Part-Time Job

Another morning arrived, and Simon arrived at school right on time.

"Meg, I've made up my mind. I'm going to get a part-time job after school," Simon casually said when he saw Meg.

"A part-time job?" Meg was momentarily stunned. She couldn't imagine the king of the underground racing circuit taking on a part-time job.

"Why would you work?" Meg asked, confused.

Simon remained calm. "It's for tuition, you know. My grades are fine, I can definitely get into college. But full scholarships? Forget about it."

Meg fell silent at this.

After a while, she said, "I'm thinking about going to Caltech after graduation."

"No way!" Simon frowned. "I know your dream is to be a host, and Columbia University has the best journalism program. I don't want you to affect your future because of me."

"Simon, dreams can change," Meg smiled.

"There's still a year to think about it! I don't want you to regret this decision later."

"Fine, let's not talk about it now. So, where do you plan to work?" Meg asked.

Simon pulled out a flyer. "There's a supermarket near us hiring part-time. I'm thinking of going there after school to check it out."

"I'll go with you!"

"Great, how about we grab dinner together afterward?"

"OK!"

After making the plan, they headed off to their classes.

When school ended, Simon and Meg drove their separate cars to the largest shopping area in Burbank.

This area not only had a grocery store but also a large hardware store, fast food restaurants, and a huge parking lot. It was the best place to shop for bulk items or electronics.

"I'll go in alone. You wait for me at the café," Simon said after parking the car.

Meg smiled. "It's fine, I have nothing to do. I'll go in with you."

Simon didn't refuse, and they both entered the Mai Duo Duo supermarket, which was hiring part-time workers.

Once inside, Simon noticed the staff seemed to be quite idle and appeared very relaxed.

Seeing this, Simon nodded with satisfaction. Since the long-term employees were this laid-back, he figured he could get by easily as a temporary worker.

"Hey, it's him!"

While Simon was observing the situation in the store, someone at the central repair counter caught his attention.

"Do you know him?" Meg asked.

Simon nodded. "Yeah, he used to be Mia's boyfriend in college."

"Let's go over," Simon said.

Meg nodded, and they both walked over.

"Hello, can I help you with anything?" The repair staff on duty asked when he saw Simon.

"Chuck Bartwinski? It's me, Simon!" Simon greeted him.

"Simon? Simon Louis?" Chuck froze for a moment, then seemed to remember something.

"Yeah, it's me. Long time no see, Chuck!" Simon smiled.

"Wait a second!" Chuck seemed flustered. He hurriedly left the counter.

"Is he okay?" Meg asked, watching Chuck leave in a rush.

Simon shrugged. "Who knows!"

Seeing that Chuck wasn't coming back anytime soon, Simon sighed. "Forget it, I'll catch him later. I'll go for the interview now."

"OK!"

They walked to a messy office where they met the store manager, Michael Tucker, a chubby African American man.

"Hello, Mr. Tucker! My name is Simon, I'm a student at Neptune High, and I'd like to apply for a part-time job," Simon explained.

Michael gave Simon a quick glance up and down before casually replying, "You're hired! $8 an hour plus commission. You'll work at least four hours a day, and you can't take more than eight days off in a month."

"O-K," Simon was taken aback. He hadn't expected to get hired so easily.

"Any questions?" Michael asked.

Simon shook his head. "No, Mr. Tucker."

"If there are no issues, you can start tomorrow. And from now on, call me Big Mike," Michael instructed.

"Okay, Big Mike."

"How was it?" Meg asked, seeing Simon come out so quickly.

"It went well. Too well, actually," Simon shrugged.

"Isn't that a good thing? How's the pay?" Meg asked happily.

"$8 an hour plus commission."

"That's really low!" Meg frowned.

Simon wasn't bothered. "It's fine. At least it's a stable income."

Street racing may bring in money, but Simon only got two or three races a month. If the cops were tight, one or two months of racing wouldn't make up for a couple of good races. And if he got caught in a police trap, it would be a disaster. Not only would the prize money be confiscated, but he'd be detained and his car impounded. Even if he got out, he'd still have to pay a large fine.

Simon's usual schedule was to finish school around 2:00 or 3:00 PM, and then drive half an hour to get here. So, he could work between five to eight hours a day.

If he didn't take any breaks, he could make about $1,500 a month, which was decent for a student.

"Well, if you're happy with it, that's all that matters," Meg said, respecting Simon's decision.

"Let's go to Mia's place for some afternoon tea first. Then tonight, we're going to 71Above. I already made a reservation."

"Sounds good to me."

As they left, Simon noticed that Chuck still hadn't returned, so he gave up on saying goodbye. They'd be coworkers soon, so they'd have plenty of chances to meet.

At Mia's grocery store, Simon and Meg each ordered a soda and a fruit salad.

"Got a date tonight?" Mia asked, noticing how little Simon was eating. She immediately understood.

"Yeah! Tonight, I'm going with Simon to 71Above," Meg said, leaning on Simon's shoulder, looking happy.

"Cool! I've heard that restaurant has a great atmosphere. Have fun tonight!" Mia smiled.

"Definitely!"

"By the way, Mia, do you remember Chuck? Your ex-boyfriend from Stanford?" Simon suddenly asked.

Mia froze for a moment when she heard his name, but quickly recovered.

"Of course! You saw him today?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"How is he doing now?"

"Not too great. Looks like he's working at the supermarket's electronics after-sales department," Simon replied truthfully.

"I see."

Mia didn't seem to want to talk much about her ex and quickly moved on from the topic.

Simon and Meg exchanged glances, understanding the unspoken message, and wisely dropped the subject.