only if for a night [ahkmenrah]

01 ▷ the interview

"YOUR RESUME IS quite impressive for someone your age," Dr. McPhee commented, scanning the paper in front of him. "Six part-time jobs in the last two years ... some of them even at the same time."

   He raised an eyebrow at the young woman sitting across the desk from him, who smiled warmly and lifted a shoulder in response.

   Dr. McPhee shuffled the papers for a moment, then set them down in front of him. Folding his arms on top of the desk, he fixed the woman with an intense look. "Why are you here, Miss Kingston?"

   Emily's eyebrows furrowed. "In the US?"

   "At the museum," McPhee answered. "With all the skills you have, you could get any job you want, yet you're applying for a position in a museum. Why?"

   "History is what I'm passionate about. It's what I'm studying at NYU. I took those other jobs to pay my rent and tuition; they didn't mean anything, help me build a career. This one will." Emily realised she'd moved forward in her chair in her eagerness, and slowly leaned backwards, feeling a slight blush coming on.

   McPhee considered her, mulling over her words and appearing to think hard for a moment. Finally, he said, "We don't really have a lot of positions left..."

   "I'll take anything," Emily said.

   "All right," McPhee conceded, "we've just hired a new night guard. I suppose we've got enough room in the budget for you to be his assistant. Normally interviews for that job would go through Cecil Fredericks, but he's just retired, so..." He gave a long-suffering sigh. "You start tomorrow. Be here before closing so you can be shown around by one of the desk clerks. Because you're a student, though, I can only give you three nights a week."

   Emily beamed at him. "That's perfect! Thank you so much!"

   Dr. McPhee stood up, and she followed suit as he said, "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

   "Tomorrow." Emily agreed. They shook hands, and the deal was sealed.

x   x   x

Emily barely had time to get through the door when Savannah pounced on her.

   "How'd it go?" She asked eagerly, her Texas accent coming out.

   "It went great, actually," Emily replied, leading Savannah away from the door. "I'm gonna be working three nights a week, assistant night guard at the Natural History Museum."

   "Night guard?" Savannah asked, flopping backwards onto her bed. "Isn't that gonna make you, like, super tired?"

   "If I drink ten cups of coffee every morning afterwards I should be just fine." Emily grinned.

   "So when do you start?"

   "Tomorrow. I have to be there a little before closing so I can have a tour and stuff. I'm actually super excited — I can learn what I need for my dissertation while on the job."

   "Too bad you can't do that working at Dairy Queen," Savannah groaned. She rolled onto her stomach and watched Emily, who was getting her textbooks out. Changing the subject, she said, "Derek stopped by while you were out."

"Did he now," Emily commented, sounding thoroughly uninterested. And she was — she'd been trying to avoid him for the past two weeks.

"He wanted to know if you're up for a second date; you've not been replying to his texts, apparently."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Oh, haven't I? You would almost think I've been purposefully ignoring him."

Savannah grimaced. "Was y'all's date really that bad? I thought he'd be good."

"Apparently not," Emily slumped down on her mattress, her textbooks momentarily forgotten. "Being a hot college football player doesn't make you interesting. Or a good kisser, for that matter."

"Really?" Savannah's eyes went wide.

"Really. Two words: washing. Machine."

"Eeeewww! That's so gross!" Savannah squealed.

Emily giggled, then shoved her textbooks into her messenger bag, along with a notebook and her heavily-graffitied pencil case, then made for the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a study date."