The Art of the Hustle

  ***

  I showed up to work the next morning just before eight. My manager unlocked the doors for me and let me in. I went to the back to put my stuff down then began to do the usual morning duties: vacuum, dust, and Windex. Corson was there with me, although he was busy with his morning duties: taking out the garbage from the previous night and counting the day’s float. He didn’t ask me how my night went. All I wanted to do was talk about this girl to whoever would listen.

  After I finished my duties, I unlocked the doors for the start of another day at the shop. Mornings were usually pretty quiet at the store, customers didn’t start showing up until around eleven.

  My manager had me in the back processing a new shipment of merchandise with him while Corson minded the store. The task was to put security tags on all the new clothing that had just come in. I did this for about an hour. Throughout the whole mindless task, all I thought about was Ashley. I replayed every vivid detail in my mind.

  “You’re awfully quiet this morning,” my manger remarked.

  “I have a broken heart,” I said remorsefully.

  “You do? Over who?”

  “Her name is Ashley.”

  “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone, when did you meet her?”

  “Yesterday.”

  My manager couldn’t help but laugh. “Aw, puppy love,” he teased.

  “I think she was the one.”

  “Oh okay, in that case, I apologize,” he said sarcastically. “Just to remind you, you’re seventeen and you don’t know anything about love…and you met her yesterday!”

  “Eighteen.”

  We continued to go back and forth. He kept teasing me and I kept talking about Ashley, it was a win-win for both of us. It was a shame to think I would probably never see her again, but that’s what it was like in Banff; everyone was from elsewhere and only there temporarily. Eventually, and inevitably, they all leave.

  “Yo, Trevor!” Corson yelled out. “You have a visitor!”

  As soon as I heard that, I immediately jumped out of my chair and ran out of the stock room.

  My heart skipped a beat when I saw her, but I played it cool.

  “Hey, Ashley, how are you?”

  “I’m good. I just wanted to come by and give you this card before I left,” she said, as she handed me a card. “But don’t read it now, okay?”

  “Okay, I won’t. So when are you leaving?”

  “In about an hour, my family is just checking out of the hotel now. So… yeah, um, I just wanted to come by and see you again before I left.”

  “I’m glad you did.”

  “And thanks for the nice evening last night, I had a good time.”

  “I hope it wasn’t too boring for you.”

  “No, it was perfect.”

  We stood there for a moment making heavy eye contact. I didn’t say anything and neither did she, but somehow it wasn’t awkward. I eventually gave her a hug, which I didn’t want to let go. I pulled back slowly, as did she. Our eyes met and we gave each other a final kiss goodbye.

  I stood there and watched her walk out of the store, and out of my life.

  C H A P T E R

  S E V E N

  By now, the winter had arrived and the town was covered in a thick blanket of white snow. I received a discount on a bunch of equipment from the shop, so on my days off I would head to the hills and go snowboarding. Sometimes I went with my roommates, sometimes with a co-worker, but mostly I just went by myself.

  At night, I was no longer going out to the bars. I actually had more fun hanging out with McKay and listening to his stories. McKay had a lot of life experience; he had graduated from university and had lived in many parts of the world including Africa, China, and now Banff. It seemed like an odd place for a guy with so much promise to end up, but I didn’t really question it at the time. He could speak in depth about a wide variety of topics, including religion, politics, science, and philosophy. I hung onto every word.

  From listening to him, it was obvious I hadn’t really lived yet. I was eighteen, but I didn’t know as much about the world as I thought I did. Nothing was more evident of this than when it was my turn to tell a story and I had nothing to say. I don’t think he minded, he seemed content with imparting his wisdom onto an empty canvas.

  These nights were some of my fondest memories of living in Banff. But when McKay moved away, I was once again by myself. I started going back to the bar with Rob and Dave, but it was no longer as fun. McKay had given me a glimpse of what else was out there in the world, and I was eager to discover it.

  McKay once told me that when we meet people, we take the characteristics we like in them and leave behind the ones we don’t like. Even though I was still going to the bar, I quit drinking. I really admired that quality in him and this was one of the many characteristics I took from him. I also wanted to have my own crazy stories to tell someday. So far my craziest story was being chased by some drunk guy one night.