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“I got fired from my job,” I told him, cringing at the sound of it.
It didn’t sound any better coming from me than it did coming from my boss an hour ago. The words still stung and made me feel like I might have a panic attack. I closed my eyes and tried to take deep breaths again.Don’t cry, Jo. Not now.
“Ah, man. Really? That blows,” Henry replied. His voice sounded so sweet and sincere. It only made me long to be in his arms even more. “I’m sorry, Jo. I’ll be there tonight. Say around seven? We can order a pizza.”
I glanced up to my kitchen, which was also decorated in a sea of bright colors. The mixing bowls and cups, in their vibrant pinks and blues, called out to me. The last thing I wanted to top off an already horrible day was to eat greasy, depressing pizza. I wanted something that would lift me up and make me feel better. Something that didn’t come from a cardboard box. The added bonus was that cooking would be a therapeutic distraction and keep me from slipping into panic mode.
“No, that’s okay. I want to cook us dinner,” I insisted. “I’ll see you at seven.”
I hung up the phone and lifted my eyes, catching sight of myself in the mirror hanging on the wall. After tucking away one of my stray chestnut brown curls, I turned side to side, admiring the painted overalls I made to wear to work. They were covered in rainbows, sunshine, and little unicorns. I thought the students would love them, and I was right. But that didn’t stop me from getting fired.
“Don’t get derailed, Jo,” I sighed to myself. “Everything’s going to be okay. Sure, you lost your job out of nowhere, but people lose jobs all the time, right? You’re going to get through this.”
I continued giving myself pep talks as I went into the kitchen, put on my orange and pink ruffled apron, and pulled my curls up into a bun. They were just long enough to make one, which was useful for getting them out of my face.
Since I was so desperate to get lost in a deep trance of cooking, I set myself to the rather ambitious task of making perogies from scratch. My friend Sophie and I made a meal with some frozen ones a few weeks back, and I had been dying to make some of my own ever since. Now I finally had the perfect excuse for cooking in the middle of the day when I would usually be at work.
I made the dough, boiled some potatoes, and stirred in some cream cheese with onions and spices. Within minutes, the house smelled delicious. I was so focused on putting it all together that my mind didn’t start to drift back to the elephant in the room until I was folding the dough into the little pockets of filling. That’s when the inevitable sadness and dread started sinking back in.
It’s not like teaching at The Little Tykes Day Academy was my dream job or anything, but it did make me feel like I was one step closer to doing what I loved - which was making art and teaching other people how to make things too. I did get to create all sorts of art projects for the kids to do, even if the rest of the days weren’t quite so up my alley. I loved kids, and people of all ages really.
As soon as I had that thought, a man’s voice loudly cursing next door broke through my happy little bubble. I peeked through the blinds of my kitchen window to see my neighbor working on his bike in the backyard. Okay, if there was one person on earth I didn’t inherently love…it was him. But I didn’t want to think of him on top of everything else at that moment.
The point was, Little Tykes Day Academy may not have been the greatest gig on earth, but it did check a few of my boxes and it paid the bills. I would have never moved into my new house to be closer to the school if I had known I’d be laid off just a few months later.
My mind kept racing about it all as I cooked the pierogis in my lime green dutch oven, boiling them in batches then spooning them carefully onto a baking sheet. After brushing them with butter and sprinkling some parsley on top, I added some sliced kielbasa and veggies to the pan and put it all in the oven to bake. Once again, the house was filled with even more delicious aromas. I closed my eyes and took it in with deep breaths as I untied my apron and headed into my room to change.
I always believed that when times were hard and scary, the simple pleasures could help see you through - like the smell of a home cooked meal or putting on one of your favorite outfits. Mine was a rainbow halter dress that cinched at the waist and was cut out on the sides. It was more revealing than what I usually wore, but another simple pleasure I could indulge in to cheer myself up was seducing Henry. My sexy halter dress would help to do just that.
I kept myself busy, doing my makeup and finishing up dinner. By the time Henry showed up at seven, I was convinced everything would be okay somehow. I just had to stay optimistic.
I answered the door with a smile, but my brow furrowed at the strange look on his face. He looked me up and down, but not with the sex-crazed attraction I was aiming for.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
His mouth gaped as he stood there on my front steps, wearing his usual khaki pants and gray t-shirt. Henry was the exact opposite of me when it came to his personal style, but I liked to think his brilliant mind made up for how dull he looked on the outside.
“You know, most people sink into a horrible depression for at least a day when they get fired from a job. I didn’t expect to show up here and see you all dolled up and smiling.”
I stepped aside to show him in. “Cyndi Lauper says that on your darkest day, you should wear your brightest colors.”
“Who?”
“You know…Girls Just Wanna Have Fun? Nevermind,” I waved. “It’s not important. The point is I’m determined not to let this little setback get me down. I’m going to sit down first thing tomorrow and start applying for new jobs. But for now…we’re just going to sit down and enjoy this delicious meal I prepared.”
I had set the table with my favorite pink tablecloth and matching utensils. The pastel green and blue plates popped against it right along with the brightly colored candles and flowers I placed in the middle as a centerpiece. We each took our seats, and I made sure to take in another big whiff of the scent wafting from my plate before digging in.
“Mmm,” Henry grunted with the first bite. “You sure do know how to cook, Jo. This is delicious.”
I smiled wide, basking in my pride for a moment. After dinner, I served chocolate pie. Henry cracked open a beer while I sipped an orange soda.
“I know you’re big on this whole positivity thing,” he frowned, eyeing the glass bottle of fizzy orange liquid in my hand. “But don’t you want to have at least one drink? After the day you had.”
“You know I’m not a big drinker,” I shrugged.
“Suit yourself. So, why did you get fired anyway?”
I told him all about how enrollment had been dwindling steadily for the past six months until finally they had no choice but to start laying people off. When I was finished retelling all the gory details, he offered to give me a massage. Not long after he started, his hands drifted to the ties of my dress. He pulled each one and unwrapped me like a present. My seduction plan worked like a charm.
