Lovesick on Siwicki

Chapter 5: The Interview

"Holy shit, Mom," I start while pacing around my dorm room.

"What? What is it?" She asks, concerned. I know it's a good time to call since it's her breaktime at work.

"Something cool." I try to contain my excitement. I haven't even met with the guys yet, let alone gotten the job.

"Marv, hand me a napkin will ya? Thanks." Like I said, she's on lunch. "Sorry sweetie, only got 20 minutes! Spit it out!" My smile grows bigger than it has in a couple weeks.

"Well, I may or may not be meeting with some big L.A. celebs regarding a podcast job position." If we were together in person, I'd wiggle my eyebrows at her and she'd laugh. I miss that.

"What's a podcast?" She asks between bites.

"Seriously? Basically a long, entertaining filmed conversation. Anyway, these cool YouTube creator guys started a podcast and need an audio engineer and producer. I thought it was kind of fitting with all the... sound stuff I do." I try to simplify it the best I can since she's not really tech/science savvy. "I applied this morning, and I just got a message asking if I could meet at Starbucks for an interview today!"

"Wow! Look at my big girl!" She replies proudly. This makes me smile, since I'm obviously a "big girl." I'm in college for cryin' out loud! But, my smile quickly fades.

"Um, but I don't want to get my hopes up... These guys are popular, so I probably won't get it. But it opens up a window of opportunities, and I have a good feeling about it."

"You gotta trust your gut, honey. Good luck! Hey, are you going alone? Is this safe?" She questions anxiously, like she always has.

"Yes, Mom! Don't worry! I'll let you know how it goes, okay? Love you." I want to allow her plenty of time to eat. Plus, I need to start getting ready.

I listen for her "Love you too" before rushing to my bathroom. The time on my phone reads 12:46. I fish out my rarely used makeup from under the sink, wishing Natalie was here to help me apply it. I probably won't tell her anything until afterward... Wouldn't want to go through the trouble of explaining that something big has come along only to have it fail. I don't know why I feel the need to impress people.

My hands start getting clammy as I try to fix my hair and realize how underprepared I am. I've only seen some of their content... Hopefully they're not looking to hire a diehard fan. I pull up some of their videos to play in the background as I frantically get ready, and I find that it helps me relax.

I swap my joggers for some black skinny jeans and my crop top for a nice sweater. Business casual is good, right? Shouldn't be too formal; it's Starbucks and YouTubers. A deep breath forcibly flows out before I grab the keys to my shitty car and walk out the door.

The Starbucks is only a few minutes away from me. When I enter the building, my eyes nervously dart around, but the guys haven't arrived yet. I never really come here since it's expensive, but I don't want to look emptyhanded.

When the barista hands me a hot chocolate (I didn't know what to order), that's when I see him. Garrett Watts. My heart beats out of my chest. I hope I don't say something stupid or give off the impression of a crazed fan or something. He's taller than I expected! He's dressed casually, the same look featured in his videos. And he's alone... My chest sinks with a little disappointment, but I'm not sure why. Now focus; I've got to say something!

"Um... Garrett Watts?" I approach him shyly.

"Hi! You must be Jackie!" He smiles widely and shakes my hand. I'm glad he's friendly in real life, too.

"Yep!" I nod and laugh nervously. He orders his usual and we find a table to sit at. "So, if you don't mind me asking, where's your partner?" I ask nonchalantly. He giggles in response, I think at the word "partner." Shit. I didn't mean it like that.

"About that... Maybe this is a terrible idea, but Andrew doesn't actually know I'm looking for someone to help us. He's been stressed with the workload. Both of us have been. I thought this would be a sweet surprise! And it'd be entertaining content to introduce a new member to him on the podcast." He explains, unsure about his own plan. Shit, I guess I didn't realize that this job may involve more than just behind-the-camera duties.

"Oh, I see! So, what kind of assistance are you looking for?" I've gotten very good at sounding professional. Maybe I should tone it down.

"Have you watched any of our stuff? Obviously, we need someone to rein us in." He lets out a giggle.

"Yeah, I've seen some of your stuff. I like it a lot! As far as 'reining you in' goes, I've gained some leadership and management skills..." I trail off, embarrassed that I've worked at Fired Pie for several months now.

"Cool! Where'd you learn those skills from?" He asks in an innocent and curious voice.

"Um, school, and a pizza joint called Fired Pie..." Why'd I even bring this up? Mental face palm.

"Oo, so you know how to make pizza?!" He asks nonjudgmentally, leaning in closer across the table.

The embarrassment begins to subside. "Oh, yeah, course!"

We chat more personally, about what I'm doing in school, my hobbies (few and far between), my family, etc. He seems to love my passion for anything audio-related. He explains the duties of a Podcast Audio Engineer and Producer, which includes recording, using software to improve sound quality, editing in sound effects, keeping the hosts on track during their episodes, offering content ideas, and more. All of which sounds... surprisingly easy? Suddenly, he rests against the back of his chair in a contemplative manner.

"I like you." He blurts out.

"You do?" I say, shocked and relieved.

"When I was younger, I really wanted to be a Wedding DJ. So, I was interviewed by this impressive DJ company alongside a bunch of talented DJ's. I obviously thought I wouldn't get the job, but I did. The boss basically wanted a newbie he could mold. I wouldn't have experienced any of that awesomeness had I not had the guts to apply. So, yes, you're hired."

"Seriously? You have no idea what this means to me!" I want to get up to hug him, but I don't want to be creepy.

"Sure thing! I've met with a couple dudes about this position, but they seemed weirdly sterile and cold and boring. You're by far my favorite." He grins, which makes me light up, inside and out. "Here, let me give you my number and stuff. Just remember, please, not to share it with anyone. I'm sure you won't, but I'm required to say that, being a micro-celebrity and all!" He finishes with a flamboyant, silly voice. I laugh genuinely.

"Yeah, of course I won't! You can trust me." I raise a toast with my paper cup and he touches it with his. As we start to stand up and push in our chairs, he lowers his voice.

"Oh, and for pay... I was thinking, say, $20 an hour?" I choke on my hot chocolate a little bit. That's a lot more than I make now. I check to make sure my face doesn't display a dumbfounded expression. I want to look professional, like I know what I'm doing. He continues, "At least to start with. If the sponsorships keep rolling in, and if you fulfill all your duties, you might just get a raise." He winks.

"You've got a deal."

Time to quit Fired Pie.