Passion for Perfection | Open Novella Contest 2019

6. A Second Chance...

Naturally, I panicked. I think any sane person would in my situation. I looked around me but I couldn't see a thing. The darkness absorbed any light that could have possibly broke through it, leaving me helpless in what seemed like a void.

Robbed of my primary sense, my hearing naturally heightened, making me aware of the thudding coming from my chest. As I listened harder, I picked up faint whispers echoing around me. They weren't malevolent; merely curious, as if they were gossiping.

"Hello?" I called out into the void. "Who's in here with me?" I instantly wondered where I got the courage to speak. Perhaps the numerous self-defence classes had made me overly confident when faced with danger.

"Hello, Jane." To my surprise, the voice was a girl's. It was calm, reassuring and had a foreign lilt to it. "You're finally here." The sound seemed to come from all around me, with no evident source.

"Who are you?" I demanded, not able to hide my panicked tone. "Where am I?"

"It's okay. Don't worry." Despite the situation, the girl sounded kind. She didn't scare me. It was a voice I knew I could trust. "You're safe here with us."

"Us?" I asked, but received no reply. "Hey! Where are you?"

Something nagged at the back of my brain like I was forgetting something. I spun around again, hoping to catch a glimpse of anything. The nagging got more persistent and I started to rack my brain for answers. Did I miss something?

I rubbed my eyes and squinted, wondering if maybe my eyesight simply wasn't adjusted to the darkness. Yes, that was probably it.

To my surprise, shapes started to form around me. I blinked rapidly, trying to speed up the process and then suddenly, I was back.

"Jane?" I jumped as I heard Sally's voice close to me. "Did you remember anything?"

I looked around in confusion. I was back in her living room. She sat exactly in the same position I last saw her; legs crossed and a notepad in hand. The electric fireplace was still on and the plate of cake pieces sat on the table. I looked down at my lap. My hands were still holding the notebook, but it was open on the very last page which simply read "The End."

I glanced up at Sally and slowly processed what she had asked me. After a moment I shook my head, but I could see Sally only partially believed me.

Before she could try and coerce me to talk, the front door opened and shut loudly. I looked towards the doorway and saw a tall woman walk into the living room. She had sharp, angular features and a hint of a smile tugged at her dark red lips.

"Hello." She greeted me with a nod and flashed a wink at Sally. "Apologies, I didn't mean to intrude." Her words were spoken confidently and she had an upper-class accent.

"It's okay!" Sally beamed and turned to me. She was back to being her bubbly self again. "Jane, this is Veronica. My girlfriend." I smiled at the woman and she returned it politely. "Jane is an old friend of mine. She's also making use of my sessions."

"Smart choice. I think everyone could use some therapy every once in a while." Veronica picked up a piece of cake and disappeared out the door again. A moment later I heard a kettle turn on.

"You never told me you liked girls," I said with a smile. The way she had looked at Veronica was the same way I used to look at Chris. That gaze that said so much more than just "I love you". I was happy for her, but the pain in my chest was still all too prominent.

"You never asked." Sally shrugged and I guess she had a fair point. Back in high school, I didn't exactly engage in many conversations. Then I saw Sally's eyes light up. "I have an idea!" I raised an eyebrow. "Veronica works at the local Mercury IT office. Maybe she could get you in for an interview?"

"I don't know..." I muttered. I wasn't sure if I should be growing back to work so soon. I wasn't ready. What if I don't get in? That would be another failure to add to the list.

"Jane, you need something to keep you occupied. At least a small part-time job. If you sit around doing nothing you could fall into depression." Sally urged and I sighed.

You got kicked out of your last job.

I know I did, but I have to get back to work eventually. How can I be independent without an income?

You're not ready yet.

So what? Time to get out of the comfort zone.

"Ok." I smiled. "I'll give it a shot."

Sally grinned and called Veronica back into the room. She drifted in a moment later, a cup of tea in one hand and the half-eaten piece of cake in the other. She perched on the armrest of Sally's chair and took another bite out of her cake, while her girlfriend explained why we needed her. I didn't know what reaction to expect from Veronica, but a half enthusiastic shrug was definitely not it.

"Sure." She said when she swallowed the bite of cake. "I can ask Declan to take you in for an interview. One of my coworkers is retiring next month so he'll be happy enough to do it."

"Thank you." I smiled. "I greatly appreciate it."

"It's no problem." She planted a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek and sashayed out of the room, making Sally blush through a small smile.

I felt a stab at my chest again.

***

A month later, I was rushing down the street in my best black blazer and skirt and my hair tied back in a tight ponytail. My heart raced and I had to will myself to drown out the frantic screaming in my head. It was the most stressed I had ever been for an interview and I wasn't enjoying the feeling. All my life I had been confident in myself and my skills, but that day I was doubtful. Getting kicked out of your last job does that to your self esteem sometimes.

Mercury IT was the best computer company in this part of the country. They had over twenty offices scattered throughout eleven major cities and at least fifty employees at each office. Veronica had told me that the place which was currently vacant was the role of receptionist for one of the managers and I was happy to try out for it. I had quite a few years on the job already, after all.

I somehow managed to end up in the small interview room with only a minor panic attack.

"Good morning Miss... McCormick." The man sitting on the other side of the desk in front of me inspected the page in front of him. He was in his early forties, clearly an expert at his job. He adjusted his glasses and looked up at me. "My name is Patrick Moore and I am an IT Manager. If you get this job, you'll be working directly under me and four colleagues of mine. Now, tell me: what makes you different from other applicants?"

I sat up straighter, adjusted myself into a more comfortable position on my chair and smiled politely. Then I took a deep breath and I started to recite the words I had learnt by heart at the age of eighteen; my strengths, my skills, my qualifications. As I spoke, I watched his expression but to my disappointment, it remained unfazed.

He's not impressed.

I decided to ignore it and powered through the rest of the interview, using every trick and technique I had up my sleeve. To my surprise, the interview lasted no more than ten minutes.

"Thank you, Miss McCormick." Patrick folded his pages and set them aside. "You'll hear an answer from me within the next two weeks." He flashed a polite smile. "Good day."

I thanked him and bid him goodbye as politely as I could and disappeared out the door. My body remained tense all the way home and when I finally collapsed on my sofa, I felt myself deflate and the stress seemed out of me like a waterfall.

"How'd it go, darlin'?" My mother shuffled into the room, a towel in hand. She had clearly been in the middle of washing dishes.

"Alright, I think," I muttered, pulling off my blazer and my shoes.

"I'm sure you did fine." She patted my shoulder and smiled. "Do you want tea? I'll go make tea." She didn't wait for a reply and left the room.

You definitely got the job. You always do.

I smiled. At that moment, after the stress and the panic, my confidence returned. I ended up getting the job and I was back to being my old self.

And that was not a good thing.