“Filling in for people who call in sick, take vacation days, or don’t show up to work.”
“You won’t have a set schedule?”
“Possibly, but I think I’ll be on call and expected to be available when needed.”
“That kinda sucks.”
“Yeah. All I can do is hope I get full-time hours at this point. I still have money from my severance package and savings, but I don’t want to tap into any more of it if I can avoid it.”
“I understand, sis. Let’s hope for the best. We’re putting out positive thoughts only.”
The server arrived with our drinks, and Mena insisted that we do a toast.
“Fine, but don’t make it long or emotional,” I told her.
We held up our glasses, which caught the attention of our handsome neighbors. They focused on us, and Mena toasted my accomplishment.
“To my bestie . . . Life threw you a boulder, and you handled it like a G. I’m so proud of you for stepping outside your comfort zone and trying something new. I wish you nothing but success on this new journey. I love you, bestie.”
“Thank you, Mena. That was so sweet. I love you too.”
We gently connected our glasses before taking a sip of our delicious drinks. She ordered a Soul-Train, which was like a Long Island, and I ordered a Soul-Tini, which was like a Lemon Drop. The expression on our faces after the first sip proved how strong they were.
“Whew! This is strong, but good as hell,” I said.
“Same. If I wasn’t driving, I’d definitely have another.”
“What are you celebrating?” Chuck asked.
“I got a job as a flight attendant for Sable Airlines.”
“The Black-owned airline?” Garth questioned, and I nodded.
“That’s wassup,” he said.
“Congratulations,” Chuck said.
“Thank you.”
“What made you want to be a flight attendant?” Garth asked.
“Necessity, honestly. I unexpectedly got let go from my job after ten years and didn’t know what to do. I overheard someone talking about it and decided to apply. It was really on a whim.”
“That’s kinda dope,” Chuck added.
“I’m excited.”
“What do you do?” Garth asked Mena.
“I work in human resources. What about you two?”
“I work in construction,” Garth responded.
“I work for CTA,” Chuck said.
We ended up talking to them during our entire meal and found them to be nice guys. They were even nice enough to pay for our meal, even though we insisted it wasn’t necessary.
While we ate and conversed, I could tell Garth was feeling Mena, and Chuck was attracted to me. When we left, they walked us to our cars, and we were parked near each other.
