Nepotism

I really like the woman who manages the book department at the store where I work. She's been in that position for about 6 or 7 months; before that, she had absolutely no retail experience, as far as I know. Her background is in teaching and librarianship, and half a year after landing her plum position she still can't get over the fact that she has to sell stuff. She got the job because she's the owner's daughter, which sounds like a recipe for disaster, but she's really done a swell job. She's brisk and a bit particular about tidiness, yet she also has an endearingly weird sense of humor and isn't afraid to demand things of the higher-ups -- things like a new computer and printer, the use of which I have greatly enjoyed. She gets cranky and complains about customers and management with the rest of us. As she says, "What are they gonna do, fire me?"

Yesterday she took a poll of book department employees to see what we thought would get her fired. Shouting at customers? Nah, a reprimand. Striking an employee? Probably just a very stern reprimand. I suggested grand theft -- I believe that if she were to, say, walk out of the store with that brand-new computer and printer, she'd get fired. "Yeah, you're probably right," she said, sounding deflated. Apparently she now realizes she's not untouchable.

Today she spilled coffee on her white shirt right before she had to conduct an interview. "Whoo hoo, wet t-shirt contest!" she whooped. She stood there on the sales floor, drying her chest off with the shrink wrap heater.