Don't Be Alarmed!

My first official job was working as a bar attendant at the Entrance Leagues club. I was not very good, I couldn't serve drinks without spilling them, and I sucked at being a waitress. Because of this they rostered me in the one place where I would not have to pour or serve a drink... the cash box. They thought I was safe here from mishap and for the most part it was.

One quiet Sunday night, I sat in the newly renovated cashbox, flicking through an OK magazine as I spoke with the duty manager. While she stood on the outside talking to me through the glass, I began to swing backwards and forwards on my chair. I pushed back too far and nearly fell backwards off the chair, as I did, I panicked grabbing the underside of the desk, my finger grazing the top of a screw which was popping out. With my heart in my throat, I position the chair, so all four legs are firmly on the ground.

"Shit." I say catching my breath, "That was close."

The duty manager burst out laughing, "You should have seen your face." She says mimicking my expression.

I'm still holding on to the underside of the desk, I run my fingers under the desk until I find the loose screw. While we continue to talk, I twist at the screw trying to tighten it, it doesn't tighten. So, I press the top of the screw, trying to push it in. It doesn't feel any tighter. I continue to twist it pressing it in, I do this for the next 10 minutes.

The duty manager is called away. I stop trying to tighten the screw and start to clean the cashbox. Once it is clean, I go back to where I seated and try again to tighten the screw, still no luck. I continue, the cash-box phone rings I get up from my chair and go to answer it.

"Hey Cass," the front receptionist says,

"Hey. Whats up?" I ask.

"Have you pressed duress alarm?" She asks.

"No. I don't even know where it is. Why?"

"Because the police are here?"

Still on the phone I open the door and look down the hall to front reception. She wasn't lying. Six uniformed police stand in the front foyer at the reception desk. They walk towards the cashbox.

I hang up the phone as they come to my door. "Hey." I say casually.

"Hi." Says the young male police officer, " Have you been pressing the duress alarm?"

I shrug, "I don't even know where it is."

Next minute the duty manager comes to the cash-box, "Hey guys. " She says to the police. "Whats up?"

"Someone has pressed the duress alarm." The older female officer says.

The duty manager looks at me I shrug.

"We think it must have been done accidentally or you really needed help." The female officer says.

"Why?" The duty manager asks.

"Because it was pressed over 100 times." She says.

"Don't look at me." I say, "I don't even know where it is."

The duty manager comes into the cashbox. "You were pressing on something earlier Cass." She says

"Yeah a loose screw." I say following her to the desk.

She walks over and crouches down where I was sitting. She looks under the desk, I follow her and look under the desk. And there it was...

THE BIG RED BUTTON!!!

Yep... That was the loose screw I had pressed on at least 1000 times. I feel my face heat. I slowly stand turning around to face all six police officers and staff and patrons who had joined the group, to see what all the commotion was about. They were all staring at me smirking.

"We will call off the other cars." The female officer says.

"Other cars?" I ask, swallowing the large rock forming in my throat.

"Yes. 10 other cars. We thought that someone either didn't know what they were pressing. Or they were really, really in trouble." She says. The everyone in the crowd then burst out with laughter. Everyone except me.