By noon, most of the girls had returned the cameras and taken reloaded ones out again several times, but Esther was nowhere to be seen. Addie figured she was playing a game with them, punishing them with her absence as a means of paying them back.
Addie wouldn’t care, but it would affect the sales for the day, and she didn’t want anything to cause problems for the Fishers.
“I’m going to take my lunch time and see if I can locate Esther,” Addie told Pearl as she prepared to head out.
“Don’t do that. You’re entitled to your lunch same aseveryone else. Use company time to find Esther—after all, it is a company matter.”
“I know, but as angry as she was this morning, this may take a while.”
“If it does, it does.” Pearl offered her a sympathetic smile. “Being in charge is never easy, but you’ve handled these girls wonderfully. Otis and I trust you completely to handle the matter.”
“Frankly, I think this should be Esther’s last chance. She’s done nothing but stir up trouble amongst the other girls. Her sales are minimal, and she’s getting to be more difficult to deal with.”
“We will leave that up to you, Addie. I know you wouldn’t fire someone for personal reasons.”
“No, but I have been tempted,” Addie admitted. “Esther is just one of those types who makes it very hard on others. I have tried to befriend her, but she wants no friend. I’ve tried to offer her kindness and the benefit of the doubt, but she wants none of that either. She’s just very difficult.”
Pearl patted her arm. “I’m sure you’ll know what to do. Now, don’t miss your lunch on account of this. I brought some extra sandwiches and vegetable strips if you want to share what we have.”
“That’s all right. I can always run over to the cottage if need be.”
Addie headed out along the avenue, keeping an eye out for Esther. She hated that the girl was being so difficult. When they’d first advertised for workers and had the girls show up for interviews, Esther had been amiable enough and seemed quite smart. She hadn’t revealed her true nature.
Making her way toward Arctic Circle, where there werefountains and water cascades, Addie wondered how she might handle the situation with Esther. She didn’t want to further the girl’s rage and negative attitude, but since she hadn’t been back at any point during the morning, it was clear she wasn’t earning her keep.
Addie figured telling her flat out that she had to improve her sales or lose her job would definitely constitute a threat as far as Esther would be concerned. Still, Addie needed to put her foot down and make sure that the girl understood the risk of loafing around the expo and doing nothing.
She walked for over an hour before finally spotting Esther. She was sitting with a young man and talking. Her camera was put away, and she showed no signs whatsoever of working. Addie wasted little time.
“Miss Danbury, we need to talk.”
The young man looked up and grinned. “We’re kind of busy talking ourselves.”
“I am sorry to interrupt your discussion,” Addie said, “but Miss Danbury is my employee and currently on the clock. So, you see, I must take precedence.”
The man frowned. Addie figured him to be no older than twenty, and he was clearly quite taken by Esther’s flirtatious nature.
“Perhaps you and Miss Danbury could arrange to meet later, after her working hours are done. She will finish at five thirty.”
“Oh, bother. Why don’t you just say what you’ve come to say and leave me alone?” Esther snapped. “I have no desire to be further embarrassed by you.”
“Then perhaps your young man will leave us to our discussion.” Addie looked at him, and it seemed to have the effect of a schoolmarm on her student.
He jumped to his feet. “I’ll take a walk and return here shortly.”
Addie waited until he was a good way down the sidewalk before turning to Esther. “We’ve seen nothing of you this morning and worried that perhaps you had taken ill.”
“I’m not ill. I simply didn’t find anyone who wanted their picture taken. It hardly seems reasonable to come back to the shop if I have no need to.”
“Checking in is for your safety as well as for us to know that you are doing your job. You clearly haven’t been doing your job while sitting and chatting with that young man.”
“Oh, but I was. He wanted to know what I was doing here at the expo, and I told him.” She gave Addie a snide look and lifted her chin in defiance. It was an unspoken challenge to be sure.
“I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt, Esther. Which is far more than anything you would do for me or the others. However, you’re falling way behind everyone else in sales and even photography. You’ve been hired to do a job, and that job is not being done. If you are unable to do it, I am going to have to dismiss you and hire another girl.”
“You can’t do that. I need this job.”
“Then do the work.” Addie could see the anger in Esther’s eyes. The girl was clearly unwilling to meet her halfway in this. “Esther, I didn’t set out to be your enemy. I, too, was hired to do a job. Training you and supervising your work are my main duties. If you cannot do as you promised, then you must go.”
