Her reputation is very well known throughout the community and is synonymous for being ‘one of those’ difficult kind of women. I, being from a different community, outside of The Village had no idea, but was very quick to find out. I was referred to her by a friend who’s intentions were golden because she too was from outside The Village and did not know the extent of Queen-stein’s way.
An interview was scheduled and I met with the P & Q-stein. The interview went well and was full of fluff and empty promises for a promising future that would never come. Towards the end of our first meeting Penis-stein gave me some “fatherly advise” about my resume. It was a modern format where your contact information is located at the bottom of the page. He did not pay attention to that detail and advised that contact information should be somewhere on the resume. I then informed him that it was and that he had just overlooked it.
The second interview was different and very nonconventional. I was asked to manually write a merchandise ticket, a sales ticket and to gift wrap a package. Now, is it just me or can most people old enough to drive do these things? I am a college educated adult who has been in the workforce for almost a decade and this was my second interview. The job at hand solely depended on my handwriting and gift wrapping skills! At the end of this session I was asked in the office and offered a position and a salary. I accepted. I can only say in my defense that I was blinded at the time by the sweetness of a 9:30 to 6 workday and rarely a Sunday. Anyone ever working in retail knows that this is a very desirable schedule. I’ve even heard it referred to as Retail Heaven.
In the beginning, I thought it was odd that everyone was so concerned about how my day was and how I liked my job. It may too have been the way that they asked in such an inquisitive way. For several days, I just thought that everyone was being so kind and welcoming. In hindsight I realize that these were red flags and I being so naive missed every single one of them!
At first, it was all nice and way too easy. You’ve heard the phrase “Too good to be true.” That’s exactly what it was. I went from being treated to lunches at least once a month and small treats here and there to being reprimanded for using expensive ribbon on a sale package. Expensive being defined as ribbon that she purchased versus ribbon that was provided to her from the store that we co-habited within.
There was one instance in particular that I consider the beginning of the end. I had only been working for a few months and it was getting close to holiday time. She was in her office and I was helping a customer with some sale merchandise. The customer requested that the purchase be gift wrapped so after ringing the sale I began wrapping. She came out of her office and saw the customer that I was helping and saw that I was wrapping a gift. She looked at the ticket to see what I had sold as I was finishing the bow. I gave the customer their package, thanked them for coming in and wished them a happy holiday. As they exited the store she turned, looked at me and snapped,
“I know them. That was sale. You used the wrong paper and too much ribbon and you gave them a sticker. Sale items should be wrapped in store paper not my paper and store ribbon not my ribbon. And they should not get a my sticker on their package! You shouldn’t wrap sale items. Don’t waste your time wrapping sale items. They can wrap it themselves. They already got a discount on it.”
Shocked and feeling like the wind had been knocked out of me, I just stood there searching for words and reason for this ridiculousness. Finally I was able to muster up an okay all the while thinking this woman is going absolutely nuts over 1/8 of a piece of tissue paper, a foot and a half of ribbon and a sticker! Are you kidding me? Shut the front door! Only after reiterating this several times to make sure that I fully understood did she then go back into her office.
About ten minutes later I greeted another customer who was also looking at the sale merchandise. She made a purchase and requested that I gift wrap the item. Still raw from just being reamed about this I politely said no and explained that I could only wrap regular priced merchandise. She said that was fine, she understood, took her package and left. Queen-stein comes out of her office and inquires about the sale. She looks at the ticket and asks if I gift wrapped the package. I answered, “No, she asked and I told her the policy.” She then tells me that I should have wrapped the package. She knows her a long time and I should always wrap her package whether it is sale or not because she likes that customer.
At this time, the appointed Store Manager, Bridget, steps up to bat for me. She has witnessed both of my reprimands and explains to Queen-stein that I am new and I was just doing as I was told. She also said that the rules that are made should apply to everyone so that there is no confusion. As Bridget is talking, Queen-stein is snarling and biting her tongue and it looked as though her head were going to detach from her body and explode into a neighboring galaxy. About half way through Bridget’s plea for me, she got cut off and reprimanded herself for arguing about the rules. She was then confronted as to whether she felt ill because she had an attitude and obviously didn’t want to be at work. Then she was told to go home. She retaliated saying that she felt fine and there was no reason to go home. She had just wanted to clarify the rules. She was not ill and she would work until the end of the day. Go Bridget!
Shortly after this confrontation, Bridget and I were summoned by Queen-stein and told that we could gift wrap using our own discretion. But at the same time being told to only use the ‘good’ ribbon and paper for regular merchandise only, unless it was a finer piece of sale merchandise. These packages were allowed a sticker too. Lucky them.
That day was the first of many days that her true colors came out and were visible through her wardrobe of black. And on several occasions after this, the rules of gift wrap were amended. The gift wrap rule and all of the rules, I quickly learned, could be changed at the drop of dime. I attribute this particular incident as the one where the hatred of my job truly began to take root.
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