New Job: New Beginning

I tried to mentally prepare myself for what I was going to say to my husband as I drove across town to the small garage where he worked. All of us at the small plant where I worked had just been officially notified our facility was going to be closed. Our jobs were going to Mexico where labor was much cheaper. Although we’d all seen it happen elsewhere, we never thought it would happen to us.

I pulled onto the gravel lot at the garage, noticing my father-in-law working on a farm tractor. He waved when he saw me. I waved back, my hands shaking. I entered the garage, spotting Dan sitting at his workbench. We’d been married almost three years. Our wedding took place two weeks after our high school graduation. We knew we were both too young for marriage but we wouldn’t listen to any of our parents. Dan was surprised to see me at this time of day. I had to force my legs to carry me towards me.

“Guess what.” I managed to mutter, my voice shaking. “They closed the plant.”

Dan’s eyes fell to the floor, he picked up his can of Coke and threw it at the wall, splattering its contents. He had a quick temper, violent at times. He slammed his fist down on the workbench causing a wrench to fall to the floor. It’s jingling noise made me jump.

“God damn it”. He screamed. “How the hell are we going to live? We both have to work just to pay the bills.”

I didn’t know what to say. I just stood there in silence. He got up from his bench and walked towards the back of the shop. I walked back to the car and drove myself home. We lived in an upstairs apartment a few blocks from the center of town.

The apartment was in need of repairs but the low rent compensated for its condition. I poured myself some lemonade, sitting dejectedly at the tiny kitchen table. My mind wondering what I was going to do for a job. Luckily Dan and I had decided to wait to have children until we had some money saved so I could stay at home and be a full time mother. The dreams of motherhood now seemed like they would fade away forever.

I phoned my mother to let her know the news about the plant. She worked at the local newspaper, which was only published once a week. Mom had already heard the news. She asked if I’d told Dan yet. I told her he I had. She was worried about my well being, knowing he had a quick temper. She’d never cared for Dan but she accepted him as her son-in-law nevertheless. We chatted about looking for a job. She agreed there wasn’t any work in town, not even a lousy waitress job.

I picked up the last issue of our local paper and searched for the employment ads. Just a couple of ads and they were for “jobs wanted” not job openings. I tossed the paper on the table. I started crying feeling my life was coming to an end. It seemed Dan and I would never see our dreams come true.

Mom stopped by the apartment after she got off work. She had a newspaper from Pueblo, our state capital, in her hand. Pueblo is about thirty miles east of us. Mom had the paper folded open to the employment ads. There were about a dozen ads, mostly for cooks and busboys, nothing industrial at all. A few ads were listed for secretaries but they all had numerous requirements that I could never meet. The last ad was for a receptionist. It didn’t mention anything about requirements but it did mention basic office skills and photographic experience helpful. I thought to myself, this could be something I might have a chance at. I’d taken clerical courses in high school and I knew how to operate a camera. I’d worked on the school newspaper my junior and senior years.

I called the phone number listed, knowing it was long distance. Another bill we’d have to come up with the money to pay for I thought. The phone rang on the other end but nobody answered. A recorded message played, asking to leave a phone number and a brief message, they could reply to. I started to hang up but decided to leave my name and number stating I was calling about the job opening. I figured the least I could do was try.

I sat back down at looked the employment ads again, seeing if I’d missed anything else I might have a chance at. Useless, there wasn’t anything. I waited for Dan to come home from work. It was well after his normal time to get home; maybe he was just trying to finish up a job for someone. Dan finally came home, still furious about the plant closing. He jumped on me about not being able to get a job since I had no formal training after high school. How could I have gone to college, we were married just two week after graduation, I reminded him. He wasn’t listening to me, he rarely listened to me. Our marriage was rocky from the beginning; it had never gotten any better during the three years we’d been together.

Dan got a beer from the refrigerator. When he opened it, it sprayed foam on his shirt. This only made him madder. The foam spilled over the rim of the can and dripping down onto the tile floor. I grabbed a paper towel and soaked it up before he stepped in it with his greasy shoes. Dan wondered off to the livingroom, sitting down in his favorite recliner. He didn’t paying any attention to the fact he was still wearing his dirty clothes from work. He clicked on the TV with the remote.

Later, I started to fix dinner. Dan was on his third beer. The phone rang causing me to jump. I answered it figuring it was my mom calling again. We talked over the phone every day. It was just a routine we had. It wasn’t Mom, but the very pleasant voice of a young man.

“Hi, is this Sheila, Sheila Gray?” The voice inquired.

“Yes, this is Sheila Gray” I replied.

“This is Derek Coulter. We went to high school together.” The voice stated. “Don’t know if you remember me or not, it’s been awhile”

I remembered him from high school. He was a grade ahead of me. His parents owned a large ranch south of town, they still lived there I thought.

“Sure, I remember you.” I replied. “It has been awhile hasn’t it?”

“Yes, I graduated four years ago so it‘s been at least that long. The reason I’m calling is I got the message you left on my phone recorder about the receptionist job. Are you seriously interested in it?”

“Oh, I’m definitely interested in the job alright” I quickly answered.

Derek talked about the job, going over everything that was involved. Being a receptionist was just a small part of it, a very small part. He was a freelance photographer specializing in modeling and commercial work. I tried to convince him I thought I could handle the job without any problems. I told him about taking a lot of clerical classed in high school and working on the school newspaper. Doubt that he was impressed but I was trying to convince him to at least give me a chance at an interview.

We talked on the phone for almost thirty minutes. We even talked about some of our old high school teachers and some of the kids we’d gone to school with. I updated him on things going on in our little town, mentioning the plant closing and thirty-some people out of a job. He expressed his dismay at hearing about it.

“Well Sheila, when can you come in for an interview so we can discuss the job in person?” He inquired.

“Anytime, I can drive over to Pueblo tomorrow if you’d like.” I answered excitedly.

“Great, how about 11:00am? Is that good with you?” He asked.

I told him I’d be there at 11. Derek gave me the address and directions to his studio. It was located the old historic part of the city. I was familiar with the area so I figured I wouldn’t have any trouble finding it. Dan was asleep in his recliner. I woke him to tell him about the interview. Drinking all that beer had made him groggy. He just shook away from me and went back to sleep. I fixed dinner and ate alone in the kitchen. Dan didn’t want anything to eat, he just wanted me to let him sleep. I phoned Mom to tell her about the job interview in the morning over in Pueblo. She was as excited as I was about the prospect of getting a receptionist job. I asked her if she remembered Derek Coulter or his parents. She didn’t remember Derek but she was familiar with his parents. She told me Derek’s mother had passed away about a year ago; the paper had printed an obituary on her death. His father still lived at their ranch south of town. We talked about a few other things before saying our “good nights”.

“Hey, be sure and dress nice for the interview. Always look your best.” She declared. “Good Luck, Hon.”

When I got off the phone I went to the closet to decide what to wear for the interview. I picked out a nice skirt and blouse. My high heel shoes, the only pair I had, I kept in their original box. They still looked like new. I kept going back to the closet to see if I could improve on my outfit. I didn’t have than many nice clothes so I stuck with my original choices. I didn’t sleep well that night, waking several times, hearing Dan’s loud snoring coming from the livingroom.

When I woke up the next morning, Dan was gone. He hadn’t bothered to wake me before he left for the garage. I showered, washed my hair and shaved my legs, even though they didn’t need it. I put on my make-up, paying attention to every little detail. I got my hair all put together and checked myself in the mirror. I primped and primped, mostly out of nervousness. I put on my skirt and blouse. I didn’t like the blouse I’d originally picked so I opted for another blouse with a little lace down the front. It looked great with the tan skirt. I put on my high heels; they were snug on my feet, a little uncomfortable at first. I walked around the apartment, too excited to sit down. I almost forgot to change earrings. I had a pair of earrings with little feathers dangling from them, I put them in. One last check in the mirror to see how I looked. As Dan would say “I looked hotter ’n fuck”.

I grabbed my handbag and car keys heading down the steps to my car. It started right off, a miracle, I laughed. I got on Highway 50 heading out of town towards Pueblo. I turned on the radio to listen to some music during the short drive. It didn’t come on. I tried turning it off and on but it didn’t respond. I just drove in silence; reviewing answers to anything Derek might ask me about. It didn’t take long to get to Pueblo, but traffic was busy and it was slowing me down. I got scared I might be late for the interview, that wouldn’t be good. I finally got to the old historic district, it was really nice, lots of old restored multiple-story buildings. I found the address and a parking space across the street from it. Lucky me!!

The old brick building was three stories tall with lots of windows on the second and third floors overlooking the busy street. The ground floor windows were bricked over. I spotted the decorative entrance door at one corner of the building. I grabbed my handbag and proceeded across the busy street towards it. I was right on time with a few minutes to spare. I pulled on the heavy door but it was locked. I saw a doorbell and pushed it. I couldn’t hear it ring inside, maybe it wasn’t working. I knocked on the etched glass window. I could see up the stairway a little. No one was coming down the steps. I knocked on the window again. I was beginning to panic.

“Bet there’s nobody home!” I heard.

I turned around quickly and there stood Derek holding a large cardboard box. He smiled at me and set the box down on the sidewalk. I smiled, relieved to see him. Derek unlocked the door and pushed it open. I held it open so he could carry the box up the stairway to the second floor. The office area was huge really nice. The floors were all hardwood and you could hear every footstep we took. Derek took the box back into another room; I stood in the office waiting for him to return. He quickly walked back, brushing off the front of his shirt. He shook my hand firmly.

“Sheila, you haven’t changed since high school. You look great!” He said smiling

“Thank you.” I said blushing at his compliment.

He motioned for me to sit down in one of the chairs at the front of the desk. I sat down crossing my legs; my skirt rode up a little showing a little leg. Derek casually sat on the desk looking down at me. I set my handbag on the floor next to my chair so I could put my hands in my lap.

“Do you mind if I smoke”. He asked.

“No, I don’t mind”. I answered him.

Derek and I chatted about our old high school days, remembering some things that happened that we were both familiar with. I felt relaxed talking about the “old days”. Derek got up off the desk and sat in the big leather office chair behind it. He talked about all the aspects of the receptionist job. It not only involved clerical duties, but working with models, scheduling sessions, setting up appointments with commercial clients, some light housekeeping chores and even going out on shoots with him around the Pueblo area. It all sounded so interesting, a really fantastic job. Derek asked if I had any experience with digital photography, still and video. I tried to skirt the question by reminding him that I’d worked two years on the high school paper. But that was using film-type cameras instead of the digital cameras. He mentioned I should be familiar with computer software for photography. I could only answer that I was experienced with word processing and database software. Not all that familiar with the latter. I saw him smile softly; he realized I was trying to answer his questions but falling short. I tried to remember all the things I was capable of doing but my mind went blank.

I got nervous, feeling the interview was going terrible. I fumbled nervously with the hem of my skirt. The phone rang and Derek answered it. He asked the caller if she’d leave her number so he could call her back later. I reached down for my handbag feeling Derek was about to say the same thing to me. He hung up the phone and lit up another cigarette. I felt my heart pounding in my chest.

“The job pays $11.00 an hour but I can’t offer you any insurance benefits.” He informed me. “The hours are from 8:00am till 5:00pm with an hour off for lunch. There’ll be some Saturday work occasionally”

I nodded my head, acknowledging the information he’d just given me. I sat there frozen, just staring at him, expecting to be thanked for my time. He just looked at me.

“Do you think you’d be interested in working for me?” He asked. “The job’s yours if you want it. You can start tomorrow if you want.”

“Yes, I really want this job”. I said excitedly.

I almost jumped up out of my chair. Derek got a big smile on his face and leaned across the desk to shake my hand. My eyes were starting to water. I brushed a tear with my finger. The phone rang again. He answered it and informed the caller the receptionist job had been filled. I got a really big smile on my face, I was ecstatic.

“How about some lunch, I haven’t eaten anything all day.” He suggested.

I hadn’t eaten anything that morning either, just drank some coffee. I had been too nervous to eat anything.

“Fine with me”. I answered.

Derek and I walked down the long flight of steps. He locked the door behind us and we walked down to the end of the block to a little corner café. It was crowded but we spotted a table right by a window. Derek pulled the chair out for me, such a gentleman I thought. Derek sat across from me. The waitress brought us menus.

“Pick out whatever you like”. He stated. “Lunch is on me, well Uncle Sam actually”. He grinned.

The waitress took our order and we sat back looking at all the tourist that were in the café. I asked Derek about what would be appropriate for me to wear to work. I wasn’t sure if he wanted me to dress up or not. It was a dumb question, I realized after I asked it. Derek said what I was wearing was fine. I would be meeting clients and models in person so I should look impressive. He said he was impressed with the way I was dressed. I blushed a little at his comment.

After lunch, we walked back to the office building. Derek asked me if I’d like for him to show me around the studio. I told him I’d really like that. We walked back up the steps to the second floor and back into the large open area. There was studio lighting suspended from the high ceilings, three dressing rooms and a massive storage area full of props. There was a room partitioned off with three computers on a long table against the wall. It was the lab where all the digital stills and videos were finalized. One room was filled with nothing but modeling clothes, one huge closet! Derek showed me his office; it was carpeted with thick padded carpeting, like walking on air I thought. We walked back out into the large open area. I noticed a small elevator in one corner. It went from the ground floor to the top floor he informed me. Derek had converted the top floor into an apartment for himself. The ground floor was just garage area and more storage. I was in awe at the layout of the studio. We walked back to the reception area where the interview had taken place; there was a little kitchenette behind it with a small refrigerator, microwave, hot plate and a small sink. I hadn‘t noticed it during the interview.

“This’ll be your area. You can decorate it with some personal items if you’d like”. Derek informed me. “It’s up to you”.

I nodded my head and looked around at the office. It was fantastic. I loved the big leather chair behind the desk. I couldn’t wait to sit in it.

“Mind if I try the chair out?” I asked him grinning.

“He smiled. “Sure go ahead, see how you like it”.

I sat in the chair and turned it a little side to side. It felt great. I was so happy!

“Oh, by the way. You’ll need this.” He said, opening one of the drawers in the desk.

Derek handed me a remote control for a garage door. I’d noticed a garage door at the far corner, along the front the building when I’d pulled up. He told me the streets were usually always crowded during the daytime with all the tourist. Parking was sometimes hard to find close. I could park my car in the garage since there was plenty of room. I thanked him for giving me access to the garage.

“Do you have a cell phone?” Derek asked.

I told him I didn’t. I didn’t want to tell him Dan and I was barely able to pay the regular phone bill. He said he’d come up with something. A cell phone would be a must-have.

Derek then escorted me back to the top of the stairs and shook my hand again.

“See you tomorrow morning at 8”. He said.

I thanked him again for the job, almost leaning in to kiss him. I caught myself before I made a fool out of myself. I walked down the steps and out into the brightly sunlit street. I managed to get across the street to my car without getting run over.

I drove back home excited to tell Dan and Mom about getting the job. I made the drive home in less than thirty minutes. Glad I didn’t get picked up for speeding. I stopped by the garage and ran in to see Dan. He was leaning over the fender with a lady who must have been its owner. He looked pissed that I’d stopped to see him. He came over, wiping his hands on a shop rag. He asked how the interview went. I told him I got the job. He was happy that I’d gotten it. I did notice he kept moving around blocking my view of the girl and her car. It made me a little suspicious. I asked where his dad was; he replied he’d gone up to the Springs to get some parts from a junkyard. I told him, I’d see him later at home.

I drove on into town to the local newspaper office to let Mom know the good news. I kept wondering why Dan had acted so odd when he saw me walk into the garage. I wondered if something might be going on. I pulled up in front of the newspaper office, jumped out of the car and ran into the building. Mom was at the front counter. She saw the big smile on my face and knew I’d gotten the job. She was as happy as I was. She kept congratulating me over and over. The counter wasn’t busy at all so Mom invited me back to her desk. I sat next to the desk and told her all about the job, the interview, having lunch with Derek and the tour of the business. I didn’t leave out any details.