Odessa! My granny’s from Midland. When I was younger we used to head into Odessa for this great barbecue place I loved.”
“The Pit?” I ask with a smile.
“The Pit! Lord, I haven’t been there in ages but I loved that place!” She absently rubs her belly with one hand.
Mama’s gonna die when I tell her Paige Blakely knows The Pit!!
“Actually, that’s my mama and daddy’s place.”
She actually moans in response. “I’m so jealous! One of my pregnancy fantasies is having unlimited access to brisket!” She giggles.
Before I can agree I hear Selah behind me.
“Paige, just one more minute and we’ll head down. Brinkley, a word?”
How long has she been standing there? I turn and follow her back behind the wall that separates reception from the rest of the office. At the far end of the room I can see Quade and McKenna packing up their desks. Oh no! She really has fired them! What does this mean for me?
“You’re good with people.” Selah says it like an accusation. I look up into her face, still strained in anger, and just nod.
She lowers her voice, presumably so Paige can’t overhear. “Quade and McKenna were my entire support team, and they’re gone. I don’t allow anyone to insult my clientele, and they should know better.”
I think of all the times I’ve listened to her insult her clientele . . . I guess it’s only OK if none of them catch you doing it. I nod again.
She gives me a quick head-to-toe perusal, and then her eyes narrow.
“I don’t have the time or the inclination to spend the height of the holiday-party season finding and training a new assistant. I need you to start immediately.”
I think I stare at her for a full ten seconds before I find my voice to respond.
“I’m sorry, what?” I ask in shock.
“The job . . . as my assistant . . . It’s what you’re working towards, right?” If possible, she’s even more annoyed. She looks down at the phone in her hand and starts to search through its contents.
“Yes ma’am. I mean, of course. I just—”
“You can either do this job or you can’t, which is it?” she snaps.
It’s exactly the same question McKenna asked when he taught me to use the phone. I wonder now if Selah asked him the same question once.
I can’t believe any of this is happening. This morning I was excited about the prospect of watching The Bachelorette tonight on TV, and now Selah’s offering me a job it should have taken years for me to acquire. She looks up from her phone, and I don’t have time to debate it any longer. I decided when I came here that Selah was a means to an end, and she’s offering me a chance to get to that end far faster than I could have anticipated. I muster every ounce of confidence I’ve acquired in my twenty-three years and look her dead in the eye.
I am strong. I am smart. I am courageous.
“I can.”
“Good.” She stares at me a beat longer, then looks back to her phone. “I’ve told McKenna to leave the handbook out and any pertinent notes available for you. They should be gone within the quarter hour. I’m off with Paige for lunch, but I’ll be back by four. Tell Taylor I want the revised rental order on my desk by then, and make sure it’s printed out. I don’t like looking at those line items on a screen.”
And then she’s gone.
I turn slowly on my heel and see Miko staring, her eyes twice as big as they normally are. Before I can even get to her, Quade and McKenna come out of the small office with their stuff, looking annoyed but confident. Neither of them acknowledges anyone; it’s as if their colleagues are somehow responsible for all of this. They start to pass me and, as usual, I’m not smart enough to keep my mouth shut.
“I’m sorry, guys, I—”
McKenna stops mid-step and glares at me, his angry face daring me to say another word. Then he resumes walking and they both carry on, refusing to look at me. How embarrassing for them! I wonder what they’ll do now
“The Pit?” I ask with a smile.
“The Pit! Lord, I haven’t been there in ages but I loved that place!” She absently rubs her belly with one hand.
Mama’s gonna die when I tell her Paige Blakely knows The Pit!!
“Actually, that’s my mama and daddy’s place.”
She actually moans in response. “I’m so jealous! One of my pregnancy fantasies is having unlimited access to brisket!” She giggles.
Before I can agree I hear Selah behind me.
“Paige, just one more minute and we’ll head down. Brinkley, a word?”
How long has she been standing there? I turn and follow her back behind the wall that separates reception from the rest of the office. At the far end of the room I can see Quade and McKenna packing up their desks. Oh no! She really has fired them! What does this mean for me?
“You’re good with people.” Selah says it like an accusation. I look up into her face, still strained in anger, and just nod.
She lowers her voice, presumably so Paige can’t overhear. “Quade and McKenna were my entire support team, and they’re gone. I don’t allow anyone to insult my clientele, and they should know better.”
I think of all the times I’ve listened to her insult her clientele . . . I guess it’s only OK if none of them catch you doing it. I nod again.
She gives me a quick head-to-toe perusal, and then her eyes narrow.
“I don’t have the time or the inclination to spend the height of the holiday-party season finding and training a new assistant. I need you to start immediately.”
I think I stare at her for a full ten seconds before I find my voice to respond.
“I’m sorry, what?” I ask in shock.
“The job . . . as my assistant . . . It’s what you’re working towards, right?” If possible, she’s even more annoyed. She looks down at the phone in her hand and starts to search through its contents.
“Yes ma’am. I mean, of course. I just—”
“You can either do this job or you can’t, which is it?” she snaps.
It’s exactly the same question McKenna asked when he taught me to use the phone. I wonder now if Selah asked him the same question once.
I can’t believe any of this is happening. This morning I was excited about the prospect of watching The Bachelorette tonight on TV, and now Selah’s offering me a job it should have taken years for me to acquire. She looks up from her phone, and I don’t have time to debate it any longer. I decided when I came here that Selah was a means to an end, and she’s offering me a chance to get to that end far faster than I could have anticipated. I muster every ounce of confidence I’ve acquired in my twenty-three years and look her dead in the eye.
I am strong. I am smart. I am courageous.
“I can.”
“Good.” She stares at me a beat longer, then looks back to her phone. “I’ve told McKenna to leave the handbook out and any pertinent notes available for you. They should be gone within the quarter hour. I’m off with Paige for lunch, but I’ll be back by four. Tell Taylor I want the revised rental order on my desk by then, and make sure it’s printed out. I don’t like looking at those line items on a screen.”
And then she’s gone.
I turn slowly on my heel and see Miko staring, her eyes twice as big as they normally are. Before I can even get to her, Quade and McKenna come out of the small office with their stuff, looking annoyed but confident. Neither of them acknowledges anyone; it’s as if their colleagues are somehow responsible for all of this. They start to pass me and, as usual, I’m not smart enough to keep my mouth shut.
“I’m sorry, guys, I—”
McKenna stops mid-step and glares at me, his angry face daring me to say another word. Then he resumes walking and they both carry on, refusing to look at me. How embarrassing for them! I wonder what they’ll do now
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