The Supermarket, the Businessman and Only the Best

By D.W G. Pope

In this novel, there are three stories, none of which are related.

The characters are completely fictitious and bear no resemblance to anyone in this life or in the past.

Although this novel is lighthearted and written with tongue in cheek, it does have adult content and is therefore unsuitable for children.

The first story, The Supermarket, is about a young lad who is employed by a supermarket and works his way up to become the manager of the supermarket and the situations and affairs that occur during his working and social life.

The Businessman is a story about a ruthless businessman in the middle of nineteenth-century England and the ways that he successfully obtains what he wants in his business dealings and his social affairs too not only through his intelligence but by blackmail too.

The final story, Only the Best, is about a young man who, after leaving the army, finds his social life slow to begin with but escalates into an interesting, exciting, and exhausting life, with many affairs and which he could not have possibly imagined.

All three stories were written by David W. G. Pope.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Apr 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514494868

D.W G. Pope

David Pope was born, educated, and grew up in the historic city of Bath in Somerset. David is married, with four children and numerous grandchildren. He emigrated to Australia in 1973 and lives in Cairns, Queensland. David took up writing novels in his seventies.

Book preview

In this novel, there are three stories, none of which are related.

The characters are completely fictitious and bear no resemblance to anyone in this life or in the past.

Although this novel is light hearted and written with tongue in cheek, it does have adult content and is therefore unsuitable for children.

The first story, THE SUPERMARKET, is about a young lad who is employed by a supermarket and works his way up to become the manager of the supermarket, and the situations and affairs that occur during his working and social life.

THE BUSINESSMAN is a story about a ruthless businessman in the middle of 19th century England, and the ways that he successfully obtains what he wants in his business dealings and his social affairs too, not only through his intelligence but by blackmail too.

The final story, ONLY THE BEST, is about a young man who after leaving the army, finds his social life slow to begin with, but escalates into an interesting, exciting and exhausting life, with many affairs, and which he could not have possibly imagined.

All three stories were written by David W.G. Pope.

THE SUPERMARKET

CHAPTER 1

R uben Hardy was a young man 16 years of age. Dark haired and tall for his age. He was not good looking, but well liked for his engaging smile, which came easily to his face, and his good sense of humour always served him well. He lived in an English country town of several thousand people. He was not stupid nor was he over intelligent, but no fool, and with plenty of common sense and acumen.

Ruben’s father, Frank was a labourer for the local council. In his younger days had been a rugby player for the town and had boxed a little, and not all his fights were in the ring. Unfortunately, all his winnings, went on booze.

He could often be seen these days, leaning on a shovel, and if anyone of authority should appear, his hand would quickly move to his back and start rubbing, with a grimace on his face. He was a real bludger.

His mother, Sandra or Sandy as she had always been known, was an attractive woman in her forties, and had been a promising swimmer in her youth, but gave it all up when she married Frank. She now cleaned offices to make sure there was enough food on the table.

Ruben had two sisters, Sophie who was 15 months younger than Ruben, had an attractive face, and an electric smile. She was blue eyed and fair haired, and had matured quickly, already having a prominent pair of breasts, and there was Gigi who was almost 14 years of age, with light ginger/fair hair, and the promise of being a real beauty with a most attractive face and green eyes. She had a slimmer frame than Sophie and would soon be taller than her sister. Both young ladies were fair of skin like their mother, whereas Ruben had his father’s colouring and large frame.

The day after his 16th birthday, his father told him that he was of age to go to work, and wanted him to find a job at the end of the school year, which was some 6 months away, to help with the family income.

Ruben was happy with that, he was no great scholar, and the subjects were all boring, as were the teachers, he just wanted to get on with the rest of his life, though he was not sure what he wanted to do. His only asset was that he was well endowed, and he could not go about waving that, in hope of making some money. All the boys at school were envious of his asset, and made jokes and called him offensive names about it, and that was another reason he wanted to leave school.

As he walked home from school with his sisters who were chattering away, he looked at the new supermarket that had been erected across the road, and through the open doorway, he could see that inside, shelves and other things were being put together, but there had been no advertisement for jobs as yet.

‘Hold on a minute’ Ruben said on impulse, and rushed off.

‘Where are you going’ Sophie yelled after him as he made his way across the street.

‘To see if I can get a job’ he yelled back as he made a beeline for a woman in a dark top and skirt with a white blouse who was looking in through the swing doors, and had a clip board and pen in her hands.

‘Excuse me miss!’ Ruben said as he reached the woman.

The woman turned around, she was in her early forties, a little overweight, dark hair cut short, and not more than 5 foot 4 inches in height, and that was in her semi high heels.

The woman turned ‘Yes and what can I do for you young man?’ she asked.

‘Are you the boss of this Supermarket?’ Ruben asked.

‘Yes, I am’ she replied with a smile.

‘I need a job, miss.’ Ruben burst out.

‘We haven’t advertised for staff yet’ the woman replied.

‘Yes, I know, that is why I asked now before the rush’ Ruben said.

The woman, Sonya Harvey, thought him an enterprising young man, and could use someone with initiative ‘Come and see me tomorrow at 9 o’clock, and we will have a little chat. My name is Sonya Harvey, and I am the manager of this supermarket and anyone of the workers will tell you where my office is.’ She said in a friendly manner.

‘Thank you miss. I will be there’ he said and gave a wide smile.

Sonya watched the young man run back to the waiting girls.

‘Did you get one? Sophie and Gigi asked.

‘Don’t know’ he grinned ‘but I have to see her at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning’ he replied.

‘What about School?’ Gigi asked.

‘School will just have to wait’ Ruben said nonchalantly sticking his nose in the air’ and laughed loudly.

The two girls grinned, they knew their brother cared not a hoot about school.

‘Don’t tell mum or dad, they might not have one for me, and if I do get one, I want to give them a surprise’ Ruben said, and his two sisters nodded.

The next morning, Ruben arrived at the Supermarket at 8.45 and left his sisters to carry on to school, and went in through the front doors which were open, and asked one of the workmen where the boss’s office was.

A workman pointed to an office that was at the top of a flight of wooden stairs, on the other side of the large hall like room that overlooked what was to be the main part of the supermarket.

Ruben could see a light on in the office as he looked at where the workman had pointed, and hurried over and up the stairs and looked through the glass door, and saw Sonya Harvey sat behind a desk looking at some paperwork.

Ruben knocked on the door, and Sonya looked up from what she was reading, and smiled as she saw Ruben.

‘Come in’ he heard her say, and opened the door.

‘Sit down’ she said pointing to a chair ‘I’ll be with you in a moment.’

Ruben took the schoolbag from his shoulder and placed it on the floor by the chair and sat down.

‘Now, let’s start with your name’ Sonya said placing an application form in front of her and picking up a pen.

‘Ruben Hardy, Miss’ he said.

‘How old are you Ruben?’

‘16, Miss’ Ruben replied.

‘Now why do you want a job at the ripe old age of 16? Sonya asked.

Ruben told her the story about his father not bringing enough money home and his mother working as an office cleaner.

‘I thought council workers were relatively well paid’ Sonya said.

Ruben nodded his head, then burst out ‘Much of it goes on booze, Miss.’

Sonya had heard of these situations before, and turned the subject around.

‘What do you want to do, Ruben?’ she asked.

‘I want to get ahead in life, I don’t want to end up like dad, and I am prepared to do anything and work hard to get there’ he said.

‘And I believe you will’ Sonya said, and thinking, I know you will.

‘All those men you see down there work for a company not belonging to the Supermarket, and the only people employed by Superior Supermarket that are here, are you and me.’ She said.

Ruben looked up and said ‘You mean you will give me a job?’ he said excitedly.

‘Yes, the advertisement will be in Saturday’s paper for staff, so you are the first to be employed’ she smiled ‘You will be doing odd jobs that are required at the moment, but I think you have the quality to be not only a supervisor, but a trainee manager, but that is a little way off yet. Can you start on Monday?’

‘Oh, and you will be paid according to the work that you do’ Sonya said.

Ruben nodded with a smile a mile wide.

Just at moment, there was a knock on the door, and Ruben looked around to see a young lady about the same age as himself at the door.

‘Come in’ Sonya said, and the young lady came in, and Ruben got up as if to go.

‘No, stay there, Ruben, I want you to meet Angela, she too wants a job here, and like you, was forward enough to come and ask.

Ruben, this is Angela. Angela this is Ruben, and both nodded their heads to each other and gave a smile.

‘I am going to employ you both, because you were enterprising enough to ask, and not prepared to wait. It is against company rules, but I think I can select the people I want. So there is no need to inform any of the company officials that you may come across in time, of this fact.

My aim is for the two of you to learn every aspect of every department, and eventually you will become managers. The best managers do not come from passing exams, they come from working up from the shop floor. I was a checkout chick when I started with the company, so you can see, it can be done.

You can both start on Monday. Ruben helping to erect the displays, and Angela, until the shop opens, will be with me as I explain how a Supermarket works.

Ruben and Angela, who, like Ruben was no raging beauty, but she was a nice warm and easy to get along with type of person. She had blonde hair, not fair like Sophie but more of a golden blonde and a reasonable pair of tits, Ruben thought.

When they were back outside the Supermarket, Ruben asked ‘Angela have you left school already?’

‘No, I will be going to tell them now, how about you?’ she asked.

‘The same, and as we will be working together, please call me Rube’ Ruben said.

‘And please call me Angie, and I think that I am going to like working with you, Rube’ Angela said giving Ruben a big smile.

‘Yes, and I with you, Angie, and as we have been chosen to work towards the same goal, there will be no rivalry from me’ Ruben said.

‘Likewise’ Angela said giving Ruben a wide smile.

‘Will you be going to school tomorrow, Angie?’ Ruben asked.

‘No, I don’t see the point and it will be nice to have a couple of days off before we start. Why?’ Angela asked.

‘I won’t either. Perhaps we could meet and have lunch tomorrow, and we can get to know one another’ Ruben said.

‘I would like that, Rube’ it will give us a head start over the rest’ she replied, giving Rube a big smile.

The pair made arrangements to meet the next day, and parted to inform their school’s that they were leaving that day.

Ruben looked through the window of Sophie’s classroom, and gave her a wink and a grin, then went home. Ruben’s mother had just arrived from her early morning office cleaning job, and asked what he was doing at home, and not at school. Ruben told her the news. His mother gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, and was proud of her son when he told her how he got the job.

Ruben and Angela met the next day at the café and spent the rest of the day getting to know one another.

Ruben and Angela left work at the same time on their first day, and Ruben asked if she would like a coffee before they head home.

‘Yes, that would be nice, and we can compare notes how our day went’ Angela replied.

The pair walked to the nearby café that was not far from the Supermarket, and they sat at one of the tables. It was not difficult to find a vacant table, as they were the only ones in the place.

‘Well, Angie, how did your first day turn out?’ Ruben asked.

‘I didn’t do much really. Just handed out application forms to those who came in asking for a job, then passed the finished forms to Miss Harvey, who looked through them’ Angela replied ‘and you?’

‘Helped put up shelves and display units mostly’ Ruben replied.

‘Well, that’s the first day over. I am looking forward to pay day, and have some money of my own’ Angela said.

‘Me too, Angie. What are you going to do with yours?’ Ruben asked.

‘I will have to give some to my parents for my keep, but I thought I would save as much as I can, and get a place of my own. I want to be independent. It is too restrictive at home, not being allowed to do this and that, and be home by a certain time’ Angela replied.

‘I know what you mean, Angie, it is the same for me. I will have to give mum some money, but I would like to get out on my own’ Ruben said.

‘Rube, I would like us to meet regularly. I find it easy to talk to you, and we seem so much alike’ Angela said.

‘No we are not. You are better looking than me, and have bigger boobs’ Ruben grinned.

‘You know what I mean, Rube’ Angela said giving a chuckle, though her cheeks flushed a little.

‘I like being with you too, Angie. Let’s meet here on Friday after work, and see how our week turned out’ Ruben suggested.

‘Yes, I like that idea, Rube’ Angela smiled.

‘Better go home, mum will want to know how I got on, my sisters too’ Ruben said.

Angela nodded, and having finished their coffee’s got up to go. Outside the café, Ruben, on the spur of the moment, gave Angela a kiss on the cheek, and said ‘See you tomorrow.’

Angela’s face flushed, but with a wide smile, said ‘Yes’ and off she went, looking back and giving Ruben a wave.

Ruben made his way home, and he was greeted with ‘How is my working man? How did your day go?’ his mother asked.

Ruben told her, with Sophie and Gigi all ears.

When his father came home, he asked ‘How much did you earn today, son?’

‘One fifth of a week’s wages’ Ruben said, quick off the mark. I won’t know until the end of the week, and I may have to go in on Saturday too’ Ruben replied.

‘Never turn down overtime, son. You may not be asked again’ Ruben’s father said with a serious face.

At the end of the week, Ruben and Angela met at the café, where they checked their pay packets over a cup of coffee, and found that each were paid the same, and more than they had expected.

‘I have to work tomorrow, Miss Jones is doing the interviews for the jobs, and wants me to be there as well’ Angela said.

‘That will be interesting to see who they are, and you might know some’ Ruben said.

Angela smiled and nodded, feeling good that she had her job already.

‘I have to work too, there is quite a lot to do before we are ready to open’ Ruben said, then added ‘Can I take you out for a meal tomorrow evening, Angie?’

‘Yes, that would be nice, Rube’ Angela replied, and they made a time and place to meet.

Outside the café, Angela gave Ruben a kiss on the cheek, and as she was about to walk away, Ruben said ‘Could we do it on the lips next time?’

Angela turned, came back and plonked a kiss on his lips, much to his surprise, and she said ‘Next time was too long to wait’ grinned and made her way home.

Ruben watched as she walked away, thinking, she is a really nice girl, and that it was about time he had a regular girlfriend. Got nice legs too, he grinned to himself.

CHAPTER 2

T he next evening when they met, Ruben asked how the interviewing went.

‘There were a lot of applicants. I knew one or two from school, but there are a lot more interviews to do yet. I don’t know how Miss Harvey is going to sort it all out.’

As they walked along, Angela slipped her hand into Ruben’s. He turned and smiled and gave her hand a quick squeeze, and Angela smiled back.

Both felt good being with someone they liked and who liked them, and hoped it would develop into a loving relationship.

After the meal, they sat back with a coffee each, and Angela asked Ruben how much he would have left after paying his board at home.

Ruben told her, and said ‘It will take a long time before I can get a place of my own.’

‘Me too, Rube, but I have been thinking while we were eating. Would it be really wise to buy, if we were to move on in a few years anyway?’ Angela said.

Ruben thought about that ‘Angie, you are right, but I do want to get out of home’ he said.

The two of them discovered that renting a flat and living in one would be too much at their current wages, and decided to stay at home for a while longer and see if they could save enough for them to start living in a flat.

Ruben and Angela kept seeing each other, which was not too often that their days off coincided.

It was about 18 months later when talking, and checking how much each had saved, that Angela said ‘Maybe it is time we checked out the cost of renting a flat again, now that we are earning more’

This they did, and found that it was still too expensive to rent one by themselves.

‘I think I have the solution to our problems and move out of home’ Angela said.

‘It is still too expensive, and I want to help mum out with a little money’ Ruben said looking crestfallen.

‘Not if we were to rent a place together’ Angela smiled, and wondering what Ruben would think.

Angela did not have to wonder for long. Ruben’s face broke out into a big smile ‘you mean you and me rent a place together?’

Angela’s eyes gleamed when she saw the smile on Ruben’s face ‘Yes’ she beamed.

‘You are a genius’ Ruben exclaimed aloud, and leaned over the table and plonked a kiss on Angela lips’ and heard a few chuckles from other diners.

‘Come on, let’s go’ Ruben said, leaving the money for the meal on the table ‘I want some more kisses just to make sure.’

‘Yes, I agree we should make sure’ Angela said getting up.

‘How much are flats to rent’ Ruben asked.

‘I don’t know, I haven’t looked recently, I have only just thought of it. But there should be some advertised in today’s paper or even yesterday’s, Angela said ‘I will check it out when I get home.’

‘Do we want a single bedroom or a two bedroom flat’ Ruben asked.

‘I would prefer a single bedroom with a double bed, and it would probably be cheaper, but I think we will have to go for a two bedroomed one, and it would have to be furnished’ Angela replied.

‘If we had a two bedroomed flat, we could rent the other bedroom to another couple’ Ruben laughed, putting an arm around Angels’s shoulder.

Angela giggled and gave him a kiss.

‘Can we meet tomorrow, Angie, and in the meantime, we can think about it some more, and make the decisions that we both want.’

Angela nodded, and her face beamed at the thought of leaving home, and living intimately with Ruben, and realised that she was falling in love very quickly.

‘At least we will be able to see more of each other, even if it is in bed’ Ruben said grinning, and Angela gave a chuckle.

Ruben was over the moon at the possibility of getting some independence at last, and with Angie, who he had become more than fond of.

That night when each arrived at their respective homes, they poured through the papers checking the advertisements for places to rent, and made a note of those that appeared suitable. Not all the ads were from agencies, there were private ones too.

The next day, Ruben and Angela shared notes, and agreed to look at the properties for rent that both had made a note of, first.

‘It would be an advantage if we could get a place near the supermarket, then we would not have to worry about travelling’ Ruben said, and Angela agreed.

Not all the Ads were with agencies, and they decided to look at the private ones first. The agencies would not be open until Monday anyway.

They looked at a few from the outside, and made a note of a couple of possibilities, then came upon one only a street away from the supermarket.

They knocked on the door and a woman in her forties answered, and they told her that they were interested in the flat that was for rent.

The woman looked at the pair suspiciously ‘how old are you?’ she asked.

‘Eighteen’ Ruben said putting on a year ‘We are both trainee managers at the new supermarket’ he explained ‘and we wanted somewhere near to avoid having to travel.’

‘Well, you had best come in and see the rooms’ the woman said, though it was obvious that she was still not sure.

Ruben hunted through his pockets, and found his pay packet and pay slip and showed it to the woman, and Angela fished hers out of her bag.

Once the woman had seen the name of the supermarket on the pay slips, the woman’s face relaxed and a smile appeared on her face.

‘It is a two bedroomed flat and furnished’ the woman said as they went up the stairs.

‘Yes, that is what we wanted’ Angela said.

The woman gave a smile, but thought, I’ll bet you are trying to make it appear that you will be sleeping apart, for your parents sake, but said nothing, knowing she would have done the same at their age.

Angela and Ruben looked around the flat, and gave each other a nod deciding it would do nicely.

Seeing that you two are young and wanting to get on in the world, you can have the place for 5 pounds less than I was originally asking’ Joyce Milsom, the landlady smiled.

‘It would be another week before we could move in, would that be alright, Mrs Milsom?’ Angela asked.

‘Yes, that would be fine’ Joyce Milsom said, happy to be letting the flat to two young people.

Outside, and away from earshot of anyone, Angela said ‘I think I should introduce you to my parents, and I would like you to be there when I tell them that I will be moving out. I need your support.

‘Yes, that will be fine with me, Angie, and I think you should meet my family too. Which shall we visit first?’

‘Mine, I want to get it over with, and quickly. Father will no doubt, make a fuss, but I won’t budge, I know that I am old enough legally to move out of home’ Angela said.

Off the pair went to Angela’s parent’s house, and Ruben gave Angela a kiss, before they went in, and Angela introduced Ruben to her parents.

Angela’s mother gave Ruben a welcoming smile, but her father began to protest, at her leaving to live with a man.

‘Sir, the reason that we have elected to rent a two bedroomed flat, is that we would have a bedroom each, and we both want to be independent from our parents. We are starting out in our working lives, and want to do it our way’ Ruben said, after which, Angela’s father calmed down, and knew that there was nothing he could do about it anyway.

Leaving Angela’s parent’s house, Angela thanked Ruben for speaking up, and felt better, now that it was all over.

The next stop was Ruben’s home, where he introduced Angela to the family, before telling them that he would be moving out in a week, as he and Angela were renting a flat together.

His father said ‘Flying the coup son, now that the family can rely on some extra money.’

‘You won’t have to provide for me anymore, father, and that will be more than I can provide’ Ruben gave his reply.

‘Humph’ his father retorted, and went out, probably to the pub or the bottle shop.

When he was gone, Ruben told his mother that he would still help out, and give her some money.

Ruben’s mother gave a nod and mimed a ‘thanks’.

‘I assume that you will be sleeping together’ his mother said, and the pair nodded.

‘Well, don’t get her pregnant, Rube. Angela is a nice young lady and too young to be lumbered with a child.’

‘Or children’ Ruben grinned at his mother ‘No, we have no intention of that happening, although you would make an excellent grandmother!’

Ruben’s mother grinned at the compliment, and gave Angela a hug. Sophie and Gigi, who had both been lapping it all up, gave big smiles.

‘You are a nice and welcome addition to the family’ Sophie said giving Angela a smile and a hug, and Gigi followed her sister.

‘We are not getting married, you know’ Ruben said.

‘It’s as good as, living together’ Sophie said with a smirk.

Before they left, Ruben’s mother told Angela that she was always welcome at her home.

‘Thank you, Mrs Hardy’ Angela said ‘and I hope you will visit us too, and you both’ she said to Sophie and Gigi.

Ruben and Angela left and went to their usual café, which opened 7 days a week.

‘Your family is nice, and I can see that your mother and sisters were happy for you to be with me, and that makes me feel good’ Angela said.

The following Saturday Ruben and Angela moved into their flat, with the help of Sophie and Gigi.

‘Who is sleeping in the other bedroom?’ Sophie asked, making herself at home, and sitting on the lounge.

‘Not you’ Ruben grinned ‘you would spend all night outside our bedroom listening to what we were doing.’

‘No, I would not’ Sophie said, but grinned.

‘You are both welcome here when Rube is on roster, and I am not’ Angela said.

‘Thanks, but we would not know when that is’ Gigi said.

‘I have a spare roster here’ Angela said, taking it out of her bag, but better give me a call first, she said handing it to Sophie.

‘Now off you go’ Ruben said to his sisters ‘we have things to do’

‘I’ll bet you do’ Sophie said and laughed, and Gigi gave a giggle as they went out of the door.

With only two of them there, Ruben took Angela in his arms and kissed her passionately.

When their lips parted, Angela said Rube, you should know that I am a virgin.’

Ruben looked at Angela, and with a serious expression, said ‘So am I.’

‘Really?’ Angela said.

‘Yes’ Ruben replied, and gave her a big smile.

‘Oh wow’ Angela said, expecting Ruben to have had at least some experience.

‘We will have to pool what we know, and hope that is enough’ Ruben suggested.

‘That sounds like a good solution. I have so looked forward to today, well, tonight really. I had hoped you would be able to teach me, because my parents told me nothing, and I only know what I heard from other girls at school and at work, and I don’t really know if that was correct, and believe it or not, I have never even seen a dick’ Angela admitted.

‘Well that we can rectify very quickly, Angela, but before I do, perhaps the best thing would be for me to show you what sex is all about on the internet, that is, if the girls brought my computer’ Ruben said looking about.

‘You mean porn?’ Angela said, but Ruben missed the gleam in her eyes.

‘Yes, it is not about love, but