Red

Chapter One - Job Interview

The morning sun felt warm against my skin as I walked through the park, but my hands were ice cold. I rubbed them together, trying to calm my nerves. Who holds job interviews in a park? It seemed strange, but I wasn't in any position to complain. I needed this job more than I needed answers to my questions.

I pulled out my phone and read the text message again. Meet me at the bench near the fountain. I'll be wearing a blue cardigan and carrying a red purse. Simple enough. I looked around, watching families spread blankets on the grass and children chase each other around the playground. The whole scene felt peaceful, almost too perfect.

That's when I spotted her.

A woman sat alone on a wooden bench, exactly as described. Blue cardigan, red purse resting beside her. She looked to be in her thirties, with blonde hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. Even from a distance, I could tell she was the type of person who had everything organized, everything in its place.

I took a deep breath and walked toward her, my heels clicking on the concrete path. "Excuse me?"

She looked up from her phone, and I watched her face change. Her eyebrows pulled together, and she tilted her head like she was trying to solve a puzzle.

"Who are you?" she asked.

I forced a smile, even though my stomach was doing flips. "My name is Delilah Jones. I believe I'm here for the interview. We spoke earlier on the phone."

Her face relaxed, and she smiled back. "Oh, Delilah Jones. I'm so sorry. I have a lot on my mind today." She patted the bench beside her. "Please, sit down."

I sat down carefully, smoothing my skirt and trying to look professional. The bench was warm from the sun, and I could smell her perfume – something light and floral.

"I'm sorry we had to meet like this," she said, gesturing around the park. "I'm just not comfortable having a total stranger at the house yet. I hope you understand."

"Of course," I said. "That makes perfect sense."

She turned to face me fully, and I felt her eyes studying my face. "You're very beautiful," she said slowly. "And quite young. The agency must have forgotten to mention that."

My heart sank a little. "Is that a problem?"

"No, it's just..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "I've never hired someone so young before. It's different than what I expected."

I tried to keep my voice steady. "Mrs. Randall, I know I might not look like what you had in mind, but—"

"Please, call me Jenna," she interrupted, her smile returning. "Listen, that's fine. I'm sure we can work it out. But I need to make a quick phone call first. Do you mind waiting here for just a minute?"

"Not at all."

She stood up and walked a few steps away, pulling out her phone. I watched her pace back and forth, speaking in low voices I couldn't quite hear. While she talked, I looked around the park again. A little girl with pigtails was feeding ducks at the pond, her mother watching from nearby. Two teenagers were playing frisbee on the grass. Everything looked so normal, so safe. I could see why Jenna had chosen this place for our meeting.

When she came back, her smile was even brighter than before.

"Alright," she said, settling back down on the bench. "Let's begin, shall we?" She held out her hand. "May I see your resume?"

I handed her the folder I'd been clutching. She opened it and scanned the first page, and I watched her face carefully for any reaction.

"So you just finished high school?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Any plans for college?"

The question hung in the air for a moment. I shifted uncomfortably. "I will eventually. It's just not a priority right now."

She nodded but didn't say anything about that. "Do you have any experience taking care of children?"

This was the question I'd been dreading. I twisted my hands in my lap and tried to find the right words. "No, not exactly. I mean, I don't have professional experience with children, but I did own a golden retriever once." I decided not to mention that I'd lost her when she ran away.

Jenna just nodded and kept reading. "Are you comfortable with us doing a background check? It's nothing serious – we just like to have more information about who we're bringing into our home."

"That's completely fine," I said quickly.

I had nothing to hide. Well, nothing major. A few DUIs from when I was going through a rough patch, but nothing that would show up as a red flag.

"Do you have a medical report with you?" she asked.

"No, I don't. Should I have brought one?"

She made a note on my resume. "We can handle that later if needed." She looked up at me again. "Do you know how to cook?"

Finally, a question I could answer confidently. "Yes," I said, nodding. "I can cook, clean, do laundry. I'm good with household tasks."

She closed the folder and sighed. I felt my heart sink into my stomach.

I laughed nervously, the sound coming out more like a croak. "Look, I know I might not have experience with homes or kids or anything like that, but I'm willing to learn. I'm a very fast learner, I promise."

I bit my lower lip and waited for her response. She wasn't looking at me anymore. Instead, she was watching the children play on the swings, lost in her own thoughts.

I had to break the silence. "How old is your daughter?"

Her whole face lit up. "She's six years old. Her name is Massey."

"I would love to meet her," I said, meaning it.

"I'm sure she would love to meet you too." Jenna's smile faded a little. "Delilah, you seem very nice, but..."

Here it comes, I thought. The rejection.

"I need to discuss this with my husband first. Honestly, we were expecting someone older and more experienced. Someone like our old nanny, Mary. She was with us for three years." She paused, studying my face again. "But I like your energy. There's something refreshing about you. So I'm going to talk it over with him, and we'll get back to you. Is that okay?"

I blinked in surprise. Usually, interviews ended with immediate rejections. Too young, too inexperienced, too pretty, too thin – I'd heard it all. But never had someone mentioned my "energy" as a positive thing.

"Thank you for considering me," I managed to say. "I really appreciate you taking the time to meet with me out here."

"Of course." She stood up, and I did the same. "It was nice meeting you, Delilah."

"Likewise," I replied, though my voice probably gave away how disappointed I felt.

We walked toward the parking area together. She got into a silver SUV, and I watched her drive away before pulling out my phone to call an Uber.

Twenty minutes later, I was sitting in Murphy's Bar across from my best friend Caleb. The place was dim and smelled like beer and fried food, but it felt comfortable. Familiar.

"Do I even need to ask how it went?" Caleb said, sliding a glass of wine across the wooden table.

I took a long sip before answering. "She said she'd get back to me."

"Don't they always say that?" He groaned and shook his head. "What was she like?"

"I didn't get to see much because I was nervous the whole time, but she seemed nice. Very put-together, very careful with her words. The kind of person who probably makes lists for everything." I took another sip of wine. "She'll probably never consider me."

The truth was, I wanted this job more than I'd wanted anything in a long time. It would be nice to be part of a family, even if it was just as an employee. I hoped they would give me a chance.

"So what's your plan now?" Caleb asked.

"Keep looking. Don't worry – I won't be crashing on your couch much longer."

"Stay as long as you want," he said, though I could tell he was trying to be polite. I was supposed to stay for a week, and that had turned into six months. I knew I was wearing out my welcome.

My phone buzzed with a text message. I glanced at the screen and saw Mike's name.

💦🍆

Caleb leaned over to peek at my phone and rolled his eyes. "You're still messing around with that sleaze?"

"He's not that bad," I said, standing up and grabbing my purse.

"Where are you going?"

"I have plans." I headed toward the door before he could drown me in more questions.

"Make sure you use protection!" he called after me. "You're too broke to be a mother, and very very homeless!"

I rolled my eyes and waved goodbye, already texting Mike back as I walked out into the evening air.

The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange. For a moment, I stood on the sidewalk and wondered what I was doing with my life. Twenty-two years old, no real job prospects, living on my best friend's couch, and about to spend the evening with a guy who probably wasn't good for me.

But tomorrow was another day. Maybe Jenna would call. Maybe she'd give me a chance.

Maybe things would finally start looking up.

I tucked my phone into my purse and started walking toward the bus stop, trying not to think about how badly I needed this job to work out. Because if it didn't, I wasn't sure what I was going to do next.

The evening was warm, and the streets were busy with people heading home from work or out for dinner. I watched couples walking hand in hand, families heading into restaurants, friends laughing together outside bars. Everyone seemed to know exactly where they belonged.

I was still figuring that out.

As I waited for the bus, I thought about Jenna and her six-year-old daughter Massey. What would it be like to take care of a child? To be responsible for someone else's most precious thing? The idea was both terrifying and exciting.

My phone buzzed again. This time it was a number I didn't recognize.

I almost didn't answer, but curiosity got the better of me. "Hello?"

"Delilah? This is Jenna Randall."

My heart stopped. "Oh, hi. I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon."

"I know it's been a long day, but I spoke with my husband, and we'd like to offer you the position but on a trial basis."

I nearly dropped the phone. "Really?"

"I have an important event and I need someone to watch Massey. Can you start this weekend?.”

I looked around at the busy street, at all the people who seemed to have their lives figured out, and smiled.

"Yes," I said. "I can definitely start."

Maybe things were finally looking up after all.