Page 27 of Drunk Girl

“Potentially. Can you pull together a rough estimate on what it will cost us to get it up and off the ground, and we can see how things look after we’ve hired the new employees? Get basic costs on everything, from the rent of space to all the equipment and ingredients to get the first batch going.”

“That, I can do,” I assure him, excited our business is doing so well and that we might be able to move forward with the part I’m most passionate about. “Did you have anything else to go over with me?”

“Nope, that was all.”

“Sounds good, I’ll get you those numbers pulled together. For now, I’m going to go move stuff around in the stockroom so it’s ready for the delivery tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll come help you,” he says, pushing back from his desk and standing.

“Thanks.”

It takes us an hour or so to move all the stock around and get everything ready for our weekly order to arrive. “Looks like we went through a lot more rum this past weekend than we anticipated. I’ll call and see if we can add to our order for tomorrow,” Kaiden says once we’re done.

“Yeah, we had that large party order two full bottles on top of what we normally go through. I’m thinking that we should add a pre-order option for large parties like that. Gives us the heads-up that they’re going to want bottle service so we can make sure we’ve got the stock on hand.”

“I like that idea,” he says, nodding. “I’ll pass it on to Katie as a suggestion. I’m sure she’d agree to it. Then we can have her give us a heads-up whenever we’ve got a party booked, so we can add their order to the delivery, if necessary.”

“Sounds like a plan. If we’ve got nothing else going on around here, I’m going to take off. I need to grout the shower today, if possible.”

Kaiden pulls me in for a quick man-hug. “Get out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’ll talk to Ashley about dinner on Wednesday and text you later.”

“Good idea. You know if you don’t, Katie will be on your ass until you do.” He laughs.

10

Ashley

“Thank you so much,Ashley, for coming in today on such short notice. After looking over your application, I thought you might be the perfect candidate for this open position one of our clients is desperate to fill,” Jackie, the owner of the temp agency, tells me after I’m seated in her office.

“Not a problem at all, thank you for calling me back and in for an interview.”

“So, I know you’ve mostly worked in the restaurant business as a server, but I see here that you’ve taken some college courses and noted that you have an interest in counseling. Can you tell me a little bit about that interest?”

“Sure! When I first went to college, my plan was always to get my degree in Psychology. Some things happened that derailed my plans, but my desire to help people overcome their difficulties is still there. I haven’t had the opportunity to return yet to finish that degree, but one day, I will.”

“That’s great. The reason I ask is because the open position is for a counseling office. They are looking for a long-term employee. The placement is a conditional placement, meaning that for the first thirty days, you’d be an employee of the temp agency. If, after that period, both you and the HR manager feel like you’re a good fit, you’d be offered an employment contract directly from them and, if accepted, would transition to be a direct employee of their company.”

“That sounds amazing,” I tell her before we launch into more basic interview questions for the next twenty minutes or so.

“Well, Ashley, I think you’d be a great fit for this job. The hours are normal business hours, for the most part—Monday through Thursday, eight a.m. to four thirty p.m., with a half-hour lunch. On Fridays, they are open from eight a.m. until one p.m. The pay through us is eighteen dollars an hour, and they would like me to fill the position as soon as tomorrow, if possible. What do you think? Is this something that would interest you?”

“Absolutely! And I can start tomorrow.”

“That’s great. I’ll alert the HR manager, Mandy, and send over your information. I’ll print you off some information on the company and where to report to tomorrow morning. The dress code is business casual, and they allow jeans on Fridays,” Jackie tells me.

I’m so excited I’ve been offered such an incredible job, I’m about ready to bounce out of my seat. But I keep it together, knowing I can freak out once I get out to my car.

“Here you go, dear,” Jackie says, handing me a piece of paper a moment later. “I’ll have to fill out the direct deposit and W-4 paperwork before you leave here today, so that we can get you entered into the system for payroll. We pay on a weekly basis, so your first paycheck will be for whatever hours you work this week. Our pay weeks are Monday through Sunday and are paid the following Friday of each week, so you’ll get your first paycheck next Friday. Mandy will send me your hours, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Thank you so much. I can’t tell you enough how much this job means to me. I won’t let you or Mandy down,” I tell her wholeheartedly.

“That’s what I love to hear. As I said before, I just have this feeling that you’re going to be the perfect fit for this position.”

“Thanks for that confidence. I really appreciate this chance,” I tell her one last time before she sees me out of her office.

“Susan, can you please give Ashley, here, the new hire paperwork? She’ll be filling the receptionist position for Healing Touch Counseling.” Jackie addresses the receptionist in her office, then turns back to me. “Ashley, it was great to meet you, and please call me if you have any issues with the placement.”

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