So this really is the big bad secret, I have never managed to get it out in writing (I just hoped it would dissapear from my memory) The closest I came to sharing this was saying to a girl I worked with at the time - J - that "I kissed him back" and then refusing to talk about it anymore. This was not a wise choice considering the circumstances but I was drunk, it was our work Christmas party, which at this point, I am amazed I went to.
So i worked in a grocery store when I was 16, it was my first job and I worked there for about a year and a half I think. If that's right then these things must have occured when I had been there for about a year.
I worked on the checkout, that was about it other than the occassional stocktaking or tidying up the shelves. I worked with a couple of girls from school, a few boys from around town (the two groups dated a little bit, we paired up at some point - mine didn't last) and of course the managers who had worked in groceries for forever.
In the fruit and vegetable section the manager type person was A. A was a massive flirt with all the girls and we played up to it, my choice response was the ever mature sticking my tongue out, and never thought anything more because he was married (and at this time had a baby on the way) He is also the cousin of one of my best friends whilst growing up, and as far as I know still remains awesome cousin A to her.
So one week the two real managers N and someone I can't remember had some sort of confrence in the city so were away from the week and A was acting manager for the whole store.
One afternoon this week I was cashing out my tray to lock up. We had a special little room for this. Mid count A opened the door, said something, I can't remember what. I stuck my tongue out at him, he gave me this weird look then squeezed into the room and said something like "I told you you should be careful doing that all the time" and kissed me. It was kind of awful, he had a beard or a goatie or something and I was stunned. I did however kiss him back. He snuck back out and I continued to cash up and then all but ran out to my Dad's car, shaking like a leaf the entire time and not speaking to my Dad, just wanting to go home and cry.
Another night, possibly the next one I worked until the store closed, so I cashed up my tray, got my stuff from the store room and went to see if my Dad was in the back car park (secluded and only used really for the start or end of the day) He was late (Something my Mum later had a go at him about and I think they both felt terrible but they weren't to know) So I went back inside, this was the back area of the store, storage, fridges and stuff. A was the only one there, and being the supervisor he had to stay until I got picked up.
He was over by a work bench and called me over to him, I think he kissed me again, but what I do remember is him pulling my against him and putting his hand in my pants. I was paralysed, I didn't think to try stop him, I just wanted to get out of there. I guess my Dad arrived soon after because it didn't go any further than that.
Another day I was in the staff room on my lunch break and A came in and shut the door behind him (highly suspicious to anyone walking past, it was never shut) He took my hand and rubbed it over his pants, and said "This is what you do to me" It sounds stupid now, but I had no idea what he meant at the time.
I was a nervous wreck at this time, I was so stressed all the time, I think I must have been struggling at school, and I must have been struggling at home because at some point (a few weeks or months after that week) my sister was made to take me to the doctor. The doctor kept asking me questions, trying to figure out what was wrong with me, and eventually my face started to give it away and both my sister and her saw there was something serious. I was so scared of what would happen if I told them, but I did. The doctor immediatley rang the store and told the manager. I was kept home for quite a while and someone from HR in the city came to my house and went through it with me and my parents, I didn't want to talk about it then, so when they asked if I wanted to press charges I decided not to.
I'm not sure if A was suspended and then fired, or just fired. One day once I had gone back to work he came in. I didn't have a restraining order but it was certainly agreed I would not be exposed to him. So seeing him out of the blue scared the life out of me. I think I went white as a sheet and started shaking again, my supervisor asked me what was wrong and when I finally got it out and she realised he was in the store (to collect a pay check i think, although I felt at the time like he was just taunting me) she pulled me into an aisle to keep out of his way. That sick, shaky feeling I had, I still to this day get when I see him, which luckily is only maybe once every couple of years these days.
A few weeks later I was working on a Saturday, mostly just with the girls from school, and the manager N was working that day too. Anyway I was just serving at my checkout and two women came through, one with a baby. The one with a baby asked me if I was Jennifer, I said yes and started to get defensive from her attitude, then she said "I'm A's wife" It took me a few seconds to click, then I realised who she was. It was awful. Then she had a go at me, I can't remember exactly what she said, but it was so confusing, it was as if she was under the impression I had had an affair with him? She told me I had ruined things, with getting him fired when he had a baby coming.
I finally got away, got out back to the toilets and broke down. (I yelled at the other girls on the way to get someone to cover for me) N must have heard about this and came in and found me curled up on the floor. I told him what had happened and he took off.
At this point A had gotten a job at another grocery store (and gotten fired when they heard the story from a friend of mine who had also worked at both stores) and then he had gotten another job at a larger grocery store in town (which my sister actually worked at) As far as I know he still works there.
Anyway N went to this store to find A. Apparently he went and found him at work, and yelled at him in front of everyone, telling him what his wife had done and telling him to leave me alone, and get her to leave me alone.I was amazed to hear this but appreciate it so much.
So I worked for a few weeks or months after this, but then I started getting harrassed more, one of A's cousins or nephews also worked with us at some point and he managed to call me and abuse me, also seeming to be under the impression I had seduced A. I wonder to this day what A had told his family.
Eventually I quit, I just couldn't take it anymore.And as far as I know, no one knows all the details about this series of events.
