Page 34 of Someone Just Like You

I gulped. His smile was dazzling. “I think I’m drunk.”

“Just don’t puke until you get home.”

I summoned the sobriety necessary to rise and spotted Esther by the exit. I gestured for her to wait up.

From behind me, I heard Jude say, “This was unnecessary.”

I turned back to him.

He waved our bill. “I’ll just use the extra cash to buy your parents a better anniversary present and make you look bad in comparison.”

I shook my head. “Of course you will.”

“Of course I will.” His eyes twinkled. “Get home safe.”

“Will do.” I turned to go and stumbled. I was definitely drunk. It was the only explanation.

Chapter Fifteen

Less than two weeks later, Rosaria and I met for lunch at Pershing Square, a bustling restaurant serving American food but disguised as a French bistro, across the street from Grand Central Terminal and conveniently located within walking distance of my office.

It was a perfect humidity-free day for New York City post Labor Day, and we opted to sit at an outdoor table and chat while surrounded by a mix of tourists and locals walking by.

Within the first few minutes, I was convinced we were kindred spirits. We both ordered lobster salad and an iced tea, and when the busboy came over with a basket of assorted rolls, we gushed, “I love the butter here!” at the same time before yelling, “Buy me a Coke!” But it was true; the butter was so soft and creamy, you never had to worry about the roll crumbling under your knife.

I gave her the SparkNotes summary of my transition from lawyer to legal recruiter, leaving out the part about Maxine. “Your origin story for Ceiling Crashers spoke to me.”

Rosaria wrinkled her nose. “You’re also the daughter of a single Puerto Rican woman who had to build her life from the ground up?”

I felt my face flush. “No. I was born draped in upper middle-class white privilege, but Idoknow how it feels to wake up each morning with a belly full of dread over the impending work day.” I stabbed a cherry tomato with my fork and popped it into my mouth. “My first priority is, of course, filling open positions for the company’s clients and helping candidates find new jobs,” I said after chewing and swallowing. “But my mission…mypassion…goes beyond sealing the deal and making a commission.Cha-ching,as my manager likes to say.” I sighed, picturing Michael’s pompous face. “But our mental state at work, where most of us spend so much time, has a huge impact on our quality of life, and that matters to me too.” I swished around my salad for a remaining remnant of lobster meat among the baby greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Rosaria dabbed her lips with a cloth napkin. “Agreed. My company’s mission is to help the members of our community transition to a job or career that supports the life theyreallywant, which is typically not the one they’re currently living.”

“It’s so special. Truly,” I said, shaking my head in wonder. “There’s only so much a human resources manager is going to share about their company, besides the basics: job description and hours, benefits, et cetera. Although I do outside research, I can only find what’s out there to be found.” Like on the “forbidden” Vault and Above the Law sites. “But I have more leeway with the individual candidates. Some tell me, ‘No more law firms’ or ‘Anything without billable hours.’ Some say, ‘Show me the money!’ But I also try to sneak in questions that delve deeper. I’ll ask if they like baseball if I know MLB is looking for someone…” My mind drifted to Jude before I quickly shoved his unwanted presence out of the way. “Or if they’re clearly fashionistas, I might search for openings at a clothing or accessories company. I’d love to take it a step further…have this information all in one place as part of the pre-interviewing process, so by the time we have a face-to-face, I have a better understanding of the person’s ideal position.” Like her questionnaires.

Rosaria nodded. “Like my questionnaires.”

“Exactly!”Kindred spirits.I smiled down at a little girl with striking red curls and pink glitter shoes toddling passed us holding a woman’s hand, then turned back to Rosaria. “I think I need to focus on speeding up the process. As much as I hate to admit it, my manager has a point that sometimes I’m slow to set up interviews. I don’t want to bite the hand that feeds me—I’m a recruiter, not a career coach. But it doesn’t mean I can’t try to make all parties involved as happy with the end result as possible and help connect people to jobs they won’t want to leave in another year, right?”

“Right,” Rosaria repeated, before smiling wryly. “You do realize what you just said probably goes againstyouremployer’s mission statement—without any turnover, they wouldn’t have a business. You wouldn’t have a job.”

I squirmed in my metal chair. “Yikes.”

“Sorry to bum you out.” She chuckled. “But I get your preference for meeting face-to-face over telephone. A facial expression tells a lot about a person’s true feelings. Video calls work just as well, though, and are much easier to schedule. People can be more flexible when they don’t have to commute somewhere. Or wear pants.”

“For sure,” I said, giggling. “I will consider that.” My body was light with joy. It was so nice to chat with someone who truly got it.

We paused our conversation when the waitress came over to ask about coffee and dessert. We both ordered a cappuccino.

When we were alone again, Rosaria leaned forward. “You said you had some thoughts about Ceiling Crashers?”

“Yes!” I pulled my phone from my purse, opened up the relevant note, and read the first item to refresh my memory. “I scrolled through your social media.” If reading every post since the company was founded four years ago counted asscrolling. “I love the way your IG is curated—it’s so soft and visually appealing. Quotes from inspiring women, short snippets of advice, a sprinkle of personal photos of you living your best life. It’s really great. But most of the videos are of you speaking to your clients and prospective community members. Have you ever thought about inviting them to post their success stories with Ceiling Crashers on Instagram and even TikTok, where you’re not currently as active? Even asking members to do take-overs or, if you want to retain control of the content, you can interview them instead. Video testimonials could be a huge factor in growing your community.” I braced myself for her reaction.

Rosaria beamed as brightly as the warm sun shining down on us. “I love this idea, Molly!”

I grinned. “Really?”

She gave me a look that was equal parts reassuring and amused. “Yes! It’s brilliant advertising. I wish I’d thought of it myself.”

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