Chapter 18: The Great Store Competition part 2
Lance wasn't the kind of person to stay embarrassed for long.
He dusted imaginary dirt off his shirt, stood a little taller and pointed confidently at the whiteboard.
"Two points behind?"
"You are one point behind," Jess corrected.
"Exactly."
"...That's not what you said."
"It's called confidence."
"It's called mathematics," Isha replied.
Before Lance could argue, Mr. Adams blew the whistle once more.
"The third challenge," he announced, "will test your speed."
Lance grinned.
"Now we're talking."
Mr. Adams gestured toward the front entrance.
Over twenty shopping trolleys had somehow found themselves scattered throughout the parking area. Some were beside cars, others near the trolley bay, and a few looked as though customers had simply abandoned them wherever they pleased.
"Retrieve every trolley."
"The person who returns the most correctly earns the point."
Lance practically vibrated with excitement.
"I've been preparing my whole life for this."
Jade smiled politely.
"I somehow doubt that."
The whistle shrieked.
Lance charged outside like a marathon runner.
Jade simply walked.
Within seconds Lance already had four trolleys linked together.
"I'M WINNING!"
Unfortunately...
He had forgotten one tiny detail.
The fifth trolley still had its wheel lock engaged.
The moment he pulled—
CLANG!
The locked trolley refused to move.
The other four crashed into it.
The entire line folded like dominoes.
One trolley spun sideways.
Another rolled into a promotional sign.
A third somehow ended up in a flower display.
Everyone inside the store turned to watch.
Lance slowly looked around.
"...Nobody saw that."
Every member of staff was staring directly at him through the front windows.
Jess folded her arms.
"We all saw that."
Even Mr. Adams pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Lance."
"Yes, Mr. Adams?"
"The trolleys are not attacking you."
"I've noticed."
Meanwhile...
Jade quietly gathered trolley after trolley.
No rushing.
No crashing.
No dramatic speeches.
Just steady progress.
By the time Lance untangled his trolley disaster...
Jade had already filled the entire trolley bay.
The whistle blew.
"Point to Jade."
The scoreboard now read:
Jade - 3
Lance - 0
Lance placed both hands on his hips.
"I enjoy a challenge."
Jess raised an eyebrow.
"I don't think the challenge enjoys you."
The staff room erupted with laughter.
Round Four.
Mr. Adams folded his arms.
"The next challenge..."
He paused dramatically.
"...stock rotation."
Every shelf packer groaned.
Even Gammie looked uncomfortable.
Mr. Adams pointed towards an aisle stacked with canned food.
"You will each inspect one side."
"Every expired item must be removed."
"Every product must be pulled forward."
"Every gap must be filled."
"The neatest aisle wins."
Lance whispered to Jade.
"Who even enjoys this?"
Jade shrugged.
"I actually do."
"Oh..."
Lance suddenly looked much less confident.
The whistle sounded.
Unlike the previous rounds, neither man rushed.
This challenge demanded patience.
Lance carefully checked dates.
One tin.
Another.
Another.
Then another.
Five minutes later he suddenly held a can high in the air.
"Expired!"
He celebrated as though he'd discovered buried treasure.
"I found one!"
The staff clapped sarcastically.
Isha pretended to wipe away a tear.
"I'm so proud."
Lance bowed.
"Thank you."
Moments later Jade quietly placed six expired tins into his crate.
Lance stopped celebrating.
"...Where did those come from?"
"They were behind the newer stock."
"Oh."
"I rotated them."
"Oh..."
Lance scratched his head.
"I forgot we were supposed to do that."
Mr. Adams wrote another point beside Jade's name.
Jade - 4
Lance - 0
Lance looked at the board.
"I've made a tactical decision."
"What decision?" I asked.
"I'm saving all my victories for later."
"You don't get extra points for that."
"I know."
"It just sounds better."
By lunchtime the entire store had become invested.
Customers had even begun asking what was happening.
Mark volunteered as commentator.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced dramatically over an empty cardboard tube.
"We are witnessing retail history."
Jess rolled her eyes.
"No we aren't."
"We absolutely are."
"Lance has lost four events in a row."
"Exactly."
"That's not history."
"It is for Lance."
Lance pointed accusingly.
"I can hear you."
"Good."
"I'll remember this."
"No you won't."
"I probably won't."
Even Lance laughed.
Despite losing every round...
He hadn't stopped smiling.
I realised something then.
Jade wanted to win.
Lance wanted to win too.
But somewhere along the way...
The competition had become more important than the prize itself.
They were simply enjoying themselves.
Something that rarely happened in retail.
After lunch Mr. Adams gathered everyone again.
"The fifth challenge..."
He looked towards Health and Beauty.
"...customer requests."
Jess smiled.
"Oh this should be interesting."
Within moments the shelves had become crowded with staff pretending to shop.
Lance whispered to me,
"I've got this."
"You said that four challenges ago."
"This time I mean it."
The first fake customer approached.
It was Liz.
She held up a bottle of shampoo.
"Excuse me."
"Yes?"
"Can I use this to wash my dog?"
Lance stared at the bottle.
Then at Liz.
Then back at the bottle.
"...What kind of dog?"
The entire aisle burst into laughter.
Liz couldn't even answer.
She laughed too hard.
Mr. Adams sighed deeply.
"Lance..."
"I'm trying to help."
"No."
"You're asking follow-up questions."
"I thought details mattered."
"They do."
"But not those details."
Jade's turn came next.
Shannon approached carrying toothpaste.
"My husband says whitening toothpaste will make me look younger."
Jade smiled politely.
"I'm afraid it only helps your teeth."
"Oh."
"But if you need skincare products..."
He calmly led her to the correct shelf.
Professional.
Friendly.
Simple.
Another point.
The whiteboard now looked hopeless.
Jade - 5
Lance - 0
Lance stared at it for several seconds.
Finally he nodded.
"I've decided something."
"What now?" I asked.
"I'm definitely making the greatest comeback in retail history."
Jess smiled.
"You keep saying that."
"I have to."
"Why?"
He glanced at me.
"Because Layla deserves that prize."
For just a second...
Nobody laughed.
It was such a simple reason.
He wasn't competing for himself.
He genuinely wanted to give whatever the mystery prize was to someone else.
Across the room, Jade smiled warmly.
"I understand."
He pulled a photograph from his wallet.
It was a picture of Fiona.
"I promised her I'd come home with something."
Lance looked at the photograph.
Then held out his hand.
"May the best man win."
Jade shook it.
"Agreed."
Watching them, I couldn't help smiling.
A few hours earlier they had been rivals.
Now...
They were rivals who respected each other.
And somehow...
I had the strange feeling the hardest challenge was still waiting for them.
The atmosphere inside Pick Your Product had completely changed.
Customers walking through the store had no idea why two grown men were sprinting through the aisles like professional athletes, but they certainly enjoyed watching it.
Even Mr. Adams had stopped pretending he wasn't entertained.
He simply folded his arms and observed.
"The final challenge," he announced, "will decide everything."
The staff immediately gathered around.
Lance wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Jade rolled his shoulders.
"This challenge," Mr. Adams continued, "is worth five points."
Lance's eyes widened.
"I'M BACK IN THIS!"
Jade laughed.
"You haven't even heard what it is."
"I don't need to."
Mr. Adams pointed toward the back of the store.
"I want every abandoned item returned to its correct shelf."
A collective gasp escaped the shelf packers.
The stockroom doors opened.
Out rolled trolley after trolley.
Customers had certainly been busy that day.
Packets of biscuits sat beside dog food.
Frozen vegetables had somehow found their way into stationery.
Toothpaste lay inside baskets filled with breakfast cereal.
Someone had even abandoned a watermelon in the pet food aisle.
Lance stared.
"...Who did this?"
Jess folded her arms.
"Customers."
"They're monsters."
"They're customers."
"Worse."
The whistle echoed through the building.
"Begin."
Without another word the two men rushed forward.
Lance grabbed three baskets.
Jade took four.
The battle had begun.
At first it looked like a race.
Lance darted through the grocery aisles, returning products as quickly as he could.
Jade calmly worked through Health and Beauty, placing every item back exactly where it belonged.
The scoreboard no longer mattered.
Every employee had stopped watching the points.
Instead...
They watched the determination.
Lance rounded a corner carrying a heavy box of bottled water.
Before he could lift it onto the shelf—
The bottom gave way.
The bottles rolled in every direction.
Customers jumped aside.
One bottle gently bumped against Mr. Adams' shoe.
Silence.
Lance slowly looked up.
"...Good afternoon, Mr. Adams."
Mr. Adams looked at the bottles.
Then at Lance.
"Gravity appears to be winning."
The entire aisle burst into laughter.
Lance sighed.
"I'll get them."
Without saying a word...
Jade walked over.
He bent down and started picking up bottles beside him.
Lance blinked.
"Aren't we competing?"
"We are."
"Then why are you helping me?"
Jade smiled.
"Because if I leave you alone..."
He looked at the bottles still rolling away.
"...we'll be here until tomorrow."
Lance laughed.
"Fair enough."
The two of them quickly cleaned up the mess before running in opposite directions again.
Minutes later...
Jade found himself struggling with an enormous bag of dog food.
He pulled.
Nothing.
He pulled harder.
Still nothing.
Someone had somehow wedged it beneath the bottom shelf.
Before he could try again...
Another pair of hands grabbed the bag.
Lance.
"Lift together?"
Jade nodded.
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three!"
With one final pull the bag came free.
Unfortunately...
Both men stumbled backwards.
The bag landed on the floor with a loud thud.
Lance landed sitting down.
Jade landed beside him.
For a moment...
Neither of them moved.
Then they looked at each other.
And laughed.
Not polite laughter.
Not forced laughter.
The kind that leaves your stomach hurting.
The entire staff couldn't help smiling.
I looked over at Jess.
"I don't think either of them cares about winning anymore."
Jess smiled.
"I don't think so either."
Across the store, Isha leaned against her trolley.
"You know..."
"What?"
"They've packed half the store by themselves."
I looked around.
She was right.
The shelves looked perfect.
Every abandoned basket had disappeared.
The aisles were spotless.
Without realising it...
Lance and Jade had done almost everything.
Gammie slowly scratched his chin.
"I've barely lifted a finger today."
Liz grinned.
"Neither have we."
Shannon suddenly started laughing.
"Oh no..."
Jess looked at her.
"What?"
"They're actually going to believe there's a prize."
One by one the staff exchanged guilty looks.
Nobody spoke.
The whistle sounded one final time.
Mr. Adams gathered everyone near the front entrance.
Lance and Jade stood side by side.
Both were exhausted.
Their shirts were wrinkled.
Their faces were red.
Their hands were covered in dust from moving stock all day.
Mr. Adams slowly picked up the clipboard.
"The competition..."
He paused dramatically.
"...has come to an end."
The entire staff fell silent.
He looked at Jade.
"You demonstrated patience."
Then at Lance.
"You demonstrated determination."
He nodded once.
"You have both worked exceptionally hard today."
Lance smiled.
Jade folded his hands behind his back.
Mr. Adams continued.
"There is only one matter remaining."
Lance leaned forward.
"The prize."
"Yes."
Mr. Adams looked toward Shannon.
Shannon suddenly found the ceiling very interesting.
He looked at Jess.
She bit her lip to stop herself laughing.
Then Isha.
She had already turned around because she was trying not to burst out laughing.
Lance frowned.
"...Where is it?"
Silence.
Jade looked around.
"...Yes."
"Where's the prize?"
Nobody answered.
Finally...
Mark stepped forward.
"So..."
He scratched the back of his head.
"...there isn't one."
Complete silence.
Lance blinked.
"What?"
"There never was."
Jade looked confused.
"...I'm sorry?"
Shannon couldn't hold it anymore.
"We made it up!"
Jess burst into laughter.
"So did I!"
Liz doubled over.
"The mystery prize..."
Isha wheezed between laughs.
"...was completely fake!"
Lance looked at Jade.
Jade looked at Lance.
Then both of them slowly looked around the store.
Every shelf...
Perfect.
Every trolley...
Empty.
Every abandoned item...
Gone.
Every difficult job...
Finished.
Lance finally pointed at the spotless aisles.
"So..."
"We did all the work?"
Gammie nodded proudly.
"You certainly did."
"And the rest of you?"
Jess smiled innocently.
"We supervised."
"You watched us!"
"Very closely."
Lance stared for several long seconds.
"So let me get this straight."
He counted on his fingers.
"I embarrassed myself."
"Yes."
"I lost almost every challenge."
"Yes."
"I searched for frozen bread that doesn't exist."
The entire staff nodded.
"I fought a trolley."
"You lost."
"I dropped bottled water."
"You certainly did."
"I helped pack nearly the whole store..."
"Yes."
"...and there was never a prize?"
"No."
A long silence filled the store.
Then...
Lance started laughing.
At first it was only a chuckle.
Then louder.
Then so hard he had to hold his stomach.
Jade looked at him.
Shook his head.
And joined in.
Within seconds the entire store echoed with laughter.
Even Mr. Adams smiled.
Only slightly.
But enough for us to notice.
When the laughter finally settled, Jade held out his hand.
"I suppose neither of us won."
Lance shook it firmly.
"I disagree."
"Oh?"
"I think we both did."
Jade smiled.
"I think you're right."
As everyone began returning to their departments, Mr. Adams cleared his throat.
"There may not have been a mystery prize."
Lance sighed dramatically.
"I knew it."
"But..."
Mr. Adams reached into his pocket.
He placed two chocolate bars into their hands.
"For exceptional teamwork."
Lance stared at it.
"This..."
"...is actually the greatest prize I've ever won."
Everyone laughed again.
Jade smiled warmly.
"Fiona will love this."
Lance looked at his own chocolate bar.
Then quietly walked over to me.
"Here."
I blinked.
"Lance..."
"You said there wasn't a prize."
"I know."
"But I still promised you something."
I smiled before breaking the chocolate in half.
"You carried boxes, lost every challenge, argued with shopping trolleys and made the whole store laugh."
I handed one half back to him.
"I think we've both earned it."
Lance smiled.
"I can live with that."
As I watched everyone return to work, I couldn't help smiling myself.
Sometimes the best days in retail weren't the busiest.
They weren't the easiest either.
They were the days when everyone forgot about targets, deadlines and stress...
...and simply enjoyed being together.
There had never been a mystery prize.
But somehow...
Every one of us walked away with something far more valuable.
A memory we'd still be laughing about years later.