Page 104 of Fun Together
“Well, I wouldn’t get the job.”
“And then what?”
“I’d have to keep working a job that is sucking the life force out of me.”
“You wouldn’t have to do that. You could look for another job. You could work for another company. You could do anything you want.”
When he says it, I believe it. That I could decide to do something and do it. I don’t tell him the true worry that’s been in the back of mind. That I don’t actually want this job at all. That I’m pretending to want it, because it feels like I should. I made my list on a whim and I’m suddenly feeling very silly about it.“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“I know it’s not easy, but I know you’ll do great.” He gets out of bed and walks me along with him to his kitchen. “Want to meet up for dinner tonight?”
“Maybe. Can I text you later?” I’m worried the interview will put me in a weird mood and I’ll just want to be alone without bogging him down with another “fix Faye” moment. He would understand.
He looks like he’s going to say something else, but all he says is, “Sounds good. Good luck.”
My interview isat ten o’clock, so the moment the clock strikes 9:45, I set my status to busy and head down to the fourth floor. Eli told me to ask for Anna, the operations assistant. She started working here not long after me, so it will be reassuring to see a familiar face to calm my nerves.
I smile at her in greeting. “Hi Anna, how are you?”
“Hi Faye.” She reaches out to shake my hand. “Come on back. I hope it’s okay that a couple of other people will be joining us.”
“Of course,” I say, even though my heart rate skyrockets. We walk into the conference room and apparently a couple of people meansfiveother people. I wonder if Eli knew this interview would be with multiple people.
She gestures for me to take a seat at the head of the table.
Ryan, the person who would be my manager, is directly to my left. Every time I’ve ever seen him, mostly during company meetings when he provides operations updates, he’s smacking his gum. Today is no different. He smiles and pops a stick of Extra into his mouth before kicking things off. “Why don’t we start with a little bit about you, Faye.”
I give the spiel I’ve practiced with Eli countless times. At this point, I’m so separated from the words it’s like I’m talking about someone else.
When I finish, he looks down at my resume as if seeing it for the first time. “I had no idea you’d been here so long.” He frowns down at the paper. “And in the same role?”
I’m taken aback, because Eli told me that the fact that I’ve been at the company so long was a huge factor in me being good candidate. We didn’t prepare for the scenario in which that wouldn’t be a good thing. I nod and smile stiffly. “Yep!”
“She’s always been Alexis’s right hand.” This is from Mary, another assistant on the team. She parks next to me most days. Always crooked. “I think I saw you at the party. You were dancing with Eli.”
“Oh, yeah.” I shift uncomfortably in my seat, confused by the comment. “We were.”
She leans forward, excited. “Are you two dating?”
My face heats. I don’t like the direction the conversation is taking, especially on a job interview. I fumble for the words. “No, we’re . . . friends.”
She looks around at the others and laughs gregariously. “I thought you two were an item.”
“Nope, we’re not.”
Do they think that Eli and I are dating, and that’s why he put me up for this job? I uncross my legs and cross them again. My thighs are stuck together with sweat. This interview is not going well, and I don’t think I’m the only one who thinks that, based on the throat clearing Ryan does to get us back on track.
The group then asks me some of the other questions that I had prepared to hear. And maybe it’s just me being overly sensitive to the fact that maybe these people think I’ve been fucking my way to the top, but no one seems engaged. I mean, everyone knows interviews suck for all involved. Nobody wants to spend their time interviewing someone. Maybe that’s it, and they just want to move on with their days.
They all kind of look like someone is holding them hostage in this room with me.
After each person has had a chance to ask me a question, Anna turns to me. “Do you have any questions for us?”
I feel a bit of pressure lift at this point, because this means I get to assume some semblance of control over the conversation now. I take a sip of the water that someone had set out for me before I arrived. “What do you all like best about your roles here?” I’m hoping this question might bring a little animation into them.
Anna is the first to answer by saying, “Oh, the company culture for sure.” I wait for her to elaborate on that, but she ends her sentence there, looking expectantly at the others in the room.I don’t mention that I am already well versed in the “culture” here, if that’s what you want to call it.
Callie, the director of operations, answers next. “The work is very rewarding.” Again, no elaboration. Am I supposed to ask them to elaborate? Eli and I didn’t talk about what I should do if the people interviewing me didn’t want to answer any of my questions.
