"Something I forgot. Never mind."
"No," Ernie persisted, "you were saying—"
"Forget it."
"Oh, I get it. You're afraid to lay off because they might not hire you back?"
"Nuts. There's always some place that is hiring. You'd be surprised at some of the jobs I've had, Ernie." He grinned. "As far as that goes, I might get laid off here before I want to go."
"What makes you say that?"
"Look around you. How many men are working today?"
Now that his attention was called to it, Ernie glanced around the cafeteria. Normally, it was packed during the lunch hour. Today, it was less than three-quarters full.
"So? Some of the guys are out sick, that's all."