Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 138287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
“Honestly—” I don’t know why I said what I did. “—the company would be nice.” I finished on a feeble chuckle.
Yeah.
I was pathetic.
Noah’s face softened.
Ugh.
I despised pity.
Why did you say that?
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Thankfully, Noah cleared his throat and changed the subject. “What kind of music do you listen to?”
I thought about the nights Nanna and I cooked dinner together with the record player on. Some of my favorite memories included that rickety record player and I answered happily, “Doris Day. Paul Anka. Nancy Sinatra.” I made a noise of contentment. “ABBA.” Micah looked at me like I couldn’t possibly be serious. Avoiding his probing gaze, I pushed my glasses up my nose and explained quietly, “You have to understand my nanna raised me from the time I was little girl. She’s was from a different generation and brought me up as such.”
Noah smiled but his brow lowered. “What do you know about rock music?”
“I don’t,” I admitted freely on a shrug.
I knew nothing about it. Nothing at all.
Micah glanced over at me skeptically. “So, if I told you the band you’d be assisting was Left Turn…”
Oh, cool. It was an assistant position.
That wasn’t scary. My stomach uncoiled at that piece of information. I could do that. Helping with Nanna made me an expert at assisting. This was perfect!
I blinked, first at Micah then at Noah. They appeared to expect something of me. All I could give them was, “That’s nice.” I then queried hesitantly, “Are they… are they new?”
Matching expressions of disbelief followed.
Noah choked on a laugh. “Uh, not quite. They’re…” He thought about what word to use. “… established.”
“Cool,” was all I could say to that, and I did it nodding.
The handsome, tattooed Noah looked like he wanted to laugh again when he uttered, “I’ve just got another few questions for you and then we’re done.” He sat taller. “Your work experience ended a few years back. What have you been doing in the meantime, apart from studying?”
This question hit a nerve but that wasn’t his fault. I took a while to answer. “My nanna has dementia. I spent that time caring for her.”
That’s all I could give Noah.
He seemed to understand this because his face gentled. “So you would say you’re a responsible and nurturing person then?”
My head tilted slightly. I pursed my lips and pondered that. It was an accurate statement. “Yes, I would.”
“And if this interview doesn’t work out,” Noah pried, “what’s your backup plan?”
I felt I had a lot of hitches in my character. I was set in my routine. I loved nothing more than the quiet of a Sunday afternoon, as introverts do. I enjoyed reading and writing. Company was completely optional. And, lastly, at times I was honest to a fault.
Take right now as one of those times.
My voice was quiet. “I don’t have one.” I bit my lip to stop myself from revealing anything else these people obviously didn’t need to know.
Noah made a few notes as Micah watched me curiously. I smiled at him and he smiled back, almost uncertainly. Then Noah looked over at his peer. “I think we’re good here, Emily.”
Micah nodded. “Yep. I think we got everything we needed.”
Oh no.
Did I blow it?
They both stood up and I followed suit, feeling less than positive about the outcome here today. I was sure my demeanor reflected that. Regardless, I held out my hand first to Micah, and then to Noah. “I’d just like to say thank you for the opportunity. It’s been a while since I’ve done this and I needed the interview experience.”
Noah held onto my hand a second too long, and the way he frowned down at me was more than a little disconcerting. “We’ll call you.”
Yep.
Totally blew it.
I inwardly sighed.
Oh well.
“Thanks again.” I threw my backpack over my shoulder and saw myself out. The moment I was back in the waiting room, I took a look at the interview candidates and my chest ached.
Beautiful people as far as the eye could see.
No. I was not getting this job.
And that was okay.
I would just have to find something else.
My cell phone rang. I stirred the pot of boiling pasta, put the wooden spoon down, and looked down at the display.
Unknown Caller.
I hesitated. I normally didn’t answer unknown numbers. Heck, I normally didn’t answer at all, but it could have been the hospital so I picked up. “Hello?”
“Uh, hi. Is this Emily?”
I wiped my hands on a dishtowel and rearranged the cell phone. “Yes, it is. Who may I ask is speaking?”
“It’s Noah, from yesterday’s interview.”
He-man Noah!
“Oh, hi.” I smiled into the receiver. It was nice of him to call and give me the bad news rather than just never hearing from him again. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” I could hear his own smile through the line. “I just called to ask you a question.”