It’s the middle of the day, and business is pretty slow. There are a few customers browsing throughout the store, but otherwise, it’s a typical dead Wednesday afternoon. Most of the staff is hanging out in the home theatre area for some excitement.
I’m walking through the gaming department, straightening products and cleaning up shelves, when I hear shouting. It doesn’t come from just my radio earpiece, but from across the store. I don’t need to hear the words to know it means danger. But, the words confirm it anyway.
“DANGEROUS CUSTOMER! I NEED HELP IN COMPUTERS!”
In the midst of the adrenaline beginning to pump through my system, I manage to mentally congratulate Sophie on staying professional while in whatever danger she’s encountering. I sprint towards the back of the store, telling a customer to stay away as I pass him. We don’t need additional risks. As I’m approaching the back, I slow down and assess the situation.
Sophie is backing up, with not much room left before she hits a wall covered in laptop bags. There is a man stalking towards her, looking like a complete wild animal. Spit is flying from his mouth, which is placed on a beet-red face with veins bulging out all over. He is obviously out of control.
I figure that I have about ten seconds to do something before Sophie gets whatever this guy thinks she deserves. I quietly run behind the guy, making sure to motion to Sophie not to make it obvious that I’m there. Either she’s a great actor, or she doesn’t even realize I’m there. I march up behind the guy, and cough.
He spins around, livid and ready to beat me to a pulp. Maybe even kill me. I don’t know. But, before he completes his turn, I slam the side of my fist into his face. Hard. I’ve never hit anyone before. All I know is that punching with the front of your fist is how you break something of your own, and that using the side is just as good.
The guy’s eyes widen momentarily, before I kick at his feet, and he falls to the ground. If I wasn’t so wrapped up in adrenaline, I would laugh at how much like a felled tree he looks. I immediately kneel on his back, and roughly pull his arms together behind him.
Now that the danger is over, I look to Sophie.
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“N-n-no. I’m okay. Oh my god, thank you so much.” She starts to tear up, and falls to the ground, curling up. She looks at me with wet eyes, and lets out a quiet laugh.
I look at her, as I hear some other staff run up behind me.
“What’s so funny?”
“I don’t know,” she says, looking at me with a smile. “I’m just glad that didn’t turn out much worse. Thank you.”
“Hey, anytime. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
I call out behind me, “Call the cops, Jordan. And come help me drag this guy to the conference room until they get here.”
Some hours later, with the guy taken away by police, and the store closed for the night, a small meeting has been called to discuss what happened.
“Sophie, could you explain what happened for us?”
She sighs. Even though it seems like a relatively small incident, it was still obviously traumatic for her.
“Yeah. So, I was wandering around the computers, looking for something to clean, when that guy came up to me. He didn’t seem weird or anything. Actually looked completely normal. He wanted to know how to return the laptop that he just bought. I’m not sure why he was coming to me, and not returns, but obviously he wasn’t exactly entirely there. Anyway, I asked him when he bought the computer, and he tells me it’s been forty days. So, not only past the computer return period, but the regular thirty-day one too.