4 – Thomas Interviews a New Employee

I got home, parked my laptop on my desk, and looked at Thomas' email again. In the middle of work, it seemed, Thomas responded to my message about how I had accepted his offer with an email entitled "RE: RE: Residential Services Employment Opportunity." I didn't read it, but Alec from the shop sent me a voicemail back:

"Whoa, hey, Blondie, don't say I didn't warn ya, but Zaden heard you and your friend are goin' to the island and, honestly, they're stoked. And yeah, hit me up with whatever questions pop in your head, ok?" In the voicemail's background, the same old crackling store radio was playing "Everyday" by Buddy Holly, and the chatter of customers crafted a bit more background noise. Alec's coworker seemed to have taken the reins for a bit while he was sending me the voicemail.

I let the voicemail finish and then went off to the bathroom to take a shower and consider everything else. In the mirror, I saw the same thing I always did. The person in the mirror looked like that girl from Midsommar, Dani, and Leonardo DiCaprio's wife from The Wolf of Wall Street. She had darker and browner eyes and more of a pear-shaped face.

I noticed the similarities. My blonde hair was still up in that gimmicky scrunchie, and I was wearing my work outfit, but without the sweater.
This image of myself in the mirror seemed like another girl, a stranger, a distant relative of an old friend. Sometimes, I felt like she was like my fairy godmother or my guardian angel instead of my reflection. If she was a different type of beast than I am, everyone else in this city was. I could still relate to everyone and make friends here, like with Alec and Ray, and people at work.

After a nice shower, I was too worried about my identity to pour myself a glass of whiskey. Sure, the buzz was nice, but how could it have distracted me from my feelings about who I was? Not even a good whiskey could hide my fears about who the human in the mirror was.

My phone rang, as an unknown number gave me a ring that evening. I slid my phone to accept the call and listened to who was on the line. A voice, inhuman yet comprehensible, spoke through the line.

"Afternoon, Miss Herschel. Hm, I hope I have the right phone number." Though I could not pinpoint exactly what animal was on the line, it seemed masculine. His voice had the same pitch as a cat's voice, but with a foxlike tone to it.

"Hello? Who is this?" I replied to the dubiously human guy as I moved over to my floral-navy-stripe-print couch in the living room.

"Hm, how do you not recognize my voice? It's me! The president of this company, and your future employer. But, yes, yes, it has been a while, and I understand my unfamiliarity." Replied the inhuman voice on the other line.

I walked over to my laptop and opened my email. There, the email from Thomas titled, "RE: RE: Residential Services Employment Opportunity" remained unread, until I clicked it. The email read:

"Dear Miss Herschel,
Thank you for accepting this opportunity. Please expect a phone call later today in lieu of a traditional interview process. Yes, yes, I am aware of your existence and most of your previous work experience.
-Thomas"

"Oh, yeah! Good evening, Thomas!" I greeted Thomas.

Thomas responded, "So," his voice sounded a bit irritated, but changed to a somewhat friendly tone afterwards, "hello to you, as well. Now, from the email I received earlier, it appears you're currently employed at Chick and O'Neill in Montanie, yes, yes."

I didn't know what else to say. "Yeah! That's right! It's a great workplace, and it pays enough to put food on the table and my stuff in an apartment!"

Thomas asked more. "Yes, yes, tell me more about this place. Is it to your liking, hm? Do the people there think you're swell, both in actions and in form?"

I explained what I've been doing at Chick and O'Neill. "It's a management advisory service firm. I think it's a good place! I'm forming good friendships with everyone in the company, and the workload's not too difficult compared to other jobs I've had!"

Thomas's voice grew interrogative. "And what does this mean to you, hm? You've become a whole new person since you've left, yes, yes. Hm, maybe even became the girl you were back when you first became my neighbor."

I thought of the campsite and remembered how hectic it could be to help manage it, but I'm sure I've done harder work. Throughout the campsite memories, I kept a cheery attitude throughout until I unwillingly left. "Well, you know how I was the assistant manager of a campsite, right? That was harder than working management advisory, but I kept looking to the bright side."

The critter-like voice came back through the phone's receiver. "I think I should remember how you were, considering my nephews and I managed a business of premium goods there. I can't mention your performance, considering we're reconnecting, but you had a lot of fun, yes, yes. Mr. Harris, your former boss, thought so, too. Mike was a good pal when he first met you, oho!"

The compliment from him lifted my spirits and lowered my urge to pick up the bottle. "Why, thank you, Thomas. I'm glad he's still doing alright!"

"Hmm, you're welcome. Now, this position will be a lot less stressful, and may be like what you've accomplished before, yes, yes." He remarked, the pitch wavering in his tone.

"Well, I can imagine the lack of stress because this might be like a vacation! Only 24/7 instead of just for a few days, right?" I questioned.

"Why, of course, yes, yes! An island adventure throughout all hours of the day! Hm, I should have asked for questions before you'd asked that, but I forgive you. It's in my moral code. Thank you, Isabelle, and have a nice evening." He disconnected the call.

My fears about where I was going in life and whether the new job on the island would let me move on from Balltown lulled me to sleep.

In the vast space of dream, I saw myself as a beloved pet dog. I was in a log cabin in a forest, with an oddly familiar person at my side. All I could think about was running around with this person through the woods, and of course, belly rubs. I was loyal to this person and I could help them in any way I could. At that moment, I was happy.