“8:03. Shit, I’m going to be late again!” – First thought Monday morning. And pretty much for the rest of the week.
“8:06! Damnit.” – Walk in hold head down and try to avoid eye contact with CEO. He sees me. Shit. Walk faster.
“Good morning Natasha” He made a point to let me know he knows that I wasn’t here before 8.
“Good morning Mr. X, how are you?” In my usual chipper voice. This is how you win him over. Smile. Laugh and show some ambition. Done and done.
I take a seat infront of my two overbearing old school monitors and plug away for the day.
He once sent me a Dilbert comic that indicated having two monitors should mean twice as much productivity. Refrain self from writing back indicating that he’s having me do 3 peoples jobs because he fired one and two quit, and that he’s too cheap to give me a raise. Reply “ha ha ha”. Delete. Asshole.
12:30, I have to run. “Boss lady,” (also dear friend) “I have an interview, gotta jet.” Typical Vancouver weather means that it’s dumping down with rain. I have no umbrella. I wore my hair curly today. Fucking frizz.
….hail next available taxi. Have a nice little chat with the driver who proceeds to tell me that I will definitely get the job. He thought I was going for an interview at the restaurant beside the office. I thank him for the encouragement and tell him if he ever comes in, I’ll get him a drink on me. Deep down I know this will never happen, either because a) he will never show or b) because I will never be working there. Although, never say never.
I have often thought about the money that could be made on the corner of Helmecken and Richards. I don’t own white boots, I wouldn’t stand a chance.
Get to the office, open the door. “Mr. Y?” I softly say.
“Yes, hey. How’s it going? Have you had lunch yet?” He asks. What? The CEO is going to take me for lunch for my interview? We rarely got coffee at Company X.
“Umm, no” I was too nervous to eat before.
“Okay, let’s go grab sushi and we’ll get Mr. Z to meet us there.”
Sushi, one of the worst things to eat when on either a date or with someone you don’t know well. There is no grace in shoving an entire roll of rice, fish and seaweed into your mouth. Not to mention when you put too much wasabi on and your eyes start to water and you want to swat the burning sensation out of your face.
Lunch is over. Time for deliberation. I have a good feeling about this one.
We venture back out into the rain, Mr. Z hops into his car and Mr. Y and I trudge back to the office. We make small talk. Keep things light. Island living. Delightful. Island kids getting into hard drugs, a hippy’s dream becomes unforseen.
The white little man indicates it’s our turn to drive our feet across the slick pavement. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right shoe slips. Left leg lunges. Hands slap on pavement and I pick myself back up.
“Uh uh, are you okay?” Mr. Y cautiously asked.
Did that really just happen? I fell in the middle of an intersection and I’m not embarassed… wtf.
We part ways. He says he’ll call. Much like every other guy that says it to please you for the moment so they can get out of the current situation they’re in with much more ease.
I realize how much I’m bleeding when I hop onto the Aquabus. So much so that the driver comments on the blood trailing down my leg. At least I shaved to today. I think that’s how I got the job.
Picture by Bob Cossar