Broken Pieces (10 page)

“I’m here to assist Paula Martin,” I tell her and she picks up the phone.

I look around at the typical waiting room set up. It had those awful fake trees and the magazines that are at least two-years-old. Though, the chairs looked nice and the place was clean.

The clinking of heels on tile brought my attention to the woman walking towards me that I assumed was Paula. I had not met her yet because I owed all of this to my psychology teacher that has helped and guided me throughout my three years at Tulsa. He is really good friends with Mrs. Martin and, in fact, I do believe he has a little crush on her. Once I saw her, I could see why.

She is wearing an off-white blouse which accentuates what she has going on up top. It goes with her tiny waist and perfect hips in that black pencil skirt she’s wearing. Everything fit her like a glove. Crap, I hope I’m dressed okay. I look down at my black slacks, paired with an old silk dressy shirt with weird designs on it that I have had forever. I believe I stole it from my old best friend back in my home town, well old best friend I guess.

I come back to reality when I notice the woman standing in front of me is extending her hand. Shit! I quickly introduce myself and she tells me to follow her. We make our way through a door and, at the end of the hallway, she leads me into an office that I presume is hers. It’s a pretty common office with everything you would expect. I take a seat, fiddling with the straps on my purse. I have no clue why I’m nervous, but I am. Mr. Mackey said I already had the internship. Maybe it’s my insecurities, as Drew would say it. Oh, I can’t start thinking about him here. I have to stay focused.

“Well Ms. Brooks, you came highly recommended from Mr. Mackey and I have to say that, by looking at your schooling, I can see why he did. You will graduate a semester ahead of when you are supposed to, your grades and extra credits are outstanding for someone as young as you.”

I sat there quietly, just smiling and nodding when she would look up from her papers on her desk. I didn’t know what to say, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to elaborate on why I worked my ass off when I got to college. Everyone has their own story, and I would prefer to keep mine to myself. He was the one exception.
Stay focused!

“I worked hard, but I still have a little ways to go before I will be happy with what I want to accomplish,” I tell her, smiling.

I am actually a little proud of myself for what I have been able to accomplish in the small amount of time that I’ve had. Still, if it’s up to me, I am nowhere near finished. I will only have my bachelors when I graduate, and I’d like to go for my masters. Of course, that’s depending on how this internship goes and if they decide to hire me, or if I find another good paying job to pay for more schooling.

She asks me what I would like to accomplish. I tell her that if everything goes well with this internship, I’d like to have a steady income coming in because my student grants are gone and loans will be piling up. I also told her about how I plan on working full-time by next year, and going to school for my masters at night. She seemed impressed, and I hope that it shows her that I am more than willing to work my ass off here to help me in the future.

“Well, it seems that Mr. Mackey chose a good person for this job.” She stands and motions me to follow.

We walk back into the hallway. To the left, there’s a room full of filing cabinets, a printer, and a small desk. She turns, looking a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry we don’t have an actual office for you, but I hope this will work.”

“Oh, yes, this is fine. Thank-you,” I reply, smiling.

It really wasn’t that bad and was about the same size as her office. It looked like they have been using it for storage until now. “Okay, well,” she says, as she walks further into the storage room/office. “You will be dealing with the filing of the client’s papers and the billing for their appointments.” I nod at her as she continues. “You will also go get the clients from the waiting room and bring them to me. I might ask you to sit in with me sometimes, with their permission, so you can get a feel for how things work.” That last part made me smile. This will be the best last semester ever.

The rest of the day was filing paperwork. For the most part it was organized, but not all of it, and the incoming new clients just added more. The day went by fairly quickly, considering it was my first day. I didn’t even know it was time to leave until Paula poked her head in the door and asked if I was going to work all night. When I checked the clock, I could not believe that it was already after five. So I gathered my things, thanked her for the opportunity, and told her that I would be seeing her tomorrow at one.

As I make my way to my car, I drag out my phone to see if he’s texted. He has! The butterflies come just by seeing his name. I wait to read it until I get to my car so I have the privacy of the text all to myself.

The first one was a text to what we were texting about at lunch that I didn’t get a chance to respond to:

I’ll make sure that your b-day is amazing this year …

I can feel a goofy grin on my face, but my mind starts wondering about what he’s planning. He knows THAT happened on my birthday, but I’m almost positive that it won’t even cross my mind when I’m with him.

I hope your first day at work is going good … I’m thinking about you. I was wondering if the lovely Ms. Brooks had plans this evening.

I think I texted him back as fast as I have ever texted anyone in my life. Even through a text, he can make me feel things I only thought I felt in the past.

I actually can’t wait until my b-day now! And I had a great first day! I hope your day was good! And no, Mr. Evans, I do not have plans … what do u have planned?

I take a deep breath, put my phone aside, start my car, and realize that I’m the only one left in the parking lot. Yeah, I’m a loser. I manage to make it back to the dorms without getting lost. This may not be so bad after all. I make my way to my dorm room, without any confrontations this time. Lauren’s in the room, and it looked like she robbed a clothing store.

“Hey, Lauren. How’d your first day of classes go?” I say, eyeing her purchases.

I practically fall on my bed, my things falling to the floor. I lean on my side and watch her go through mounds of clothes. She doesn’t even turn to me when she says, “Is that what you wore today?”

I glance down at my clothes. I didn’t think they were that bad. Pulling my eyebrows together, I say, “Uh … yeah, why?” I reply, unsure of where she is going with this.

“Well, I went shopping today and I have all these other clothes I don’t know what to do with …” she said, trailing off.

“Oh,” I say, flatly.

I wish I had that problem. It took me a while to save up money from working at the coffee shop to be able to buy clothes because I had to make sure I had money for gas and food. I’m grateful that I have grants and a small scholarship that helped me so I could save some of my money. Since I knew I had to quit the coffee shop last week, I had saved the last two checks for gas and food. I don’t know when I will get paid for my internship so I don’t think I should go buy a new wardrobe for work; I have to be responsible. I don’t have anyone to fall back on if I come up short.

“Yep! So I was hoping that you could take a few off of my hands …”

I think she is being subtle about asking me if I want some of her old clothes, but I don’t want her to give them to me because she feels sorry for me. I hate that. “Oh, um … it’s fine. I don’t need any clothes,” I say because I don’t know what else
to
say.

With her hands on her hips, she turns and glares at me. “You need some work clothes, and a girl can never have too many clothes, in general. Plus, I just went shopping with the allowance that daddy gives me for school clothes every semester.” She manages to say that all in one breath.

I hold my hands up. “Okay, okay! Pick out what outfits you don’t want anymore,” I say to lift her spirits a little bit, but I quickly regret it.

She starts freaking out, wanting me to see if this and that fit. “Ooo, I think this would look awesome on you!”

I feel like her own personal dress-up doll. When it was all said and done, I had five new work outfits and three new “club outfits”. Even though I told her I doubt I would be going to the club anytime soon, she still insisted. She also swore that I had to have these jeans and those shirts so now I have no room in my closet.

I’m standing in front of her massive mirror, looking at one of the shirts she gave me. Maybe I can wear this tonight when I see Drew. It’s a one shoulder simple shirt, but it’s a little tight and I can see the pudge poking out in the front. Maybe, since it is dark navy blue, he won’t notice. Just as I turn so I can see my butt in these shorter than short khaki shorts she gave me, I hear my phone ding.

I’m glad you had a good day, sweetie. Mine was good until now … look, I’m sorry, but I have to stay late tonight so …

Feeling, bummed I text back:

Oh, I’m sorry, but it’s okay … just text me later.

I didn’t realize how much I was looking forward to just seeing him tonight until I read that text. Guess that means I can change into So-Fe shorts and a t-shirt, and just relax. However, Lauren walks back into the room saying how “hot” I look and that we have to go out tonight.

“On a Monday night?” I say, hoping she takes the hint that I am not too keen on going out.

“Oh, not clubbing. Just go to the coffee shop and hang out with people from school,” she says like it was obvious.

I wanted to say, sorry to break it to you, Lauren, but I haven’t just ‘hung’ with anyone from this school. I remember when I worked at the coffee shop, and she would come in with some of her friends. From what I remember, they weren’t that bad, but I’m still not so sure about it. The club was a totally different thing. I don’t really like talking to people I don’t know or in front of a crowd. God, I hope there isn’t a bunch of people.

“Calm down, Kara. It’s just a few friends at a coffee shop. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. I just wanted to invite you,” she says, sincerely.

I know she’s being honest and I don’t have to go. However, when I went to the club and when I made the decision to go with Drew the other night, I decided that this year is going to be different. It is my last year and I’m going to have fun.

I give her my best smile and say, “No, it’s fine. I want to go.”

“Okay,” she says, way too cheery.

She starts in about my hair, and asks me what shoes I plan on wearing. She also informs me that the accessories make the outfit. In my twenty-one years of living, I guess someone failed to mention that to me. By the time she was done, after the matching navy wedges and from the way she straightened and styled my hair, I was a couple inches taller. She loaned me a necklace and earrings, but I drew the line on the make-up. I told her it was a waste time because I was just going to come home and take it right back off. We decided to do half-and-half. I reapplied eye liner, she added eye shadow, and I already had mascara on. Finally, I was ready to go. I didn’t understand the point, but I let her have her fun.

I make sure to grab my phone before we leave. I’m secretly hoping that he gets off work soon so I can at least talk to him a little tonight. I don’t have class tomorrow, but I do have to go to work at one. Drew’s supposed to work from eight to five … except tonight, of course. I guess this is my new weird schedule I’ll have to get used to. I have a feeling I will grow very fond of weekends.

We get in Laurens car, even though I told her it was only two blocks away. She said, “Yeah, and by the time we walked there, you woulda’ taken those shoes off.” Okay, I had to give her that. These shoes are not comfy, but they sure are cute. There is a lot of cars here for a Monday night, but I shake it off and follow Lauren inside.

That’s when I remember that Monday night is band night at the coffee shop, and that means I will for sure get to see the only friend I have had for the past three years. When I worked here, he was like my rock; he always lifted my spirits. I haven’t talked to him since he got back from his home in Kansas. He said his father begged him to come and work the farm for the summer. Kace didn’t look like he came from a farm. He didn’t even look like he belonged on one with his black shaggy hair, tattoos, and rocker attire. He plays in a local band that has played at the coffee shop sometimes, and are really good.

I looked around, but didn’t see him. I did see a couple of the guys he played in the band with so I had hoped he’d be here. I follow Lauren to where her friends are sitting in the front row at one of the bistro tables that align perfectly to accommodate the stage. I recognize a few of the girls from a couple of classes I had last semester and over the summer. One was a blonde, whom looks like she wants to be like Lauren so bad she can’t help it, and the other is red-head, who was too interested in her boyfriend to care about much of anything. They all seem nice, and introduced themselves. I sit and order my usual from the waitress. She had just started when I put my two week notice in so I didn’t get to know her very well, but I’m glad to see that it’s working out for her.