Meanwhile, back at the Buy More...
"Now, just a minute here...," Big Mike and Emmett protested in a single voice, only to be interrupted by the lawyer-type.
"There's no need to have this discussion, such as it will be, in public," Wesley began, pressing his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose. "I do believe I asked for the Assistant Manager's office, did I not?"
Big Mike actually growled. Coming from such a big man, one might expect that reaction to induce fear, but it seemed almost as if the corporate lawyer and his one-eyed 'flunky' didn't notice. The store's manager turned to the others and nearly snarled, "Get back to work!" The glare he aimed at Wesley didn't seem to bother the man at all. "This way." And then the three of them - Wesley, Big Mike, and Emmett - headed towards the back of the store.
This left the one-eyed man there, a bemused look on his face, as the employees of the Buy More broke from their positions to return to their duties (or, as more likely to be the case, goofing off).
Chuck edged away, trying to get John Casey's attention. He was trying to be sneaky about it. He was failing. Casey had moved away in a different direction, but moved to join Chuck before his attempts to gain the NSA operative's attention made him look like he was having a seizure of some kind. The both of them left - not together, of course - through the front door.
What they didn't know is that Xander was watching them. His eye narrowed in thought, even as he turned aside to catch the attention of one of the employees. He raised a hand to call attention to him, but didn't reach out to touch. "Miss Wu, isn't it?"
Anna Wu, the sole female member of Buy More's Nerd Herd, stopped and turned, a surprised look on his face. "Yes? How do you know my name?"
Xander smiled, "I know the names of everyone here, actually. But that can be discussed later. I was wondering if you could show me where I can find a dolly, and also where, exactly, the loading dock is? I have some things I need to bring in, and I could only guesstimate from driving around back."
"Things to bring in?" Anna blinked a couple of times, her tone curious.
"Yes," Xander replied. "They were a bit too large to bring through the front doors. Plus, the dock is probably closer to where they need to be."
"Oh. All right. Sure. Follow me," Anna responded.
"Anywhere," Xander said, his own tone turning cheekily playful. 'Why does she look so familiar?' he thought to himself. 'Even moreso now than when I first saw her picture.'
* * * * *
"It'll do," Wesley said, as he looked at the Assistant Manager's Office. The office was a bit bare, as it only had a desk and chair in it. Wesley set his attache cast on the former and settled down on the latter. "Now, as I was saying, Mister Milbarge here is welcome to remain, but he cannot be assistant manager."
Both of the other men in the office were angry. Big Mike didn't like someone else in what was the equivalent of a position of power in his store. At least, not someone he hadn't appointed himself. And Emmett... well, he was angry because he had called the corporate offices to let them know he was taking the job, and they had okayed it. And then he'd called his 'girlfriend' and told her he wouldn't be back for a bit, and, as a result, she'd broken off their relationship. For a moment, he once again wondered why her tone had had a sense of what sounded like relief to it.
What Emmett didn't know wouldn't kill him. His so-called girlfriend had been trying to get Emmett off her case for months. She'd gone out with him on one date, one week when she was feeling lonely, and he'd latched on like a barnacle. Too nice a girl to really do anything, she'd been glad that he was gone so often to various stores all over the continent. So, for her, this whole thing was a godsend.
"You should really calm down, Mister Tucker," Wesley continued. "You'll give yourself a coronary the way you're going." Just because the store manager's anger didn't disturb him didn't mean he didn't notice it. "Now, Buy More Corporate has asked me to look in on things because there have been some disturbing trends starting in this store lately. What I just saw outside there - and don't believe for a minute that I haven't already heard about this... this... video game exposition you've had here - is just the icing on the cake. Last week, Corporate Accounting found a huge up-tick in registered sales for high-priced items. Laptop computers, television sets, major kitchen appliances, and the like. Roughly a 450% increase. I am here to determine whether anything illegal happened to cause this, since your numbers and sales don't match."
"Well, yes," Big Mike said, finally smiling. "I was on vacation, see..."
But, once again, he was interrupted. "So this happened when you were on vacation? And you didn't call whoever you left in charge on it? I think I'll have to go even more thoroughly over the store's records."
"So, you're going to be here temporarily to look over what's been going on here," Emmett said, his tone greasy.
"Oh, no. Don't misunderstand me," Wesley responded. "I am not the one that will be taking over your assistant manager's position. That role will be taken by Alexander." He paused for a long moment, noticing the lack of recognition in their eyes. "That would be the young man who came in with me just a few moments ago. And it will not be a temporary position, not if these kinds of things continue to happen..."
OOC: Julia Ling, who portrays Anna Wu on Chuck, also portrayed one of the potentials during season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.