Chapter 1
Thursday:
-Today was a hot one. The temperature was reaching into triple digits already, and it wasn’t even noon yet. I checked my thermostat on the wall, and it displayed eighty two degrees Fahrenheit. I shook my head in frustration. Even inside the house it’s hot.
- I walked to the kitchen to grab cold water out of the fridge. I poured a glass and drank the whole thing. Tomorrow, I was heading back out to look for a job. I hadn’t been employed in two weeks and was starting to go stir crazy. Especially feeling locked in the house due to the heat.
- I was starting to worry somewhat about bills. I had a small savings when I lost my job at the local gas station, but of course, bills came in the next week. I got one more deposit in the bank the week after, but it barely covered the essentials.
- I skipped lunch as the heat was getting to my stomach. I settled down at my computer and checked my emails, muttering to myself. spam….spam…. Coupons… new job opportunities. I clicked the link.
-“Job Opportunities:
Dog walker- $25 a day.
Car washer- $8.00/hr plus tips.
Grocery store clerk- 8.50/hr”
- I continued to read, feeling frustrated at the options in front of me. Just then, a pop-up shows on the screen, I automatically go to click the “X” on the top right, but stop short.
-“Are you tired of barely getting by? Apply today and become who you want to become! Click now."
-I hesitate for a moment and wonder if I should click the link. What if the link was spam and hackers took over my bank accounts? I laughed. “I don’t have anything worth taking” mumble.
- I click the link and it directs me to another web page. Provocative images flutter across the screen, I freeze wondering what have I just got myself into. I scroll down the page, which is severely lacking information until I see a tab that says “Benefits”. I convince myself to at least look before dismissing the crazy idea. I click it.
-“2 weeks of PTO after the first 6 months.
$200 sign on bonus if hired.
Flexible schedule.
Room to move up.
Tips!Tips!Tips!”
- I look at the two hundred bonus and think to myself. It couldn’t hurt to at least go by there and see what the job is. I call the number at the bottom of the page and wait.
“Delicate Rose. This is Cindy”
- I stumble with words for a second, thinking about the name she said. What kind of name "Delicate Rose"
- Cindy repeats “Delicate Rose. This is Cindy”
- I muster up words “Hi there, my name is Jade French. I was calling about the job opportunity I saw online. Has the position been filled?”
- I hear a smile in her voice as she responds. “We have 2 women coming in tonight to interview. If you think you can make it here at 7 pm, I can add your name to the list?”
- “I.. uh….” I think for a second if I’m even interested. “yes please. What attire should I wear?"
- “What ever you think Liam, the owner will like. He does all of the interviews himself.”
- I nodded to myself, great, and rolled my eyes.
-“Ok, thank you so much! I’ll be there at 7 pm.”
-“See you then!” she chirped, and the phone line disconnected.
- I looked at the clock, and it read "3:15pm". I decided I should probably eat something small before getting ready for my interview. I walked to the kitchen and looked in the fridge. I grabbed a hot dog and some mustard. After heating the hotdog and grabbing a bun off the shelf, I went ahead and made up my meal.
- Once I was done, I washed the dish and put it on the drying rack. I made my way back to my bedroom to try and figure out what the owner of “Delicate Rose” would like me to wear.
- I put my top three choices of outfits on the bed. After catching a glimpse of the rats-nest on my head in the mirror, I decided to hop in the shower to wash my hair.
- Steam covered the mirror when I got out, so I wiped it with an end of my towel, hoping to see improvement in my reflection. My big hazel green eyes looked back at me with little flecks of gold. That's when I first noticed the light bags under my eyes. I hadn’t been sleeping much lately. My light-brown curly hair appeared long when wet, draping over my pale shoulders.
- I had lost some weight this summer. I dropped my towel and gazed at myself in the mirror. I was 5’6, which I have always thought of as average. I normally was about 160lbs, but now it looked as if I was around 150lbs.
- After lotioning my legs and arms, I walked back into my bedroom to make the final decision about what to wear. The fan in my room felt good and started to dry my skin the rest of the way.
- I settled on a black camisole with black lacey fringe at the top and tan shorts. I pulled a soft, thin overshirt on top of the camisole that was similar to its style. It was black with hints of glitter and soft lacey fringe at the bottom. I had just enough cleavage showing to feel confident, but not too exposed.
- I applied a light coat of makeup, and took another look in the mirror. I didn’t look half bad. My curls had started to dry into loose ringlets. My hair was slightly past my shoulders now.
- I slipped on my year old black Nike shoes, grabbed my phone, and pulled up the address from the website. It was a twenty minute drive. The time was already six twenty-five.
- Before leaving, I called my dog Genny in from the yard. I rescued Genny about a year and a half prior. She was about five years old now, and about sixty pounds, and the best pitbull around. I gave Genny a kiss on the head as I poured a scoop of food for her and topped off her water bowl.
- “See you Gennybear! Pray for me!” I said as I shut the door and locked it. It was six thirty-seven pm now, time to hustle.
