The Infrared Chronicles

January 21, 2017: Claudette

Bad news or good news first?

Okay, bad news. I'm having some doubts about my roommate. Kiki's a cool girl and everything, but she can be cool down the street. I need a roommate that pays rent. As in money. I need a roommate with a job. Being cool just doesn't cut it.

I mean, I was hoping that the Christmas rush at her store would be a huge help to her, but it wasn't, because she couldn't keep the job long enough—okay, I should calm down.

"Claudette, it's all good," she said to me when she sat her unemployed butt down to have a talk with me about our next steps. It was the day after she'd texted me that she'd been fired.

"What do you mean, 'it's all good'? It looks pretty bad."

"Yeah, for now, but I have a cousin that can put in a good word for me at the post office. They're hiring."

"Do you need references?" I tried to keep the sarcasm out of my voice, but I failed.

She frowned at me.

"I don't like your tone," she said, "but yes. I do need references, and I've got it covered."

"Okay."

I left it alone, thinking that first of all, no one likes to be nagged, and second, a roommate who might pay rent soon is better than no roommate at all. (Well, sort of.)

She applied at the post office immediately, and she interviewed there two weeks ago. She got the job, which was good.

So, that was some good news at the end of the bad news, but that wasn't the good news. The good news is...

I HAVE A NEW JOB!

Dance break.

Okay, I'm back. Here's how it happened. The restaurant I work at is in a four-star hotel that also has a casino. I heard through the grapevine a couple of weeks ago that the casino was hiring. Casino workers have a slightly smaller salary than the waitstaff at the restaurant, but people spend hours at a time in a casino, and they tip big. I talked to my manager Lester and explained that I needed to take another job. He was very understanding about it. My waitress job was already part time. All he had to do was agree that if I got a new job, he'd schedule me around it.

So, I applied at the casino. I had an interview last week, where I wore my nicest dress. Today, I got a call, and found out that I got the job! It's a job as a dealer, and I don't have any experience, but Lester put in a good word for me. Starting next Monday, I'll be training, learning to deal the games. I also have to bus some tables in the hotel hallways, and that will be easy.

I'll be working in the casino four nights a week, eight hours a night. I'll be working eight hours a week at the restaurant, and that's in the morning.

I have one college class, but that's online: Introduction to Women and Literature. That starts on Monday, too.

I explained all this to Mora earlier, and he said that we should celebrate. It's my last Friday night of freedom for a while. We're going to a club with Kiki and her boyfriend Fleece. (I rarely talk to Fleece, so I have no idea whether that's a nickname or his given name.) Kiki says that she'll drive this time, so I can drink. That'll be a change. I'm almost always the DD in our group.

Anyway, I've got to go get dressed. Next time, I'll let you know how my night out went. Here's to freedom.