from the office, she said nothing. “We’re going to miss you,” she had said and Kayleigh knew that she was going to miss all of her co-workers, as well. It was just time to move on.
The original plan had been to give at least a two-week notice, but after the first time that she saw Derek from a distance, Kayleigh knew she wouldn’t survive that long. It may not have been the most professional move on her part, but the one-week advance was all she could do. The extra money she had made while caring for Emery would go a long way in keeping her covered until she found a new job. Luckily, being that she only had herself to take care of, she also had a decent savings account to keep her going just in case the job search went on for longer than she hoped.
“I still can’t believe you’re leaving,” Carol said later that day at lunch. “I mean, you were gone for three weeks, living with the boss no less, and then you come back and quit.” She gasped. “Oh, my gosh! Is that why you’re leaving? Is Derek as big of a jerk at home as he is at work?”
It would have been easy to lie, but Kayleigh had a feeling she wouldn’t sound believable. “He’s not a jerk. I just realized that this is not my dream job.”
“This is nobody’s dream job,” Carol said dryly. “It’s a paycheck.”
Kayleigh shrugged. “I’m tired of just getting a paycheck. I need to move on and do something that gives me a sense of accomplishment.”
“Do you know what you’re going to do?” Kayleigh told her about her designs and her plan to seek out a firm that would be interested in them. “Why not apply here? You and I both know this place could use a bit of new blood and some inspiration in the design department. You’ve gotten to know the boss pretty well, obviously, why not ask him for a chance?”
Because it would be emotional suicide . “It’s just time to move on,” she said instead. They ate their lunch in silence. “I’m really going to miss you.”
“It’s not like we can never hang out together again. I just hope you don’t forget me when you’re a big, famous designer.”
Kayleigh laughed. “Of course I won’t.”
****
With the last of her personal items in the box, Kayleigh looked around her cubicle. She had spent five years in this space and it seemed weird to see it look so bare. She had barely gotten any work done today; there had been cake and everyone took her to lunch and most of the time was spent organizing her files and passing them on to the people who would now be handling her customers.
The department looked a lot like the Super Target had several weeks ago. There were flowers and balloons everywhere in celebration of Valentine’s Day. While most people were excited that it fell on a Friday this year, Kayleigh would have been perfectly happy to not have to spend the day surrounded by everyone’s stories of their big plans for the evening.
Her big plans consisted of ordering Chinese takeout and watching anything that didn’t involve love.
Maybe she’d rent a horror movie.
That thought made her chuckle. She knew she could barely stand the sight of the covers for those movies; Kayleigh knew she’d never get through more than the opening credits of one. Well, there went that plan.
At four o’clock, her supervisor came over. “Eileen said for you to come down for your exit interview as soon as you’re ready.”
“Exit interview? What’s that?”
“Apparently it’s something new. When an employee leaves, the upper brass want to talk to them and do a survey on work conditions and get a general idea of your thoughts on the company. There’s paperwork to be signed for human resources, that sort of thing. Plus, I think because you had shared some designs with Mr. Sloan that there may be some paperwork involved in that as well.”
It was the first that Kayleigh had ever heard of such a thing, but she
The original plan had been to give at least a two-week notice, but after the first time that she saw Derek from a distance, Kayleigh knew she wouldn’t survive that long. It may not have been the most professional move on her part, but the one-week advance was all she could do. The extra money she had made while caring for Emery would go a long way in keeping her covered until she found a new job. Luckily, being that she only had herself to take care of, she also had a decent savings account to keep her going just in case the job search went on for longer than she hoped.
“I still can’t believe you’re leaving,” Carol said later that day at lunch. “I mean, you were gone for three weeks, living with the boss no less, and then you come back and quit.” She gasped. “Oh, my gosh! Is that why you’re leaving? Is Derek as big of a jerk at home as he is at work?”
It would have been easy to lie, but Kayleigh had a feeling she wouldn’t sound believable. “He’s not a jerk. I just realized that this is not my dream job.”
“This is nobody’s dream job,” Carol said dryly. “It’s a paycheck.”
Kayleigh shrugged. “I’m tired of just getting a paycheck. I need to move on and do something that gives me a sense of accomplishment.”
“Do you know what you’re going to do?” Kayleigh told her about her designs and her plan to seek out a firm that would be interested in them. “Why not apply here? You and I both know this place could use a bit of new blood and some inspiration in the design department. You’ve gotten to know the boss pretty well, obviously, why not ask him for a chance?”
Because it would be emotional suicide . “It’s just time to move on,” she said instead. They ate their lunch in silence. “I’m really going to miss you.”
“It’s not like we can never hang out together again. I just hope you don’t forget me when you’re a big, famous designer.”
Kayleigh laughed. “Of course I won’t.”
****
With the last of her personal items in the box, Kayleigh looked around her cubicle. She had spent five years in this space and it seemed weird to see it look so bare. She had barely gotten any work done today; there had been cake and everyone took her to lunch and most of the time was spent organizing her files and passing them on to the people who would now be handling her customers.
The department looked a lot like the Super Target had several weeks ago. There were flowers and balloons everywhere in celebration of Valentine’s Day. While most people were excited that it fell on a Friday this year, Kayleigh would have been perfectly happy to not have to spend the day surrounded by everyone’s stories of their big plans for the evening.
Her big plans consisted of ordering Chinese takeout and watching anything that didn’t involve love.
Maybe she’d rent a horror movie.
That thought made her chuckle. She knew she could barely stand the sight of the covers for those movies; Kayleigh knew she’d never get through more than the opening credits of one. Well, there went that plan.
At four o’clock, her supervisor came over. “Eileen said for you to come down for your exit interview as soon as you’re ready.”
“Exit interview? What’s that?”
“Apparently it’s something new. When an employee leaves, the upper brass want to talk to them and do a survey on work conditions and get a general idea of your thoughts on the company. There’s paperwork to be signed for human resources, that sort of thing. Plus, I think because you had shared some designs with Mr. Sloan that there may be some paperwork involved in that as well.”
It was the first that Kayleigh had ever heard of such a thing, but she
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