Read Online Relentless Hope (Resilient Hearts) by Ashley Cassidy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ashley Cassidy
Ads: Link
further, I see a sharply dressed woman approaching my chair.
“Aleah?”
“Yes, that’s me,” I say as I rise from the chair.
She extends her hand to shake mine. “I’m Lynn Watson. I’m the HR Manager at Pierson Investments. Nice to meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I say, as I shake her hand, trying to sound confident and professional.
She walks me to a small conference room with a stack of papers on the desk, where I spend the next two hours filling out forms and reviewing employee and training manuals. Throughout the time, even though I try my hardest to focus on the task at hand, my mind keeps going back to the intense electrifying encounter I just experienced in the lobby. I can’t shake the feeling that meeting this man in the first few minutes of my first day of work at Pierson Investments has a significance, that the encounter was more than a mere coincidence.
The last few weeks have flown by quickly. When I first started, work was insanely stressful and downright scary as I realized how much I had to learn to become a good secretary. Lynn had me sit with one of their most experienced secretaries for just one week to train me on the basics, and after that, I was on my own.
To make up for my complete lack of experience and my slow pace, I put in a lot more hours at work. I went in about half an hour earlier than everybody else and left an hour or two later than most.
By the third week, I started to feet relatively comfortable at doing most everyday tasks and became more relaxed. That meant I didn’t have to spend as many hours at work. Now in my fourth week of work, I have more free time on my hands in the evenings, and as a result more opportunity for loneliness to creep in. The isolation is really starting to get to me.
The only person I have interacted with outside of work in the past month has been Nick. He calls me every few days to see if I need anything, and he has taken me shopping a few times when I needed to buy something heavy that I couldn’t carry on foot.
He was also a tremendous help to me last weekend when I bought a car. I didn’t know the first thing about cars and trying to find a reliable cheap used car on my own would have been impossible without his help. He helped me navigate online ads, called a few people and came with me to go test drive the car. I feel extremely grateful for his help and the time he spent with me, but outside of the few occasions I’ve needed his help, we don’t really interact.
I have also not been able to form any friendships at work. The rumor mill at Pierson Investments is going strong, and I think the news of how I got the job without coming in for an interview and how I clearly didn’t have any experience when I started has spread to most employees.
Many people suspect that I am somehow connected to the Pierson family and as a result are cautious in what they say and how they act around me. Most everyone is polite and friendly, but as soon as I start to get close to anyone, they politely shut me down.
With no friends at work or anywhere else, I spend all my nights and weekends at home alone. I’m also still haunted by the memories of what happened that dreaded Thursday and what my brothers and my dad did to me after. I’m always watching my back when I’m outside, and avoid going to any places where I could possibly run into any old friends or family. That has meant staying in rather than leaving the apartment, and being completely and utterly alone with the thoughts in my head. For a girl who grew up in a large family, such as mine, and was always surrounded by relatives and multitudes of friends, handling the solitude is not easy.
I long for a conversation with a friend, for companionship, or even a simple social interaction. As I head to the couch to sit down and get myself mentally ready for another lonely night, an idea crosses my mind. I could make a visit to David. The few times I’ve talked
“Aleah?”
“Yes, that’s me,” I say as I rise from the chair.
She extends her hand to shake mine. “I’m Lynn Watson. I’m the HR Manager at Pierson Investments. Nice to meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I say, as I shake her hand, trying to sound confident and professional.
She walks me to a small conference room with a stack of papers on the desk, where I spend the next two hours filling out forms and reviewing employee and training manuals. Throughout the time, even though I try my hardest to focus on the task at hand, my mind keeps going back to the intense electrifying encounter I just experienced in the lobby. I can’t shake the feeling that meeting this man in the first few minutes of my first day of work at Pierson Investments has a significance, that the encounter was more than a mere coincidence.
The last few weeks have flown by quickly. When I first started, work was insanely stressful and downright scary as I realized how much I had to learn to become a good secretary. Lynn had me sit with one of their most experienced secretaries for just one week to train me on the basics, and after that, I was on my own.
To make up for my complete lack of experience and my slow pace, I put in a lot more hours at work. I went in about half an hour earlier than everybody else and left an hour or two later than most.
By the third week, I started to feet relatively comfortable at doing most everyday tasks and became more relaxed. That meant I didn’t have to spend as many hours at work. Now in my fourth week of work, I have more free time on my hands in the evenings, and as a result more opportunity for loneliness to creep in. The isolation is really starting to get to me.
The only person I have interacted with outside of work in the past month has been Nick. He calls me every few days to see if I need anything, and he has taken me shopping a few times when I needed to buy something heavy that I couldn’t carry on foot.
He was also a tremendous help to me last weekend when I bought a car. I didn’t know the first thing about cars and trying to find a reliable cheap used car on my own would have been impossible without his help. He helped me navigate online ads, called a few people and came with me to go test drive the car. I feel extremely grateful for his help and the time he spent with me, but outside of the few occasions I’ve needed his help, we don’t really interact.
I have also not been able to form any friendships at work. The rumor mill at Pierson Investments is going strong, and I think the news of how I got the job without coming in for an interview and how I clearly didn’t have any experience when I started has spread to most employees.
Many people suspect that I am somehow connected to the Pierson family and as a result are cautious in what they say and how they act around me. Most everyone is polite and friendly, but as soon as I start to get close to anyone, they politely shut me down.
With no friends at work or anywhere else, I spend all my nights and weekends at home alone. I’m also still haunted by the memories of what happened that dreaded Thursday and what my brothers and my dad did to me after. I’m always watching my back when I’m outside, and avoid going to any places where I could possibly run into any old friends or family. That has meant staying in rather than leaving the apartment, and being completely and utterly alone with the thoughts in my head. For a girl who grew up in a large family, such as mine, and was always surrounded by relatives and multitudes of friends, handling the solitude is not easy.
I long for a conversation with a friend, for companionship, or even a simple social interaction. As I head to the couch to sit down and get myself mentally ready for another lonely night, an idea crosses my mind. I could make a visit to David. The few times I’ve talked
Similar Books
