I had been expecting something smaller, a few tents and unknown colleges begging for applicants. The so-called Career Night took up our entire parking lot; tents, booths, and representatives from all over had gathered together at our high school that night. Out of the hundreds of people crowded there, I could only spot one or two seniors; the majority of our class had already picked their colleges.
"Okay, let's split up," I said, and Ian looked at me as if the mere idea of splitting up was horrifying. "Don't be silly-- I need to at least concentrate, and I can't do that with you whispering jokes in my ear constantly. Plus, employers and representatives can't talk to two people at the same time," I reasoned.
"Fair enough," Ian grumbled. "Meet up at the car by 7?"
"Sounds good to me," I said, and we went our separate ways.
I gazed down a row of booths, searching for anything that would catch my eye. I strolled lazily down the row, glancing around, not knowing what it was that I was looking for. I decided to stop at every other booth, to at least learn a few things to report to my mom. Each one preached the same thing, offering various degrees, careers, and colleges, all claiming to be the best.
As I walked to my next stop I noticed that it was the vaguest and most dull booth I had seen yet. Unlike the other, more colorful booths, it's advertisements were grey, black, and white, and it was set up in a dark tent. Plus, it looked abandoned-- I couldn't see anybody near it. I began to skip past it, since it didn't look worthwhile. "I wouldn't pass by this one, sweetheart," said a man's voice from under the tent.
"Excuse me?" I said, turning around to peer at the unassuming booth. The man who had spoken to me was hard to see under the shade of the tent overhead; his brown hair was combed and parted, and his jawline was so sharp I could cut my finger touching it. He looked about twenty two or so, and was studying me intently as I turned to face him.
"Don't think I can't see you. You clearly don't know what you're looking for here, so you just stop at random booths hoping to find something that feels right, when in fact you're nearly certain you won't find what you're looking for. I know your type," he said, piercing me with his unwavering gaze, as if daring me to contradict him.
"My type?"
"You don't know where you're going, or what you want to do with your life. And yet you have such potential," he said, suddenly leaning forward, his dark eyes still plastered to my face. "Yes, such potential... Tell me, are you interested in a job?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but the man cut me off. "It would require some physical labor, and a lot of training. Yes, lots of training... But well worth it, in my opinion. Are you interested?"
"Well...um..." I stuttered, speechless. This was by far the weirdest thing to happen to me all month. What kind of business offers jobs to random strangers at a college fair?
The man never took his eyes off my face as I processed what he had said. After a long pause I finally responded. "What have I got to lose?" I shrugged, and the man smiled.
"An excellent answer, if I do say so myself. Here's my card; meet me for an interview in this parking lot tomorrow at 6pm sharp. Don't be late," he said as he handed me his card.
"Thank you...sir," I said, still bewildered by the man's strange behavior and my answer.
I walked on for a few more feet, then turned around to see if the man was still watching me. To my surprise he had vanished, as if he had been there one second and was gone the next. I glanced down at the card he had handed me. It was very simple, with the man's name and phone number written in bold, black ink:
YOU ARE READING
How to Keep a Secret
Romance"I know your type," he said, piercing me with his unwavering gaze, as if daring me to contradict him. "My type?" "You don't know where you're going, or what you want to do with your life. And yet you have such potential," he said, suddenly leaning f...
