“Thank you for seeing me.” Daisy noticed they all had a copy of her resume in front of them. She barely had time to take a drink of water before the questions were coming fast and furious.
She spoke confidently about her previous marketing experience, her innovative ideas for campaigns, and her ability to connect with audiences on a personal level.
As the interview drew to a close, Daisy felt like the walls were closing in. This was a great opportunity, a real career, and yet the thought of spending her days trapped in a building made her want to run screaming into the daylight.
“I realize it wasn’t noted in the job description, but the role requires frequent travel.” The woman named Jane explained, as Daisy struggled to keep her face neutral.
She listened as Jane outlined the expectations: meetings with clients across the country, conferences and events, and the occasional international trip.
While traveling around the world would be fun, the job paid incredibly well, and she’d have the stability of regular paychecks. Something held her back.
Not to mention, Frankie was getting up there in years. The shelter didn’t know how old he was when she’d adopted him, but thought he was around eight years old. She’d had him for a year, so at nine he was approaching the geriatric phase of his life. Plus, she adored all the dogs she walked on a regular basis. They’d miss her.
Jane smiled. “Any other questions?”
She asked a few questions about the company culture and, with a sinking feeling, asked the last question. “Is this a hybrid role or in-office?”
The guy with red hair made a face. “We require all employees to be in the office as we find the collaborative environment keeps everyone productive.”
Jane jumped in. “During the summer, we allow everyone to work from home one Friday a month.” She beamed as if it were a gift as Daisy tried not to cringe.
With a pounding head, Daisy thanked the interviewers for their time. They promised to let her know this afternoon as she was their last interview. As she rode the elevator back down to the ground floor, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this job wasn’t the right fit.
Later that day, Daisy found herself in a luxurious penthouse overlooking the city. The man traveled six months out of the year and always called Daisy when he was gone. He also tipped almost as much as she charged, saying the plants always did better when she took care of them.
She watered the plants, fed the fish, and marveled at the opulence surrounding her. Talk about a stark contrast to her own modest studio apartment, but then again, she’d never been one to covet material possessions.
As she stacked the mail and packages that had been delivered, her phone rang.
“How did the interview go?” Zara asked eagerly.
Daisy sighed. “I got the offer, but I turned it down. It requires at least fifty percent travel, and I just can’t leave Frankie that long, not to mention, I like my house and pet sitting jobs. My clients depend on me.”
She swallowed. “I’m sorry. I know you pulled strings to get me the interview.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line before Zara spoke again, her tone colored with frustration. “Daisy, when are you going to grow up? You can’t be a free spirit forever. It’s time to get a real job. How long do you think you can survive doing what you’re doing?”
Daisy’s heart sank. She knew Zara meant well, but she couldn’t help feeling a little misunderstood. “I know, but I just can’t imagine living any other way. You know I work at the Renaissance Faire every year for two weeks, and I get the feeling they won’t like that. Yes, my schedule is erratic, but I love my life, and I love being able to do what I want, when I want.”
They talked for a bit longer about Zara’s hunt for an apartment in Philly and Daisy promised to come by and pick up a chair she’d always loved that Zara wasn’t taking with her.
As she ended the call, leaving the penthouse behind, Daisy couldn’t help but wonder, why couldn’t she be a free spirit forever? What was so wrong with living life on her own terms, even if it meant passing up opportunities other people wanted?
While she craved stability in relationships, she always assumed her finances would work out. Deep down, she knew she wouldn’t be happy with that job. Turning it down had been the right decision.
No way was she trading her freedom for a cubicle, not for all the money in the world. As she made her way back to her own cozy apartment, she couldn’t help but feel grateful for the life she’d chosen, no matter what others might think.
CHAPTER 5
The bell above the door jingled as Callan cautiously stepped into the brightly lit shop called Rainbow Dreams. The shelves overflowing with peculiar objects and trinkets, air thick with the scent of incense, sage, lavender, and peppermint, making his nose itch.
This morning he’d met a man at the harbor who had quietly told Callan he needed to bathe. The older man directed him to a church where he was fed a hearty meal to break his fast and shown to a chamber where he could bathe. While he marveled over the shower and the endless hot water, the women had laundered his shirt and hung his plaid to air out.
In return, he aided the women by putting the metal tables and chairs away, then sat on a hard wooden pew listening to a sermon. ’Twas interesting, though he’d never had much use for the church, not after the village priest stood by without lifting a finger when they were banished by their own clan.
As he was frowning over a statue of a person with multiple arms, a woman glided across the floor from the back of the shop. She was dressed in a long, dark blue robe, a pentagram pendant dangling from a chain around her neck. Callan narrowed his eyes as he waited to feel the thrum of her power, but nothing happened. Mayhap witches in this time were not as powerful as they had been in his own time?
“Good day to ye, mistress,” he greeted the striking woman who held out a hand. “I seek a witch to send me home.” As beautiful as she was, Callan stepped back, knowing better than to touch a witch.
