The Part Time People Read Online Free Page A

another potential victim, leaving Joe with a sense of urgency to do something, anything, to put an end to that scourge of constant communication. He realized that something had to be done. So far the part time people had left on their own whenever they’d become too much of a problem, and Joe had always been able to wait them out. He wasn’t sure he could do that this time. He asked Gwen if she thought that George would soon be leaving and she only sighed and shook her head and said, “if only.” She didn’t believe he would ever leave. George had told her he absolutely loved the job.
     
    “The people you meet”, he exclaimed. “Who would have thought? A stationery store? It just goes to show you, you never can tell.”
     
    Still, Joe tried to hang on and endure the pestering. It all became too much though, one day when George decided to become a little too curious about Joe’s personal life, asking him really inappropriate questions and making light of Joe’s refusal to answer them. Joe was furious and decided right then and there that enough was enough. George didn’t show up for work the next day. Gwen was so relieved she almost cried, but this was not the end of the part time people problem.
     
    Then there was Ron. Ron who couldn't be fired. Ron who could not be talked to. Ron who was simply too remote from this world to be reached in any way at all. The only person who could ever talk with him was God almighty himself. Then Ron might possibly listen, but only if he happened to feel like it that day. He was always muttering beneath his breath, so soft you couldn't make out the words, but you knew you didn't want to anyway. Ron was just too much. David couldn't possibly be any worse than him. And he couldn't be worse than Martin. Gwen hadn't yet gotten over Martin either. Because Martin hadn’t gotten over her. He had taken to stalking her ever since he stopped showing up for work at DeBarrie's a few weeks previously. She had tried calling the cops, but Martin hadn’t yet crossed the line, they told her. Every Thursday she saw him, waiting at her subway stop. He just watched her get on and ride away. She didn’t want to know what was going on inside his head, but she knew it couldn’t be good. She just prayed he would go away.
     
    She couldn't help but think about these things throughout the rest of the evening. David didn’t try to initiate any conversation, and she got tired of having him just stand around up there, so she told him that he should just look around the store and get to know where everything was. And if he had any questions he should ask now since it was slow. David busied himself with this for a little while, he went around the store a couple of times, but he ended up just staring at the shelves and spacing out.
     
    David was glad she didn't insist on talking, and he noticed how almost no one came in the store, but he figured it was just a slow night and it wasn't usually like that. He didn't ask about it, he'd find out soon enough in any case, after a few more weeks. It was good to be thinking in terms of weeks, but when he noticed he was thinking in that way he made his mind shut up. I can't let myself get carried away, he thought.
     
    Gwen read a magazine and pretended to ignore David, but she was watching him all the time. He would move to an area of the store and just stand there for a few minutes, obviously not looking around and learning the stock, then he’d move to another spot in the store. Well, maybe he's just bored, she thought, I know I am. She was determined to give him the benefit of the doubt. So far he doesn't seem so bad, she told herself. Maybe it will be okay this time. I'd rather have a total bore than a total lunatic.
     
    When it was time to close, they quickly said good night to each other, then he left. She put the money away, turned off the lights, and locked up for the night. That wasn’t too bad, she thought as she stepped out the door. She was glad to be