“Honey, I’m home!” I call out as I walk through the door.
Katie appears in her bedroom doorway. “Oh, hey.”
She doesn’t seem her usual perky self. “Is everything okay?” I ask.
“Um, sort of. I need to talk to you.”
“Uh-oh. You’re not kicking me out, are you?” I joke. Katie moved in before me. She signed the lease with an old boyfriend and when he ran off with another woman, she took it on by herself. I moved in later, but we never put my name on the paperwork.
“I think you should sit down,” she says seriously.
My stomach drops. This doesn’t sound good at all. I follow her suggestion and Katie perches beside me, grabbing one of my hands.
“I got a call from Bree today. She’s in rehab.”
I gasp. Bree is Katie’s younger sister. “What for?”
“Apparently she woke up with no recollection of the previous month. But she did confide in me that she’s been on heroin for most of this year.”
My heart breaks for both Katie and her sister. “That’s awful! Are you going to go visit? Is she down in Melbourne?”
“No. That’s the weird thing. She’s in Brisbane. She’s been couch surfing and sleeping on the street or at shelters up here for six months! I can’t figure out exactly what happened, and I have no idea why she didn’t tell me sooner, but I guess she was worried I would judge her or think worse of her.”
“Well, that means you can go see her tomorrow then, doesn’t it?”
Katie looks down at the floor. “Yeah. But the thing is, I kind of said she could stay here when she got out. I want to keep an eye on her and help her recover. I talked to her counsellor on the phone today and she recommended Bree stay with a family member after being released.”
I’m starting to see where this is going. “Oh. And obviously this place isn’t big enough for three people.”
“No. I’m so sorry, Lauren. If I hadn’t signed a twelve-month lease, we could all move out together and get a bigger place. But I’m sort of stuck here while my name’s on everything. Plus, it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to share a house with a recovering drug addict. I expect it will be quite a stressful situation, initially.”
I kind of wish Katie would let me decide that last bit for myself, but I understand she’s in a tough spot and wants to help her sister. And I would probably do the same for my siblings if the situation was reversed. Not that Josh would ever need my assistance. He’s so self-sufficient, he could be left on his own in a cave in the forest and be happy. And my twin sisters, Taylor and Lily, are so straight-laced, they don’t even drink coffee because of the caffeine.
I sigh. “Okay, so how long until I have to be out?”
Katie winces. “I wish you wouldn’t say it like that. But I get you’ve been caught off guard. Maybe about four weeks? She’s already been in there a month. She could end up staying longer than that, but her counsellor said if Bree has someone like me to help her, she can begin her real-life recovery sooner. She also said that she seems quite motivated to get clean. I’ll know more when I see her.”
Wow. Only a few minutes ago, I was contemplating four weeks’ notice for my job, not my apartment. I guess that means I’m stuck at Loony Rob’s for a while longer. I wouldn’t be able to get a new lease without payslips to show my earnings.
“I’m sorry to hear about Bree. And I hope it all goes well. I suppose I should start looking for somewhere else to live.”
“If you want me to come with you to look at a few places, let me know.”
“Thanks.”
I retreat to my room. Well, that’s a bummer. I know Katie is just doing what she thinks is best, but it kind of leaves me in the lurch. I don’t know if I could even afford a new place on my own. Maybe a tiny studio apartment on the far south side. I’m a little hesitant at the idea of moving in with strangers—especially if they don’t want to put my name on the lease. I could end up with the same situation down the track.
I open my laptop and start browsing through the rental listings. One thing I’ll have to consider is finding somewhere close to a train line, since I don’t own a car. I love living in the Valley, close to public transport and within walking distance of everything I need.
I look up other apartments in this building. There aren’t any current listings for studios or one bedrooms—and the two bedroom ones are out of my budget. The idea of moving out of the city makes me feel kind of sad. I’m not a suburban kind of girl.
I can’t find any self-contained apartments for less than three hundred a week unless I head way out of town, so I half-heartedly mark down a few share houses that might just be bearable.
It’s only six thirty, but I’m so exhausted, it feels like midnight. I sneak into the kitchen, grab a few things I need to make a sandwich and take them back to my room. I use an old notebook as a bread board while I slather peanut butter over two slices of bread. I squish them together and eat the whole thing without tasting it.
This is not how I imagined today would end.
FOUR
After a restless night’s sleep, I crawl out of bed, have a shower and head back to work. I feel kind of trapped now. Like I don’t have a say over whether I can leave my job, even if I wanted to. A claustrophobic air settles on my shoulders. Today is going to be tough.
I grab a bran muffin from one of the shops at the train station, but I don’t start eating it until I get off at the other end at Albion. I’m not in the mood to be told off by a train conductor this morning.
As I walk through the front door, I brace myself for whatever ridiculous thing is about to come out of Cam’s mouth. But when he sees me, he gives me a look that doesn’t seem right coming from him. Is that…compassion?
“You did good yesterday,” he says with zero trace of sarcasm. I’m instantly on alert.
“Thanks…” I reply. “How did it go with Jim after I left?”
“Oh, fine. We were just trying to streamline his billing a little more.”
“You didn’t invite him in to try and win the bet?” I clarify.
He smiles kindly. “No. I was just messing with you when I asked you to check for the Galaxies. Sorry about that.”
Okay. Something is definitely up.
“Does that mean I won?” I check.
“Yep.”
“So I get half of your corporate accounts now?”
He looks away. “Uh, about that…”
“Oh, come on!” I protest. “We had a deal.”
“Hey, hey. If it was up to me, I would totally give you half my accounts. As much as it would have pained me to do it, I made that bet fair and square. But you’ll have to talk to Chris first. He asked to see you as soon as you arrived.”
“About what?”
“It’s best if he explains it.”
I really don’t like the sound of that. I put my handbag on the floor near my desk and go in search of our manager.
I find him in his office as usual, staring at his computer screen. He doesn’t look happy, but then he’s not the most positive of people, even on a good day.
“Hey, Chris. Cam said you wanted to talk to me?”
He looks up belatedly. “Oh, hi, Lauren. Take a seat.” He seems distracted.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“Um, I don’t know how to put this, so I’m just going to come straight out with it. I have to let you go.”
My eyes widen. “What? Why?”
“To be frank, the business isn’t doing very well. And we don’t get enough foot traffic through to justify two salespeople.”
“But I’ve only been here six months!” I cry. “Surely you would have known that before I started?”
“I guess we had hoped that you’d bring in more business to cover your wage, but that hasn’t happened.”
“And how was I supposed to do that?” I demand. “Cam hogs all the corporate accounts, and as you said, we don’t get any foot traffic.”
“I’m sorry, Lauren.
We probably should have had a better strategy in place when you first took the position. But now it’s too late.”
“And naturally, you’re keeping Cam on board,” I say flatly.
“He’s been here longer. And he’s a proven commodity.”
“Fine,” I sigh. I know it’s no use arguing. “So, what? I just serve out my four weeks and that’s it?”
“Actually, it was written into your contract that we only have to give two weeks’ notice if you stay for less than a year.”
“What? Even if you’re the one deciding I have to leave?”
“That’s correct.”
I clench my fists by my sides. “Well, that’s convenient, isn’t it? Is this what you had planned all along? To just use me for a few months as some little experiment and then discard me?”
“No, but I understand why you’re upset. So I’m giving you a choice. You can stay on for the two weeks and work as normal, or you can leave today and we’ll still pay you as if you were here.”
I think of Cam sitting in the showroom, probably gloating about his good fortune. His commissions are about to dramatically increase.
Something occurs to me. We get paid a month in arrears.
“What would happen to any commission I earned in the final two weeks?” I ask.
“You’d still get paid. But you’d have to understand that we can’t give you any existing or new long-term clients. It just wouldn’t be fair on them to only work with you for a short time. There’d be no continuity with the business relationship, and that could jeopardise future deals.”
“So you’re penalising me because of your decision?” I ask in disbelief. This just keeps getting better and better. “Do you know Cam and I had a competition yesterday to see who could make the most commission, and I beat him? I bet he didn’t tell you that, did he?”
“Actually, he did.”
I falter for a second. He did? “So that doesn’t change your decision at all? You’re just going to give it to him because he’s a guy?”
“No. That would be discrimination. I told you, he’s been here longer and he’s a proven commodity.”
“Pfft. Okay. Whatever. I’m done. I’ll leave today.” I know I could play dirty and tell him about how Cam lied to the activations department to get a customer out of a contract, or how he regarded my boobs as a threat to his sales, but I know it won’t get me anywhere.
“I’m sorry it’s come to this.” And for a second I almost believe that Chris does feel a little bad. “Just leave everything as is. You can grab your handbag and go.”
I stand up and stalk out. “Thanks for all your hard work and effort, Lauren,” I say, because Chris clearly isn’t going to. I pick up my handbag as ordered and make for the front door.
“Lauren!” Cam chases after me and grabs my shoulder, spinning me around. I look out the window so I don’t have to make eye contact with him.
“What?”
“You’re too good for this place,” he says quietly. “I always knew it, which is why I gave you a hard time.”
I stare at him. “Really? What are you, twelve?”
He chuckles. “That’s fair. I acted like a stupid school boy. But when Chris and Rob first hired you, I knew I was in trouble. You’re hot, smart and dedicated. You remember every single detail of every plan and product. I knew I wouldn’t be able to compete unless I pulled out all the stops.”
“So, what would you have done if I hadn’t been fired? Would you have really given me half your corporate accounts?” My brain whirs for a second. “Hang on. You already knew I was leaving, didn’t you?”
He has the grace to look ashamed. “I knew it was a possibility. But I didn’t know when it was going to happen.”
I back towards the door. “But either way, you knew you wouldn’t have to give them up for long.”
“Lauren…”
“Nope. Nothing you can say will fix this. You’re a jerk.”
I turn around and finally leave the store. I don’t look back.
I am seething. How can I be fired from a job I didn’t even like? Is what they’re doing legal? Surely you can’t employ someone full time and then just ditch them after six months because things are a little quiet. Especially when they didn’t even give me a chance to earn my way. Agh! I probably should have read the fine print earlier about the two weeks’ notice thing. But as mentioned previously, I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly when I took the job. I just wanted something to pay the bills.
I march back to the train station, wondering if I should be feeling so self-righteous. I mean, I guess I was sort of using them too. And if I hadn’t just been given notice on my apartment with Katie, I probably would have quit soon anyway. But at least it would have been on my terms. And I would have had the opportunity to earn a little more money first.
I barely even notice the train taking me back to the Valley. I walk in a daze to my apartment and unlock the front door. It feels strange not having anywhere to go on a week day. In other circumstances, I might actually enjoy it. But knowing I’m living on borrowed time makes me anxious.
Katie is out, which I expected would be the case. She works at a nearby medical centre as a receptionist. It sounds like a really stressful job, having to deal with sick and miserable people who blame you for their doctor running late. But she seems to thrive in that environment. And she never, ever gets sick. She said when she first started, she had colds and flu non-stop for about six months, but since then, nothing seems to break through her ironclad immune system.
I retrieve a tub of soy ice cream from the freezer. I’m lactose intolerant, but this brand has enough chocolate and sugar in it to hide the soy flavour. I carry it and a large spoon over to the couch and switch on the TV. What kind of stuff have I been missing out on while stuck in that crappy store at Albion every day?
Oh God. It’s even worse than night-time viewing. Kids shows…news…home shopping…seriously, who buys infomercial stuff these days? Wouldn’t you just go on eBay instead?
There’s a mildly interesting documentary on the Great Barrier Reef that I watch for a few minutes, but it’s not enough to distract me from the growing panic in my chest about not having a job.
I flick to another channel and stop. It’s a re-run from last year’s season of the reality show, MultiDate. I’m a huge fan. Some might even call me a superfan. Katie thinks I’m a total weirdo, because I can give you the personal history of every contestant in the last six years, and I follow every related blog and forum in existence. I’ve already seen this particular episode, but it was a good one, where two of my favourite cast members got through to the semi-final.
I absolutely love the idea of all these people finding love. And yes, I know a lot of it is staged, but I don’t care.
MultiDate basically gets six guys and six girls together and puts them all in a huge beachside villa for six weeks. Each week, they rotate, so they all go on dates with each other—which sounds gross, but is actually really sweet when you start to see the different connections forming. Then from week seven to week twelve, they all go travelling to various exotic locations, and the least popular guy and girl get voted off, Survivor-style. By week twelve, there is just one couple left, and their prize is a proper holiday without the cameras, for just the two of them. It’s not uncommon for the guy to propose as well.
I watch as Alex and Mandy kiss in Fiji on one of their final dates. Aw. They’re such a great couple. They didn’t ‘win’ on the show, but they did meet up after filming, and they’re still together.
I remain glued to the screen for the entire episode, shovelling half-melted ice cream into my mouth, even after the credits start to roll.
I absentmindedly read the names of everyone in production. Those people are living the dream. I wonder how you get a job on a reality TV show? Behind the scenes, I mean. I am definitely not interesting enough to be one of the stars. I’m also not keen on being famous for five seconds. But to be one of those people who interviews the c
ast and looks after them during filming…that would be so much fun.
I sigh. Maybe one day. I’d probably have to go to film school or something, and compete with all the other wannabes out there.
For now, I’m better off sticking with something practical. Maybe another phone store just for the time being? One with other females and in a busier location? That might not be too bad.
I pick up my phone to open Seek, and see I have a text from Josh.
Hey sis. How’s life?
I swear my brother has this way of contacting me every time I have a bad day. I sometimes wonder if he put a bug in my phone so he can keep tabs on me. Of course, I don’t really believe that, and we haven’t talked for ages, so it’s probably just a coincidence.
Not great. Lost my job this morning and have to move out in a few weeks.
Damn. That sucks. What are you going to do?
No idea. Suggestions?
Not really. But you could come and stay with me for a bit to clear your head?
Actually, that isn’t a bad idea. Josh lives in Bronte in Sydney. He’s a partner at a mid-sized accounting firm, so he makes pretty good money—and he owns a really cute house close to the beach and CBD.
Is that a serious invite? If I came and visited for a week?
Of course. Just let me know when you plan to arrive and I’ll get the spare room ready.
You might be sorry you offered. But I think I’ll do it. Thanks, bro.
No worries. Keep me posted.
I feel strangely better about my situation now. Running away for a week and staying with my brother doesn’t exactly sound like the most proactive of moves, but it might be just what I need to get some perspective and work out what I really want to do. And I can still apply for jobs and apartments in Brisbane while I’m away. I’ll just have to schedule any interviews or inspections after I get back.
I log onto Webjet and check out flights. I know I should be conserving money right now, but I can book a return trip for less than two hundred dollars. I figure I can live on Josh’s food while I’m down there, and I’ll only be paying for my rent here in Brisbane, so technically, I might end up saving money overall.
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