I shove my phone back into my purse. “Yes!”
“We’re ready for you.”
Let’s fucking go.
~
“I love creating spaces that make youfeelthem as much as you see them,” I continue. “My background may be a little unorthodox, but I believe the combination of my passion and my experience makes me an ideal fit for the work you do here.”
Finishing my introductory speech, I sit with my hands folded in my lap, making sure I don’t fidget in the squeaky conference room chair I unknowingly picked.
The quiet that lingers while Jace reads over my résumé again makes it a battle not to squirm. Finally, she breaks the silence. “Is there a reason you didn’t pursue a master’s degree in architecture or design? That’s the usual path we see for those with a BSID looking to do exhibit work.”
If advice and experience have taught me anything, it’s that every question is an opportunity to twist a negative into a hirable work talent. Sadly, I still haven’t learned how to twist my mother’s death and a debilitating disease into positives.
“I’ve had some personal and medical complications that superseded pursuing a secondary degree.”
“Medical?” Lisa asks. She may be nosy, but I like nosy. Not necessarily in this context, though. “Are you still in treatment? Have you recovered?”
Her words are a spring breeze, and true to my nature, I sneeze out the truth. “I’ve received some treatments that have helped significantly, but I have endometriosis, so as of now, there’s not a way for me to ever recover completely.”
Both of their eyebrows rise, and I fear I may have fucked up. “My daughter was just diagnosed with that last year,” Jace says. “And Lisa . . .”
“I have PCOS,” she fills in the end of the sentence. “I’m sorry you’ve had to go through that.”
“It’s life,” I say. “I’m sorry you’ve had to go through that too. And if your daughter has any questions or wants suggestions, I’m happy to be a resource.”
That brings a rare smile to Jace’s lips. It almost feels like I shouldn’t have seen it—like I’m catching her in a vulnerable state. “I appreciate that. Did it take you years to get your diagnosis as well?”
“About ten.”
The two exchange disappointed murmurs about the medical system and its failures. “Sorry to get off track. What we mean to say is we completely understand that physical and emotional health will sometimes take precedence over work,” Jace explains.
“That’s why we pride ourselves on our flexible schedules and medical coverage,” Lisa adds.
“Yes,” Jace agrees amusedly. “Looking at your résumé, your educational background is perfect for the position. Can you tell us more about what isn’t on paper? Perhaps what exhibits you’ve visited recently that you enjoyed and why.”
I don’t think I could want this job more. “I would love to. How much time do we have?”
~
The second the interview was over, I booked it out of the building and down the street to my parking spot. On the way, I called Liem, hoping he would answer even though it’s the middle of his workday.
Liem: Call you soon
Without Liem to calm down my thoughts, I feel ill by the time I make it to the car. A six-hour drive back to LA just in time to celebrate the milestone I’ve been dreading for months. I need a distraction, and my audiobook isn’t going to do the trick.
Liem’s “soon” goes from a few minutes to an hour. In that amount of time, I think through every sentence I said during the interview, marking every mistake in my mind with red lines and question marks.Did I say something wrong? Should I have said more? Less? Over an hour means a good interview, right?
Right as the audiobook’s heroine figures out how to get out of the time loop, my phone rings.Finally.
“Hey, Hoodie,” I answer, too deep in my anxiety to sound chipper.
“Hey! Sorry, that took forever. The meeting ran long, and now I’m running to something else.” I hear shuffling and something smacking his phone. It really does sound like he’s hustling. No wonder he couldn’t make it here. “How did it go?”
“I’m not sure. It went well in some ways but not in others. Therewere a few questions I feel like I should have stretched the truth on, but overall, I think I did okay. I was honest about my issues during school and about my health concerns. Probably should have kept that to myself.”
“No, that’s great.”
