Tag Archives: Cigar Shop

I’ve Underestimated My Charm (Again)

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And it was back to work for me. Made it a point not to take a Xanax and for most of the day it was the right thing to do. It was an easy enough day, nothing really stressful for the most part. Woke up a few minutes later, mainly because I just wanted to spend some extra time in bed.

Bill had headed off to work as usual and hour before I even considered waking up. But Neil Diamond’s Crackling’ Rosie did get me out of bed. Was it a sign? An omen? I showered and did my thing, breakfast, coffee and email. Nothing groundbreaking there.

I did stop by the bibliothèque on the way to the bus stop. I was at the bibliothèque yesterday and saw a Bettye LaVette CD in the racks and almost picked it up, but decided not to. This morning I thought it might be a good thing to bring to work, listening to Bettye LaVette interpreting British Rock & Roll classics.

But I should have picked it up yesterday since it was unavailable this morning. The problem of living in a town with hipsters in it I suppose. Still I walked over to the bus stop, letting the 10:15 bus go by once again, deciding to wait for the 10:30 bus. Uneventful ride once again.

A walk to the subway listening to David Bowie, so swishy in his satin and tat, in his frock coat and bippity boppity hat. Got to the area of the shop early again and stood around outside, killing time and talking to Bill on the phone briefly.

The day was OK mostly. I went out to lunch again, opting out of staying in for the hour to myself. A lovely hour to myself, spent on a bench by the park is miles ahead of sitting around watching TV and smoking cigars with people I just sold cigars to.

I came back, found Calvin to be quite moody. I don’t think he was able to have his alcohol after lunch. And he was only able to have an hour lunch instead of the hour and a half he usually takes. By this time it was Calvin with the new guy, Bradley and Sean. And Sean and I have been getting along famously lately.

Sean told me about how Calvin told him he didn’t like his attitude and they were thinking of cutting his hours back. I did my best to reassure him. He’s busy looking elsewhere for work, as is Don. The new guy doesn’t know any better.

A customer came in. She looked like Susie Essman, if Susie Essman was brought up in the gutter and had no wit. Calvin passed her onto me. She wanted to buy a pen and since we were standing in front of the DuPont pen section of the shop, I showed her a few of those.

How much were those pens? $300.00 and up. She asked for something less expensive, around $100.00. So I showed her some less expensive pens. She didn’t want a roller ball pen. No wait. It’s a ball point pen she didn’t want. Or was it? She wasn’t sure obviously and I dealt with her the best that I could.

She settled on a shiny silver pen, ball point for $125.00. She asked if it could come in black ink and I said sure, we could change the cartridge if she wanted. She never brought it up again. I made the sale, and started to wrap the pen for her.

Her daughter walked in, made up like a whore. She yelled at her mother for buying the wrong pen. Roller ball pen! Not ball point!

Calvin walked over and asked what the problem was. The mother turns and sees Calvin, 6’2”, shaved bald black head and melts. The daughter makes goo goo eyes at Sean. Outbreak of jungle fever! I took the necessary steps to void the sale since I saw it would go to Calvin, waving my 1/3 of 1% commission goodbye.

The mother asks Calvin if there are any cheaper pens and Calvin says yes of course there are cheaper pens and proceeds to show her less expensive pens. The mother looks at me and grabs Calvin’s shoulder making him bend down some so he can her what she’s saying about me.

I stand there and smile. I know what’s going on.

The daughter is practically drooling over Sean who doesn’t want to have anything to do with her. I walk away. The sale completed, Calvin got his commission.

I come back and Calvin says he’s mad at me. He asks what happened? Why didn’t she like my attitude? When did the situation change and I tell him. The situation changed when the daughter came in, berating her mother for buying the wrong type of pen.

I tell him, the mother wanted to see $100.00 pens so that was what I showed her. She didn’t know what she wanted and I did my best to guide her. And then I told Calvin that the mother was hot for Calvin and the daughter was hot for Sean. Just a matter of fact. I certainly didn’t care.

Calvin soon left for the day leaving Sean and the new guy and myself. I can’t get out of this place fast enough.


I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy

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Oh I slept well enough last night. The Xanax certainly helped. I was getting a bit anxious about going back to work again, one day off followed by seven straight days of work. The medication helped my mood getting up this morning.

Bill had kissed me goodbye an hour earlier as I slept, wishing me well and me mumbling for him to be careful. I wandered into the shower and glad I still had hot water. Some breakfast, coffee and checking of emails. No nibbles after pounding the pavement yesterday. Still I got over it, not much I could do.

I got the suit on, deciding to wear the same suit I wore yesterday while walking the streets. I rarely wear the same suit 2 days in a row, but I didn’t care. It’s not like anyone I work with saw me yesterday anyway. A walk to the bus stop, after getting 2 quick picks for the Mega Millions, feeling lucky I guess.

Spoke to Bill briefly before getting on the bus. He was his usually jubilant self, though of course when I call his boss always enters the picture. I sussed that it’s his way of saying he doesn’t want to talk on the phone anymore. Fine with me.

I rode into the city, walked through the bus terminal and headed into the subway, way ahead of the people I rode the bus with. Why they take the crowded route is beyond me and I do occasionally get strange stares from the people that were sitting behind me when they walk down the subway stairs and see me waiting for the bus.

I did see someone unexpected. It was a friend of Marcus, a guy who sounds like Principal Blackman from Strangers With Candy. The friend’s name is Walton and he’s an obnoxious friend of Marcus, as if Marcus would have any other type of friend.

He saw me standing there waiting for the train and asked ‘What, are you waiting for the train?’. I said yes, and seeing him with a cup of coffee, I asked, ‘What, are you drinking a cup of coffee?’ He said he was escorting his nephew back to Michigan. I remarked that I didn’t know the train went that far.

Just then another train pulled in, allowing me to make a hasty exit, saying goodbye and wishing his nephew best of luck. Got off the train, still in a good mood.

I knew I would be working with Calvin and I forgot I would be working with the new guy, Bradley. Calvin was in a good mood and Bradley was eager. I didn’t have the heart or feel it was my place to tell Bradley what a mistake he made taking this job. But he needs work and perhaps he’s better suited for this job than I am, since he’s spent 11 years working in a cigar shop somewhere else.

It was a fast day though, perhaps it was due to having fresh blood in the fish tank. Bradley did a good job and Calvin kept to himself a lot of the time.

I did point out to Bradley something that wasn’t pointed out to me until a month after I started, about having your name put on a sale on the computer so you get credit for it, and thereby earning that 1/3 of 1% commission.

The day ended, leaving me to close the store solo. While I worked I took my suit jacket off and missed a call. It was my cousin Joe who I finally reached out to, thanks to Annemarie’s prodding. Man, can she prod.

He gave me his email address and sounded like he was willing to help. I’m looking for something low level, and hopefully a Monday through Friday job. I just emailed hm a few minutes ago.

Made some jokes in the email about spam and my mother saying that I was dependable, polished and professional. I read it to Bill and he suggested taking those jokes out since it is an ‘official’ email. So I listened to Bill. For the first time in what seems like weeks, after I got Joe’s voice mail, I felt hope.

This was written with crossed fingers.