"I’m sorry, Ms. Davies. I really am!"

"Sorry doesn’t recoup our losses for the night, now does it?"

"No, Ms. Davies."

"I’m sorry to have to do this, but I think we’re going to have to let you go. You’ve left me no other option"

"No! Please, I’m so sorry. I have no idea how my register came up so short! But I really need this job, I can’t lose it."

"Employees must be held accountable for their actions, Ms. Carlin"

"Please don’t fire me! I’ll do anything!"

These were the words Ashley Davies had been waiting to hear. Of course Spencer didn’t know why her register was short, because she couldn’t have known that Ashley had removed $300 while Spencer was on break. The corners of her mouth fashioned upwards as a cruel smile formed.

"Anything, Spencer?"

"Yes, anything!" The girl was frantic. She pulled at her cuticles nervously. She continued, "I’ll work weekends, holidays, doubles, whatever it takes."

"I’m glad to hear you value your job, young lady,"Ashley stepped around to the front of her desk and leaned against it, her legs inches away from Spencers. Spencer straightened up, uncomfortable with her boss’s closeness is the already tiny office. "But I was thinking you’d have to do a little more than that to make up for this serious error"

Spencer pressed her hands against themselves and tucked hem in between her knees. Her shoulders hunched up and she could hear her breath fill the eerily silent office. The florescent lights caught the reflective strips on her tennis shoes and she turned them out of the glare.

"I’m not sure I get what you mean"

Ashley leaned forward and put her manicured hand on Spencer’s knee. Spencer tensed up even more.

"You’re a beautiful girl, Spencer"

"Thank you." Spencer said quietly, studying the seams on her jeans very carefully. Ashley put her hand under Spencer’s chin and raised her face deliberately, slowly, so they were looking in each other’s eyes.

"I can think of some other ways a beautiful girl like yourself could make up for a mistake" Spencer’s eyes widened and flashed with recognition.