"Leave me alone! What do you want?" Rouge cried out and stumbled backward into a shelf of handbags. The man didn't move. He just stared, wide-eyed and still.
He couldn't move, Rouge realized. He wasn't a man. He was a mannequin.
She took a deep breath in and let it out. Her throat felt dry. She was still shaking.
"Rouge, you're an idiot," she said aloud, her voice sounding small in the enormous, empty store. She suddenly felt like laughing.
Of all the stupid fools. I backed into a mannequin and nearly scared myself to death!
Feeling a little better, but still scolding herself for being weak, she stepped through the open door of the employee's elevator. The door slid closed behind her, and she pressed the button for the sixth floor.
She felt nearly normal as she stepped onto the floor of the luxurious executive offices. The lights were all on, recessed into the dark fabric-covered walls lined with large modern paintings. Fresh flowers stood in tall vases on the plush maroon carpet. Rouge passed the reception area with its leather couches and chairs and followed the hallway toward the president's office in the corner.
To her left stood a wide balcony that looked down on all five floors of the store. As she passed it, Rouge peered over at the eerily silent store.
A bank of security monitors, an entire wall of TV screens, stood adjacent to Mr. President's office, and to Rouge's surprise, the monitors were on still, creating a low electrical hum that grew louder as she approached.
How odd, she thought. Those screens are usually turned off up here after closing.
She didn't have long to think about this. Suddenly the door to the president's office swung open, and a man in a blue uniform came busting out, colliding with Rouge.
"Oh!" she cried. She recognized the man at once. It was Chris thorndyke's dad, the store's head of security. "Mr. Thorndyke!"
He glared at Rouge angrily, his dark eyes wild, his face and hair bright red. "Excuse me," he said curtly and strode off without a glance back.
Still shaken, Rouge saw the president appear in the office doorway.
His face usually lit up when he saw Rouge. But now his expression was troubled. "Come in," he said, sighing wearily.
"Mr. President, what's going on?" Rouge asked, following him into the bright office. "Why did Mr. Thorndyke come bombing out like that?"
She sat down in a leather chair that faced the president's blond-wood desk.
"What a day."
"So what's Mr, Thorndyke's problem?" Rouge asked, speaking to the president's back. "He practically knocked me over."
"I just fired him," Mr. President said, not turning around.
"Huh?" The president's words took Rouge by surprise. Mr. Thorndyke had been head of security for as long as she could remember.
She knew his son Chris from Sonic's gang. He seemed like an okay kid.
"I had to let him go," Mr. President said, walking over and slumping into his leather desk chair. The chair made a soft woosh as he sank into it. Mr. President looked as if he deflated too, Rouge thought.
"This is just between you and me," the president said, leaning across the desk to speak confidentially to her, "but he was drinking on the job. With the holiday season coming up, I need someone who's going to give a hundred percent. I need someone I can rely on."
"He sure looked angry," Rouge said, remembering Thorndyke's bright red face as it had loomed over hers. "Yeah. Well… I was angry too," Mr. President said, tapping his fingers nervously on the desktop. "I guess had to fire him. I really had no choice."
"You ready to go home?" Rouge asked, losing interest in the subject.
"That wasn't the only thing that happened today," the president said, not hearing her question. "One of my Santa Clauses quit. Said his wife convinced him to move to a warmer climate. And I'm having all kinds of electrical problems. Christmas coming up in four weeks, and everything keeps shorting out."
"Why not use candles?" Rouge suggested. "The store would look beautiful by candlelight. People would love it."
"Yeah. Till it burned down," he said sarcastically. "You've always had a very practical mind, Rouge." She knew he was making fun of her, but she thanked him anyway. "only trying to cheer you up, pressy." He suddenly looked a lot older to her.
"I didn't even tell you about the troubles in my other stores."
"I can't wait," Rouge said, yawning loudly.
Mr. President laughed. "Very amusing. Okay, let's go home." He started to get up, but then sank back down in his chair. "Oh, wait. I almost forgot."
"Problems in another store?" Rouge asked.
"No. Stop being such a wise guy."
"I can't help it," Rouge cracked.
He ignored her remark. "Do you have any friends who want vacation jobs?" he asked. "I already told you you can have a job this vacation. But I need four or five stock clerks. They can work weekends and part-time till vacation. Then they can work full-time up to Christmas."
"Neat!" Rouge cried with real enthusiasm.
She thought immediately of shadow the hedgehog. I'll call Shadow as soon as I get home, she told herself, her mind whirring excitedly. He'll be so grateful that I have a job for him, he'll drop Maria without hesitating. "Thanks, pressy," she said and leaned across the desk to kiss his forehead. "That's way cool! I'll find some kids for you."
All the way home she thought about what she would say to Shadow, how she would offer him the job and let him know she was coming on to him. This should be an intresting holiday vacation, Rouge told herself. She wondered how Maria Robotnik would react when Rouge stole her boyfriend from her. Just thinking about it made Rouge smile all the way home.
What a hoot!
"Hi, Shadow?"
"Yeah. Hi. Who's this?"
"It's opportunity calling," Rouge said, twisting the phone cord between her fingers.
"Huh? Who?" Shadow had a deep voice. It really did match his good looks, Rouge thought.
"It's Rouge the bat," she said, keeping her voice low, trying to sound sultry.
"Rouge? Hi. How's it going?" He sounded very surprised to hear from her. She'd never called him before.
"It's going real well," she said, rolling her eyes. She was sitting on the chair beside her bed, her feet tucked under her. "I wondered what you were doing this Christmas. Are you going away or anything?"
It took him a while to reply. He must be trying to figure out why I'm calling, Rouge thought. She heard someone, a girl, ask him who was on the phone,
"No," he said finally, "I'm just hanging around, I guess."
"Well, the president needs workers at the store. You know, presidents in station square. I told him I'd ask some people if they wanted work. The pay is pretty good. It's part-time until vacation. Then it's full-time up to Christmas."
"Really?" he sighed.
"Think you might be interested?" Rouge asked, pleased by his voice.
"Yeah. Sure." He replied calmly. "That's great. Yeah."
"Good. I'm really glad, Shadow," Rouge purred.
"Maybe we can work together."
"You're going to work too?"
"Yes. I'd rather be on a beach or in a cave somewhere, of course. But the president always has to be around for the holidays. It's his most important time of the year. So I'm going to start working next Saturday morning. That's when you're supposed to start too – at eight-thirty."
She shifted the phone to her other ear, still coiling the wire between her fingers. "I'm looking forward to it, Shadow," she said sexily, hoping he'd catch her meaning. "I think we'll have some fun."
She could hear muffled whispering on the other end. Then Shadow came back on the line. "Uh – Rouge?"
"Yes?"
He seemed reluctant to ask his question, but he finally got it out. "Did you say you had lots of jobs open?"
"Well, I have a few," Rouge told him.
"Do you think Maria could work there too? You know Maria, right?"
Sure, I know the drippy little bleached blonde with that little-girl face who everyone thinks is just so cute, thought Rouge. Maria has about as much personality as a sponge mop.
"Sure," Rouge said. "I know her."
"Well, do you have a job for her too?" Shadow asked, sounding almost nervous. "I mean, you can say no if you want to. But I just thought -- "
No, Rouge thought.
"Yes," she said. "No problem, Shadow. I'm sure Maria can start on Saturday too."
Why not? Rouge told herself, unable to suppress a cunning smile. Having Maria there will make it even more interesting when I take shadow away from her.
"Hey, thanks," shadow said calmly. "Hold on a minute, Rouge. Maria is right here. I'll put her on."
What a thrill, Rouge thought sarcastically.
A few seconds later Maria's little-girl voice was in Rouge's ear. "Oh, thanks, Rouge. I mean, I'm so glad. Thanks."
"No problem," Rouge said. "The president needs the help, so I thought I'd --"
"Where do we go?" Maria interrupted excitedly. "I mean, what will we be doing? Selling or something?" Maria's questions gave Rouge an idea, a very mean idea. She decided to play a trick on her.
This is inspired. Inspired! She thought, laughing to herself.
"Well, Maria, wear you're very best clothes Saturday morning, okay?" Rouge told her, struggling to sound serious.
"My best clothes?" Maria sounded uncertain.
"Yeah. You know. Something really sophisticated. You've got to look right. You're going to be a salesperson at one of the perfume counters. Chanel, I think." "Really?" Maria couldn't hide her excitement. "That's great! Thanks, Rouge!"
They chatted for a few seconds more, then Rouge said she had other calls to make. Maria thanked her again, and they hung up.
Rouge jumped to her feet, laughing out loud, very pleased with herself. What a hoot! She thought. I can't wait to see Maria's face when she shows up for work in her best dress and finds out she's going to be loading shelves in the basement stockroom!
"What's so funny?" A voice startled her from her thoughts.
"Charmy!" She scolded her six-year-old friend. "Don't just come barging into my room like that."
"Why not?" he asked.
She laughed. "I don't know why not!" she said. She always found it impossible to be angry at Charmy. For one thing, with his little hat and light eyes and yellow and white skin, he looked adorable.
She also knew it had to be hard for someone his age to be growing up without a mother, just with a detective crocodile and a ninja chameleon, but it wasn't the same. She watched him bouncing on her bed, using it as a trampoline. She knew she should scold him and make him go back to his house, but she didn't feel like it.
"Hey -- not so high!" she cried.
"I'm flying!" he shouted happily.
Rouge started to think about whom else she wanted to call and offer a job. Most of the people she hung out with were going someplace warm for the holidays.
When the phone rang, Charmy let out a shriek, startling her. "Charmy -- that's enough," she said sharply. "Out. I have to answer the phone."
He bounced two more times, then leapt off the bed and disappeared out the door. Rouge picked up the phone.
"Hi, Rouge. It's Amy."
Oh, wow. It's Miss Pretty Puss, Rouge thought bitterly. Miss Sweet as Apple Pie.
Amy Rose was somewhat Rouge's friend. Rouge, in a honest moment, would have to admit that she was jealous of her friend.
With her straight pink hair, usually wearing a headband, and her flashing green eyes, Amy had a clean-cut, all good looks.
Why doesn't she wear lipstick or a little eye shadow? Rouge would wonder.
Why doesn't she do something with her hair?
But secretly -- and not so secretly -- Rouge envied her friend, envied the way people immediately liked her, envied her ease with people and all her friends. Of course she would never admit any of this to Amy. And most of the time when she thought about her friend, which was seldom, she thought of her scornfully. She was pathetic, after all, and wore the same red dress every time Rouge saw her, and acted so…. Ordinary.
"Hi, Amy. How've you been?"
"Okay. I have a cold -- but who doesn't?" Amy replied, sniffling.
I don't, Rouge thought gratefully.
"How is the president?" Amy asked.
"Pressy's fine," Rouge told her. "Kind if tired. You know. It's ShowTime at the store."
"That's what I wanted to ask you about," Amy said. "I was wondering, Rouge…" She hesitated. This was obviously difficult for Amy. "Uh -- are there any jobs available at the store? You know. For the holidays."
No way, Rouge thought, tapping her gloved fingers against the phone receiver. Who needs a pathetic, tacky friend about, making feel guilty?
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Rouge told Amy, making herself sound really upset. "I wish you'd called me last week, Amy. All the holiday jobs are taken."
I'm such a good liar, Rouge congratulated herself. I sound so broken up, even I would believe me.
"Oh," Amy replied quietly, obviously very disappointed. "I wish I had called sooner."
"What a shame," Rouge said, sighing sympathetically. "I really feel terrible, Amy." Then she brightened her tone. "Oh, well. Good to hear from you. We'll have to get together before Christmas. Say hi to the other."
Rouge replaced the receiver, a pleased smile on her face.
All in all, it had been quite a satisfying evening.
( next chapter coming and more exciting!)