Chapter 9

“HOW GOES THE JOB search?” Dolores asked. They had just enough time to wipe down the restaurant thoroughly between the breakfast and lunch rushes. She made it a point to work beside Erin.

“I’ve had a couple of informational interviews, but so far, no real job interviews. I spoke to the president of Vaughn Furniture Manufacturing; it was nice that he took time to talk to me. And an HR person at GenCo Electronics said she’d like to find something for me but didn’t have an active opening,” Erin said. “I’m still waiting to be called to interview for an actual job.”

“Shelly wants to cut her hours to only Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Interested in taking her Monday, Wednesday Friday shifts? It would put you here from six a.m. until two p.m. three days a week. Nobody else works both breakfast and lunch,” Dolores said.

“For three days a week, I could stand it,” Erin answered. “If you’ll try me, I’d be happy to take it on. I only have one more mortgage payment guaranteed and I’m trying to put away enough to make another month before I have to talk to the bank. I can defer payments on my 401k loan until the end of the year if I need to, but the mortgage will be a problem. Home sales are going slow at the moment, too.”

“How are you holding up?”

“I’ve got time. If I pick up the three breakfast shifts, I’ll still have most afternoons to interview if someone calls me. The divorce is final. I have my maiden name back. I’ve got to believe there’s something out there. My next option is to start looking at the national market and see if there’s a job available in the city. I really don’t want to leave Jerico, though.”

“We’d definitely miss you here. Not thinking of going back to Cleveland?”

“No. I like the climate here better, even if I’m a lone fan of the Browns. I left my friends that I had in Cleveland. I don’t want to leave the friends I’ve made here. And Bruce went back to Cleveland. I don’t see any reason to risk running into him,” Erin said. “You and the other girls. Livy, the real estate agent. She’s even suggested I study for a real estate license. I don’t want to leave.”

“We want you here. Which reminds me ... Some of us have decided to try forming a bowling team. Are you interested?”

“I haven’t bowled since I was in college and got a PE credit for it. Sounds like fun!”

Erin prepared her tables, content to know she had a little extra income expected, even though it was far less than needed to be truly independent in Jerico City.

“Good morning, Jerry,” Erin said when she seated him on Thursday. She handed him a freshly disinfected menu. “Special today is fried chicken with mashed potatoes and caramelized carrots.”

“Good. How is the job search, Maizie?”

“Oh, I just got called for an interview after work today. I just hope I’m not too nervous. I haven’t really interviewed in a long time.”

“I’m sure you’ll do great. Just relax and be yourself. I don’t see how anyone could help but hire you.”

“You’re sweet, Jerry. Let me get your coffee and get your order in.”

Jerry looked around the room and out the windows. He still wore his hoodie, sunglasses, and mask. He was afraid his mother might be spying on him.

It had been easy to just have Mrs. Armstrong take a long lunch on Thursdays. She’d felt that was a well-deserved bonus for putting up with him. His mother was a different matter altogether. She wanted to know why he needed a long lunch and where he was going. She wanted to know if he was ‘seeing’ anyone. He finally grabbed his things and left. He dressed in his lunch clothes in the elevator and left by way of the garage to hurry the three blocks to the diner.

He still had the uncomfortable feeling that his mother could spot him at any time, and didn’t know why that should concern him so much. He felt like he was sneaking out of his room again at sixteen to go out on the river with Gene.

The fried chicken was perfect, and he managed a little broken conversation with Erin as she hustled to her other tables.

“Any news on selling your house?”

“The good news is I have an offer. Livy called last night. It isn’t quite what I was hoping for, but I’m out of time and I can cut my expenses significantly by moving. I’ll probably spend the weekend cleaning out the house and getting ready to move,” Maizie said.

“That’s great news, Maizie. Um ... Anything I can do to help?” he asked.

“Oh, that’s sweet of you, Jerry. I think I have everything set. My bowling team is coming to help. I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable around so many strange women. They don’t come any stranger than us,” she said lightly.

She’d noticed his discomfort around people and it didn’t seem to offend her. She was concerned for him! Wow!

Preston imagined himself casually going for a walk downtown and bumping into her. He’d smile and ask her out. She’d wonder who the heck this guy was if he wasn’t wearing his sweatshirt, mask, and sunglasses. Yeah. For that matter, he wasn’t sure he’d recognize her if she wasn’t wearing her pinafore uniform and name tag. Was Maizie even her real name?

He left the diner after lunch and wandered through the nearest residential area where there were apartments. Next week. Next week when he came to lunch, he’d definitely ask her out. If necessary, he’d write a note. He could continue to be just Jerry. He stepped into his private elevator and removed his makeshift disguise on the way up to his office.

“How well do you get along with difficult people?” Ellen asked the interviewee.

“Hmm. That’s not as simple a question as you present it to be. There are different kinds of difficulty. In general, I’m pretty tolerant. There are people who have a difficult trait that makes any kind of relationship hard. Those people merit an extra step in trying to understand and get along with them,” Erin said. “At the other extreme, there are people who are simply disdainful of the existence of others and nothing is of importance but themselves. Those people need to be cuffed alongside the head and told to sit down and shut up. Figuratively, I mean. In a practical sense, it is not usually worth the effort to try to change them.”

“Is that what you would say happened with your marriage?” Ellen persisted.

“I don’t think that’s an appropriate subject for an employment interview,” Erin said.

“You are right about the question, but the overall topic is very important. In an employment situation, would you say a manager might act in a difficult manner, but if it is according to expectation ... If the manager could be trusted within those bounds, you could work things out?”

“Let me preface this by saying, I’m not that kind of manager,” Erin laughed. “I make expectations clear and get agreement for them. When there’s a failure to meet expectations, we can meet, address it, and go back to doing our jobs.”

“But in your manager?”

“The idea of being difficult is not the same as being abusive. An abusive manager needs to be disciplined, and an employee needs to report that behavior. However, a manager who expects no more from an employee than from herself may be difficult because she holds herself accountable and expects the same from her employees. In my book, frankly, that is an ideal manager.”

Ellen shuffled some papers around, apparently thinking about ending the interview.

“Erin, I don’t have a job for you in marketing,” Ellen said. Erin heaved a sigh and prepared to leave. “I do have a job, however, and you might be suited for it. If you could take the time for a second interview, I’d like the incumbent to talk to you and explain the situation.”

“Why is the incumbent leaving?”

“She’s temporary, but has a deep understanding of the situation.”

“Okay.”

Erin waited in the HR conference room for ten minutes before the incumbent showed up. She was a middle-aged woman—Erin guessed in her fifties—fashionably dressed, with hair and makeup impeccably done. She wore sensible heels, not the tall spikes Erin had seen on some of the younger women she’d seen in the office.

“Erin Scott? I’m Jacqueline Carver.”