Before You

Chapter 7

How long have I been staring at my cell phone? I woke up not long ago, but can't find the will to get out of bed. So, here I lay, propped up on my blue pillow looking through the photo album on my cell phone. There are a few photos of my mom in the beginning followed by photos of Boston and the rest of the group. I stop on a photo I took of Gage and cringe. I forgot that was in there. I don't know why I haven't deleted it yet. I decide to keep scanning until I see a photo that I took of a skyscraper in Atlanta. I was on my way home from the grocery store and didn't have my camera with me, so I snapped a quick photo with my phone. I love the angle it was taken at.

Suddenly, my phone rings and I jump. I sit up quickly on my bed and look at the phone number on the screen. I don't know who it could be, but decide to answer anyway.

"Hello?" I say.

"Hello. Is this Everly Turner?" the voice sounds on the other end.

"Yes, this is her", I say not wanting to correct my name.

"Hi Everly. This is Susan from the Perimeter Country Club. I'm calling about your application we received for the server position here. We have an opening today at 12:00 for an interview if you're available. I apologize for the short notice. This position just became available rather unexpectedly." she says.

"Yes! I will definitely be there at 12:00 for the interview. Thank you so much! I look forward to meeting with you." I say.

After I get off of the phone with Susan, I run to my closet and look for something suitable to wear. I pull out a pair of black dress pants, a burgundy blouse that buttons in the front, and black high heels. I bought the outfit a few weeks before I moved in case I ever needed something more than my everyday clothes. It's basically the only formal thing I have. Once I'm dressed, I walk to the bathroom and pull out my makeup bag. I decide to keep it light and apply some eye shadow, mascara, and a light nude lipstick. I check my watch and decide it's best to leave now and get there a little early. I grab my purse sitting on the kitchen counter followed by a green apple. Not wanting to waste any time I rush out of my apartment door and down the walkway to my car.

Around thirty minutes later, I pull up to the gate of Perimeter Country Club. After informing the guard that I'm there for an interview, he lets me pass. I drive slowly up to the parking lot. The building is white with black shutters and almost looks like a very large home. I laugh to myself out loud. Okay, maybe a mansion instead. The landscaping is immaculate. The grass is a vibrant green and everything surrounding the building is perfectly manicured. The parking lot is almost full and I watch for a moment as people come and go to their vehicles. I definitely feel out of place. My black Toyota Corolla sticks out like a sore thumb among the BMWs, Range Rovers, and Mercedes it's surrounded by. I glance at my watch again and see that it's 11:45. Showtime.

I enter the country club and am quickly greeted by a young brunette woman in her twenties. I check the nametag pinned to her blouse, Layla. After taking my name, she escorts me down a wide hallway and into a large office towards the back of the building. I see "Susan Cowart" on the door and take a deep breath before walking in.

"Hi. You must be Everly", Susan says as she stands to shake my hand.

"Hi! It's Evy. It's so nice to meet you", I say and take a seat before her desk.

"You too, Evy. Give me just a second and I'll get my paperwork together", she says ruffling through some papers on her desk.

I take small glances of Susan as she looks through the papers. She looks beautiful. Her short, blonde hair frames her face perfectly. She has brown eyes and way too much lip liner outlining her thin lips. Her skin is very fair making her appear almost porcelain, same as me. I meet her eyes as she looks up from the mound of paperwork.

"I'm sorry again for the short notice. We had to let a server go this morning unexpectedly, so we need to fill the position quickly. I was looking over your resume and I noticed that you don't actually have any serving experience, is that right?" Susan says.

"Yes, I don't have any serving experience. However, I'm reliable, trustworthy, and a very fast learner." I steady myself in the chair making sure to keep my eyes locked on hers.

Susan glances down at my application and back up to me. "I see. I'm going to be honest with you. The reason I called you is because we need to fill this position quickly and your schedule works well with the days and times we need someone here. Obviously, not having serving experience is a hinder, but I'm willing to give you a try. I can have our best server train you for two weeks. If you're a fast learner, you should learn the ropes by then and you can keep the job. How does that sound?"

I slide up to the edge of my chair and respond quickly. "Yes, that sounds great. I promise I won't let you down."

"Okay, let's give it a shot." Susan says. "Your schedule will be Thursdays and Sundays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We'll start you there and see how it goes. Your first shift will be this Sunday. On your way out see Layla. She'll give you the uniform information and proper paperwork to fill out. Oh, and Miss Turner, you will need to remove the black finger nail polish."

"Of course. Thank you so much for this opportunity." I stand before Susan leaning forward to shake her hand again.

I find Layla sitting at the front desk and get all of the information I need. I can't believe it. I have a job. It's not a job I'm thrilled about, but a job nonetheless. I guess I will get to stay in Atlanta for a while longer. I let out a sigh of relief and walk through the entrance of the building. It's still early afternoon and I'm already caught up on my assignments. I guess there's only one thing to do. It's time to call my mother.