The Store Manager - Chapter 4

Silje was a little nervous when she approached Morten’s table, she hoped she wasn’t overstepping her boundaries. He seemed like a pretty easygoing guy and he’d told her his buddies weren’t joining him ‘till closer to 9, so she hoped he’d like some company while he waited for them. She wasn’t planning on staying out late since she was working the early shift the coming day.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt. 

Morten looked up at her, clearly surprised, but it only took him a moment to pull himself together and a smile spread across his face. “Not at all, have a seat."

“Thanks,” Silje said as she set her glass on the table before she pulled out a chair and sat down. “I’m just having a beer or two before I head home and since you told me you’re not expecting your buddies to arrive in another hour or so I figured we might as well keep each other company.”

“I like the way you think,” Morten grinned. “I hadn’t planned on heading down here so early, but I didn’t have much else to do and I got restless. Some company is definitely a good thing; reading the news on my phone isn’t very interesting.”

“How long have you lived in this area?"

“About three years. I like it here. It’s close to the city center, but at the same time it’s quieter here and I really like all the small shops in the area. Do you live nearby?”

“Yeah, I rent a room in an apartment just down the street. I wish I could afford my own place, but the real estate market here is crazy.” Silje was slightly embarrassed about her living arrangements, but she knew she wasn’t alone; the real estate market in Oslo made it virtually impossible for students to afford their own apartments

“I know. When I was in college I shared a big apartment with a few of my buddies.  We had a blast, but there were definitely times I wished I had my own place. Especially at times when I was swamped in school work and my roommates were in full-on party-mode.”

“That’s kind of how I feel too. I’ve only lived there since August, but I’m on the waitlist for student accommodation, so I hope I might get my own place for the spring semester.”

“You’re a student?” Morten seemed surprised.

“Yeah, I’m a Masters student at the Norwegian Business School.”

“Really? What field?”

“Leadership and Organizational Psychology.”

“That’s cool! I’ve got a Bachelor’s degree in Retail Management. I’d originally intended on getting a Masters too, but I got offered a pretty decent job and never got around to going back to school.”

“What do you work with?”

“I’m the manager of Jernia’s flagship store downtown, I started as the manager of their branch in Asker and was offered the job here in Oslo a couple of years ago.”

“Really? That sounds pretty cool,” Silje replied. It definitely wasn’t the answer she’d expected. She’d figured he had some sort of desk job.

“I like it. I’ve worked in retail since high school and I actually enjoy it. It’s not super exciting, but the pay is pretty good and because it’s a big store it’s more of an administrative position. My assistant manager takes care of the hands-on work on the shop floor and I deal with the paperwork and sort out staff issues.”

“The important thing is that you like your job.”

“Speaking of that; how do you like working here?”

“I like it a lot so far. I worked at a The Scotsman right after I moved to Oslo and it was okay, but I got fed up with all the tourists. Especially the Norwegians from rural areas, they’re the worst guests.”I have to admit I hate that place. I have a few buddies that always want to go there when they come to Oslo and I refuse.”

“I get what you mean. I have to say it was a big relief when I got my job here. I really like the more laidback ambience and mixed clientele, and the fact that it’s a neighborhood hangout means there are plenty of regular customers to get to know. Since I don’t know that many people here it’s always nice to make new friends.”

“You just listed the main reasons why I like it here too. I also appreciate that the music is played at a volume that makes it possible to have a conversation without shouting and last, but definitely not least, there are no TV screens here. I hate pubs that feel obliged to show every damn football game that’s on TV.”

“Wow, a man that’s not a football fan? I think I’m falling in love,” Silje laughed.“I don’t mind watching a game from time to time, when it’s one I’m interested in, but generally I don’t go out to watch TV. I can do that in my own living room.”

“I’m so with you on that!”

The conversation continued with easy banter and after a while Silje went up to the bar and fetched another round of beer for them. They found out that they had many common interests and very similar tastes in movies and TV; they were both fans of James Bond and crime shows and both of them loathed romantic comedies.

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Morten was glad Silje had taken the initiative to join him; she was definitely someone he could see himself becoming friends with. He checked the time; almost 8:50, his buddies would arrive any time now. He decided to take a chance.

“You mentioned earlier that you’re working the early shift tomorrow. Do you have any plans for the evening?”

“Not really. I’ll probably end up here unless some of my friends from school call and invite me to go out with them. I don’t have that many friends here. Why do you ask?”

“It just occurred to me that I got ‘Skyfall’ in the mail yesterday. Wanna come over to my place and watch it with me? I’ll even throw in dinner and a few beers.” Their conversation had revealed that neither of them had seen the latest James Bond movie yet.

“Sounds great,” Silje beamed. “What time?”

“Around seven sound okay to you?”

“Works for me.”

They exchanged phone numbers and Morten gave Silje his address. After she’d added him to the contacts on her phone she finished her beer and grabbed her bag.“It’s time for me to get home, enjoy the rest of your evening.”

“Will do. See you tomorrow.”

“Definitely! I’ll bring popcorn,” Silje grinned and headed out the door.

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The following afternoon Morten was preparing lasagna for dinner. He could’ve just called for a pizza, but he’d bought ingredients for lasagna when he’d gone to the grocery store a couple of days earlier and cooking kept him occupied for a while.  He thought Silje would appreciate a home cooked meal; he remembered his own college days. Home cooked meals had been a rarity back then and when he’d gone to work after graduation he’d slipped into a bad habit of picking up fast food on his way home from work. That combined with working crazy hours that allowed little or no time in the gym had resulted in him gaining weight. He hadn’t been fat, but definitely on the chubby side and it had taken some effort to work it off again.  Morten had made a conscious decision to try to eat healthier and work out regularly, a routine he’d stuck to for the past three years or so.

After he’d finished putting the lasagna together he wheeled through his apartment to make sure it was presentable. Morten wasn’t a slob, but he wasn’t super neat either, so he figured it was a good idea to make sure there weren’t any dirty socks lurking between the couch cushions or under the coffee table. When he was satisfied with the state of his living room he headed to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the evening.

Half an hour later Morten wheeled out of his bedroom; dressed in his favorite pair of comfortable, worn jeans and a long sleeved navy blue t-shirt that showed off his toned shoulders and arms. As much as he hated to admit it he was a bit nervous about how the evening would turn out. Don’t overanalyze things. You’re just watching a movie and having dinner with a friend. Morten sighed and turned on the oven, and then he moved on to making a salad.  He had just put the lasagna into the oven when the doorbell rang; he quickly wheeled to the front door and pushed the button that unlocked the street door of his building.

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Silje felt a bit nervous as she entered the elevator and pushed the button for the fourth floor. Morten had been easy enough to speak to at the bar the previous evening and she definitely wanted to get to know him better, but spending time with him at his apartment suddenly felt a bit intimate. Ah well…no turning back now. The elevator reached the fourth floor and the doors opened.  Silje stepped off the elevator and made her way over to Morten’s front door. She took a deep breath as she pushed the doorbell.  It didn’t take long for the door to open, revealing a smiling Morten. She noticed he was more casually dressed than he’d been at the bar the previous evening; jeans that had obviously been through the wash a few times and long sleeved shirt that showed off his muscled arms and chest.

“Hey there,” he greeted her. “Come on inside.”

Silje stepped into the hallway and Morten closed and locked the door behind her. As she shrugged out of her jacket and hung it on a hook on the wall and slipped out of her shoes she noticed the scent of food coming from the kitchen.

“Something smells good,” she said with a smile.

“Lasagna. It’ll be done in about 10 minutes,” Morten replied. “I should actually put the garlic bread in the oven. Follow me.”

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“This is really good! Where did you learn how to cook?” Silje said as she hungrily dug into her lasagna. Morten was glad he’d decided to cook instead of calling for a pizza.

“Thanks. My mom taught me the basics and I guess I’ve picked up a few tricks here and there over the years.”

“I have to admit I’m pretty useless in the kitchen and since my food budget is limited I usually end up eating noodles or something like that. Workdays are a highlight food wise since Chris allows the staff a free meal when we work six hours or more.”

“Reminds me of my college days. I survived on a diet that mostly consisted of noodles and spaghetti with ketchup and grated cheese.”

“Typical student diet, huh?”

“Yep! I figured you’d appreciate a homemade meal. And I had planned on making a batch of lasagna anyway. I occasionally prepare a large batch and freeze down portion sized slices. It’s easy to just toss it in the microwave after a long day at work. I’m not always motivated to cook if I’ve worked late and fast food isn’t healthy and it’s pretty pricey, so…” he shrugged.

“I do appreciate a home cooked meal. They are few and far between.”

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A little while later they had cleared the table and Morten had put the popcorn Silje had bought into the microwave. She had excused herself to use the bathroom. It was the only room in the apartment she’d seen where it was obvious that the inhabitant was disabled; there was a grab bar by the toilet, the sink was lower than normal and there were grab bars and a seat in the shower.  She washed her hands and went back to the kitchen. On her way back a frame with a collage of photos from what appeared to be a sailing trip. Morten was on a few of them; what really caught her attention was that he was standing on all of them. There were no signs of the wheelchair. 

“Sailing trip with my buddies last year. We sailed down the eastern coast of Norway and crossed over to the western coast of Sweden. It was a blast,” Morten said as he came up next to her. She hadn’t heard him coming.

“You’re not in a wheelchair in these pictures.” Silje felt mortified as soon as the words tumbled out of her mouth.

“No, I was injured in a car accident in February. Last summer I didn't need a wheelchair.”

“Oh…” Silje didn’t know what to say.

“Come on, let’s head into the living room. I need a break from this chair and I know for a fact that my couch is pretty comfortable.”

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Morten made a detour to the kitchen where he grabbed the bowl of popcorn and a couple of beers and placed it all in his lap. When he wheeled into the living room Silje was squatted down in front of his bookcase, studying the titles.

“You have quite the library here,” she commented as Morten put the bowl of popcorn and two cans of beer on the coffee table.

“I like to read and for some reason I just can’t get comfortable with reading eBooks on my iPad. I prefer printed books.”

“Me too. I’ve gotten a few of my schoolbooks as eBooks to save money, but it’s not the same as having an actual book. I like to highlight stuff and scribble notes in the margins.”

“I know,” Morten said as he lined his wheelchair up to the couch and locked the brakes. He quickly lifted his feet off the footrest and then he placed one hand on the couch and one on the edge of the seat of his wheelchair. In one smooth move he lifted his body from the wheelchair to the couch. Morten released the brake of the wheelchair and pushed it out of the way before he adjusted his legs a bit.  He was aware that Silje was watching him and he figured he had to address the pink elephant in the room before it grew out of proportions.

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Silje tried not to stare as Morten transferred from his wheelchair to the couch, but she was mesmerized by the grace and fluidity of his movements. It looked like it was second nature to him. She tentatively took a seat on the opposite end of the couch.  They sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes. Morten broke the silence.“If you have questions I don’t mind answering them. It’s not like I can hide the fact that I depend on a wheelchair to get around.”

Silje smiled nervously, she was curious, but the fact that they’d only met each other the previous day made her hesitant. It felt like a very personal subject. He obviously sensed her unease and decided to take charge of the conversation.

“I was driving back from a weekend of skiing at Hafjell when I lost control of my car in a curve and I hit a tree head on. Broke my back and severed my spinal cord at the T-10 level. That’s about here.” Morten held his hand just above his waist. “I can’t move or feel anything below there. That’s why I depend on a wheelchair. I spent about a month in the hospital before I got transferred to Sunnaas for rehab.”

“I can’t imagine how hard that must have been, but you seem to be getting along pretty well.”

“It was pretty hard, but I’m lucky. My family was there for me and I have some pretty amazing friends. And I had the support of my employer. My boss came to see in the hospital me not long after the accident, I think it was a week or so after, and made it perfectly clear to me that my job was waiting for me when I was ready to come back. At that point I didn’t really see how I’d be able to return to my job in a wheelchair, but it did mean a lot to me to know that my boss still believed in me and my abilities.”

“Having someone that believes in you is important,” Silje stated.

“Definitely. I’m glad I have so many people that believe in me. If I didn’t have that I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

To be continued....