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I answer the phones, take down detailed messages, and transfer calls. Check in the clients, pull their folders. I clean up poop and peeaccidents in the lobby. I meet Todd, the other vet tech. And eventually Maria checks on me to welcome me aboard.
I know I need to speak to Drew quickly and correct his assumption that I’m here permanently. But I see no way to do it. There’s no opportunity for me to go to the back, and judging by the flow of pets, he’s too busy to talk to me.
I stay straight through to five, my stomach rumbling. It’s much harder work than the bank already, and I haven’t even learned all my duties, including filing pet insurance claims and dealing with the flood of emails that come through. A couple of vendors show up, and I have to turn them away, hoping I did the right thing.
But finally Vera crosses the lobby and flips the lock on the doors. “Last pet out.” She sighs. “This was definitely a Monday. We would’ve fallen apart without you, Ensley.”
I stand behind the desk. “Happy to help. Is Drew free?” I might make him take me to dinner. I’m starved.
Vera twists her bottom lip. “Let’s have you talk to Maria first. I know you know Dr.Daniels. But do youreallyknow him? He can be pretty difficult.”
“I know Drew very well,” I say. “I tried to help him figure out how to handle Jenny. But apparently my advice wasn’t enough.”
Vera looks relieved. “Okay, good. No one knows why the good Lord made Dr.Daniels the way he is, but when he’s angry, the ground shakes.”
“I’ve seen it since I was a kid. I’m not afraid.”
“What a blessing you are, girl. I’m behind on diagnostics. I’m going to run some more. Normally you can get to billing and things in between check-ins and phone calls. But Mondays are always a little extra.”
“I get it,” I say. “Mondays are always crazy at the bank where I’m assistant head teller.” I don’t know why I try to tout my experience. I guess I want to feel competent. There’s no telling what these peoplewould think of me if they learned that the real reason I came to Atlanta had to do with a series of dirty emails.
Maria arrives from the back. “Ensley, let me show you how to shut down the system, and then Dr.Daniels will be ready to have a chat with you about your duties.”
I sit back down in the chair as she moves the mouse on the desk. “There are a few tricky bits to this application,” she says.
“Understood.” I take a few quick notes as she runs through a series of clicks until the screen goes dark.
“All right, let’s take a tour.” Maria straightens, and I follow her down the hall.
This is my first time all the way to the back. During the course of the day, I stepped inside the two exam rooms, ran to the maintenance closet for a mop, popped into the diagnostic and pharmacy area to fetch prescriptions, and of course spent time in Drew’s office. But I haven’t been this far.
She gestures to two tall steel tables jutting out from a long counter filled floor to ceiling with cabinets. “This is the treatment space where we bring the animals when we need to work with them away from their owners.”
We walk farther into the large room. “Those are our recovery kennels outside the surgery bay. Always know that there’s a webcam on the cages, so anything you do in this area is being recorded.” She laughs. “It’s no place to pick a wedgie.”
My cheeks bloom warm. “Noted.” It would also not be a place to make out with the boss.
Not that it’s going to happen.
But I hope it happens.
She leads me to a side door. “Over here, we have a storage room with most of the feed and supplies. This table at the end is what we use for a break room, not that we sit down to eat for long. Those cabinets are good for personal items, although you can keep yours up atreception. Food goes in this fridge. Don’t use the med fridge for human things.”
I nod.
I haven’t seen Drew. Past the stock shelves is a door that leads out to a parking lot and a stretch of grass and trees.
“It’s nice,” I say.
Maria nods. “It is. It’s a great small practice.”
“Where’s Drew?”
“He was just back here, but I’m guessing he’s gone to his office. I’ll drop you off there.”
My belly quakes. I have to figure out exactly how to explain to Drew what my intention is here. And of course, there are all these unknown factors, like taking my full vacation, if Cindy will even let me.
Maria knocks on his door, then opens it.
