Table for Two

Tia was late.

Not “oops-I-left-five-minutes-late” late. This was the kind where your soul leaves your body and watches you run around like a panicked cartoon character.

She jolted awake from an accidental nap, laptop still open, with the interview notes for tomorrow glowing on the screen.

NO NO NO NO NO…. she scrambled upright, hair a mess, heart pounding.

“Why would I nap? Who naps before a blind date five days before Christmas?”

A few moments later, hair still damp from the fastest shower in the world, mascara wand in her teeth, she grabbed her phone and typed furiously.

Tia: Maya… I SCREWED UP!!I fell asleep studying for tomorrow. Now I’m late.Running.Save me…

Tia: Also, whose idea was it to hide her name? Why am I doing this in the middle of the Christmas rush?

Tia: Maya???? Hello???? Send emotional support or instructions or CPR advice…

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“Great! Abandoned by her own wingwoman, who set up this blind date in the first place.” Tia muttered, bursting out of her door, one shoe in her hand, grabbing her bag, her keys, and (barely missing) her dignity.

The interview she was preparing for before she fell asleep was for her dream company, MediaTech. The HR manager, Diane, had called her yesterday, to let her know that the Director wanted to meet her in an informal setting, before the company shut down for the Christmas break. The Director preferred a neutral territory, somewhere relaxed, and real.

They had scheduled the dinner for Wednesday, December 21, at Lumière, which was the only evening the Director was free before flying out for the holidays. Lumière was a sleek restaurant that Tia had never been to before, but one she’d heard was popular with company executives.

That’s why she had asked for today’s date to be at the same restaurant. She wanted to scope out the place ahead of time, maybe chat up the staff a bit, see if she could pick up any insights about the Director or even just get a feel for the atmosphere under all the Christmas lights. Of course, she didn’t expect the staff to spill secrets, but she was determined to try.