"No!", Alexx sighed.
For the kazillionth time in her life, she had to spell her name letter by letter to the person in front of her.
She was so proud of herself for giving her children easy and traditionally spelt names, just as proud as her mom had been, at naming her Alexx with two xx. She always said: One x is for your father, Xerxes, and the other for your auntie Xantippa.
Her mom's favourite people on the planet, prior to Alexx'es arrival, and her grandma had had a flair for all things Greek.
But try to explain that to the Human Resources officer in the Dade lab, at her umpteenth job interview, and late in the day, with the air con broken.
"I'll never land this job, will I? It's late and hot and I've got a weird name." Alexx always spoke her mind, be it to the living or the dead. She started gathering up all her papers, to just leave and flee into her car, and switch on some Louis Armstrong and the air con.
Not necessarily in that order, though. Today Louis was taking second seat to the air con, that was for sure.
"Wait!", the woman in front of her sighed, ( what an awful day), "please stay. You've made it to the second round of interview, please wait outside just five minutes, and I'll get the Sheriff for you!"
She felt kind of guilty about being rude about the woman's name, but when you're faced with strange names all day long, you just start to really appreciate Anne and Jane and Mary. AH well. She'd make it up to Alexx by putting her file on the very top of files the Sheriff would see today. Knowing him, that would be enough.
Besides.
The woman in front of her had excellent credentials.
The Sheriff was half way through the interview ( thank the Lord Sarah always put the most interesting candidates on the top of the file), when he'd made up his mind.
"Ms Woods, I'd like to be frank with you. We have a tremendous shortage of staff. You're credential's are even more than we expected. If you can start today, the job is yours!"
He sent a little prayer upwards for the woman to say yes.
To his delight, Alexx Woods ( weird spelling, that?), smiled at him.
"Of course I can!" Actually she'd promised her husband she'd be home for lunch, but he'd just have to make her dinner instead, maybe some bisque……..……….
They shook hands, and after that, with ups and downs, mainly due to the Sheriff's political ambition, and Alexx'es total lack thereof, they remained friends.
