NINE TIME MACHINES: Do you want to undo your entire life on planet earth?

CHAPTER 74

The sprint downtown leaves me breathless to the point where seven steps feel like a ladder that keeps adding rungs. The scene is no different on the inside from the last time either. There are hopefuls waiting for their names to be called, all with grater patches and expectation in their eyes. I see the same two people at the front desk. This time I walk straight up to the young man.

"Hi, my name is Mary Pethiel. Tessa Baxter told me to report here this morning."

"Miss Pethiel," the nosy receptionist speaks instead. "You almost didn't make it on time."

I look at the large black clock behind her. It says eight. My watch says five to eight.

Miss Nosy pushes a button and talks into the phone. "Miss Pethiel is here. Send her in?"

Now she looks back at me and chuckles at my outfit then rolls her eyes.

"Enter that hallway and walk three doors down."

"Left or right?"

"Right," she replies and giggles again.

One of the hopefuls gets up and protests. The receptionist explains that I'm here for a job. I hustle away from them as she goes into detail to quell his concerns. The hallway is painted white and has black and white prints on the walls. I veer towards the right as instructed. There are only two doors. I make another right and find five doors there. Opposite them are toilets. Did I hear her wrong? I head back to the initial hallway for a closer look. There are three doors on the left. Maybe that's what she said; left. But what if it's not the right one? I don't want to get fired on my first day. Flip the coin, Mary. Make a decision. Or go back and ask that bitch again.

"Mary?" says a familiar voice behind me. "Where are you going?"

I turn around quickly. It's my least favourite person in the world.

"Tessa," I say awkwardly. "I was walking all over this place looking for you."

"It's Miss Baxter. Didn't the receptionist tell you to come three doors down on the left?"

"She said, right. But I probably heard wrong."

Tessa knots her brows in confusion. "Let's hope you get this one right. Turn right and enter the last door on the right. There's a uniform waiting for you. Put it on and meet me back here." She points upward. "By the door that says Tessa Baxter. Human Resource Manager. Okay?"

"No problem."

Now this is the Tessa I know and hate; not the one with the fake concern in her voice that made Matron Caine believe she was my own personal angel.