Chapter 10
"May I help you?" the receptionist asked.
Sam explained why she was there and was told to head up to the fifteenth floor.
As she took the elevator, Sam felt pensive. She was actually going on an interview to be a photojournalist. It had been her dream. Had been. Or still was? Sam wasn't sure. She was there, but she wasn't sure.
She got off the elevator and walked into chaos. There were reporters everywhere. Some were on the phone, some were pounding the keys of computers.
This was something that Sam knew. She had participated in this chaos in both high school and college. This was what she had wanted to do after graduation. Then she frowned.
She had wanted to do this, but with Jake at her side. He'd never be at her side again. She could still do this, but she'd have to do it without Jake.
Jake who had always encouraged her, given her hope. She was hopeless without him. She was totally hopeless.
She could go through the motions of her life, but she'd be doing it without hope. It was a major decision that faced her at this moment. If she didn't go forward, Sam knew it wouldn't be long before she ceased to exist.
"May I help you?" an older man asked Sam. He looked to be a bit older than her father.
No, nobody can help me.
"I'm here to see Rod McDuff?" Sam knew she didn't sound confident.
"That would be me," the man told her. She saw a hint of humor in his green eyes.
"My name is Samantha Forster," Sam introduced herself.
"Let's see the pics," Rod held out a hand. Sam handed him her portfolio.
He started looking through them.
"This is yours?" he pointed at the photo she had taken that had ended up being used in this newspaper.
"Yes," Sam nodded.
"Hmmm," he murmured and started leafing through the rest of the pages. He stopped again at another of her photos which his newspaper had used.
"This one too?" he lifted his eyes to her.
"Yes, sir," Sam told him.
"You're hired," Rod responded.
Sam blinked.
He waved a hand in front of her face. "You there?"
"Yes sir," Sam tried to focus on him. "Wow."
"You start tomorrow," Rod said.
"Okay," Sam didn't know what to think.
"Lucy!" Rod shouted, startling Sam.
"Yeah?" a tall blond leaned back in her chair to answer.
"Show Forster where she'll be living," he shouted back.
"Thank you sir," Sam held out her hand which he shook.
"Don't thank me," Rod told her with a wink. "Thank whoever you got your talent from."
Maxine. Jake's mom had helped her become a good photographer. Sam wasn't sure she'd ever thanked the woman enough. Now it was too late.
Sam turned towards the blond woman who was pointing at a desk next to hers.
"This will be yours tomorrow," she was told.
Sam nodded, still in a daze. She really hadn't expected to get the job.
"Be here at five," Lucy told her. "That's AM."
Sam nodded again but inside she groaned. She wasn't a morning person.
Of course, she wasn't much of anything anymore. Her stupidity had taken care of that.