While their boss was known for overworking them, and nearly every other employee, he was not a complete jerk. He also did admire work that was well done.
"A bonus, you say?" their boss asked slowly.
"Yes," Manual nodded, "For all this work that took us over our shift."
The boss then rubbed his chin and then gave a small shrug.
"Well, Chakat Industries said their only cost in their serum was time, so I suppose there is a bonus that I could give you two," their boss commented.
Juan and Manual looked on as their boss turned to one of the shelves they'd just stacked. Manual privately figured they'd get some money as a bonus, which might allow them to either pay the rent or have some money to splurge on something. Juan remained skeptical, and his skepticism was proven when their boss pulled one of the boxes off the shelf and produced a small pocketknife.
"You're giving us that cream?" Juan gasped as their boss cut through the tape that had sealed the box up.
"Technically everyone will get one jar of the cream," their boss answered, "Especially you single guys."
"What do we need the cream for?" Manual asked, "Neither of us have girlfriends."
"All the more reason," their boss answered, "Chakat Industries invoice said with one hundred percent confidence that the cream will eradicate all STDs and will make people happy. If you don't have a girlfriend, you're still at risk for falling to that."
"Did they give you one too?" Manual wondered.
"Technically, yes, but I am happily married and have never cheated on my wife," their boss answered as he began opening the box.
Juan and Manual remained quiet on that. Their boss was indeed married, but based on what the boss looked like and what a photograph in his office that everyone assumed was his wife was that neither was attractive enough to be able to cheat on the other without spending a lot of money. Juan and Manual figured their boss was too cheap to do that, and they didn't know about his wife, and even if they did, they weren't about speak their mind in front of the man who could very easily fire them with a word.
"So, I suppose I'll just set mine with the jars that will go for the online sales, it'd be extra inventory and additional profit," their boss commented as he presented Juan and Manual with a box that was slightly bigger than a jar of mayonnaise that one would buy in the supermarket and handed it to Manual, "One for you."
Their boss then went into the box and pulled out another smaller box and presented it to Juan, "and one for you."
"Thanks, sir," Manual spoke politely, though his normally optimistic tone was a bit beaten.
"Right," their boss answered, "see you tomorrow."
The two then quietly checked out for the night and began to walk home, each carrying the box, which contained a jar of the cream, with them. They didn't know it but the cream was not much more than Chakat semen, likely milked from Maurice Chakat and Catherine (Snowy) Snow in Fee City before they began the outbreak in Fee City. And given what the Chakats there had all found out about their new libidos and sexual endurance, the amount of the cream that had been delivered was not a surprise to them. Juan and Manual didn't know that, neither did they know as to whether or not the transformative virus could mutate while in jars. And those things weren't on their minds.
"Some bonus," Juan grumbled, "a jar of cream we don't need... unless you've been partying with people of questionable virtue..."
"No... but I suppose we could use it," Manual gave a shrug and held up the box, "Look... it says, "guaranteed to cure and prevent any and all STDs and provide a lifetime of happiness." Wouldn't that be a good thing?"
"And do we need that?" Juan asked back, "How is a cream gonna generate happiness? And neither of us are going to attract any girl... not even one with AIDS."
"What about that Maria girl that had a crush on you in high school?" Manual asked.
"I was never good enough for her," Juan answered, "Her family immigrated from Spain in 1900 ours "immigrated" from Puerto Rico in 1980. They won money and respect fighting in the World Wars and running small businesses. We've barely got by by being manual labor. Look at us now... Maria graduated went to Quantico and is a big shot FBI agent now... bet they even got her investigating the Chakat outbreak in Fee City... We're stacking shelves in a warehouse for minimum wage."
"You never know what could happen," Manual sighed, "I still think you two could have amounted to something more than simply saying "hi" if you actually ASKED her."
"And this cream will be good for me?" Juan answered, "even Maria did like me... do you think she'd catch an STD from someone?"
Manual shrugged.