I need an update
Me
I’m at Liam’s birthday dinner
Pen
Oh, shit. Sorry. Is Molly mad about your phone?
Me
What do you think? Knife emoji. Boxing glove emoji.
Pen
Call me when you can xo
Me
I will
The chorus of insults came thick, fast, and unforgiving. Get off the phone, Bubble. You’re delaying the cake, Bubble. What the actual fuck, Bubble?
“Sorry, sorry, that was work, it couldn’t wait,” I stammer out, silencing my phone for good measure. Any delay in serving the birthday cake was a punishable offence, and more than a knife and boxing glove emojis were sent in my direction. If Mom and Maeve are fabulous cooks, their cakes are highlighted delicacies.
“Aye, you work too hard, lass,” Aunt Maeve says with a sigh. “It’s your brother’s birthday; work can wait, yeah?”
“Yes, Aunt Maeve.”
Geoffrey is unmoving and not the savior I was hoping for. If he were planning any sort of proposal, now would be a great time, buddy. Get your brave on and drop to one knee. I silently will Geoff into action while my aunt continues to tisk tisk at me from the other side of the table.
“Work can wait; family is forever. Now, Caity Cat, tell us more about what is happening with your eyes.”
Penny picksup on the second ring while I ride the subway back to East Orange.
“What do you have to say for yourself?” she badgers themoment the call connects. My gut plummets again. Have they been in touch with Covet to say how inappropriate I was as a candidate? How much damage control do I need to do here? I get it, I’m not as pretty or as thin as the other women.
“Bri, are you there? I need details of what happened today and the email before this goes any further.”
What goes any further? Email? Has Covet lost the ability to supply candidates? This is bad, so bad. Not as bad as the body odor wafting from the older man in the Clash T-shirt, but still.
“I tried Pen, but I fucked it all to hell and back. I dressed exactly as we had planned. I was asked pretty much everything you told me I would, with some curveballs thrown in.”
“Curveballs, like what?”
“Why I wanted the job.”
“That’s not a curve, Bri. What did you say? Did you talk about the incredible opportunity it would be to work alongside a Mercer? To learn from a vibrant, visionary leader in an evolving and dynamic industry? That kind of thing?”
“Um, not exactly.”
“Like what, then? What did you say?” Even from the other end of the phone, I can tell her brow is furrowed. Pen knows more than anyone how much I need this job, and like me, would have expected me to stay on script and let my skills and personality shine.
“I told them Cait had to see an expensive doctor and that I needed the job.”
I can hear her sharp intake of air through the phone, even over the humming roar of the train and the noisy snoring of the Clash T-shirt guy.
“Oh, Bri,” she says with clear dejection in her tone. I know, I fucking know.
