Page 51 of Puck Drop
“I hope you don’t mind,” she says as she takes a seat in the only chair I have available across from the small desk I was given.
“Not at all.” I wince at hearing my own voice. It makes me sound scared to death. Which I am.
Jennifer makes herself comfortable in her seat, moving it back and forth a couple of times as she comments on one of the legs feeling loose. I don’t really have the mental capacity to even process what she’s saying, but she seems to be having a good time with it.
“That’s better,” she giggles when she’s finally settled.
I continue staring at her, unsure of how she expects me to react to anything. I figure that the less I say, the better.
“I apologize for barging in like this,” she starts. “I was actually looking for you earlier, but you were not in yet.”
There’s this whooshing sound in my ears, and I wonder if I am about to throw up. My mouth is dry, threatening to choke me to death.
“I-I was a bit late today.” I have no idea how I am even capable to form the words.
Jennifer gives me a sympathetic smile. “That happens sometimes,” she tells me.
Relief floods my system at hearing that. She seems nice about it.
“However…”
My eyes instantly fill with tears. I celebrated too soon.
“You seem to be having a bit of a hard time getting here on time every day.” Her tone is steel wrapped in a soft layer that gives me a false sense of security.
“Is everything okay?” she asks point blank.
I clear my throat a couple of times, effectively buying myself a few more seconds before I have no other choice but to reply to her.
“Everything is fine,” I croak out.
Jennifer’s eyebrow goes up in question, skepticism obvious on her face.
“Are you happy working here?”
That is another question that’s very hard to answer, at least not without messing up my entire life even more than I’ve already done. I squirm under Jennifer’s scrutiny, feeling like she can see right through me.
“Your silence speaks volumes,” she tells me, her tone softer yet.
“I’m really sorry,” I finally say. “I just wasn’t prepared to have this conversation. Of course I’m happy here.”
I sound terrible even to my own ears. Nothing about what I just said is sincere, and she can tell. She gives me a disappointed look, the one you would give to a small child when you caught him lying to your face.
“That is not the vibe we’re getting from you, Elizabeth.”
I swallow hard as I try to come up with a good excuse on why I suck. Unfortunately, I am too frazzled to think and can’t come up with anything that would hold water.
“I’m really sorry about being late.” The words feel like dirt in my mouth. “I hope you will give me a chance to redeem myself. I promise that this is not who I am.”
Jennifer gives me another sad smile. “This doesn’t make you a bad person, Elizabeth. We all love you and think you are very sweet.”
I smile through the tears that are blurring my eyes. “Thank you.”
“But we all agree that you might not be the right person for this job,” she continues.
My entire world collapses at hearing those words. They represent everything that I was fearing, and everything that I was praying would not happen to me.
“Am I being fired?” I ask, even though it is obvious that I am.
