Need You

Chapter 19

Coming out of jail, all I wanted was to get my life back. It didn't happen as quickly as I wanted it, but it was happening.

I now had a job which needed my expertise and which I had no doubt would pay well; in addition to the house I lived in, I had gotten back my life!

Amanda and I got out of Ethel's car when we reached the spot where she used to get off at alone.

"Are we going to walk or get a taxi?" I asked her.

"I prefer walking. The company is not very far from here." She said.

"Okay." I walked in the direction that she went in. Yesterday was my first time on the route and so I wasn't very familiar with it. "So how long have you worked at YouShip?" I asked Amanda.

"Um... for almost three years." She replied. "I started working here when Ethel started the restaurant."

"Okay, and what is it like working here?"

"It's okay - like any other workplace." She shrugged.

As the large board which read "YouShip" at the top of the tall building came into view, Amanda stopped at a coffee stand and then I stopped.

"I want to get some coffee before we go in." I nodded.

There were three people the older man in the brown outfit behind the stand had to take care of before attending to Amanda.

I was wrong. He finished with one guy's order and then turned to Amanda. "The regular?" The man asked.

"Yes please." She grinned.

"Alright." He smiled and then asked as he worked on the order, "Who's your friend?"

"His name is Harry. He starts working at YouShip today."

"Oh?" He looked at me and then I mouthed, "Hi" to him.

"Good for you young man. Would you like to get some coffee?"

"No, thank you." I declined politely.

"Are you sure?" He smiled. "It's really good, ask Amanda."

Amanda chuckled at his attempt to persuade me into buying his coffee. I smiled as she said to him, "He'll get some another time, George."

"Okay." He said and as he handed Amanda her order, he added, "I hope that's soon. Bye."

"Bye George."

"You probably should've gotten the coffee." Amanda remarked as we moved away from the stand. "Or did you eat at home?"

"I didn't, but I'm sure I'll be fine. I can go four more hours without food."

"Four hours!?" She exclaimed. "Why would you starve yourself for that long!? We can just get brunch at ten."

"Okay. I thought breaks are allowed at twelve." That was why I mentioned four hours.

"No, you choose when you have your breaks." She said as we walked onto the veranda of the tall orange building, greeting the security guard as we entered.

"Do you remember how to get to your department or should I escort you?" Amanda asked.

I preferred her escorting me to trying to find my way. I wasn't familiar with the place; I had been there for only the interview yesterday.

She got me to the finance department while pointing out a few other areas of the building on the way.

Leaving me in the hallway, she took a left and I went inside. On my left was Frank, at his desk. "Good morning." I said to him.

"Good morning." He smiled. "I'm guessing you've been hired."

"I have." I grinned. It felt very good to have gotten the job.

"That's great. Congratulations." He said and I thanked him. "Have a seat. Mr. Tom will see you soon."

I sat in one of the chairs adjacent to his desk, facing the white tiled wall with a door.

The lady who went in before me at yesterday's intetview came. I was sure she had also been hired.

Thinking that it would be a good thing for both of us if we became friends, considering the fact that we were the newest additions to the department and both of us probably didn't know anybody, I introduced myself. "I'm Harry."

"I'm Pamela." She responded pleasantly.

"I thought they would hire more than just two people after the number of people that came for the interview yesterday." She said.

"Were there that many?" I asked.

"I had to wait for six people to finish theirs before I did mine."

That meant eight people in total were interviewed. It made sense why she thought that more than two people would be hired.

Pamela shared with me some of her work experiences, why she thought she wouldn't get it and a whole lot. Talking to her was quite interesting. She had a very nice personality.

Interrupting our conversation, Frank told us to go into Tom's office.

The guy who with Tom, interviewed me yesterday was standing by his desk when I opened the door.

Following Pamela inside, he looked at me with a frown and left the office using another door on my right. The frown he had on his face gave me the feeling that he didn't like me.

Or maybe that wasn't it, and that he was upset from whatever talk he had with Tom and by coincidence looked at me with that frown.

"Good morning." Tom grinned. "Please sit."

As we sat on the chairs in front of his desk, he mentioned how glad he was to have us join the department.

He gave us an orientation, telling us some basic things about the company's operations. "I'm sure you'll be fine but if you need help with anything, just ask your co-workers; they'd be happy to help."

After finishing everything that was needed to be done, Tom led Pamela and me into the main work area. That was where the other door led to.

I hadn't been in that kind of setting in a while but not much was different. The atmosphere was still the same; dull. There were tall shelves up against the white walls and the desks were arranged in no particular order. I could count ten people seated at their desks.

Tom introduced us to everyone and after a beautiful welcome, Pamela and I were put to work.

I was assigned to share the workload of Andrew for the day. His desk and mine were arranged in a way that they formed an L shape.

After over an hour in that comfortable black swivel chair, I was starting to wish I had bought a cup of coffee from George.

The inadequate sleep and an empty stomach was not a good combination for effective work to happen.

I spent most of my time just staring at the computer screen. I was pretty sure dozed off a few times.

Thankfully, Amanda soon texted me saying that we should go and get brunch.

I signed out at the reception and met her in the hallway. "Hey, how's it been?"

"I wish I had bought that coffee." I said impassively and then she laughed.