Chapter 6♥Odd Numbers Are So Last Season
Elinor’s week of interviews had been a roller coaster of high expectations sliding at full speed into dashed hopes. This last one at an insurance office was just the icing on the cake. The owner put her through all the niceties and all the questions, and then said he liked her too much to lie. He leaned forward and quietly spilled his guts, admitting his wife was making him hire their son for the position. Freshly dropped out of college, the kid barely knew how to talk to adults, and had the attention span of a hamster. They were only holding interviews to placate the office staff.
He whispered all this like she was a confidant there to lend him sympathy, when all she wanted was her last hour back. She thanked him for his time and left. He was lucky she wasn’t more like Marianne, who would have probably knocked a couple files off his desk on her way out.
On the way home she stopped at two fast food restaurants and was told to apply online by bored teenagers. There was Date Night Soda, but despite Marianne’s claim that they would hire anyone with a pulse, when Elinor pulled over and called, they said they didn’t have any openings. It was sort of good news. Marianne and Mom had gotten jobs there in the nick of time.
Frustration poured through her as she looked up and down their tiny Main Street, full of businesses too far to walk to from their house.
“What do I do now, Dad?” she whispered. Talking to him calmed her mind, even though she knew he couldn’t answer back. Imagining the answers he’d give helped her remember his voice. She could picture him saying something about how plans and patience were two words that stuck together.
She needed to wait for another desk job opening. It would allow her to be home in the evenings with Greta when Marianne and Mom worked swing shifts. And if it didn’t happen today or this week, it wasn’t the end of the world.
She stopped at Wendy’s for a chocolate Frosty and drove home, savoring each bargain bite. Wallowing had never been so delicious.
Her phone rang just as Elinor pulled into the driveway, and she recognized the number, though she hadn’t added it as a contact. Rosa was calling, like she’d sensed Elinor’s bad day and knew this was the exact moment to pounce. The gas tank was on empty, just like Elinor’s bank account, and she knew she had to answer, no matter how much she didn’t want to.
“Hello?”
“Elinor, I have some good news for you. And don’t tell me you won’t take the job. I won’t hear it. Edward knows practically everyone in this town, so if he eliminated everyone he knew, we wouldn’t ever fill the position. Tell me you’ll start on Monday.”
Elinor gripped her phone. On Monday, she could walk to a job and start getting paid; a good job with good benefits she needed. She could not put her pride above paying bills. It would be stupid to decline just because she might have a crush on her across-the-street neighbor.
She massaged her forehead, already regretting what she was about to say. “Okay, I’ll come in Monday.”
Rosa squealed. “Oh, good. See you then. Please be there at seven sharp.” And with that, she hung up.
Elinor picked up her purse from the seat next to her and dropped her phone back in it. Embarrassment wouldn’t run her life. And if it got too hard, she’d find something else. Accepting the job from Rosa was a practical decision. Working for Edward would be fine. Better than fine. As her boss, they’d probably interact even less outside the office because it would be too awkward.
She went inside to break the good news to her family.
Marianne was at the piano but stopped playing when she heard the door. “How did it go?”
“I got a job. At Edward’s office.”
“That’s great. I didn’t even know you applied there.”
“I went in for an interview earlier this week, but I didn’t want to say anything.”
Marianne nodded. “I get it. It would have been awkward if you didn’t get the job. It was brave of you to apply.”
Elinor thought it was braver to take the job, but she’d keep that to herself.
Greta, who had been sitting on the floor with Babbity, looked up. “I have a job too. Ian Middleton says I can walk his dog for ten bucks a week. I start tomorrow.”
“Wait, what?” Elinor dropped her purse on the couch and went to sit with Greta. “Did you talk to Mom about this?”
“No, she’s taking a shower ‘cause she just finished pulling weeds in the back yard. Can you tell her?”
“I think we should talk to Ian’s parents first. I don’t know how they’d feel about their son outsourcing his chores.”
“What’s outsourcing?”
Elinor looked at Marianne. “Do you want to come with me? Mom has enough on her plate. I’ll text her so she knows where we are.”
Marianne sighed. “Why not? Let’s walk down to the Middletons’ house. Maybe we’ll get invited to a swim party.”
“I should put a swimsuit on under my clothes just in case.” Greta jumped up to change, but Elinor caught her around the middle, throwing a dirty look at Marianne.
