It was a usually Wednesday of work for me when I looked up I saw my boss was walking over to me with a guy, who kinda looked like Justin Timberlake, “Nah couldn’t be he’s in our work uniform,” I mumbled to myself.

“Michelle, I’d like you to meet Jason,” my boss said to me a moment later.

Moving my pen to rest on my ear, I shook his hand.

“He will be working back in here in the furniture department, so teach him all you know,” He told me.

“But I’ve only been here a month,” I said with a slight laugh.

“Right, well Walter is off on vacation and I know you have handled it pretty well on your own, so show him the ropes,” he said and walked away, answering his little phone on his hip as he got about a foot away.

“So, what exactly do you guys do here,” I heard Jason’s voice and looking over him and saw him rock back on his heels and place his hands on in his pockets.

“We help customers order, pick up, or find furniture, gifts, bedding, and toys,” I said with a wave of my hand.

“Exciting,” he said sarcastically

“Oh yea it’s what makes my life go round,” I mumbled and heard him chuckle, something under my skin itched when I heard that laughter, I had heard it before and it wasn’t from a guy named Jason.

“Anyways, I think the best way to get the hang of it is to let you know how to do a couple things, and then let the customers come ask you their questions,” I said sitting down on the chair behind the furniture desk and told him to pull the other next to me and have a seat at the computer.

I showed him how to make an order, how to look for things in the back, see if other stores had it, and check to see if it was discontinued or not.

--

I didn’t know what I was doing here, I drove for about an hour and seeing the store I parked and looked at it, then I drove off and found a park and getting out I sat on one of the cement tables and took my sidekick out and looking down I saw three missed messages from Trace, “He wasn’t gonna give up,” I asked myself with shake of my head.

Loading the internet I typed in the name of the store I had seen and seeing a for hire sign, I contemplated it, then I slowly started to fill the application in, as I got to the comments part I told them what I wanted and how it would work, they would be the only ones to know my true identity since they had to for application purposes, my name would be Jason Sharp and all my checks would alternate between going to my account and my charity.

Not thinking of anything else I shut the phone of as I saw Traces face pop up on the caller id as it buzzed in my hand.

“He didn’t get it did he, I couldn’t be Justin anymore, meaning I couldn’t be his best friend, no matter how much it hurt,” I said as I walked back to my car.

Driving around for a few more moments I found an apartment complex about thirty minutes of driving and heading in I applied and got the lease the first day no questions asked, sad thing was even if I hated it I knew how to work my name to get what I wanted.

I had asked for a furnished apartment and told them to please respect my privacy and no let anyone know I had moved here, which of course they agreed to.

Sitting on the couch in the new apartment, I realized I needed some food two slices of pizza weren’t gonna hold me all day.

Getting up I headed out the door with food on my mind and checking my phone last time to create an extended absence greeting I was about to turn it off completely thinking about getting a new phone, for this new identity, “Hello,” I asked not recognizing the number.

“Justin, I mean Jason, how would you like to work for us,” the voice said and I smiled for real for the first time in five hours.

“Now it all begins,” I said as I took the steps two at a time and started to get things ready for Monday when they said I would start.

--

I had gotten some food and went to the store and pulling a cap down over my head I went and bought some pants I knew I would need for this job and clothes I knew people wouldn’t consider I would wear on a normal basis, and then heading over to the barber next door I told her to dye my short curls black, and also just for the hell of it to shape my eyebrows.

She didn’t ask questions and smiled big when I gave her a big tip at the end of it. That would be the last time I could pull the strings of my fame, I told myself as I headed towards my car and made back to the apartment.

The first two days of work I spent doing computer work answering questions and getting a feel for  the store, now it was Wednesday and the boss man, or Teddy as his name badge and he had said, led me back to the desk in back wall of the store.

“Michelle this is Jason,” was all I caught of what Teddy said as her eyes hit mine and she shook my hand.

Hearing her laugh at the comments I made I felt something inside me and I cursed myself, I can’t be feeling that right now, I said with frustration but was only smiles when Michelle looked at me.

The rest of the day I played shadow with Michelle and helped some people and then it happened.

“Aren’t you Justin Timberlake,” a guy looking a rocking chair asked.

“Oh no didn’t you just tell me that you get compared to him all the time earlier and you hate it,” I heard Michelle’s voice say as she came over and stood next to me.

“Yea, I mean he’s talented and all but,” I said ending with a shrug as I didn’t really know what to say.

“Sorry about that than, Jason,” the guy said as he read my name tag and taking his receipt the rocking chair left.

“Do you really get that comparison, I mean from far away earlier today I thought so when I saw you with Teddy, but eh your black hair is defiantly not like his and well I don’t know something else makes you different,” She said moving her face in though and all I could thing was how cute she looked when she did that. Stop it Timberlake, I told myself.

“That I work here,” I said a second later after she kept looking at me.

“Yea, probably, but hey I’m gonna go take my lunch, I’ll see you tomorrow since your off before I get back,” she said.

“Sure, it was nice to meet you,” I said shaking her hand again and she winked at me before saying ditto.

I tried to look away as she walked away but I just watched her ass swing as she walked to clock out for her lunch.

“I’m in trouble,” I mumbled to myself as I went and picked up some of the place cards and started to put them back on the merchandise.