Chapter 4 Apt 201-4
Iris
The next day, I was ready. I had my printed CV and was dressed in a skirt and blouse that I had spent an hour deciding on. They looked professional, but not designer. I guessed my more high-end clothes would stick out like a sore thumb at a trucking company. After drinking lukewarm water and eating some fruit, I walked over to the trucking company. As I walked into the lot, I tensed, expecting someone to jump out and scream I was in the wrong place. No one did, and I reached the building Lena had pointed out to me. The front door was locked, but there was an intercom next to it. I pressed the button, heard a buzzing sound, and waited.
“Yes?” someone asked. The tone of her voice let me know I had ruined her day just by pressing the button and making her speak to me. I frowned, but then relaxed my face.
“Hello, I’m Iris Heartman, and I have an interview booked with Mr and Mrs Hughs at ten,” I spoke into the receiver.
“Whatever,” the voice said, and another buzzing sound was heard, followed by a sharp click as the door unlocked. I walked inside and saw a big room. The walls were covered with shelves filled with binders, books, and other items. My heels clicked loudly against the orange floor tiles. The green half-walls that divided the open space into three areas could use a refresh. I was standing in what could be considered the entry part of the room. On the wall behind me, next to the door, there were hooks with clean blue overalls, and on the floor beneath them stood shoes and slippers. A half-wall to my left separated an area with a wood and leather couch, two matching armchairs, and a round coffee table—the waiting area, I presumed. In front of me, another half-wall cordoned off the work area. A single desk sat there with a woman behind it. She looked to be around my age, with bleached hair, heavy make-up, and fire-engine red long nails. She looked up at me, scrutinised me, judged me, and sighed.
“You have to wait for them to get you,” she said to me while looking at the computer screen in front of her.
“Thank you,” I said out of habit. Even though she hadn’t invited me, I took a seat on an armchair in the waiting area and spent my time studying the large plant there. I liked its big leaves that brought tropical climates to mind. We hadn’t had any potted plants in the apartment, only fresh-cut flowers that were exchanged every third day. I wondered if I would be able to keep a houseplant alive; I would like to get some for my own place, but I didn’t want to get them just to kill them. Occupied by my own thoughts, I had lost track of how long I had been waiting. Lena walked into the room from a door to the right.
“Laura, I was expecting a...” Lena stopped halfway through her sentence as she saw me. I got up and smiled at her. She smiled back at me. “Iris, there you are,” she said. Then she frowned. “Have you been waiting long?” she asked. I glanced at the clock on the wall and realised I had been waiting for over twenty minutes; it was a quarter past ten.
“A little while, nothing to worry about,” I told her. She looked at Laura.
“You need to let us know when our appointments show up, Laura. I have told you this several times,” Lena said.
“Sorry, I forgot,” Laura said. Lena rolled her eyes.
“Sorry for the wait, I feared you had changed your mind,” Lena told me and gestured for me to walk with her. “Do you want some coffee or tea?” she offered. I would have accepted, as I hadn’t had my first cup yet for the day, but judging from Laura’s performance, it would be Lena who would get it.
“No thank you,” I said as she showed me into an office. There were two desks in the office, standing at a ninety-degree angle to each other. Again, the walls were covered in shelving. In the corner opposite the desks, there were two cosy sofas separated by an oval coffee table.
“This is my husband, Jack,” Lena introduced us.
“Nice to meet you, Mr Hughs,” I said as I shook his hand.
“It’s just Jack, and the pleasure is all mine. My wife has told me about you.”
“Please take a seat on one of the sofas; let’s make this as comfortable as possible,” Lena told me. I nodded and took a seat. “Laura had forgotten to let us know you were here,” Lena informed her husband as they sat down opposite me. He shook his head. We started talking. I handed them my best attempt at a CV, and we talked about why I needed the job. I didn’t go into details; I just told them I had a falling out with my family and needed a fresh start. It was a pleasant interview. It felt more like catching up with old friends.
“Let me be honest with you, Iris,” Jack said. “A couple of years back, we had four dispatchers who worked around the clock. When you are out on the road, having a good dispatcher can save your life. When two of them retired, we decided to outsource the night and weekend work and only keep the office hours work local. It worked surprisingly well until Anya, our dispatcher, retired two months ago. We temporarily took Laura in, but... Well, you have seen it, no need to explain,” he told me. I nodded.
“You are overqualified for the job. But you are a sweet girl, and I think you would do a good job,” Lena added.
“I don’t see myself as overqualified,” I objected. “I think it sounds like a lot of fun and a challenging position.” The couple looked at each other.
“Whoever gets the job will have a challenge on their hands. Anya left some written instructions, but I don’t see Laura being of much help in the onboarding process,” Lena said. I nodded. I agreed with her.
“Still interested?” Jack asked.
“Absolutely,” I told him. He smiled at me and then looked at his wife, who nodded.
“Then we would like to offer you the position,” he said. I felt my excitement spike. I had managed to take the first step towards independence. No longer was I unemployed.
“Thank you so, so much. I will do my best not to let you down,” I told both of them. Lena smiled at me.
“I know you will be great. We will start you on Monday, will that be okay? Seven o’clock sharp?” Lena asked.
“Sounds fine to me. I look forward to it,” I said.
“Any other questions?” Jack asked. I thought about it for a moment.
“Not regarding the work, but can I ask something about the area? You seem to know it well?” I asked in return. They both chuckled.
“I would hope so. We have had our business here for the last thirty-five years, and we have our home not far from here. Ask away,” Lena said.
“I’m looking for a place to rent. Is there any area I should avoid? Or anything else I need to think about?”
“My friend owns an apartment building with rentals. I can check if she has any openings. The house is old, but she keeps it in good condition,” Lena suggested.
“Really? That would be great. Thank you,” I told her.
“Not at all. It helps you find a place and my friend to get a good tenant. And I have two favours to collect,” she said happily, and her husband chuckled. “Is it okay if I give her your phone number?”
“Of course,” I agreed. We chatted for another couple of minutes, and then they both walked me out. As I walked out of the fenced-in area, I headed for the coffee shop. I had earned a big cup of coffee and maybe a sandwich.
