A Ten-ish Commandment

We have a new dude who started this week. He’s been mostly in training, so tomorrow is the first day when he’s expected to work a shift on his own.

Manager: *Reminding him.* “Hey, your shift tomorrow starts at 10:00 a.m. sharp.”

Dude: *Shrugs casually.* “Okay, see you tomorrow.”

The next day, 10 AM hits. No sign of the dude. The manager glances at the clock, then at the door.

Manager: “Maybe he had an appointment and forgot to put it on the calendar?”

10:30 AM and he strolls in, iced coffee in hand, whistling like he’s not a half an hour late.

Manager: “Hey… is everything okay?”

Dude: *Confused.* “Yeah, why?”

Manager: “You were supposed to be here at ten. I just wondered if there was an appointment you forgot to tell us about or something.”

Dude: *Snarky grin.* “I didn’t know you wanted me here AT ten.”

The manager processes that sentence.

Manager: “Well, let me clear this up for you: a start time isn’t a suggestion, it’s the reason the doors are unlocked, and the lights are on. So tomorrow, when I say ten, I don’t mean ten-thirty with a latte, I mean ten, or you don’t bother walking in at all.”

Dude: “But no one is training me today. I’m on my own, so I don’t need to be here on time.”

Manager: “You need to be here on time, every time.”

Dude: “For real? Ah, no dawg, that’s not gonna work for me.”

He turns and walks out.

Manager: *Looking at me.* “Did… did he just… Is he coming back?”

Me: “I don’t think so… dawg.”

Manager: “Oh, shush!”