Second Chance

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Afternoon



“What time do you get out tonight?” Margaret De Fiore asked.

Antoinette leaned into the driver’s side window and smiled,” I’m scheduled until 9, but Micah’s going to bring me home.”

“Does he know when to pick you up?” her mother asked.

“Yes, he does, but I’ll call him during my break to remind him.”

Mrs. De Fiore laughed, “Sometimes you have to remind men of these things.” She told her daughter to have a good day. Antoinette stood and watched her mother drive off before heading off to the employee’s entrance.

Clayton Osborne sat in the manager’s office and watched the feed from the security camera placed near the employee’s entrance the market had installed that morning, at the insistence of him. He told his superiors that there was a need for the camera, for the protection of the female employees who felt unsafe late at night. He wanted it for other reasons, selfish reasons. He wanted to check up on the younger female employees, more importantly, he wanted to see Antoinette De Fiore come and go, wanted to see her talk with others.

He saw her standing outside a car and talk with her mother. He smiled as she bent over, tightening her black work pants. For the two years she’s been working there, he’s had a crush on her. Several times, he’s asked her to have lunch or dinner with him, but she’s declined the offer, always politely, but she’s made it clear that it wouldn’t be appropriate for them.

“The age difference is too great,” was her normal excuse to declination. He knew she was right, but that didn’t make him feel better.

Osborne saw Antoinette make her way to the entrance and wanted to talk with her in the employee break and locker room before she went on the floor, to her register. He wanted to make one last appeal to her.



The Cadillac pulled into the parking lot and found a spot away from the front entrance. Bowles turned off the engine and stared out the windshield. He turned to Hannah and shook his head.

“I don’t want to do this.”

“Neither do I, but if not us, then others who will follow his words to the letter and more than likely not be gentle. At least, we can make this as less traumatizing as possible.”

He sat and thought of the answer. “You’re right, but I still don’t like it.”

Hannah looked at his watch. “According to the note we found on Vaughn’s desk, she should be at work by now.” He opened the door. “Let’s get this over with.”

Bowles shook head again, closed his eyes and exhaled. “Let’s do this,” he said opening his door.



“Miss De Fiore, can I talk to you?” Osborne politely asked as he entered the break room. She was sitting, talking with three other teenagers. Antoinette was discussing her prom, talking about how she felt after Micah confessed that he loved her.

“Sure,” she said. She picked up her small clutch and work vest. She said her goodbyes to her friends and joined him. “Is there anything wrong?”

He looked around and noticed that the other teens, along with two mature women, were watching him closely. “Nothing’s wrong, but I can’t discuss it here. Let’s go to the office.”

She looked at him with worry in her eyes. “Why can’t you tell me here?”

“It’s personal and I don’t want it discussed by the other employees.” He put his hand on her elbow and directed her out.

She stopped as soon as they exited. They were within earshot and sight of several customers. She wiggled her arm free and demanded, “What’s this all about? I want to know now.”

Osborne leaned into her. “It can wait until we get into the office. No one needs to know about this.”

She stood her ground. She shook her head, “Sorry, by you either talk to me here or not at all.”

He tried to direct her away from the public, to head towards to the manager’s office. He grabbed her elbow and tried to move her. She violently objected: Antoinette spun her arm away and pushed him. “You know that could get you fired.”

“I know it can, but damn it Clay, tell me here and now.”

He didn’t appreciate that she used his first name, didn’t use the proper “Mister Osborne” when in public. “Look, all right. That’s twice you’ve acted unprofessionally in public. I can fire you immediately.”

Antoinette knew she was in trouble, but his actions annoyed her. “You’ve grabbed my body twice. I can call the cops and have you arrested. You have no right to touch me.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” He lowered his voice. “Why don’t you come back into the break room? I can talk to you there.”

She shook her head. “Tell me here and now or I’m punching in and going to my register.”

He sighed out of aspiration. “Fine, I’d like to know how Saturday went. Did he treat you well? Did you have fun?”

She stared at him, anger shown her in eyes. “Excuse me, but it’s none of your business.” She knew she spoke loudly: several women stopped and looked at her.

He smiled nervously at the customers, trying to make it appear that everything was all right. “See, this is why I wanted to discuss this in the office. Now, can we go there or back to the break room?”

“No,” she matter-of-factly answered. “It’s really none of your business what happened or may not have Saturday night. You’re my boss. You’re an older man that for years has been trying to date me.”

He reached out for her again but she dodged his hand. “Not here, let’s go to the office.”

“Fuck no,” she yelled. “I will not go anywhere with you.” She turned and headed back to the employee room. She was going to punch in and head to her register.

He followed her. Osborne motioned for the other women seated to leave. When they were finally alone, he asked Antoinette again, “How did Saturday go?”

She shook her head. “I’m not going to answer it. It’s none of your fucking business. Do you get it? What I do on my own time is none of your business.”

“It is when I love you,” he screamed back.

She looked at him for a moment confused before walking to the time clock. She grabbed her punch card and time stamped it. “I’m going out to my register.” She walked out of the room and on to the floor, Osborne followed quickly.

He touched her elbow as they walked past a grandmother and granddaughter. She broke away and continued to walk. “Listen, Toni, I didn’t mean you any harm.”

She stopped in the empty cereal aisle. “Yes Osborne, I’m listening.’ She folded her arms across her body.

“Okay, maybe I was a little out of line there, but only because I like you, a lot. You know that. Why shouldn’t you know? I’ve been asking you out since the day we’ve met.”

“And I’ve told you we can’t.” She pinched her eyes. They’ve had this discussion before, too often for her taste. This time, however, it was more futile for him. “Do you want to know what happened Saturday?”

He smiled and nodded.

“Okay, you asked for it. He told me he loved me. Micah said that he loves me and has since basically the first time he saw me.”

“He can’t love you,” Osborne pleaded. “He can’t because I do.” He reached out for her again.

“I said don’t touch me,” she screamed. She backed away from him.

“Why can’t you love me?”

“I can’t because I love Micah.”

The words hit him in the stomach. Osborne didn’t want to hear them, but had feared as much. He overheard some women the previous night talking about her, talking about how she was happier than she had ever been. He tried to ignore it, tried to believe it otherwise. This just confirmed his worst fears. He grabbed her left arm and pleaded, “No, you don’t love him. You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’ve not even given me a chance.”

“I know what I’m talking about. I love him, and he loves me. There’s no discussion that we can have that will change our minds.” She turned and walked away.

He grabbed her arm and pulled. “No, you can’t love him.”

She turned and instinctively balled her hand. She swung and hit him on the bridge of the nose. The crunch of cartilage echoed through the store.

The punch caught him off-guard, but the pain sent him to his knees. He put his hands to his face and felt blood flowing from his nose. “That’s it, bitch! You’re fired! Get the fuck out of my store.”

She stood still, shocked at the termination. She looked at him, ready to fight him over it, but decided against it. She removed her vest and threw it at him. “I’ll be back Friday for my check. You better have someone from the home office here, so I can file sexual harassment and assault charges against you.”

He looked up from the floor. “Good luck with that. I’m the one with the broken nose.”

“I was just defending myself against your unwanted advances.”

“No one will believe you.”

She pointed up to the security cameras. “Those will show that you touched me first, and more than once.”

He stood and rushed at her. “They won’t show a thing, not if the tapes are erased.” He tried to touch her, reached out with a hand. It was caught by another hand.

“I wouldn’t do that,” the well-dressed man said. Another took Antoinette away, comforting her. “A gentleman never raises his hand to a woman.”

“This is none of your business,” Osborne said. The man still had a hold of his hand, and began squeezing it. “Ouch, fucker, that hurts.”

“It’s supposed to hurt,” the man said through a smile. He pushed the manager back down onto the floor. “We’ll be leaving you here.”

“Thank you,” Antoinette said to the man escorting her out of the market. “I don’t know what would have happened if he did hit me.”

“It’s all right now,” the man said. He was well built: she could feel his muscles through his suit.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked as they left the building.

“It doesn’t matter,” the man said. She tried to struggle out of his tightening grip but couldn’t. She went to scream, but he showed her a gun under his jacket.

“It would be prudent if you accompanied us back to our office,” the second man said. She looked at them, terror in her eyes. She didn’t know what to do.

She was scared: the only thing she could do was nod.