Monday morning marked Paige’s first full week at work. Things felt almost normal, though it still hurt to head home every night to her parents’ empty house. She was washing out her coffee pot when Clarissa arrived and began to scrub everything that didn’t move. As she wiped at the counter for at least the tenth time, Paige walked over and put her hand on Clarissa’s arm. “Is everything okay?”
Clarissa continued to rub at an imaginary spot. “You ever heard of Parrish Apothecary?”
“Yeah. Isn’t that a boutique pharmacy? Great service but higher prices, and doesn’t take insurance?”
“Milton Parrish is coming in today. The Milton Parrish. He’s part owner of this store along with my grandfather, but he’s never actually been here before. He’s also sole owner of the Parrish Apothecary chain. He’s decided to sell franchise rights to a select few people, and I want to be one of them.”
Paige nodded. “Got it. Something special you want me to do?”
Clarissa straightened the Zithromax Z-Paks on the shelf. “Tidy up anything that needs it. When he’s here, provide your best service and try to look happy.”
Paige saluted. “I’ll give it my best.”
Clarissa did not acknowledge the attempt at humor. Instead, she looked toward the door and began to drum her fingers on the counter. “I hope Dawn shows up wearing something halfway nice today. I told her to dress her best, but looking back, I think I should have been more specific.”
“Maybe she’ll surprise you.” In truth, Paige had never seen Dawn in anything besides faded jeans and wrinkled shirts, but now was not the time to say as much.
When Dawn arrived at ten after nine, quite early by her standards, she was wearing a long khaki skirt and a black turtleneck sweater. “If either one of you says a word about these clothes, you’re dead. Let’s just understand that up front.”
Clarissa snickered. “Can I ask just one question?”
“Ask at your own risk.”
“Did that actually come from your closet, or did you borrow it from someone?”
“My closet, unfortunately. My mother gave it to me for high school graduation, she just knew it was the perfect ensemble to wear to job interviews.” Dawn looked down and grabbed a fistful of skirt at the side seam. “Personally, I wouldn’t want to work for anyone who would hire a person wearing something this boring, but you did say the most conservative thing in my closet, and this is it. Now, I’m going to listen to the refills so I can hide in the back. I’d die if any of my friends came into the store today and saw me in this.”
By the time noon arrived, everything in the pharmacy had been rearranged at least twice. Clarissa had grown increasingly agitated and short-tempered, obsessively staring at the door. Paige tried offering a word of comfort here and there but nothing seemed to get through. Finally, Lee Richardson walked in, followed by a distinguished-looking man in a gray suit.
“Here he is now,” Clarissa hissed. She looked from Paige to Dawn, took a deep breath, and smoothed her hair. “Best foot forward, everyone.”
The two men walked through the front end of the store aisle by aisle, talking the whole time, pointing at things, gesturing. Every now and then, snatches of phrases like “profit margin,” “lower overhead,” and “liability” could be heard, with an occasional bit of laughter.
A steady flow of customers kept Paige too occupied to worry much about what they were doing. When they finally stepped up into the dispensing area, they ignored Paige and Clarissa altogether and continued their tour as if no one else was even there.
“This is a terrific layout.” Milton Parrish’s voice came from the back of the pharmacy.
“Clarissa is the one who designed it all. She told me what she wanted done, I just followed orders.” There was a moment of quiet before he continued, “Tell you what, Milton, the girl’s got a keen eye for efficiency. We could use her in the construction business if she ever gets tired of pharmacy.” There was no mistaking the pride in Lee Richardson’s voice.
Paige looked at Clarissa, who was typing at the computer. Her face remained serious, but her eyes began to sparkle.
Paige concealed a thumbs-up from the men’s view, and Clarissa actually smiled at her.
“This place is well done, no doubt about it,” Milton Parrish said. “Let’s just pull up a couple of chairs, sit back, and watch awhile. I always seem to learn the most that way.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Clarissa turned toward Paige and opened her eyes wide. Panic time.
Paige picked up a pen and wrote, It’s going to be fine, slid it across for Clarissa to see, then tossed it in the trash before working on the next prescription in line. And then the next. And the next.
After what seemed like hours, the men finally stood up and walked into the back room.
Paige grasped Clarissa’s wrist and squeezed. “The pharmacy’s been busy all day, the patients have all been happy, Mr. Parrish is impressed with your layout. Sounds like things are looking good for you.”
Clarissa looked at her. “I . . . hope so.”
The store’s front door opened. An obese young woman in too-small clothes entered the store, a sticky-faced baby on her hip. The woman never lifted her eyes above the bottom row of shelves.
“Oh, no. Look what’s coming. This is just what we need right now.” Clarissa looked at the door to the back room. “Get her out of here as fast as you can.”
Paige met the woman at the counter. She looked at the prescription and cooed at the baby. “You must be Jonas. Don’t worry, we’ll have you feeling better in no time. And it’ll taste good, too.” She nodded to the mother. “It’ll be just a few minutes. Please, take a seat.”
“Be right back.” Clarissa disappeared into the bathroom with a hairbrush in her hand.
Paige measured distilled water and poured it into the bottle of powder. When she shook it, a thick pink liquid took form. She attached the label and the refrigerate and shake well sticker and dropped it into a bag. She walked to the counter. “Okay, Jonas’s prescription is ready.”
Lee Richardson and Milton Parrish came back into the pharmacy. They took a seat at the back desk, looking over some sort of sketches.
The mother wearily approached the counter.
“Here’s a dropper. Fill it to this line.” Paige showed the woman the half-teaspoon mark. Keep it in the refrigerator, and be sure to give it a good shake before each dose. Okay?”
The woman nodded. “Thanks.”
Paige reached out to touch the baby’s soft cheek. “Good-bye, Jonas. I hope you feel better soon.”
The mother walked away, her steps heavy and slow. Still, she turned to give Paige a little wave before she walked out the door.
Clarissa came out of the bathroom relieved to see the woman and her baby leaving before her grandfather and Milton Parrish came from the back room. She walked up beside Paige and nodded toward the door, thankful to be able to let out a little steam. “People like that drive me crazy.”
“People like what?”
“You know. Charity cases. All the extra paper work makes our lives miserable, and for what? I’m at work, why isn’t she?”
“Maybe she does work. My grandmother was a sharecropper and she worked harder than most anyone. She was on welfare because she didn’t make enough to keep food on the table and her medical bills paid, but she was a great lady. The greatest I’ve ever known.” Paige looked again toward the door and blinked hard.
“Well said.” Milton Parrish’s voice came from directly behind them. “Every customer deserves respect, no matter their financial situation.”
Clarissa cringed. When had they come out of the back room? “Of course. I simply meant . . .” She looked toward her grandfather, her eyes wide.
“We’ve always valued hard work in our family. Haven’t we, Clarissa?” He smiled at her then turned toward Milton. “Sometimes that translates a little harshly when spoken aloud.”
“Yes, it does.” Milton Parrish turned and smiled at Paige. “You did a fine job. You’re the kind of pharmacist that makes me proud to be in the profession.”
“I told you she was good, didn’t I?” Clarissa’s grandfather smiled proudly at Paige.
What? Clarissa looked at her grandfather and pasted on the biggest smile he’d likely ever seen. “Granddad, you are so right. I just think she’s the greatest.”
“See, I told you it wouldn’t take long until you agreed with me.” He nodded toward Milton Parrish. “Shall we go get some dinner?”
“Sounds good.” He shook Paige’s hand. “A real pleasure to meet you, young lady. I can see that you measure up to the great things I’ve been hearing.” Then he turned to Clarissa and shook her hand. “You’ve put in a lot of hard work here, just make certain you don’t lose sight of the customers behind it all.”
“Thanks for the reminder.” Clarissa smiled and shook his hand, pretending as she never had before.
Somewhere behind her, Paige wasn’t having to fake her smile. Well, she’d better enjoy it now, because never again would she be shown to be anything but inferior. Clarissa would make certain of that.