I had worked hard at good grades in school and tried to be the model student that superiors would use me as an example of what "the perfect student" is. I had many friends since I was in pre-K up until the time I graduated in the top 5 of my graduating class at Temple University. I have had a few boyfriends, but nothing was special about any of the guys I dated. I was big into watching old movies on the local cable channel that carried all these timeless treats. I admired some of the "older" actors and when I would consider looking for a man, I would always pick out older. Then I started to enjoy jazz music and found myself enjoying being in the company of black people and finding a lot of the black men to be what I have been searching for without knowing I was.
I was in the field of marketing and advertising and I couldn't have been more lucky but to strike up a conversation at one of the jazz clubs I was at one Friday night with a very attractive and older black man. He had a shaved head, a thin line beard and had a dimple in both of his cheeks. He had the greatest smile I have ever seen. We began talking after the musicians played a very "deep" musical composition that happen to be an original by one of the members. We both applauded the group loudly and boldly and they returned the favor by coming to the bar to talk to us after their set was over and they were on their break. I then found out that his name was Jim, nicked named "Big Jim" and he frequented this club every other Friday night because it was the end of a busy two week schedule at work doing doubles as they were looking to hire someone. I told Jim, who insisted that I call him either BJ or Jim that I was sending out my resumes and looking for a job.
It happen that BJ was looking for someone in the marketing field and I told him that was my major at Temple and I minored in advertising. It was too good to be true I thought and I offered to get a copy of my resume and a few letters of recommendation that I had in the briefcase that was in my car. He told me we could get it before the end of the evening while he began to tell me what the job description was. He was looking for someone to be his junior associate, to sometime attend meetings with him, in place of and travel with him to different clients out of town and out of state when needed. I mentioned that I had no prior experience in the field yet, but did work at various part time jobs while attending high school and on the campus at Temple in the office working with the students that would be attending in the up-coming semesters.
BJ told me that I seem to be a "go getter" and a "people person" and told me that the starting salary was $ 40,000 a year, with a $10,000 increase after six months and then a review and increase according to the job performance after one year. There would be an expense account, a company car, a credit card for traveling for meals and entertainment of clients and potential clients. He said that he would like to meet with me again after taking my resume, during the coming week. I was so excited and I told him I would be happy to do so.
The rest of the evening was great and the music was awesome. I love music and had flirted with the idea of a career in music. I played the piano just like almost every kid my age did on the encouragement of their parents to give their children "culute" and grow up right. I also took up the clarinet in the fourth grade and was in bands while in grade school, in the high school marching and concert bands too. I also joined the band at Temple and we played at all the half time games during football season and did have several concerts during the school year. I still pick it up and play some tunes to relieve stress after a long night of studying or sending out my resume.
The night ended and the group and approached us and gave us free copies of the latest CD and a schedule of their performances and where and also a schedule of the bar that we were at that evening. We thanked then and said we would probably be at a few of their up-coming shows. BJ followed me to my car where I gave him one of the ready made folders I was handing out when I went door to door handing out my paperwork. He was very impressed with my professional presentation and said that I seem to really know what I want to do and would be an asset to him. I thanked him for the compliments and we agreed to meet a week from this Friday in his office about 6:00 pm because he would be away Tuesday through Thursday and Monday he will be in meetings all day with a dinner meeting and Friday would be the only day. He said he would keep in touch during the week and make sure if I would still be interesting in the interview and I told him that would be great.