Free Training Amy by Anne O'Connell Page B

so she kept her eyes downcast.
    He walked across the room and opened the cage. “Get dressed; use the restroom if you have to. There’s some lunch left over up front if you’re hungry. It’s only three o’clock. We still have a few hours before closing. Then I thought we’d go to Bistro Forty-One in Tiddsdale for dinner.”
    She nodded numbly. “Okay.”
    With that he left the room and she chastised herself. What the hell was she doing saying okay? Her boss had just stuck her naked in a cage for two-and-a-half hours! If she had any sense at all she’d just leave. There was nothing keeping her here. There were other jobs and she’d find something just as good. Then she remembered the paycheck. Her last few checks were better than what she’d gotten at her other jobs. Drawing in a deep breath she stood and put on her clothes as quickly as possible.  Before going back into the front of the store she stopped off in the employee restroom and freshened up.  Cautiously she stepped back into the store. She really hadn’t decided what she was doing. She didn’t want to leave just because she knew the reality of her prospects for as good a job weren’t that good. At the same time, was it worth being caged? Well, it’s not like they would do stuff like that just because , she assured herself. After all, she had broken the rules. She just wouldn’t break any more rules and she wouldn’t end up in a cage again. Besides, the cage was sold, unless they had another one boxed somewhere, waiting. Not to mention she liked it.
    Brad was behind the computer again and Eric was at his usual place behind the register.
    She had no idea what to say.
    The store traffic had died down considerably and a few customers milled about flipping through books.
    Brad was the first one to break the silence. “So eBooks.”
    “What about them?” Eric said with a frown.
    “I was thinking we could consider selling eReaders.” He shrugged and looked both of them expectantly.
    Amy couldn’t hide the surprised look on her face. Was that it? Would they never discuss her being naked in the cage again? Or was this so normal for them that it just wasn’t a big deal?
    “Why are you both looking at me like I have two heads?” Brad threw his hands up and leaned back in the chair.
    “So let me get this straight,” Eric looked at Amy as if he were speaking for both of them. “We sell eReaders and encourage people to buy eBooks that we don’t sell?”
    Amy couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Eric had a point. “But you could put up a website and encourage local and indie authors, maybe a few small presses, to offer eBooks through your site, and just install WiFi here. Let people hook up, buy and download books from your website. Maybe put some café tables over there by the magazines and put a public computer terminal here on this side of the counter so that people can browse the catalog.”  
    Brad gave her a broad smile. “That’s visionary. Of course it could take a few months to put into place. What do you think, Eric?”
    Eric frowned, clearly thinking about it. “Maybe we could try it. It also means we’re going to need to find someone to design the website and get together with some small publishers and independent authors to discuss selling the books in a format the eReaders can read.”
                            Brad continued to grin. “I’m just worried if we don’t keep up with the new technology we’re going to be left behind and end up out of business.”
                “Well, we could always open a public shop for the other merchandise if it came down to it.” Eric suggested. He winked at Amy. And just like that, Amy felt excitement run through her at his warm regard toward her. Any anger she may have felt toward him for caging her vanished.
                This time it was Brad’s turn to frown. “And deal with the city council and hard core Christian groups? I’d rather stay