Love Bites

by Rachel K. Burke

  Everyone in the room turned to me with a look of surprise, except Renee. She knew better.

  “Okay,” she said calmly. “But actually, before you do, there was something I wanted to ask you.” She looked around the room. “Will you guys give Justine and me a minute alone?”

  Renee’s dad was the first one up and out of his seat. Everyone else followed until the door was closed and we were alone.

  I relocated to the chair closest to Renee, looking over at Sierra, who was now asleep in her tiny hospital crib. It was funny to me that, even though I’d only known her for a few hours, I couldn’t imagine not being a part of her life.

  “I didn’t want to ask you this in front of Beth or Kat,” Renee began. “But I’d love it if you’d be Sierra’s godmother.”

  “Of course.” I said, surprised. That wasn’t the question I’d been expecting at all. “But… do you really want me to be her godmother? I mean, what if I’m not living here…?”

  “Doesn’t matter.” She shooed me with her hand. “I wouldn’t want anyone else.”

  I took a deep breath. This was it. Now or never. Because speaking it aloud made it real.

  “I’m not going,” I blurted out.

  “I know.”

  “I’ve been trying to figure it out this whole time, and…” I stopped speaking, tilting my head to the side. “Wait, you what?”

  Renee smiled knowingly. “You’re not going to California. I knew you wouldn’t.”

  My eyebrows creased together. “How did you know before I did?”

  “Because I know you. And I could tell. You wanted to, and it makes sense to, but you didn’t feel right about it.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Justine, there are two types of people in the world – people who do what they’re supposed to do, and people who do what they want to do. On paper, moving to LA would be the right decision. But what feels right to you may not be what’s deemed ‘right’ by society. And you’re not the type of person who does what’s expected of you. A million people can tell you it’s the right decision, but if you don’t feel that way, you’re not going to do it.”

  I was silent for a moment, as a thought occurred to me. “So, if you knew I wasn’t going to LA, then why’d you throw me a party?”

  Renee shrugged nonchalantly. “You know me. I’ll use any excuse to throw a party.”

  Chapter 24

  I was dreading the call to Michelle so much that I pushed it off for two whole days until I could figure out what I was going to say. I made up a thousand stories – family illnesses, competing job offers, anonymous personal reasons – but then, as always, I realized it was much easier to tell the truth.

  Fortunately, after delivering a genuine explanation and apology, Michelle said she completely understood. No travel expenses had been paid yet, so the only thing she’d really lost was time to find a replacement.

  I’d been worried that, after withdrawing my candidacy, I’d immediately regret the decision and want to beg for my job back, but it would be too late. Instead, the opposite occurred. The weight I’d been carrying around with me finally lifted, and I knew in my heart I’d made the right decision.

  Now if only I could muster up enough courage to break the news to Jasmine…

  I decided that call could wait.

  Instead, I curled up for the remainder of the night with my new friend, My Kick-Ass Life. Considering I was still unemployed, single, and borderline homeless, I was far from leading a kick-ass life. But it was coming. I couldn’t explain why, but I was certain it was.

  There was an alarm. A deafening, repeating alarm. It shook the walls of the school, echoed through the hallways. Students filed through the classroom doors, making their way toward the exit sign.

  David was there. With her. I watched her long mane of blonde hair sway back and forth, her smooth, toned arm intertwined with his. They didn’t see me, so I stayed behind, merging with the crowd to blend in.

  The alarm grew louder as we approached the exit and my head began to throb. What was David doing at UCLA? Where was the exit? And why was the ringing so loud?

  I jumped out of bed, my half-opened eyes scanning the room. My walls, my nightstand, my bed. I was home. I breathed a short sigh of relief, then immediately jumped as I realized the alarm was still ringing.

  My phone. Where was my phone? And who was calling me this early?

  I reached out and grabbed my cell from the bedside table. It was a number I didn’t recognize.

  “Hello?” I answered.

  “Hello, is this Justine Sterling?”

  “Yes it is.”

  “Hi Justine, my name is Rebecca Falkner. I’m calling from Z-Candy.”

  Z-Candy… how did I know that name? Why did that sound so familiar?

  “Hi Rebecca,” I said politely, attempting to pretend I knew who she was.

  “You had applied for our online marketing-assistant position,” she explained. “I apologize for the delay, but one of our recruiters was on maternity leave, so it’s taken us a while to review all the résumés.”

  Oh. My. God. Oh my God! It was the fashion company! The call I had been waiting for! My dream job!

  I looked over at the clock and realized it was almost ten. I cleared my throat and tried to sound more like a functioning member of society and less like an unemployed loser who was still sleeping at ten in the morning.

  “Hi Rebecca!” I said. “I’m so happy you called!”

  Calm down, Justine, I thought to myself. Don’t sound desperate.

  Rebecca laughed on the other end. “It’s funny how much happier people are to hear from you once they realize you’re calling them about a job.”

  I faked a loud laugh. “Yeah, they’re probably happy you’re not a… bill collector or something.”

  Oh, God. Lame joke. Lame. Lame. Lame. The interview was already a mess and I hadn’t even set foot in the door yet.

  Luckily, for some asinine reason, Rebecca seemed to enjoy my attempted humor. “Right? I can’t tell you how many times people have almost hung up on me until I told them who I was.”

  “Oh, I bet,” I said cheesily, like I had any fucking clue about recruiting whatsoever.

  “Well, anyway,” she continued. “We’ve received a lot of applicants for this position, but we really liked your résumé. We’re looking for a pretty unique skill set, because most candidates either have the marketing experience or the photography experience, but I was so excited to see that you have both!”

  If I hadn’t been half-asleep, I may have keeled over in shock.

  I tried to think of something convincing to say, something that would make Rebecca fall in love with me instantly and offer me the position on the spot. Then I thought back to my conversation with Michelle – all the stupid stories I had concocted to win her sympathy – and the inevitable winning outcome.

  Honesty.

  “Rebecca,” I began, mustering up all the confidence I could in a half-conscious state. “Photography has always been a huge passion of mine. And online marketing is sort of something I fell into when I was in college, but frankly, I’m glad because I’m really good at it. So, to combine both of those things would be a dream job for me.”

  “That’s great to hear!” Rebecca’s energy level was too much to handle before my morning coffee. “I know this is kind of short notice, but we had an unexpected opening pop up this afternoon. Would you be able to come in for an interview?”

  “Today?” I choked.

  “Yes, we had a one o’clock cancellation, so the team is free to meet with you if you think you can make it. Your résumé says you’re in the Cape Cod area?”

  “Temporarily,” I added. “I’m in the process of moving closer to the city.”

  As soon as I find a job,” I thought.

  “But if I leave within the hour, I can be there by one,” I said.

  “Great! I’m going to send you an email now with directions to our office and parking instructions. My contact
information will be in the email as well, so call me if you have any problems. We look forward to meeting you!”

  “You too! See you soon.”

  I hung up the phone and jumped around my room. It happened! I had an interview! For my dream job! This was unreal!

  The only problem was, I had less than an hour to print extra copies of my résumé, print the interview instructions, figure out where I was going, and get ready.

  And, more importantly, what the hell was I going to wear?

  I decided on black pants, a black, fitted jacket, a white blouse, and black-suede ankle boots. Bland yet safe, considering I had no idea what the dress code was like.

  Naturally, my printer had chosen today, of all days, to be difficult. Which meant that, by the time I had successfully printed copies of my résumé, I didn’t have time to shower or do my hair. Which meant that my makeup was applied in the car and the tornado on top of my head looked like a bird’s nest.

  In short, I was a mess.

  The Z-Candy office, however, was anything but. It was everything I had imagined. Artsy, decorative, hip. The lobby was lined with a pink-and-orange sectional sofa, a giant swirly backdrop, and mismatched glass tables on each corner. I sat in the seat closest to the window so I could gaze out at the view of the city.

  I had arrived with about 15 minutes to spare, so I sifted though my smart phone, browsing the company history, as I’d always been told to do pre-interview. I learned that Z-Candy had been in business for nine years, had satellite offices in New York and Los Angeles, and were voted one of the top ten best places to work three years in a row by the Boston Globe. I was just about to research how many employees there were when a tall blonde with spiral curls entered the lobby, clutching a tablet in her left hand.

  “Justine?” she asked, extending her right hand. “I’m Rebecca Falkner.”

  I quickly shoved my phone in my purse and stood up to shake her hand. “Great to meet you.”

  Rebecca led me down a long, white hallway, chatting endlessly about what a crazy morning it’d been and how glad she was that I could make it. I nodded attentively, but only half of me was listening. The other half was focused on Rebecca’s outfit – a long-sleeved, fitted coral shirt, teal skinny pants, a matching chunky teal necklace, and purple lace-up ankle boots. It was easy to see why she worked for a fashion company, although Renee would’ve cringed at her outfit. She looked straight out of an eighties music video. I looked down at my boring black-and- white ensemble, kicking myself for not wearing something a little trendier. It was a fashion company, after all. I should’ve known better.

  But hell, if I did get the job, I’d fit right in. No one would look twice at a zebra shirt/blue pants pairing.

  Rebecca sat me down in one of the coolest conference rooms I’d ever seen. Granted, I hadn’t seen many since I was a fairly recent college grad, but still. The walls were made of complete glass, so everyone who passed by could see in. Pendant lamps fell from the ceiling in a variety of shapes, lime-green swivel chairs surrounded a giant multi-colored table that looked like it was made of Lego. The room was adjacent to the kitchen, which was stocked with coffee, snacks, and high, pub-style tables. It looked like a restaurant.

  Rebecca left the room for a few minutes, returning with three women, who were all dressed similarly to her. I stared at the assortment of colors, stripes, belts, high-waisted pants, chunky heels, flashy jewelry, and couldn’t help but feel slightly intimidated. I forced myself to concentrate as each woman introduced herself, remembering that, if I wanted my kick-ass life to start now, I had to ace this interview.

  It was clear right off the bat that the woman who introduced herself as Donna Capone was the boss in charge. She appeared slightly older than the other two girls, with a short, brown pixie cut and a no-nonsense demeanor. I smiled politely at Ellie, a petite Asian in a blue dress, and Nora, a tall redhead with guitar-pick earrings, then redirected my attention to Donna as they sat down across from me.

  “So, Justine,” Donna began, looking down at a copy of my résumé that she’d brought. Dammit. I didn’t need to print the extras after all. “Tell us about yourself.”

  “Well…” I looked back and forth between the three women, trying to come up with something intelligent to say. Or witty. Or… something.

  Honesty, I reminded myself. Act normal. Be yourself.

  “Well, after meeting all of you, I’m really wishing I hadn’t chosen an outfit that makes me look like a school teacher,” I blurted out.

  The room erupted in laughter. I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “It’s okay.” Donna winked at me. “It’s an interview. Better to be safe than sorry.”

  “Yeah, that’s sort of why I picked it out.” I blushed. “But seriously, you all look great. And this office is gorgeous.”

  Donna smiled. “So I take it you have a strong interest in fashion?”

  “You could say that,” I replied casually. “I’ve only been waiting for your call for…” I looked down at my pretend watch. “About two months now?”

  More laughter.

  So far so good.

  “Yes, I’m sorry about that,” Donna said. “We had a bit of a delay since our senior recruiter went on maternity leave. But luckily you didn’t accept any other offers in the interim.” Donna pursed her lips together. “Speaking of, do you have any other offers right now? Or are you interviewing elsewhere?”

  I considered. I didn’t want to sound like a total loser and tell them I had about as much going on in my professional life as I did my love life, but I also wanted them to know how serious I was about this job.

  “Well, I was recently offered a position in Los Angeles as an event manager, but after weighing my options, I decided that relocation isn’t a good choice for me at this time.”

  Donna looked intrigued. “Why is that?”

  “To be honest, I almost accepted it, because it was a really great offer,” I admitted. “But my goddaughter was born yesterday.” I paused, smiling. “I took one look at her and knew I wasn’t going anywhere.”

  All three women sighed in unison, looking at each other with soft, nostalgic eyes. I stifled a laugh. All it took was the mention of a baby to win the attention of every female in the room.

  “I have two daughters myself,” Donna said. “So I completely understand.” Her gaze lowered to my résumé, skimming the lines. “Okay, tell us about your online marketing experience at Sphinx. More specifically, I’d like to know what your day-to-day responsibilities were, the social-media outlets you used to promote the business, and any campaigns you participated in.”

  For the next few minutes, we discussed my position at Sphinx – how it began as an internship and transitioned into a full-time position, my daily tasks, what I liked and disliked about it. Donna did most of the probing, while Ellie and Nora would occasionally interject with a question or two. Once Donna seemed pleased, she moved on to the next subject.

  “As you know, this position requires quite a bit of photography knowledge and experience. You’ll need to assist with photographing our new clothing lines, so you need to know about lighting, angles, and have a natural artistic eye. Part of your job is going to be marketing our organization digitally, so you’ll need to select the best photos to go on our website and social-media pages, something that will make people want to click on the link and purchase our products.” Her eyes burned into mine, like she was about to stress a crucial point. “We don’t want to hire a random, part-time freelance photographer. We want someone who knows our products, understands our products, and can capture our products in a way that will really market them.”

  I nodded.

  “Your résumé says you have extensive experience with Photoshop?”

  I nodded again.

  “What type of camera do you use?”

  “The Canon 5D. The image quality is incredible, so it requires much less editing.”

  Donna grinned. “I’m absolutely clueless when it comes to cameras.�
�

  Oh. Well then.

  “But,” she continued, raising an eyebrow. “I can tell you’re not.”

  My cheeks flushed as I lowered my gaze to the table. Compliments always made me feel shy.

  “This is the link to your portfolio?” Donna asked, pointing to my résumé.

  “Yes.”

  She gestured to her tablet. “Do you mind if I pull it up?”

  “Not at all.”

  For the next few minutes, we scrolled through all of my best work – going as far back as high-school and college projects, and ending with Electric Wreck’s album cover.

  “These are very nice,” Donna said when she was finished, setting down her tablet. She looked from Nora to Ellie. “Do you girls have any final questions for Justine?”

  Ellie raised her head, tossing me an inquisitive look. “Just one,” she said. “Why photography? What is it that you love about it?”

  Hmm. That was a hard one. Not because I couldn’t think of a reason why I loved it, but because there were so many reasons. It was tough to choose just one.

  “Well,” I began. “There are a lot of things I love about it, but I think what it comes down to is the sincerity of it.”

  All three women inched forward in their seats, waiting for me to continue.

  “Life moves really quickly,” I explained. “Especially in a world where we’re so bound to technology. It’s easy to miss things, to get distracted by your computer, your phone, your TV. But with photography, you’re able to capture moments that you’ll never get back. And once you’ve caught those moments, you have them forever. There’s something so beautiful and real about that.”

  Donna nodded, looking pleased. “Thank you Justine,’ she said, standing up to shake my hand. “We’ll be in touch.”

  Chapter 25

  I felt so good after my interview that I decided to treat myself to an afternoon latte. I stepped out of the Z-candy office and crossed the street to the nearest Starbucks, ducking my face to shield it from the February cold.

  Once I was safely inside the warm coffee shop, I ordered a gingerbread latte with whipped cream, then sat down at a table as I waited, reflecting on the past hour. I couldn’t believe what had just transpired. Never in my life had I been so honest in front of a room of complete strangers, and it felt great. Even if I didn’t land this job, I would know in my heart that I had given it my everything.