Page 12 of Keeping Secrets

A timid spark of hope flared in her chest. Maybe she was the best candidate for the job after all. It was just a small local library. She was capable. She could do this.

Keely steeled herself and tiptoed toward the office. The gray-haired woman at the desk was looking down at her papers, and Keely tapped timidly on the open door.

The woman looked up with a severe expression and nodded at her. With a glance down at her papers, she said, "You must be Keely."

"That's me."

"Come in. Have a seat."

"Thank you." Keely walked through and sat in the curved wooden chair across from the head librarian.

"You're a friend of Ali's?"

She could only nod, feeling like a liar.

"And you're interested in working here at the library?" Ingrid prompted gently. She had a no-nonsense expression, but her voice was kind.

"Yes," Keely squeaked. She cleared her throat. "I love to read, and I've been hoping to find a job here in town. I just moved to Pelican Point, and I’m hoping to become a part of the community."

"What brings you to Pelican Point?"

"My brother lives here." She looked down at her folded hands. "And I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be. It's a special place."

"It certainly is." Ingrid smiled gently. "You brought a résumé?"

"Yes!" She hurried to pull it from her bag. "Sorry it's creased, I didn't have a folder or anything, and I walked here…" She trailed off.

"That's perfectly all right." Ingrid was quiet as she read through her résumé. "You like working in customer service? Interfacing with the public, answering questions?"

"Yes," she said. It tasted like a lie, but she wanted to be agreeable. She wanted this job, if only to get her foot through the door in Pelican Point.

"And you're still in college?"

"Yes. In my last year."

"What are you studying?"

"Anthropology." She perked up a bit. "I love learning about ancient civilizations. Especially anything about daily life. I'm not so keen on wars."

"I see. And what else do you like to read?"

"Do cookbooks count?" she blurted out.

Ingrid chuckled. "I should say so. Do you have any favorites?"

Keely rattled off a few titles that she had been leaning into lately, and Ingrid nodded along.

"So you're a baker?"

"I suppose I am," she said, surprised that the older woman had recognized the titles and picked up on the pattern. "I like any kind of cooking, but there's something special about making a really amazing dessert. It lights people up in a way that meatloaf just can't."

Ingrid chuckled again. Was that a good sign, or was she laughing at her?

"I like to read other things too. I've been reading a lot of Austen lately, and I just read a really interesting book about the history of salt."

"I think you'll fit in just fine here."

"I got the job?" She rocked backward in surprise.

---