writing something at the bottom of the second sheet. “If you pass this you’ll receive your check for theweek.” He delivered the test to Jason. “If you don’t, I’ll keep your check until you do pass it.”
    Jason took the papers from his grandfather, smiling. “You’re kidding, right? I’ve been running around this store since I was a kid. I’m pretty sure I know everything there is to know.”
    â€œYou probably do,” Marshall said. “But this is something new employees always take and you are a new employee.”
    Jason put the test in front of him and grabbed a pencil, reading the first question out loud. “When was Wilson’s established?” He wrote “1969” and looked up at Marshall. “The fortieth anniversary banner in the front window kind of gives that away.” Marshall smiled and stepped up to his office. Jason’s pencil flew over the page:
The building was originally a mercantile in the early 1900s, then a law firm, the town library, and a bank in the fifties
. He’d heard his grandparents talk about the building for years.
Marshall and Linda Wilson, store founders
. Jason thought this was ridiculous. A plaque with the store mission hung on the wall in front of him and he laughed as he copied it onto the paper. Jason turned the paper over for the tenth question: What is the name of our maintenance supervisor? “What?” Jason said, flipping the paper over to look for more questions. “Whatever.” He scribbled the name
Ted
down and took the quiz to Marshall.
    Marshall put on his reading glasses and scanned the test. “You remembered everything about the building,” he said.“That’s impressive.” He turned the paper over, glanced at the name for the tenth question, and threw the sheets on his desk. “I’ll be keeping your check.”
    â€œWhy? Because of that last question? I know you don’t do that for regular employees.”
    Marshall flipped open a product catalog on his desk. “You’re not a regular employee.”
    Jason laughed. “Why should I know his name?”
    â€œWhy shouldn’t you?”
    â€œOkay, obviously I would know his name if I was here longer.”
    Marshall walked to his filing cabinet and stuck the catalog somewhere in the back of it. “Would you? What’s the lady’s name who lugged your suitcase through the store for you?”
    Jason shook his head and laughed. “Denise.”
    â€œWrong,” Marshall said. “She has a name. Learn it. Learn who the head of maintenance is.” Marshall handed the quiz to Jason. “You can try again in a few days. I’m headed down to security and I need you to pick up Judy’s car from Patterson’s.”
    â€œWhy is her car there?” Jason asked, annoyed. First he was taking a ridiculous test and then running errands.
    â€œThe woman who gave Judy CPR drove her car there.”
    â€œWhy?”
    Marshall picked up a stack of mail and sifted through it.
    â€œBecause she had the frame of mind to think that Judy