Prompt: A Sales Manager Has Enough

Words: Australia, faith, gullet, customer, butterfly, headlight, badger, shoreline, mountain, owl

Story

“We’re going to be pushing the new line of outdoor themed everything to every customer.”

“What’s that even mean?”

Gloria stared at the twenty-something in the company floor staff in the giant nametag reading Faith. “Really? You’ve been a customer service rep here for over a year. Be smarter.”

Faith’s eyes grew round and her chin quivered. The other staff all whispered and grumbled, horrified. Something snapped in Gloria.

“Look, y’all, we’re here to sell mountain-scented candles, owl bowls, and badger blankets. If you don’t get that then find someplace else to be stupid. Do a butterfly migration to Australia Trading Company or some other hippie consumer store. I don’t care anymore. In fact, I don’t care. I quit. I’m done figuring out if that’s a light at the end of the retail tunnel or a train headlight. I’m done. Do this without me.”

Gloria stormed out, leaving open-mouthed astonishment. She may have flipped off the security cameras on the way out. Hours later she stood on the shoreline, breathing salt-tinted air.

“Got anything else stuck in your gullet?”

She didn’t even look at the voice. “Craw. The phrase is ‘stuck in your craw’. And no. That was fun.”

“Good. Time to do your magic on another chain.”

“How many more, Jeff?”

“Until all the retail world is ours.”

Word Count: 219

Written: 10/17/18