“I’m so happy to hear that.” That much was completely true.
“And, um, I’m going to look into the employment resources you gave me, too.” She swallowed. “The more I think about it, the more I wonder if I could be doing better. I’d like to at least try.”
“That’s amazing, Jenelle. I’m really glad I could help.” Even if I’d only done it because of a stupid bet. “Have you started thinking about what kind of job you’d like to get? There are scholarships and grants, too, if you’d be interested in going back to school.”
She was already shaking her head. “You’re getting way ahead of me. I’m just starting to think about how I’m going to find time to visit an employment center.”
“Okay. Let me know if you need anything.” I cleared my throat. “I’ll give you my number, just in case you need it. If you get stuck in your search, or if you want someone to bounce ideas off, you can call.”
I knew she wouldn’t… but I kind of hoped she would.
I wasn’t strictly supposed to give my contact information to clients, but Jenelle wasn’t just any client.
If she called, then I could actually help her out of the goodness of my heart.
And if I could do that, her fervent gratitude wouldn’t make me feel like such a terrible person.
Ten – Jenelle
Taking one of my precious afternoons off to visit the employment center was a tough decision, and I hoped it’d be worth it. I’d have to find time another day to do my laundry and clean my apartment. I hadn’t swept in what felt like weeks, and dirty dishes were stacking up in the sink.
As soon as I arrived, the welcoming atmosphere made me breathe a sigh of relief. The place was neat, and the staff looked efficient. A woman gave me a number right away, and soon I was explaining my situation to a career counselor.
“I’d like to earn more money,” I said. “I’m just not sure what kind of work I’m qualified for.”
The counselor took a look at my resume. There were some edits I could make immediately, and she had plenty of ideas for other jobs I might be able to get.
“You have years of experience,” she said. “Have you ever thought about going into a managerial position? You might be able to move into one if you switch to a different workplace. Do you have a driver’s license? Driving a bus or truck is another option. Have you considered the trades at all? There would be a short course and an apprenticeship, and then the pay is high.”
I answered her questions as best as I could, stunned by the rapid-fire way she threw them at me. Boxes of pamphlets sat on her desk, and I glanced at them while she was speaking. Getting Women into Entrepreneurship – that one sounded good. I went to pick one up as I left, and the counselor frowned at me.
“I wouldn’t necessarily recommend entrepreneurship for someone in your situation,” she said. “It can be very risky, and it requires a lot of start-up capital. You need something more stable, especially being a mother.”
“Right.”
I set the pamphlet down, one small step further from my dream. I could always come back to it once I’d spent some time at a better job. I was pretty sure the potential opportunity I saw would be there for a long time.
At home, I polished my resume and cover letter like the counselor had advised, then opened my ancient laptop to browse for job postings. I was feeling good enough about things, I actually sent off a couple of applications.
The next day I was working a double shift again, and job applications were the last thing on my mind. As a couple of days went by, I got caught up in my normal life and pretty much forgot the applications I’d sent out.
Until my phone rang.
I had it in my apron at the grocery store, sitting in the pocket as I rang up customers. I kept the ringer on at all times in case of emergency. I never checked it otherwise, but if anything ever happened to Mercy, I didn’t want to delay hearing about it for one single minute.
Luckily, there was only one customer in line. “I’m so sorry,” I said, pulling out my phone. My stomach dropped when I saw it was an unknown number. Mercy’s foster family?
“Hello,” an unfamiliar man’s voice said when I picked up. “Is this Jenelle Emory?”
“Yes, it is.”
The customer heaved a sigh and, shooting me with a glare, strode to another line.
“Jenelle, my name is Mark and I’m calling from the Cable Linx support center. Do you have a minute?”
“Yes, but I don’t have Cable Linx. I don’t have a TV, and my landline’s with Greentree.”
“I’m actually not calling about your account, Jenelle. I received your application for the customer support representative position, and I’d like you to come in for an interview when you’re free.”
I nearly dropped my phone on the conveyor belt. “You do? Really?”
Mark chuckled. “Really. Is there a date and time that works for you?”
We set up a time, and I hung up with my heart pounding. In only three days, I was going to have to go to the Cable Linx office for a job interview. I hadn’t had an interview in years. And I’d never worked at a call center before. There was no time for me to go back and talk to the career counselor again. What the hell was I going to do?
“Hello!” A new customer was in front of me, waiting to be served.
“Hi.” Without bothering to smile, I started scanning her items.
By the end of my shift, I’d come to a conclusion I’d never thought I would come to.
I didn’t have many people to turn to. Obviously my parents were out, and so was my sister. Friends? Ginger was probably my closest one, and she wasn’t talking to me much anymore. Gone were the days of her stopping by the bar to chat.
It was desperation – and nothing else – that led me to call Sylvia.
She sounded surprised to hear from me, but when I explained the situation, she seemed excited for me, too. “Yeah, I can help you practice for your job interview,” she said slowly. “When and where works for you?”
We agreed to meet the next day during the precious few hours I had between one shift and the other. Most of that time was taken by getting home, changing clothes, and eating dinner. To save time, I brought my clothes along. Sylvia said she’d buy me dinner, although secretly I thought I’d buy hers instead. Considering how much I’d be getting from the child support payments, I could afford to get a meal for her.
She chose a casual diner along the route that I would’ve been going along anyway. I’d been to the place once or twice before, and I remembered loving their breakfast platter. I planned to order it again. It was so rare for me to treat myself, even with something as simple as breakfast for dinner.
Sylvia was already seated when I arrived, and the way she waved at me made me feel funny inside. It took me a minute to realize it reminded me of how girls would wave when I met them for a date. This wasn’t a date, obviously – but we were having dinner together, and since now I knew we were both into women, it was hard to shake that slight date-like feeling as I sat down.
“How’s it going?” she asked, leaning toward me. “I can’t believe you got an interview this fast. And the job pays eighteen bucks an hour? That’s seriously amazing.”
“I know, and it’s because of you. Well, you and the job center you recommended me to.”
“You’re the one who showed up and sent out the applications. Give yourself some credit.”
I shrugged. “Then you can accept me thanking you. I wouldn’t have gone to the job center without you.”
“It was no big deal.” She looked almost embarrassed. Was she always so modest? I would’ve thought she’d be happy her advice had worked.
The waitress came to take our orders, and Sylvia ordered the same thing I did. “If you say it’s good, I trust you,” she said.
“That’s a lot of pressure.” I laughed.
“Better get used to being under pressure. You have a job interview in two days.”
I pressed my hands to my face. �
��Don’t remind me.”
She touched my hand, gently pushing it toward the table. A shiver coasted down my spine at the warm touch of her hand, and I tried to ignore what the physical contact had done to my body. “I’m joking, Jenelle. I’m sure I’ll love the food. And you’re going to do great at the interview. That’s why I’m here, to practice with you.”
“I know, I know.” Even if I didn’t know exactly why she’d come out here to do this with me. Surely this went way, way beyond her job description. “How should we do this? Like a role-play?”
“Sure. Do you want to start from the start? Maybe you should come back in and introduce yourself to me.”
I snorted. “That would be a little silly.” She still looked dead serious, so I shrugged. “But okay.”
I stood up and headed tentatively for the door. The waitress pointed me toward the bathroom, and I shook my head. I let myself out and felt the wind whipping my face for a split second. I took one big breath, then let myself in again.
Sylvia hadn’t moved a muscle, and as I approached her a second time, I only felt more like we were on a date. Cut it out, Jenelle. Just because you’re having dinner with a pretty girl… God dammit, she wasn’t even pretty.
Okay, I couldn’t lie to myself. She definitely was.
She had the same clothes on that she usually wore at the agency, dress pants and a slim-fitting black blazer. Even her hair was still in its usual sleek bun, and yet something about her looked different. Her face was warmer, more open than it was when she was at work. Or was I imagining that now that I’d seen her in a different environment?
“Hi there,” she said, reaching out a hand. “My name is Jennifer Megatronix, and I’m – ”
I exploded in laughter. “Did you say Megatronix? What even is that?”
She licked her lips nervously, and I couldn’t help but notice how small and pink her tongue was. It looked cute, even sexy, as it darted over her full lips. “I was getting into character. I can’t just be me, or it won’t be realistic.”
“Sure. Okay.”
“Let’s start over.”
I got up again, but before I could take a step, the waitress came up to the table. “You two look like you’re having a great time.” She set a huge plate in front of each of us. “Enjoy, ladies.”
Oddly enough, I was having a good time. I never would’ve thought Sylvia could actually be fun. And the breakfast platter looked just as delicious as I remembered. Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, sausage… My mouth watered and my stomach rumbled.
“You look like you haven’t eaten in a month.” Sylvia laughed. “We can eat first and then get back to the mock interview.”
“Okay, that works.” I would’ve said anything if it meant getting to dive into that meal.
As we dug in, Sylvia asked more about the potential job. I told her as much as I knew, which wasn’t a lot. I was going to have to research more about it before the interview.
When that topic of conversation ran dry, I asked more about her own job. I didn’t know much about what she did, aside from what I saw. I still felt that it was weird that she’d choose such a position when she didn’t have kids herself, but she did seem to have a good attitude about it. My first impression of her had been so wrong. Considering how much she’d done for me, she had a bigger heart than anyone I’d ever met.
She told a couple of stories about other clients that got me laughing, and then the waitress came by with the check. “Oh my God, it’s already six-twenty,” I said, glancing at my phone. “I need to get going soon, and we didn’t even work on the interview.”
“That’s okay. Just research the company at home and prepare your answers for any common questions. You have tons of customer service experience. You’re going to do great.”
“It’s not the same.” Squirming in my seat, I reached for the check.
“What are you doing?” Her tone was surprisingly loud. “I told you, I’m getting this.”
“I can’t let you do that. You’ve gone so far out of your way to help me, and I’m going to be getting a lot more money because of your advice. Let me do this one small thing.”
“No way.” Her lips tightened. “I can’t accept that from you. I…” She shook her head.
“Why not?” I asked, seriously confused. “I’m not that broke. Not anymore, anyway.”
“Let me get it. It’s one dinner. It’s fine.”
I’d never forgive myself if I let her pay. “If you really won’t let me get yours, we can split the check.”
She took a long moment to respond, and I could see thoughts flickering behind her pretty blue eyes. “Okay, fine. Just a minute, though. I’m going to the bathroom.”
She got up. Why was she taking her purse? She approached the waitress, and I let out a groan.
She’d outsmarted me this time. It was too late for me to fight back. Maybe I’d get her back on our next date.
My heart jumped into my throat, and I internally chastised my silly, traitorous brain.
No matter what it felt like, this had not been a date.
Eleven – Sylvia
I moved the stick back and forth, making the mouse at the end of the string jump around so that Deedee would chase it. Her paws shot here and there as she tried to catch the fluffy toy. I jerked the mouse to a stop and moved it back around, then laughed to myself as the cat raced in a circle.
My cell phone rang, and I dropped the toy and jumped to answer it. No one ever called me, only texted – aside from Jenelle’s call the other night. Was it her again?
Her name flashed across the screen, and an odd twinge went through my low belly before I picked up.
“Hey,” she said breathlessly. “I just finished the interview.”
“Oh my gosh! How’d it go?” I perched on a chair, watching Deedee skitter around the kitchen.
“Well… I don’t know.” Jenelle sounded like she was coming down from her initial excitement. “They didn’t laugh me out of the place, so that’s something.”
“Of course they didn’t. Why would they have?”
“I don’t have experience with anything like that.”
It was a call center, not rocket science. But I kind of understood. She’d been working her two jobs for so long, it must’ve felt strange to try for something different. “Did they say when they’ll get back to you?”
“No. Dammit. I should’ve asked. I didn’t think about it.”
“Now you know for next time.” I relaxed back in the chair, nodding hello to one of my roommates as she came in. “What kind of questions did they ask you?”
“The usual. What I’d do in this situation and that one, what are my long-term goals with the company, what are my strengths and weaknesses…”
“Oh? And what are your weaknesses?” And when had I started feeling friendly enough with Jenelle to tease her?
“I said I can occasionally get a little heated, but never with a customer, and that I usually take that energy to the gym and pump out a really good work-out.” She laughed diabolically. “That last part is a total lie, but I figured that’s what they wanted to hear.”
I wondered if she went to the gym at all. There was no way she could find the time. But if she didn’t, how did she manage to keep that smoking hot body? “Nice one,” I said. “You better keep putting applications out, just in case.”
“Are you saying my answer was that bad?” She was teasing me now.
“Just keep your options open.” Deedee climbed halfway onto my chair, and I gave her head a scratch. “Anyway, you can update me on this tomorrow.”
“Right, four o’clock.”
“See you then.” We hung up.
My roommate, Arlene, slipped into the chair across from me. “And who was that?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows. “I didn’t know you met somebody.”
“I didn’t!” I quickly said. “She’s no one.” Had I really sounded like I was flirting? God… I hadn’t been flirting, had I?
Arlene was gen
erally my favorite of my three roommates. She was the one who’d found this apartment and put an ad about it online. The rent was amazing considering the great location and the fact there were four bedrooms.
The other two were hardly around – one stayed with her boyfriend a lot, and the other worked long hours. Arlene worked from home, so we ended up chit-chatting whenever I was here.
“I didn’t know people went on dates with ‘no one,’” Arlene said. “Sounds like fun. You’ll have to tell me how that goes tomorrow.”
“It’s not a date. Jesus.” I stood and scooped up Deedee so I could cradle her against my chest. “She’s a client, Arlene. She’s coming in for a visit with her daughter.”
Arlene’s entire expression shifted from excitement to horror. “A client? Sylvia, why are you talking on the phone with clients? That conversation wasn’t about work.”
“Technically, it was about her work,” I said weakly.
She shook her head. “Don’t play games with me. What would your boss say if he knew you were talking to her outside of work hours?”
“It was nothing inappropriate.”
“Yet.” She stared at me hard. “Am I right? Are things heading that way?”
“Of course not. That’d be a huge violation of ethical standards.” My throat was dry, and my heart pounded. I set down the cat.
“Okay,” Arlene said. “I’m glad you know that, because…”
Visions flashed before my eyes. My boss finding out. Me losing my job. Having my social worker license revoked.
Even meeting Jenelle outside of work had been a clear violation of the code I was supposed to uphold.
Arlene had a point – a major one. How had I not thought harder about what I was doing? Giving Jenelle my number, talking to her on the phone, meeting her outside of work. I’d blown past these signposts without a second thought.
And why? Because she was young and pretty, and we’d started to get along? Because the fervent gratitude she offered had been so incredibly unexpected? Because being around her made me feel like I might actually be a good person?
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