Wooden Lover

Bailey Harper worked the late shift in the local department store as a security guard. He’d been there for the past five months and it was his job to lock the place up at night after the staff had left.
         Bailey was twenty-nine years old, unmarried, no children. Many of the staff at the store regarded Bailey as a bit of a loner – they never saw him outside work or with friends. But they liked him all the same. Bailey was always polite and took great pride in his work. He would always say ‘hello’ and ‘have a good day’ to the staff and the customers and if he was not busy he would stop for a quick chat.
         Sometimes - if his shift overlapped with the other security guard’s and he had nothing to do - he would even carry a customer’s bags and wait with them until they got a lift. If a customer got to a checkout and realised they had forgotten something, Bailey would always be willing to go back and find the item for them. He never asked for anything in return other than that the customers and staff treat him with the same courtesy and respect.

*

         One night whilst he was going through the security tapes Bailey came across a new employee. She was an attractive till worker with flowing golden locks and a sensuous smile. You’re a goddess, Bailey thought to himself, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I have to know who you are.
         The next day Bailey saw her working on her usual checkout and although he managed to see her name badge, he couldn’t quite muster up the courage to go over and say hello just like he would with any of the other workers.
         That night he went through the security footage and as the tape revealed the ‘goddess on the checkout’, he paused it on her beautiful black and white image on the screen. Helen. Beautiful Helen, the goddess, he thought as he caressed her image in front of him.

*

After a few weeks of the same routine, Bailey finally decided it was time to ask her out. 
         ‘I’m gonna look my best for you, Helen. I’ll clean my uniform, iron it too so I look good. You won’t be able to resist a man in uniform! You won’t be able to resist me,’ he chuckled to himself on the way home. 
         Bailey began work as usual the next day and he knew from his constant viewings of the security tapes that Helen was due for a break around four o’clock – two hours before her shift finished. This would be the perfect opportunity to approach her, and he was prepared to take an early break to do just that. It won’t be long now, Helen, it won’t be long, he thought to himself.
         She was upstairs in the staff canteen when Bailey approached her. He was nervous and his palms were sweating heavily. He got some food and asked her if it was ok for him to sit with her.
         ‘Sure, go ahead,’ she said.
         ‘Thanks.’ He sat down nervously, avoiding her gaze. You’re looking at me, my beautiful goddess, but I don’t know what to say to you.
         Eventually, Bailey spoke. He started with the small talk; what she was doing working here, where she was from, where she lived etc. Finally they got onto relationships and Bailey sensed          it was time.
         ‘Yea, I’ve not had much luck with love either.’ The nervousness that had taken hold of him earlier was back and his palms began sweating again. He sighed and thought, well, it’s now or never. Helen looked away as if she knew what was about to follow.
         ‘So,’ he said, drawing in a deep breath, ‘do you fancy getting a drink one night? Maybe catch a movie?’ He was looking straight at her now, but it was her turn to avoid his eyes.
         ‘Bailey,’ she said as she drew her hands away and placed them on her lap, ‘I think you’re really sweet and I think you’re gonna make some girl really happy one day. But I’m just not looking for a relationship or anything at the moment. I’m sorry’.
         She silently left the table and headed back toward the door.
         Bailey just stared at the open space in front of him, unable to move an inch. What the hell just happened? How could she refuse me? Eventually he got up, left the table and went back to patrolling the aisles.
         Nearing the end of his shift he did a quick scout of the canteen upstairs to check that everyone had left. When he saw it was empty his frustration came pouring out. He paced the room, wanting to turn the tables up and smash the plates but he managed to control his anger. Calm down, now, keep it calm. Pulling up a plastic chair to sit down and catch his breath he noticed the door off to the side of the canteen. He’d seen the door before but he’d never had a reason to go in and as he reached for the door handle remembered why:
          ‘“It’s a storeroom for the clothes department. We keep it unlocked just in case, but it’s not necessary to include it on your route.”’ Bailey mocked his manager in a high-pitched voice. ‘Yeh, well, I’m sorry but this ain’t my regular route’
         As Bailey opened the door his eyes lit up and all the anger came pouring out of him. The room was filled with mannequins, all different sizes and all in various states of undress. He found a female mannequin and a long, white dress nearby.
         ‘Ah, hello, Helen. I must say, you look absolutely stunning this evening. But perhaps we’d better get some clothes on you, eh? Oh, look, someone’s left a dress here. Let’s see if it won’t fit your perfect figure.’ He laughed to himself as he slid the dress over the mannequin’s head and caressed its wooden body. ‘And hey, there’s a CD player          here too! Let’s see what they’ve got… Jazz Favourites, eh? Well, would you care to dance,          Helen, my beautiful goddess?’
         Bailey held the mannequin close, its head shining in the moonlight, and together they danced a slow number.

*

         This serenade became a nightly occurrence and Bailey would often spend hours in the back room after closing, dressing the mannequin as he imagined Helen would dress on their date. Occasionally, Helen would shop in the clothes department, and from the security tapes Bailey could see exactly what she had picked out. Late at night he would simply ‘borrow’ the same clothes from the store and dress the mannequin in them. 
         After a few weeks the store manager began to question and berate Bailey - he was turning up late for work and didn’t seem to be getting much sleep, affecting his work standard. ‘If you don’t pull your finger out Mr Harper, I’m gonna have no choice other than to give you a written warning.’ But Bailey didn’t care. He was too swept up in the world of mannequins to listen to some snooty store manager.
         Bailey would relay all his troubles to his mannequin and over time grew more and more confident that this time Helen would say yes. By day, he had started constantly viewing the security tapes of Helen, over and over again. By night he would retreat to the storeroom and spend hours talking to the wooden doll that had become his replacement for the checkout girl. Eventually, he went as far as to get a full size image of Helen’s face - taken from the security tapes and blown up elsewhere - and taped it too the mannequin’s head.
         ‘Hello, Helen. I must say you look absolutely amazing today. How would you like to come to dinner with me tonight? I know this great little place…..oh? What’s that? You’d love too? Excellent! Shall I pick you up around 8ish then? Okay, I’ll see you later!’ He gave the mannequin a big grin and waved as he left to ask Helen out again.
         He was convinced that this time, things would be different.

*

When everything had been locked up as usual Bailey went once again to the back room to serenade his mannequin. This time as he did a single tear rolled down his cheek before he emptied the can of gasoline all over his wooden lover.
         ‘If I can’t have you, Helen, no-one can!’ He shouted as he lit a match, and stood back to watch Helen’s distorted, black and white face melt into a haze of smoke and fire.