Controlling Interests

Chapter 2: Jayne

"Hello, Mother. You called?" I speak in the most cordial voice I can manage.

"Yes, my dear Jayne. I never get to see you anymore." She shrills through the phone and I roll my eyes. Her mock warmth is my first clue that someone else is within earshot of her.

"Oh well, you know me. Always busy and stuff. What do you want?" I impatiently ask.

"I'm having lunch in the garden with Howard, darling, and I was telling him that you were in between jobs right now and he said one of the companies he's invested in is hiring. It isn't one of his, but he can send over your information if you are interested." She sounds like she is trying to be helpful, but what probably happened is that she was attempting to complain about her out-of-work daughter and dear Howard is having none of it.

Being the decent guy that he is, instead of cajoling her rants, he offered to help and she had no choice but to play along and hope that it would be me to turn down his generous offer.

Not today, mommy dearest.

"That sounds wonderful, Mother." I jack my sweetness level up to a ten and ask her to put Howard on the phone so I can thank him personally. I can hear her voice hitch in her throat as she reluctantly passes me off to her newest sugar daddy.

Howard is a nice guy. I met him when my mother first sank her claws into him and moved into his home a short month later.

He is my mother's big fish.

Since divorcing my father, she has slowly climbed the ranks of suitors and husbands and Howard will be her fourth husband although she's probably already told him that he will be her third since she doesn't count her marriage to Mike that lasted only two months before she caught him balls deep in the maid and settled out with a big payday.

Howard is too good for my mother. He reminds me of my dad. The first time I saw them together, he just looked content. It was the same look that my dad used to have when he talked about having everything he could ever want.

It breaks my heart to see her play a character around him. I know in the end she will only leave him feeling angry and alone and I hope he sees her true colors before he gets in too deep.

"Hello, Jayne. How are you doing today?" Howard's voice is genuine and it makes me smile into the phone.

"I'm wonderful, Howard. How are you?" We exchange our pleasantries and he tells me about a company that he is heavily invested in, Hale Property Management. Apparently due to growth and restructuring, some new departments have been created and administration staff is required.

As I thank him for sending my information over for review he tells me that consideration isn't required. He says if I want a job, they need bodies and it would just go through as a request, not a suggestion and I could report in on Monday.

"Yes. Thank you, Howard. I appreciate you sending my information over. I'll email you my resume right now." I fail at reeling in my enthusiasm.

I've been unemployed for three months and my bank account has been running on empty.

I loved my last job. I did data entry and online research so I was pretty much left on my own. Put my time in and leave. All good things must come to an end though and the company ended up going through massive layoffs and our department was the first to go.

I've been applying for work ever since. There have been a lot of interviews, but nothing further. The job market is tough right now and as many positions as there are that pop up, there are more than enough applicants.

Saying another thank you and goodbye to Howard, I make an excuse that I need to shop for some new work clothes this afternoon and ask Howard to say my goodbyes to my mother for me.

I'm ending my week on a high note and she'll only knock me down a few pegs anyway.

Monday can't come soon enough.