Skolnik Page 15
 
figured the big boys didn't want to have their shit all over the place and look like ordinary mortals. Aside from which, they were scrubbed down about every 20 seconds whereas the downstairs toilets were only cleaned after the shifts where you'd have ribbons of used toilet paper trailing along the floor and big turds swimming in the bowls. He still retched from time to time. He'd developed various techniques for cleaning out the bowls, holding his breath or going in with air freshener first, but nothing really helped. When he finished the toilets he took a break and then he started washing down the floors in all the corridors. He wore a nylon jumpsuit that made him sweat and had the name of the cleaning service stitched on the back and all the pockets sewn up tight to make it hard to steal. He got the minimum wage with full benefits and time and a half for overtime and his crew boss was a regular guy so he really couldn't complain. He would rather have been welding but the automation had come to


the big plants and there was little chance he'd ever find work as a welder again unless he retrained and maybe worked in a garage but he wasn't too nimble anymore and knew he'd have trouble on the floor. He knew he was developing a heart problem, his breath was short and he could hardly get up stairs. His body was a burden. He was carrying it around like a sack of potatoes. It was doubtful if the woman of his choice would give him the time of day in his current shape and he thought it might be a good idea to lose some weight before winning those millions and millions of dollars so at least he'd get off to a good start and then of course he could hire a personal trainer. From time to time he thought of Christine. He had desired her and regretted losing her. He had desired many things in his life and had gotten few of them. Christine had been one of those things with her big tits that he hadn't seen or touched more than once or twice and that had only lasted for a while. He'd always liked eating though and hadn't stinted.