Relieved, I rose to my feet and approached her desk, smoothing my hands down the front of the jacket Tate had bought me. He had been so proud of me getting this job that he had wanted to deck me out for the first day. Now seeing the quality of dress of the employees who passed me I was grateful for his thoughtful gesture.
“Mr. Cummings, there seems to have been a grave error on our part,” the receptionist started. She looked everywhere but at me. “Mr. Ingram’s secretary might have called you in error. The position was already filled by someone else.”
I felt the blood drain from my face at her words. Surely, she had to be joking. This sort of thing didn’t happen to anyone. How did a secretary end up calling the wrong person for a job? Why hadn’t they called to inform me before I arrived here dressed to the nines and full of anticipation for a job I didn’t even have?
“I don’t understand,” I stated, thinking back to the day of my interview. Mr. Ingram had assured me this job was mine. “Are you saying I didn’t get the job?”
“I’m so sorry, sir.” The reception looked miserable delivering the news as she should. Who the hell invited someone for a job then told them they were no longer wanted? “If it’s any consolation we are prepared to reimburse you for the trip here.”
A laugh bubbled up from my throat. Reimbursement for my trip here? Who would reimburse me for my dignity that was crushed today and my humiliation? My God, how would I even tell Tate about this? He had been so proud of me. The suit, the car, all of it had been for nothing. I would only let him down and show myself to be exactly what Keith had thought of me; nothing without him. Nothing without Tate.
“If you would have a seat, we can have the Accounts department draft you a check for your travel expenses.”
Without a word, I walked out of the office building barely holding on to my dignity.