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"Yeah, trying to land something decent," I replied, rubbing my temples.
"Hey, don't forget! You promised we'd binge-watch our favorite show tonight," she reminded me, poking her head into my room.
"Of course, but I have a networking event starting in just a few minutes at Nestor’s Café. I can’t miss it," I responded, feeling bad for letting her down. Time spent with Cassie was precious. She was my rock, my support system, and the one person who truly understood me.
"Alright, but don't work too hard. You're amazing, Calla, and I know you'll find the perfect job soon," she said before disappearing back into the next room.
Her words of encouragement brought a small smile to my face. It was true; I had come a long way since my days at business school, and I knew with hard work and determination, I would find the right job, eventually. But for now, it was time to take a break and go to the networking event. I seemed to live in my suit, so I didn't need to change. I retouched my makeup and grabbed my handbag, and headed for Nestor’s Café.
"Damn it, why is small talk so hard?" I muttered to myself as I sipped on a glass of cheap wine, swaying nervously in my heels. The room was filled with ambitious professionals and recent business school graduates like myself, eager to make connections and land their dream jobs. But for me, trying to talk to strangers was my least favorite thing to do in the world.
"Hey there. Calla, right?" A tall man with a friendly smile approached me, extending his hand. "I'm Dave. We were in Professor Thomas’s marketing class together."
"Uh, yeah. Hi, Dave," I replied, shaking his hand tentatively. My heart raced as I wracked my brain for something interesting or impressive to say. I prayed that some force would swallow me up right at that moment. Damn. No dice.
"So, you must be looking for a job in marketing, huh?" Dave continued, taking a sip of his drink.
"Actually, I'm not totally sure," I confessed, my fingers fidgeting with the stem of my wineglass. "I think I might want to explore different industries before settling down." The truth was, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but admitting that out loud felt like exposing a weakness.
"Interesting. You always seemed to have your shit together in class and know exactly what you wanted," he remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, if you ever want to compare notes, let me know."
"Thanks, I appreciate that," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. As soon as Dave walked away, I couldn't help but chastise myself for being so damn guarded. It was a self-preservation tactic I'd developed after witnessing my parents' messy divorce years ago. Their constant fighting and eventual split left me doubting whether love, commitment, or even trust existed in this world.
"Calla, loosen up," I thought to myself, taking a deep breath and downing the rest of my wine. I couldn't change the past, but I could choose not to let it control my future. Determined to make the most of the networking event, I plastered on a smile, took a deep breath, and waded back into the crowd.
"Hey there," I greeted a woman who seemed about my age, her green dress standing out in the sea of dark suits. She seemed just as lost as I felt. "I'm Calla. Nice to meet you."
"Hi Calla, I'm Sara," she replied with a warm smile. "What brings you to this event?"
"Job hunting, like everyone else here, I guess," I admitted, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "I recently graduated from business school and I'm exploring the different careers that are possible."
"Ah, the exciting world of job searching," Emily joked, rolling her eyes. "I've been there. It's tough, but don't worry, you'll find something, eventually. Just gotta keep putting yourself out there."
"Thanks, Sara. I appreciate the encouragement," I said, feeling a genuine connection beginning to form. Maybe opening up wasn't so bad after all. As long as I stayed true to myself and protected my heart, perhaps I could navigate the murky waters of relationships and networking without drowning in doubt and fear.
After all the networking and putting myself out there, I headed back home. I sat at my desk, scrolling through job postings with a growing sense of frustration. I'd sent out countless resumes, but nothing seemed to be panning out.
"Hey sis," Cassie said as she burst into my room, her bright smile lighting up the space. "Whatcha doing?"
"Job hunting," I replied with a sigh. "It's not going so well."
"Ugh, that sucks," she commiserated before perching on the edge of my bed. "You know what you need? A distraction. You’re too obsessed with finding a job. It’s all you do."
"Like what?" I asked, intrigued despite myself.
"Like a date," she suggested with a mischievous grin. "Come on, Calla, when was the last time you went on a fun, carefree date?"
"Never," I deadpanned, rolling my eyes.
"Exactly!" she exclaimed. "That's why you need to get on Tinder and swipe right on someone cute and interesting. It'll take your mind off things and who knows, maybe you'll hit it off."
I rolled my eyes. But I did need to focus on something else.
"Fine," I relented, feeling a flicker of excitement despite my reservations. "But I'm only doing this for a distraction, got it?"
"Got it," she agreed with a wink before hopping off the bed. "Now go find yourself a hottie and have some fun!"
I chuckled to myself as Cassie left the room, wondering if it was really that easy to distract oneself from the stress of job hunting. But as I opened up Tinder and started swiping, I couldn't help but feel a thrill of anticipation. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the distraction I needed to refocus, relax, and redouble my efforts to find the perfect job.
