YOU SAVE ASSOCIATE

“I’ll pick you up after school. What time do you have to be at work?” I ask my sixteen-year-old, examining the day’s schedule in my mind.

“Say that again?” he responds.

“I’ll pick you up after school. What time do you have to be at work?” I ask again.

“One more time,” he says, “just the second part.”

I look over to see his eyebrows raise and lower, dimple holing its position.

“What?” He says, “I just like the way it sounds….have to be at work…ahhh. That’s right… I’m a working man. Oh yes! Responsible and employed.” He rattles on, head sauntering from side to side above his shoulders.

“You’re still training,” I remind him.

“True, true…” he nods, “but I’m such a good scanner, I’m thinking of asking for a raise.”

I shake my head, wondering how much of his Jim Carey side comes through behind the cash register. “Slow down there cowboy,” I tell him, “Better finish training first.”

“Let me give you a sample of my work,” he says, pretending I have just approached the counter. “Good afternoon, did you find everything you needed? Scan, scan, scan….and your total is….how would you like to pay for that?” He asks grinning. “Then, after they pay, I say Thank you for shopping at YOU SAVE pharmacy and please come again,” he says, open palm moving in a half circle wave.

“Do you say that to everyone?” I ask, suppressing a snicker.

“Indeed,” he answers, “unless it’s a really hot girl and then I say, Have a good night now.” he says, hands at his hips like pistols pointing forward, dimple flashing, crooked smile raised on one side.

“Sometimes if I’m bored, I ask if they would like to become a YOU SAVE member.” he says, face switched to serious. “I don’t really know if there is such a program, but it’s ok, they always say no.”

“But what if they say yes?” I ask.

"I say, Me too," he answers, nodding his slightly tipped head. "Me too."

I wonder to myself how long he will continue as a YOU SAVE Associate.