There Must Be A Way

[RHYS SPRINTER]

Employee files were dangerous things. He'd only been at this for three hours and he already had a plethora of paper cuts. His hands were on fire and he still hadn't found what he was looking for.

Rhys sighed, and reached for his treat box. The first layer of cream cheese frosted brownies had already been demolished, and he paused in his selection, debating whether to have another or a powdered donut hole.

Through the door to his office, the jingle of the door sounded, drawing his eyes back to the CCTV screens mounted on his wall. That tall, lanky fellow that was still new enough for not have a Rhys Sprinter-issued nickname, popped up from behind the counter, cheeks bulging, as a short middle aged woman hobbled in. Hobbled, because she had far too many bags in her hands, on her shoulders, and wrapped around her waist. Rhys shook his head, and turned his attention back to his employee.

This... he flipped through his files...Jacob Harlow person was a bit of an enigma. He was a good worker. Came in on time and only spent the minimum of time on his break, and most of the customers seemed to like him. Case in point, Madame Bag Lady herself. She didn't like anyone, Rhys knew, because she gave him nasty looks every time he worked the front end.

Jacob was also guilty of decadent theft. Rhys had watched the man since the beginning of his shift that morning. Jacob had 'opened' the store, while Rhys sat comfy in his plush office chair with his desk loaded with all the sweet pastry snacks he could hoard in between the hours of 5 and 7 am. Since then, Jacob had eaten four cupcakes, seven brownies and an entire cream filled croisant. Rhys didn't know quite how he felt about that. On one hand, stealing was wrong. Stealing his merchandise was even wronger. On the other hand, the man obviously had a sweet tooth that rivaled Rhys' own.

And that could take him places.

Decided, Rhys rose from his chair, scooted around the several shoulder high stacks of baked sweet treat goodies and wrenched open the door, just as Madame Bag Lady left.

"Hey, you. Tall and Gangly. In my office, yeah?"

[JACOB HARLOW]

Jacob sighed when he heard the door open behind him, after he held the door open for Badame Bag Lady. Shit. Boss was here, and probably watching him pound-down the sweets. He knew this would happen one day. So once he shut the door behind the woman, he carefully flipped the lock on the store, and flipped the sign, indicating a break. There wasn't anyone else down there, manning the store. And while he was getitng fired--he didn't want anyone to come in without being greeted.
The gangly man leaned over to his backpack behind the register, pulling out a check-book, and headed to the boss-man's office.

"Look--I know what you saw, right? I swear though, check it out." He paused just next to Rhys, and flipped through the checkbook, where there were receipts for each snack that he had taken since he started working, charged at full price--instead of employee discount. He then reached into his pocket, pulling out a paper that read:

Cupcakes (4)
Brownie (7)
Crossaint (1)

He was marking down each one he had taken, with the prices scratched next to it. Jacob looked tired--after all. The morning shift had been a bit crazy, people coming in for their breakfast sweets. And Jacob was having to man the store, when there were supposed to be two other people working the shift with him. Not only was he having to prepare drinks, and get orders; now the Bossman had caught his Grand Theft Sweetness. Though...it was hardly theft if he paid for it, right?

Worst the boss could do was fire him. The nicest the boss could do---was just warn him not to do it again. "And uh, names Jacob Harlow." He held out his long fingers for a hand-shake, "Or Jake."

[RHYS SPRINTER]

Eyebrows rising to his hairline, Rhys reclined in his squashy chair, plucking a donut hole from a nearby box. This was better than he thought it would be. The guy was actually confessing to his crimes, even had receipts and everything. Plus he was wiling to pay full price. That was funny. Incredibly so, since the guy wasn't even in trouble.

Still, it was another thing to add to his list of "Things He Liked About This Jacob Fellow".

He bit into his treat, chewing slowly, all the while gazing at his wayward employee. He sort of hoped the guy would get nervous as a result of being subjected to Rhys' intense stare for so long, and on the other hand he didn't. The guy was nearly as old as he was, and seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. And, though al his common sense told him not to, Rhys was willing to take a chance with him, regardless of the awful way the last chance he took turned out.

Tyler Coor was going to die a painful death by his hands.

He bet Jacob thought he was going to be fired. The thought made him grin.

Slipping the remainder of the powdered donut hole back into its box, he folded his hands on his stomach, and smirked.

"I think I like you."

He'd bet his entire company the guy was shocked out of his mind.

[JACOB HARLOW]

The boss did make him slightly nervous, with that stare of his. But Jacob was good at staring back, and appearing completely unbothered. He just blinked, and stared back at Rhys. This was starting to feel like a mexican stand-off. Especially since Rhys just started smiling out of nowhere.

Jacob looked to the left, then to the right slowly, then raised one thick brow high. How exactly...crazy was the guy he was working for, anyway?

"Uhh..." Jacob was shocked, but for a completely different reason. "Look, um. I don't really, go that way." Jacob winced, "But you know, I support people who do, to each their own, and everything. But uh, shouldn't you tell that to the pink-haired chick that like...drops lunch off for you sometimes? She seems to kinda got it for ya, and if she knew...well better late than never, right?" Jacob rambled.

He could just imagine Cleo laughing her little ass off at the situation. Jacob reached up to scratch the back of his head, his full lips twisting to the side slightly, "I'm sorry man, I just don't feel the same way. Especially considering I've never really talked to you, uh, before."

[RHYS SPRINTER]

For one complete minute, Rhys stared.

Then, he burst out laughing. That was funny as hell. "I cannot believe you just said that." And he couldn't. Nd the guy had a perfectly straight face, except he looked a tad bit uncomfortable, like he was really selling the joke. Rhys snorted, and shook his head.

"Have a seat, man." He gestured to the lone straight-backed chair in his office, stuffed into a tiny slot of space between a wall and a filing cabinet. "First things first," he said, once he had calmed down, "I'm perfectly straight, and that pink-haired beauty you spoke about is all mine. Don't forget it. And, anyway, even if I were, I don't think you" he gestured at all of the man standing in front of his desk, "would be my type. Now..." He trailed off, flipping through the discarded pile of employee files for the guy's information. Not that he wanted to know much more than he already did.

"I see you like sweets. Want to tell me a bit more about that?"

Not that Rhys really wanted to know... By his reasoning, Jake was good company. If he was the sort of guy who knew and acted on it, however...

That was a different question.

[JACOB HARLOW]

Poor Jake was really confused when Rhys started to laugh . He took a seat slowly, and managed to sort of drape himself in the chair. Though it was straight-backed, the lank man made it look as though it were the most comfortable lounge chair in all of the world. He put one foot on the edge of her chair, and draped his arm over his knee. He grinned, bright a full, small dimples making their appearance on his cheeks. “Well that’s good to know, had me worried for a second there, man.”

He was called up to the boss’s office…to tell him why he liked sweets. He had heard some of the staff murmuring that Rhys Sprinter was crazy—now he was seeing it first hand. “Dude, look at me.” Jake pointed to himself with a long finger, “I weight all of half a pound, I can touch ceilings if I jump, and no matter what I eat, I don’t gain anything.” He leaned back, patting his flat stomach a few times, before slouching back over.

“So why not fill up on junk, you know? Plus, I have an old friend from way back when, who’s got a killer sweet tooth. She kinda conditioned me into liking them too. These were some of the best that I’ve found so far.” He explained with a shrug, treating it simply, casually. He didn’t take them as seriously, as say, Rhys, however he did know a good treat when he came across one. And these were definitely good.

[RHYS SPRINTER]

"Hmm."

He didn't have much to add to that, or any more questions to ask. At this point it was pretty straight forward, either he hire the guy, or send him back to the counter. But he was being sent back to the counter even if Rhys did hire him, but that was besides the point.

"Let me tell you what I'm up against." Rhys shifted back into his chair, and polished off another two donut holes before speaking. You were here when I promoted Squire to manager. or, at least you were at work when he came in and I gave him that badge. The thing is, I made a mistake with that kid, and now I'm paying for it. I have to sort through all the employees here at this store and re-interview them, find out who Squire infected with his nasty, because it won't be tolerated here." He shifted, reaching for a box behind him. Ooh, Jelly donuts.

"You, on the other hand, seemed to have slipped through the cracks. As far as I can tell you're pretty much clear, unless there's something you want to tell me..."

He liked to trail off meaningfully like that. It put people on the edge.