“It happens to the best of us.”
“He was no good… He alienated me from everyone, tried to strip me of my identity. I was strong, I let him make me weak… I was such a fool!” More tears streamed down her face and she flushed with embarrassment. “I’m sorry. You’re not a counselor. Well, you are a job counselor, but not a psychologist. I need to lie on a couch, not bore you with my troubles. I shouldn’t even be talking about this right now. I’m sure I look like some basket case. I’ve made a terrible first impression.”
“No.” He gently reached down and touched her shoulder. “It’s all right. This happens a lot, actually. People come here and are sometimes upset. They need to vent. I can handle it. Now go on, tell me whatever it is you want to get off your chest.” She hesitated for a moment, then nodded, accepting his offer, needing to take him on his proposition in the worst way.
“I used to have a lot of friends, Mr. Summers.” She wiped a falling tear away with her tissue. “I used to be close to my sisters and the rest of my family. But… I let this man come between us! And now… now I am too ashamed and prideful, I guess, to even let them know how low I’ve fallen from grace! The shameful things I did and said to them… the disgraceful things I did and said during the marriage to keep a man who didn’t want to be kept. It’s like I totally lost myself. I don’t know who that woman was that was taking this man’s abuse. I’ve always done my own thing and refused to have others run my life. Why this time was different I don’t know. I supported his dreams while my life turned into a nightmare. I was so stupid!”
The angry tears fell, her lower lip trembled, and she felt like a damn fool. He handed her another tissue.
“You want to hear the truth, Ms. Blue? We’ve all been stupid when it comes to love at least once in our lives. But you live and learn, you get mad, you cry and scream, you get angry—and then you put one foot in front of the other and walk on.” She looked up at him, and he was smiling. It was a sad smile, but a smile nevertheless. “As hard as it is, I want you to forgive yourself, okay? Forgive yourself for that stupidity as you call it and look forward from this day on. You are here in this office to aid in your fresh start, right?”
“Yes.”
“You just moved into a new place. Your money is tight. But let’s look at what you’ve got going for you.” He began to count off his fingers. “According to your resume, you have a great education and went to one of the top schools in the state. Secondly, you have a certification to give personal training and please don’t misconstrue this or take it wrong, but you yourself appear to be in great physical shape and you’re breathtaking. That can only help you.”
She couldn’t help but smile at his words. “You have drive—I saw where you applied to all sorts of places but just couldn’t get your foot in the door. Not once, though, have you given up. You could have gone crawling back to the comfort of your family. You say it’s pride, but whatever the reason, you didn’t. You want to stand up on your own two feet. That’s admirable. So, with all of that going for you, you have no reason to keep beating yourself up. It’s self-destructive and counterproductive, anyway. My motto is, if it isn’t helping you, toss it away.”
He leaned forward and delicately touched her arm. She nodded and smiled at the man, feeling better already. Getting back to his chair, he resumed typing for a spell and she could barely breathe. She sat there quietly, her emotions swirling and whirling within her, choking her up.
I like him…
She’d become suddenly curious about the man…
I wonder why he had to move when he was twelve?
He was working at one of the best job placement agencies in the city, and people from all walks of life entered that door, but this was no free service. The old adage proved true: in order to make money, you had to have some money.
Why did he choose this career?
How was it that he seemed to know just what to say and be compassionate when he simply could have handed her a slip of paper with a number to call a certain office for a job lead and then sent her on her un-merry way? Instead, he took a more personable approach, and it warmed her all over.
She glanced at his left hand.
No wedding band or wedding band tan… I wonder if he is seeing anyone? Probably. He comes off as one who knows a lot. He gives advice and seems to like giving it, too. Maybe he is a counselor of sorts after all. I guess it comes with the job, just like he said. He’s professional but kind…and sexy…
“All right, Ms. Blue, I’ve got all your details updated and ready to go. I am going to give you a packet with our information. My card is in there, too.” He handed her a fancy, sleek, white folder filled with neatly placed papers. She opened it and began to flip through as he continued his spiel. “There’s information in there about updating your resume, but yours looks pretty good as is. My email address is also in there in case you want to send something that way instead. Do you have any questions?” He cocked his head to the side, his eyes hooded.
So damn sexy…
“Um, well, what are the next steps? An interview with a company?”
“Well, yes, but first I am going to personally shop your credentials around. Meanwhile, I will be reaching out to various establishments and agencies based on the positions they have posted internally, which the public has no access to. Once companies show interest, I will get you an interview but right before you go there, I would first brief you on the company and the position. Then I’d have you rehearse with me as if you are being quizzed by the business in question. Any place I set you up with, I already know how they conduct things and what they are looking for. I’m very good with placements in your field, so I think you’re in luck.”
She filled with optimism at his encouraging words. “That sounds promising.”
“It is. So, I’d like to get you set up in the system and once we get some bites, I’ll call you into my office and we’d go over it. I will lend you some advice then send you on your way. I will do the same with each job lead that comes to my attention. Once you land a position, of course you know I’d then receive the remaining portion of my payment from you and a fee from the company. The first three months you are there, there will be reports sent back to me that I will keep in your record. After the ninety-day mark, the case is closed and I am no longer privy to your progress thereafter. Any other questions?”
“Yes, actually, I have one.”
“Okay, go right ahead.”