walked back to my office.
“I’d invite you in, but it looks like someone just moved in
here,” I said.
“Yes, it does. Do you have plans for lunch?”
“To eat. Don’t know what… or with whom.”
“There’s a nice sandwich place on the first floor,” she
offered. “Soup and deli sandwiches. If that’s your thing.”
That was my thing.
“I’ll be going at around 12:30 if you want to tag along,”
she said. She wasn’t offering to buy, wasn’t even offering to let me buy. She
was just putting it out there, one coworker to another.
“Sounds great,” I smiled.
We did have lunch together that day. Jessica paid for her
meal, I paid for mine. We talked over ravioli soup and hot turkey sandwiches on
fresh baked bread.
“So? Looks like your first day is going well,” Jessica said.
“I suppose.”
“You’ve got a submittal on your first day. That’s great!”
Jessica had a lot of enthusiasm for the job, which was great. You had to have a
passion for this business or it would eat you alive.
“Thanks,” I said. “So, tell me… about yourself. God, that
sounded like an interview question…”
We laughed together at that and she took a bite of her
sandwich. She was neat about eating without being dainty. I liked that.
“Sorry, it’s hard to shut off work sometimes,” I said with a
smile.
She shrugged and swallowed.
“I’ve been recruiting for a couple years now,” she said.
“Before that I was a working contractor doing research, competitive
intelligence, business warehouse, that kind of thing.”
I was about to take a drink of my Coke and stopped.
“That’s what you do, not who you are,” I said. “What do you
do when you’re not here?”
“Oh… well, I go to movies…” she began.
“What kind?” I asked. I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I was
curious, wanting more than the glossed over, pleased-to-meet-you version.
“Comedies mostly, independent films…”
“Who do you like?”
“Christopher Guest is great,” she said.
“’Best in Show’,” I supplied.
“Right! Do you like him?”
“I’ve seen that. I enjoyed it.”
“He does good work,” Jessica said.
“Which begs the question… Dog person or cat person?” I
asked.
“Both,” she sighed and laughed. “I’ve got one of each. Oscar
and Felix.”
“Odd Couple. Very funny.”
“Neil Simon” we said, frighteningly near unison.
“So, what about you?” she asked.
“What about me?” I realized that my comeback might have
sounded defensive. I was punchy. This was new territory for me. Unfamiliar.
“Oh, dog or cat? Dog… I’m a dog person.”
“What’s his name?” she asked.
“I’m between canines at the moment,” I said. “Maybe once
we’re settled in the new house.”
“We? So, you’re…” she didn’t know how to finish the
sentence. Which was the safer side to land on? Married or kids? Or both? I
decided to bail her out and not let her hang.
“I have two kids, David and Melissa,” I offered.
She smiled and my heart warmed a little. It would’ve been an
easy time to give an “oh how nice” and never mention it again if she were put
off.
“How old?”
“Six and four,” I said. “Good kids.”
“You’re married?” she asked. Her voice wavered as if any
answer would be acceptable.
“Was. My wife… passed away,” I said. My voice got quieter
than I intended. “How did you—?”
“Your ring finger,” Jessica said. “No ring, but still a mark
there.”
She was observant. I liked that even more.
“Yes,” I said. “Yes, there is. New start. New town.”
I smiled at her and she returned it back to me.
“Are you?”
“Married?” she snorted. “Ah, no. Happily divorced. I only
wish he was dead… Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have said that! I didn’t
mean-”
“It’s fine.” I said and managed to chuckle at her
discomfort. “Things didn’t end well I take it?”
“Ah, no,” was all she said, so I let it drop.
“I’m
“I’d invite you in, but it looks like someone just moved in
here,” I said.
“Yes, it does. Do you have plans for lunch?”
“To eat. Don’t know what… or with whom.”
“There’s a nice sandwich place on the first floor,” she
offered. “Soup and deli sandwiches. If that’s your thing.”
That was my thing.
“I’ll be going at around 12:30 if you want to tag along,”
she said. She wasn’t offering to buy, wasn’t even offering to let me buy. She
was just putting it out there, one coworker to another.
“Sounds great,” I smiled.
We did have lunch together that day. Jessica paid for her
meal, I paid for mine. We talked over ravioli soup and hot turkey sandwiches on
fresh baked bread.
“So? Looks like your first day is going well,” Jessica said.
“I suppose.”
“You’ve got a submittal on your first day. That’s great!”
Jessica had a lot of enthusiasm for the job, which was great. You had to have a
passion for this business or it would eat you alive.
“Thanks,” I said. “So, tell me… about yourself. God, that
sounded like an interview question…”
We laughed together at that and she took a bite of her
sandwich. She was neat about eating without being dainty. I liked that.
“Sorry, it’s hard to shut off work sometimes,” I said with a
smile.
She shrugged and swallowed.
“I’ve been recruiting for a couple years now,” she said.
“Before that I was a working contractor doing research, competitive
intelligence, business warehouse, that kind of thing.”
I was about to take a drink of my Coke and stopped.
“That’s what you do, not who you are,” I said. “What do you
do when you’re not here?”
“Oh… well, I go to movies…” she began.
“What kind?” I asked. I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I was
curious, wanting more than the glossed over, pleased-to-meet-you version.
“Comedies mostly, independent films…”
“Who do you like?”
“Christopher Guest is great,” she said.
“’Best in Show’,” I supplied.
“Right! Do you like him?”
“I’ve seen that. I enjoyed it.”
“He does good work,” Jessica said.
“Which begs the question… Dog person or cat person?” I
asked.
“Both,” she sighed and laughed. “I’ve got one of each. Oscar
and Felix.”
“Odd Couple. Very funny.”
“Neil Simon” we said, frighteningly near unison.
“So, what about you?” she asked.
“What about me?” I realized that my comeback might have
sounded defensive. I was punchy. This was new territory for me. Unfamiliar.
“Oh, dog or cat? Dog… I’m a dog person.”
“What’s his name?” she asked.
“I’m between canines at the moment,” I said. “Maybe once
we’re settled in the new house.”
“We? So, you’re…” she didn’t know how to finish the
sentence. Which was the safer side to land on? Married or kids? Or both? I
decided to bail her out and not let her hang.
“I have two kids, David and Melissa,” I offered.
She smiled and my heart warmed a little. It would’ve been an
easy time to give an “oh how nice” and never mention it again if she were put
off.
“How old?”
“Six and four,” I said. “Good kids.”
“You’re married?” she asked. Her voice wavered as if any
answer would be acceptable.
“Was. My wife… passed away,” I said. My voice got quieter
than I intended. “How did you—?”
“Your ring finger,” Jessica said. “No ring, but still a mark
there.”
She was observant. I liked that even more.
“Yes,” I said. “Yes, there is. New start. New town.”
I smiled at her and she returned it back to me.
“Are you?”
“Married?” she snorted. “Ah, no. Happily divorced. I only
wish he was dead… Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have said that! I didn’t
mean-”
“It’s fine.” I said and managed to chuckle at her
discomfort. “Things didn’t end well I take it?”
“Ah, no,” was all she said, so I let it drop.
“I’m
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