“My dad didn’t choose you by accident. And it wasn’t for my sake.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at Georgia. “What does that mean?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She glanced toward the prom venue, then back at me. “Brent, my dad’s been watching you for months.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Watching me do what?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“How you handle problems. How you treat people. Whether you lose your temper.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I frowned and immediately started sweating. “Wait, did I do something wrong? You’d tell me if I did something to make him upset, right?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“No. That’s the problem.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before I could ask another question, her phone buzzed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia glanced at the screen and groaned. “It’s Dad.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She showed me the message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Remember our agreement. Don’t make things too easy for him.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Georgia, what exactly did I agree to?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She sighed. “Something my father thinks is brilliant.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’d started working for Sheldon when I was 19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His company supplied restaurants and grocery stores with food packaging and cleaning products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I needed that job more than he probably realized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My mom, Denise, was raising my younger sister, Janelle, alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Money was always tight, so I gave Mom part of every paycheck for groceries, utilities, and whatever Janelle needed for school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I never showed up late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I never called out unless I absolutely had to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if Sheldon asked me to stay an extra hour, I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Within a year, I’d become the employee he trusted with everything from deliveries to closing up at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheldon was a decent boss, but he had strange habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He loved asking questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What would you do if a customer refused to pay an invoice?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What if two employees wanted the same day off?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What if a supplier delivered the wrong order?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’d answer, and he’d nod like he was grading an exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I assumed he was simply obsessed with running the business well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then one Friday afternoon, he called me into his office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I need a favor, Brent.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Sure.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He hesitated. “My daughter’s prom is tomorrow.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia was 18. I’d seen her around the office a few times, but we barely knew each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The boy she was supposed to go with backed out,” Sheldon continued. “I want you to take her.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I thought he was joking. “Me?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“You’re responsible. I trust you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he added, “Do this for me, and I’ll make it worth your while.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I thought about Mom’s broken washing machine and Janelle’s worn-out school shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I knew that if my boss gave me extra money for being his daughter’s date, it would make things a little easier for my mom and sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Okay.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheldon looked relieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Almost too relieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following evening, I borrowed my uncle Frank’s car, put on my only suit, and drove to Sheldon’s house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frank had warned me about the car. “Don’t touch the radio. It changes stations by itself.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Why?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Because it has personality.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The car also squeaked whenever I turned left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I prayed Georgia wouldn’t notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheldon met me at the door. “Brent! You’re early!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Only by five minutes, sir.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Excellent!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My boss straightened my tie without asking. For some reason, he seemed more nervous than Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Just make sure Georgia has a good night.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I will.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“And if anything unexpected happens, stay calm.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I frowned. “Uh, what kind of unexpected thing?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Oh, nothing.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right then, Georgia came downstairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked beautiful, but the moment she saw me, her smile vanished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheldon immediately started taking pictures. “Stand closer!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We moved closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Smile!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia said almost nothing while her father took pictures and looked like she’d been sentenced to three hours of accounting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The drive was painfully quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I tried asking my date about her friends, her favorite music, and whether she was excited about prom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia answered with a few words before turning toward the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually, I stopped trying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we reached the venue, I turned off the engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Well,” I said, forcing a smile, “I hope tonight won’t be too terrible. I guess your dad really wanted you to go to prom.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia didn’t smile back. She opened her door but didn’t get out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, she turned to me and looked me straight in the eyes. “Wait.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s when she told me her father hadn’t chosen me by accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And she showed me his strange message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at my date’s phone. “Don’t make things too easy for him?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia nodded. “My dad wants me to make tonight difficult.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Why?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“To see how you react.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I blinked. “What?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“He suggested I complain about everything. Make unreasonable requests. See whether you lose your patience.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked toward the school. “So I’m wearing borrowed shoes and driving a car that sounds like a shopping cart because your father wants to test my patience?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia suddenly burst out laughing. “Pretty much.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Does he know there are easier ways to annoy me?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Brent!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I’m serious. He could ask me to reorganize the warehouse again.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My date laughed harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, her expression changed. “I told him I wouldn’t do it. It wasn’t fair to you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Then why are we here?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Because I still wanted to enjoy prom, and I thought you deserved to know what he was planning.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I studied her. “Planning for what?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia hesitated. “That’s the part I can’t explain yet.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Why not?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Because I want you to hear it from him.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I groaned. “Georgia, you’re making this sound like I’m about to inherit a castle.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She smiled. “No castle. But you might be surprised.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inside, the gym was covered in balloons and lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia introduced me to her best friend, Madison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Madison grinned. “So you’re Brent.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia rolled her eyes. “Madison knows about Dad’s little experiment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at them. “Wonderful. Does the DJ know too?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Madison laughed. “Not yet!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We found our table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thirty minutes later, we were standing, and Georgia handed me her purse. “Hold this.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I took it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, she handed me her phone. “And this.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Okay.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she handed me her drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at her. “Is this the test?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“No. I’m tying my shoe.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She bent down, adjusted her heel, and stood up, laughing. “You’re going to question everything I do tonight, aren’t you?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Your father has destroyed my ability to recognize normal behavior.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the next hour, Georgia teased me by pretending to make ridiculous demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She asked whether I could convince the DJ to play a song that didn’t exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She complained that the punch wasn’t cold enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she requested a chair facing exactly northwest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I finally said, “Georgia, I can offer north or west. The budget doesn’t cover both.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Madison laughed so hard she nearly dropped her cupcake!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the first time all evening, I relaxed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, a woman approached our table. “Brent?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stood. “Yes?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I’m Evelyn. Georgia’s aunt. I’m one of the chaperones.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She shook my hand. “So you’re the young man Sheldon keeps talking about.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I glanced at Georgia. “Hopefully, nothing terrible.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evelyn smiled. “He says you’re excellent under pressure.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I frowned. “Does everyone in your family discuss my job performance?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia covered her face. “Aunt Evelyn!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evelyn laughed and walked away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later, Georgia and I stepped outside for some air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Okay,” I said. “Enough games.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me. “What?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Your dad keeps asking me strange, unexpected questions at work. He wants you to test me tonight. Your aunt apparently knows my entire employment history.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia sighed. “He’s been thinking about something important.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Yes, and?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Something involving the company.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Is he selling it?!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“No.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Am I getting fired?!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“No, calm down. It’s definitely not that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Then what, Georgia?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She hesitated. “You’ll know soon.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I shook my head. “Your family’s exhausting.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She laughed. “Imagine growing up with them!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before I could respond, Madison appeared. “Georgia! Group pictures!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My date grabbed my arm. “Come on!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we walked inside, I noticed something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia had stopped acting annoyed with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whatever her father was planning, she seemed to be on my side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That made me feel slightly better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The photographer arranged us beneath a balloon arch. “Couples, stand together!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia moved beside me. “Put your arm around me,” she whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hesitated. “Another test?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She rolled her eyes. “Brent, it’s a picture.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Right. Sorry.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The photographer raised his camera. “Smile!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My phone buzzed a few seconds later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a text from Sheldon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Everything going smoothly?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I showed Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She grinned. “Tell him I’m being difficult.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I typed , “Georgia has requested a chair facing northwest. Negotiations are ongoing.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheldon replied immediately. “Interesting. How are you handling it?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at the response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia peeked over and started laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I typed, “I’ve offered her a north-facing chair and a complimentary napkin.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three dots appeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Good thinking.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I shook my head. “Your father needs a vacation.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia grabbed my phone. “I’ve got an idea.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She typed a message and handed it back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Georgia has also requested that I obtain the moon. Please advise.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My boss didn’t answer for two minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Um, well, use your judgment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I laughed so hard the photographer had to take our picture again!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We danced badly, ate too many cupcakes, and watched Madison convince the DJ to play an old disco song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia taught me a dance move that made me look like I was fighting invisible bees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we finally left, she was still laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Okay,” I said as we reached the car. “I’ve survived prom. Can you tell me what’s happening now?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My date stopped smiling. “There’s something Dad hasn’t announced at work.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My stomach tightened again. “Please don’t keep me in suspense, Georgia.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“He’s opening another location.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I blinked. “Another warehouse?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded. “And he needs someone to manage it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at her. “Okay.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“He’s been watching several employees. But you’re the one he’s most interested in.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a moment, I couldn’t speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I managed to squeak out, “Me?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Yes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“But I’m practically new?!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“And?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I still call my mom when I don’t know how long to cook chicken!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia laughed. “That doesn’t mean you’re bad at your job.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I shook my head. “Why didn’t he just tell me?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Because he’s convinced you’re too young to recognize your own potential.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I thought about the questions Sheldon had asked over the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Those questions he kept asking were all tests?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Some of them. He wanted to know how you thought.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“And tonight?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia sighed. “He thought an awkward social situation would show whether you could stay calm when someone made unreasonable demands.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at her. “Your father turned prom into a management interview?!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“That was his plan.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“That’s ridiculous!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I told him!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I remembered something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Wait. What happened to your original date?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia smiled. “Oliver’s my friend. We were supposed to go together, but then Dad started talking about this plan and asked if Oliver could go with his other friends instead.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“So he didn’t exactly back out?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“No. Dad just preferred that explanation.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I rubbed my face. “Everyone knew except me.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Pretty much.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia pulled out her phone. “And I already told Dad what I think.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She showed me her message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Brent failed your test. He let me eat three cupcakes, couldn’t obtain the moon, and danced like a washing machine with a loose wheel. We had a great time. Stop treating people like experiments.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I burst out laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I saw Sheldon’s reply. “Understood. We need to talk.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suddenly, I was nervous again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Monday morning, Sheldon called me into his office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked uncomfortable. “How was prom? We never got to talk when you brought Georgia back.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Educational.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He sighed. “Georgia told you, didn’t she?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Yep, everything.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheldon covered his face. “I should’ve known she couldn’t keep a secret.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I sat across from him. “Sir, why didn’t you just ask me whether I wanted to apply for the position?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked at me. “Because I wasn’t sure you’d believe you were ready.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Honestly, I’m still not sure.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“That’s why you’ll receive training.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My boss explained that the new location would open in six months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He wanted me to train with Marcus, the current operations manager, to learn about scheduling, inventory, and supplier management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I performed well, I’d interview for the management position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, he showed me the salary range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I nearly fell out of my chair!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was enough to help Mom properly and start saving for my future!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I still had something to say. “Sir, I appreciate this. But using Georgia’s prom to test me wasn’t fair.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheldon nodded. “You’re right, but it was more than that. I didn’t tell my daughter, but I asked you to be her date because I wanted to see how you’d treat my most precious person: Georgia. If you could handle her, I knew you could handle anything.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I couldn’t help but tear up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It was an honor, sir. But if you want to know how I handle pressure, you can watch me at work.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My boss smiled. “I already have.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he offered his hand. “No more surprise tests.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I shook it. “Good. Because I still haven’t figured out how to get Georgia the moon.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Six months later, I completed my training and earned the management position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom cried when I told her I passed the interview!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Janelle immediately asked whether we could finally replace our washing machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Yes,” I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She raised both arms. “BEST PROM EVER!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia and I stayed friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the new location opened, she gave me a framed prom photo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It showed me attempting that terrible dance move while she laughed beside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Underneath, she’d written:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Employee of the Month: Survived One Prom, Three Cupcakes, and a Very Strange Boss.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hung it in my office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because that night taught me something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes, people recognize your potential before you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But if you’re going to tell someone they deserve a promotion, a normal conversation works just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You really don’t need a school dance, a borrowed suit, and a boss who thinks getting the moon is a reasonable management challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, it made for a great story about how I became a manager after working for a year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“My dad didn’t choose you by accident. And it wasn’t for my sake.” I stared at Georgia. “What does that mean?” She glanced toward the prom venue,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":173,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8380"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8381,"href":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8380\/revisions\/8381"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}