Page 95 of The Boyfriend List
Must love singing karaoke, especially Ryder Black songs.
Must reluctantly sing and dance to classic jazz songs in the car.
Must love her family.
Must have ridden a horse before even if she's not particularly good at it.
Must want to get married and have children.
She has to know how much she means to me.
Because Gloria Romero is everything to me.
She's the first ray of sunshine after the darkest stormy night, the honey in my tea and the balm to soothe my tattered, aching soul. She’s the heat and comfort of a roaring fireplace when you stumble in from the cold, frozen to the bone. She's the inexplicable peace that fills me when the rest of the world spins wildly out of control.
And I need her to know that.
Chapter Thirty-Six: Gloria
Healing Hearts Children's Home is small and decorated in a quaint and cozy style. Children's finger paintings are taped to the walls and polaroids of the staff members cover a bulletin board, with their names written underneath each one. I march up to the receptionist's desk, my head held high and my briefcase gripped in one hand.
"Hi, I'm Gloria Romero, here for an interview," I say. "It's for the legal position—"
"Yes! We've been expecting you. I'm Kerry," says the receptionist with a friendly smile. "Take a seat. Our hiring manager, Shannon, will be with you shortly."
I arrived ten minutes early. But I'm too full of nervous energy to sit down. Even if the lobby has two comfy-looking corduroy armchairs flanking a magazine stand. Having told Wendy I was going to a dentist's appointment this morning, I have three hours to kill before I need to go back to the office.
Still, I have the pre-interview jitters as I wander around the lobby in my three-inch kitten heels, smoothing out any wrinkles in my charcoal pantsuit. A plaque gleams on the wall, next to a list of charitable organizations thatHealing Hearts works with. More photos line the other wall, which is covered with framed photos of the staff with children, smiling and playing games.
"Gloria Romero?" An unfamiliar voice calls.
I recognize the hiring manager since I stalked her on LinkedIn. "That's me."
"I'm Shannon Ford, the hiring manager. It's a pleasure to meet you."
I step forward and shake her hand. "It's nice to meet you, too."
"Please follow me to my office," she says with a smile. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a low bun, and she wears a casual outfit of light-wash jeans and a graphic t-shirt, making me feel overdressed in my pantsuit.
We walk into her office, which is homey like the rest of the building. A few family pictures clutter the desk, next to a mug that reads PUMPKIN SPICE SEASON. Mustard yellow chairs flank the desk.
