Risky Business (12 page)

“I’m not going to fire you. But I will have to write up what happened with the coupons and put that in your file.” She peered deeply into Molly’s eyes. “I hope you understand that

I’m obligated to protect the interests of the company, and if anything came up in the future, your file needs to reflect what happened. Can you understand that?” She waited. Molly wiped her eyes again, and then nodded. “I trust you, Molly—you’re like a little sister to me. I must say, it’s refreshing to see a young person with an actual conscience. It’s rare.”

“Donna, there’s one more thing that you need to know. It’s about what they’re still planning to do … tomorrow night.”

At home later that evening her parents sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace, and Molly sat on the floor with her back to the fire. Even with the hot flames at her back, she shivered from nervousness as she told them the exact same story that she had told Donna.

They listened without saying a word, their coffee growing cold in their hands. Mom spoke first. “Molly, it’s hard for me to imagine that all of this was going on in your life and we were unaware. How is this possible? How could you let this happen? You risked your job after they put so much faith in you. You were dishonest and a bad example to your friends.”

Dad jumped up from the sofa. “Youcondoned, supported, and even helped people steal from your own place of business—in fact,
you
stole from a boss who has been so good to you. I mean, I’m very happy that you’re telling us now, and I’m so glad that you didn’t do it when push came to shove. But it did go much further than I’m comfortable with. I have to wonder if you’re telling us now because you’re repentant or if you’re just afraid that your friends will get caught.”

“But Dad …”

“Molly, this could have been a lot worse. I think you’re aware of that.” He held up a hand to silence her. “I think your mom and I are going to need a little time to talk about how we feel about all of this. Like she said, though, we’re glad you put a stop to it when you did. And we’re glad your boss is so forgiving. I find it hard to believe that she’s overlooking the coupon thing, though.”

Molly hung her head and slunk up the stairs to her room. She collapsed on her bed and buried her face into her pillow. She could understand why her parents felt like they did. If only she could get them to understand her situation and believe that she’d truly had a change of heart.
I just wish I could go back to thebeginning and do everything differently. A few choices that didn’t even seem so bad at the time have amounted to me losing my friends and my reputation with everyone. Molly couldn’t control the flood of tears that continued to press against the dam of her thoughts
.

After a few minutes, Molly heard a soft knock at her door. Without getting up, she gave a muffled, “Come in.”

The door creaked open, and Molly’s parents stepped in hesitantly. “Moll, your mom and I are sorry for our reactions. We responded out of anger and didn’t think it through first.” Dad sat down on the bed beside her and touched her shoulder hesitantly.

Molly sat up quickly, drawing her legs under her.

“We shouldn’t have given you such a hard time. We know that you’re going to be faced with all kinds of temptations as you grow up. You’ll make some great choices, and some not-so-good ones.”

Molly looked down at her hands and picked at her fingernail.

Mom grabbed Molly’s chin and forced her to look up. “But the most important thing in all of this is that you know that we love you and that you’re free to come to us with all of your concerns, questions, mistakes, and whatever else you might face.”

She let go of Molly’s chin and walked to the window. “Sometimes, like tonight, we might have too hasty a reaction; that’s where we’re imperfect. We were just taken by surprise over the fact that all of this was going on and we weren’t aware of it—I think that stung our parental pride a bit. But we realize more and more of that will happen as you get older and lead your own life. We’re just so glad you felt that you could come to us and that you wanted to.”

Me, too
.

“Also,” Dad interjected, “we’re very proud of the decision you made in the face of intense pressure from your friends. Admittedly, there were some bad choices along the way, but eventually you arrived at a fork in the road, saw where you had turned onto the wrong path, and fixed it. The end result is what’s important. You know what? Your mom and I don’t care about your past. We only care about your future. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been. It only matters where you’re going. And it sure seems like you’re back on the right path.”

“Thanks so much for coming in tonight. I’m so glad we were able to find exactly what you were looking for. Come again and ask for me. I’d love to help you next time, too.” Molly walked around to the customer side of the cash register and tightened the handle of the bag from the sale she had just completed. She continued chatting with her well-dressed customer as she walked with her toward the front of the store. “I’m sure you’re going to love …”

Jess and Sara walked into the store, clearly being careful not to look in Molly’s direction. They wandered around the front of the store for a few minutes, never even glancing at her. They each picked up a few pairs of jeans and a couple of shirts on hangers, presumably to try on. Sara carried hers in her hand, and Jess laid hers across the handles of the extra-large shopping bag she had with her—exactly as they had planned.

Molly’s heart sank—they were going through with it. They had arrived when Amy was on break, they had large bags with them, and they were collecting several items to take into the fitting rooms. The only difference in their plan was that she wasn’t a part of it. They hadn’t even spoken to her yet.

She knew she’d done the right thing by telling Donna about their plans. But now Molly wondered if she should warn them.
Oh my. What have I gotten myself into?

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Molly told the kind lady she stood beside. “I was distracted for just a second. I hope everything works out for you. Come back and see me, okay?”

After assuring Molly that she definitely would be back, the customer left. They were alone in the store.

Sara and Jess had their arms full of the things they were taking into the fitting room to try on, including the two dresses they were planning to “borrow” for the dance. Molly wondered if they actually still planned to returnthe dresses or if they had decided to keep them. She bit her bottom lip, trying to figure out a way to stop them from carrying out their plan. She even went to the fitting room door and knocked. “You two doing okay in there? What else can I find for you?” Molly hoped that the attention would dissuade them from their plans.

From the other side of the door, Molly heard giggling and the rustling of a paper sack. She shook her head, knowing exactly what they were doing. Neither Jess nor Sara answered her, so Molly shrugged her shoulders, resigned to the fact that the girls were choosing their own fate. Having done all she could, Molly went back toward the front so Donna could carry out her plan. She wanted to be as far away from the trouble as possible. Donna would catch the girls, and it would be all Molly’s fault. She wished she had warned them in some way because she didn’t want them to get into big trouble, but on the other hand, she knew she needed to support her boss and stand up for the right thing.
I think I’m going to throw up
.

Trying to stay out of the way, Molly busied herself at the front of the store straightening and restraightening racks and buttoning shirts. Suddenly Sara and Jess exited the fitting room with their packages under their arms. They hadn’t even bothered to cover the things they were taking. Molly could see the dresses peeking right out of the tops of the bags.
What are they thinking?
Silently, Sara and Jess walked to the front of the store without touching anything.

This is my last chance to stop them. If they leave the store … Oh no, it’s too late
. Molly’s heart sank as her two best friends stepped over the threshold into the worst trouble of their lives. Only they didn’t know it yet.
Here we go
.

The back of the store erupted into a melee of people and commotion. The security guards busted out of the back room and ran out of the store to confront Sara and Jess as they were walking through the mall toward the exit.

Molly overheard the guards tell Jess that they had seen into their bags from the overhead security cameras and mirrors once they left the fitting rooms. Molly knew—she was the reason Jess and Sara got caught, but it sure helped to think it could have possibly been another reason. She hoped and prayed they would believe the guard and not blame her. But feeling their glares burning a hole in her back, Molly could tell they didn’t believe him at all.

Molly remained uninvolved when the security guards took the girls to the back room. She watched as they stepped through the door, and just as the door was about to click shut, Molly caught a glimpse of Sara’s tearful eyes as she turned to look pleadingly at her one last time.

They were back there for over an hour before their parents arrived. Sara’s mom got there first. She bristled through the store like she’d been called from an important meeting and couldn’t be bothered with such an inconvenience. She threw open the stockroom door and said loudly, “What is the meaning of this?” Molly closed her eyes and sighed.

Jess’s mom and dad arrived next. Mrs. Stuart cried with her head on her husband’s shoulder—she looked so sad. Mr. Stuart was stone-faced and unemotional. Molly shook her head. She said a prayer that Jess’s dad would soften and show her the love she needed.

The end of her shift neared. She had to start straightening the store to close it for the night when the unthinkable happened. Molly stooped down to arrange a stack of shirts on a shelf near the floor. She heard people come into store and assumed they were customers. She stood up immediately and turned to greet them. Stunned,

she stared as two police officers strode right by her as if she weren’t even there.

Horrified, she followed them at a distance to the back of the store and then gaped at them as they authoritatively went into the back room.
What are they doing here? Are Sara and Jess under arrest?

The metal door felt like ice against Molly’s ear, but she hoped to hear something through it. She couldn’t stand there long, though, because customers came in and she had to help them find things and ring up purchases. Any other time, Molly would have loved her customers, but in her preoccupation, they just grated on her last nerve.
Who cares about your muffin top, lady? Buttons or a zipper? What’s the difference? Just buy one!

Donna came out just before closing time and approached Molly. Sensing her panic, Donna calmly put her arm around Molly’s shoulders and squeezed gently. “Here’s what’s happening, Molly. Magna’s policy is to prosecute shoplifters. So they’ll be taken to the police station.”

Molly stumbled and gripped the countertop with white knuckles to steady herself.

“Now Molly, don’t get upset. They’ll be fine.

They haven’t done anything in the past—they’ll get a slap on the wrist. But this is part of the process, and it will teach them a valuable lesson. Just be glad you weren’t in on this.” Donna started to walk away but turned around to add, “You know, they had other things in those bags that they were stealing, too. They weren’t stopping with just the dresses.”

“Really?” Molly slid down the wall to the floor where she put her head in her hands. “I had no idea. I wouldn’t have thought they’d have it in them.”

“If you’d have asked them a month ago, they probably wouldn’t have thought so either.”

The house shook with the force of the slammed front door when Molly thundered in after school on Monday.

“What on earth is going on?” Mom ran into the foyer where Molly stood with her back slumped against the door, shoulders heaving with heavy sobs. “What happened, Molly?” She frantically searched her daughter’s eyes.

“I’m just so sick of it, Mom. They’ve completely turned on me!” Molly yelled at the air and punched her fists against the door.