“You said your job isn’t what you thought it would be.”
She exhales, like she’s relieved for the change.“I like the work.I really do.I’m good at it.”
“I could tell,” I say.“Everyone speaks highly of you.”
Her fork pauses midair.“Except Katherine.”
“Except for her.”Phew.At last, something we agree on.“Your boss keeps you busy.”
“That’s one way to put it,” she mutters.“Long hours.Weekends.Whatever she needs.”
“You don’t have to accept that.”
She looks at me sharply.“Easy for you to say.”
I realize, then, how I sound.Like a rich man offering solutions she didn’t ask for.
“I’m thinking of relocating,” she says, quieter now.“To be closer to my mom.”
My ears perk up.“Where’s your mom?”
I tried to find out about her before, but Maya’s replies were short and didn’t give anything away.
“In Scranton.We moved there after …” She pauses, then reaches for her glass of water.I don’t say a word and wait for her to speak.
“The big city isn’t all that.Rents are high, the cost of living is crazy and this job is not what I thought it would be.”
I sense she’s being selective about what she’s telling me.I start to wonder if there’s something going on in her life.Some sort of trauma.She’s said she’s single, so it can’t be boyfriend trouble.
The conversation softens as she talks more about her work.About projects she enjoys and the parts that still excite her.She tells me that she loves being close to the fashion world, and loves the craftsmanship of the Stella products, the way a handbag is built, piece by piece, every stitch carefully placed, every detail attended to.
“I grew up watching this other, unfamiliar world from the sidelines.My mom, too.She loved all the dresses and glamour, and the big fancy houses, though there was none of that when we …” She stops like she’s said too much but I’m sitting forward, hands clasped on the table, hanging on her every word.Taking every morsel she feeds me about herself, not wanting to miss a single one.
“Go on,” I prompt.
“We’ve seen the luxury and splendor from a distance.It’s a far cry from our real lives, and it’s not that we want to be a part of it, but the razzle dazzle is nice to see.”
I nod, listening, and she seems more at ease now, and continues talking, telling me more about her time at Stella.I give her my undivided attention because I see how she relaxes when she’s heard.The way her hands animate when she speaks.I catch glimpses of the teenager she used to be.
As the evening goes on, I discover that I was wrong and that she liked the food, because her plate is now empty.
“I forgot you were such a good listener,” she says suddenly.The words land heavier than she probably intends and she blushes, reaching for her wine glass quickly.
It’s empty.I suppress a smile, reaching for the wine bottle.“I’ve got all the time in the world to listen to you,” I tell her, pouring wine for her.
She takes a sip.“Ooooh, this issooonice.”She takes another sip.“It’s good.”
“Glad you like it.”
This is how I wanted this evening to be.I sip my wine, savoring the taste of the rich, warm liquid going down my throat.“What were you hunting for on the floor that day?”
She pauses as if to think.Then, “Katherine lost a diamond from her precious bracelet.”
“And she wanted you to find it?”
“Katherine barks orders, and I obey them.”
“Not all of them, surely?”
