New Girl in Town
The sun baked down from a clear blue sky that was a touch lighter than a robin's egg. There was no breeze to speak of and the sound of a flock of crows that was nearly three blocks over reached miles around. It sounded as though they were fighting over some, particularly, juicy piece of trash. Most of the people walking about were wearing short skirts or short sleeved shirts, the few who were not were tugging at their collars or rolling up their sleeves.
Standing in the middle of the sidewalk, trying to ignore the sticky sweat that was rolling down between my shoulder blades, I stared up at the military center before me. My hands gripped the file folder that I held so tightly that my knuckles were white. Inside, all I felt were the butterflies swarming around in circles in the depths of my stomach. It'd been months since I'd last had an interview and this was my last resort. The typist pool within the building was in need of some new bodies. Secretly, I hoped mine was not one of them.
Taking a deep breath, I brushed the too long bangs from my forehead and took the first step toward the large white building. The heat from the concrete of the walkway making the building's façade shimmer in the sun's light. It was like a mirage seen from a distance; there, yet not there. I continued to walk, ignoring the pain coming from my feet which were not accustomed to heels any longer. Too many years of working outside of the professional world had made them soft. I sorely missed my sandals.
Before I had thought of something beyond what I would do if the job was handed to me, I was at the front doors, staring at them with apprehension. People said that any who entered these doors lost their souls to the Fuhrer. For a moment, I pondered if they were right about that.
'Oh well… a girl's gotta eat and have someplace to live,' was the only counter I could come up with to that endearing concept.
With a sigh and a slight hesitation, I reached out and pulled open the doors. A waft of cooler air hit me in the face and all my worries slipped away. Before long, I was standing in front of a large wooden door, staring at the finely grained, dark stained wood. Taking deep breaths, trying to settle the violently fluttering butterflies in my stomach.
This was just the latest I had to walk through before I found out about the job. I'd seen, what seemed to be, several hundred people throughout the day. I'd gone from a lower, nobody supervisor (didn't even have a rank) to a lieutenant colonel and now I was standing before the offices of a full colonel. I just prayed that he/she was the last one before I found out whether or not I got the job, cause I was getting really tired of being asked the same questions over and over again.
Before I could push the door open, however, it was opened for me from the inside. A tall man wearing with blond hair and blue eyes, an unlit cigarette hanging from his lower lip, nearly ran right into me. I had to stepped to one side to avoid being stepped on. He looked at him, surprise etched on his face for a moment, before a smile replaced the shock. I smiled back and quickly stepped past him into the office.
I thought I caught a disappointed look in his eyes as I skipped past, but couldn't be sure. And before I could consider it, I was standing before a large desk, made of the same wood and stained the same color, as the doors. The desk was covered in a disorganized array of papers, folders, and clipboards. A blond woman, her back perfectly straight and a chilly look in her blue eyes stood to my right, her gaze never leaving the man behind the desk. I instantly got the feeling that I did not want cross this woman… ever.
"Um, excuse me… Colonel," my energy was waning and so were my crisp manners. I had been at this since mid-morning and it was reaching mid-afternoon now. I'd not even eaten lunch yet.
The man didn't look up at my voice, he simply continued to sign paperwork or fill in blank spaces on other pieces of paperwork. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, so I just stood there and hoped that, eventually, the man would bother to notice me. Not that this surprised me much, men never seemed to notice me… especially when there was another woman around.
"There," the man finally sat up straight, rubbing the small of his back as the woman gathered the papers he had been working on. It was nearly ten minutes since I'd set foot in the office and my feet were on fire and so was my temper.
"Excuse me Colonel, but Lieutenant Colonel Pin sent me here for an interview and I would appreciate it if you bothered to notice me before I keel over from sheer exhaustion," I snapped, planting my hands on my hips and leaning towards him. He looked up, his black eyes narrowing at my outburst, but a small smile playing on his lips.
Straightening up from taking the files and folders, the female officer watched me closely but said nothing. Her face showed neither shock nor annoyance, or any emotion for that matter. I was somewhat glad for that. She was scary enough as is.
Straightening my back in a subconscious mimic of the woman, I spoke in a little more respectful tone, apologizing for the outburst, "I apologize, but I have been waiting here for over 10 minutes now and after being put through endless interviews, I am sick and tired of being ignored, pushed, prodded, questioned, and demeaned!" By the end of it, my 'respectful' tone had been replaced by one of irritation. I put my hand on my forehead and groaned, closing my eyes so I didn't have to see the dark haired Colonel's face.
"I'll just leave now," I started to turn away, only to be stopped by a sudden outburst of laughter. Spinning on my heel (my incredibly sore heel) I gaped, the Colonel was running a hand through his hair, pushing the longer pieces out of his face as he leaned back in his chair. The woman was watching him, but remained silent.
"What is your name?" the Colonel questioned, once he'd managed to quell the last of his amusement.
"My… my name?" I stuttered, still trying to fathom his response. I was rescued by the officer.
"It's on the file, Colonel," she pointed out my name to him, written in a scrawling hand on the tab of a file.
"So it is," he leaned forward and flipped the file open, reading through its contents, which, I was sure, included the notes of the other officers I had met with today.
"Damn, I wish Pin would learn how to write. I can't read half of what he wrote… might be a good thing though," the Colonel stated, his voice was calm and steady. He'd gone from the humor he'd shown just moments earlier to a serious, militaristic demeanor in seconds.
Inwardly I groaned, Lieutenant Colonel Pin had seemed to dislike me the moment I set foot in his office. I had a feeling that he had written exactly that in the file, judging by the Colonel's statement. I just hoped that it wouldn't add onto my 'little outburst' and cause me to lose another job opportunity. I had long given up any ideas of going the 'high ground' and finding a different job. After this day of interviewing, I wanted this job, damnit, I deserved it!
I yanked myself from my thoughts as I realized the Colonel was looking at me. Returning the gaze, I self consciously straightened my spine and stopped fidgeting with my suit jacket. It felt strange, having him examine me, almost like he was looking into my mind and digging for something. I tried not to look away, but it was starting to get to me.
After a few more seconds he looked away, waving one hand and leaning back once more, "You're cute, you can have the job."
My jaw nearly hit the floor. Was that even possible? No questions, no tests, no arguing over what my file said or my beliefs on different subjects… no anything. Just, "You're cute, you can have the job"? Even the female officer was staring at him, dumbfounded. She quite nearly dropped her files and folders before regaining her composure.
"Uh… okay," I sputtered, having no idea what to do or say.
A smirk crossed his face, it wasn't a completely pleasant look, "Pin didn't like you… at all. I just want to see the look on his face when you come into work on Monday morning."
"Sir… is that really a good reason to hire someone?" the woman asked, exasperated.
"No, but her credentials are sound as well, Hawkeye," the Colonel handed 'Hawkeye' my folder and her eyebrows shot skyward. She glanced at me and I smiled meekly.
"Impressive… very well, I'll show you to the women's locker room and help you retrieve your uniform. Colonel Mustang, I expect those reports to be signed by the time I get back," Hawkeye set the folder containing my file back down as she made the last comment, her eyes looking like flint as she regarded her commanding officer.
"Wait a minute, who's the Colonel here?" the Colonel scoffed, backing down the moment Hawkeye touched her sidearm.
Preferring to stay away from the issue, I simply turned and walked to the door, pulling it open. Once I was outside, in the corridor, I sighed in relief and nearly burst out laughing. That was the strangest interview I had ever experienced in my life.
But, there you had it, I had triumphed over my fate of failing interviews and had a job, however oddly gotten. I grinned, feeling lighter now that I knew I could afford my new place and still be able to eat. Reaching down, I removed my right high heel and rubbed my swollen foot. It had been a long, hard day, but it had been worth it.
As soon as Hawkeye exited the office, I slipped the shoe back on and followed her silently. Wondering what Monday morning was going to be like.