Their last hire was Derek West. He was a friend of Abraham’s cousin. Abraham confessed that he wasn’t particularly close to that cousin and had never met Derek. Abraham had reached out on Facebook about the job openings at B’s, and his cousin shared it with Derek. He showed up to the interview in ripped jeans and a leather jacket. Mel’s eyes roamed over his body with interest. Kassie could see the appeal. He was tall and fit with a bit of stubble across his strong jaw. His light brown hair was cut short, and he had bright green eyes. She glanced at him and snorted when she saw how intently Mel was checking him out. He had some experience working in retail and experience in stocking. His work history was extensive. He had held several jobs at a time in various places. His longest employment was also his current employment at an auto shop downtown. The only downfall was that he had a criminal record. He was very upfront about it.

“I was 19 and took a crowbar to my sister’s foster dad’s car. And then punched him a few times. He deserved it, though. So I won’t apologize for it.”

Alright. He was a crazy person. A fascinating, crazy person. He was sprawled casually in his seat, but Kassie could see how tightly his hands gripped his pants. His shoulders were tense, and he stared at them defiantly, ready for a fight.

She looked over at Mel, who looked a little shell-shocked.

Derek seems to sense their apprehension. “Look,” he said, leaning forward and resting his forearm on his knees. “I got a record. I’m a mess. I got a temper. But I’m a hard worker, and I need this job”.

“Why? You don’t seem like the bakery type.” Mel gave him an appreciative stare.

His face softened, the hard planes of his face loosened, and he looked almost shy as he rubbed the back of his head.

“My little sister is smart. She’s always been smart. She’s transferring from a community college to Uni. I want her to focus on class and stuff. It’s not about working. So, yeah. I don’t care about cupcakes, and I’m not really the reading type. I’m the working type, I’ll do what you need if you let me.”

Well, that was that. She was attached. Kassie was and always has been a sucker for a sob story. She can’t walk past an unhoused person when she has cash or change without handing some over. She continuously buys candies or coupon books that the kids sell to raise money for sports or whatever, it doesn’t matter. She couldn’t say no to helping someone. She was a sucker with too much empathy.

Mel was harder to impress. She was staring at him. Hard. He met her gaze, willing, welcoming her scrutiny. After a second, she looked up at Abraham, who was spying by the register. His lips twitched slightly, and he gave her a nod. She looked wholly unimpressed when she looked at Kassie. “Fine! We’re hiring the convict!”

Kassie hoped he didn’t mind the complete lack of professionalism. He would need to get used to it.