TheBanyanTree: STACEY*S NEW JOB

[Sharon Mack]

>From my writing workshop....


Journal Prompt 

Saturday July 17, 2004

Notes:
Create a dialogue between two of your characters. Pretend one is conducting a job interview for the other.

STACEY'S NEW JOB

Stacey sat very tall and straight.  She knew she looked good but she didn't want this job because of her looks.  So many jobs had come that way and the end result was always the same.  Disaster!  She was either inadequate or worse yet, the boss wanted to sleep with her....but this job was different.  She knew she was qualified and it offered her everything she was looking for in a job.  Good location, good pay, good mobility, good benefits.  They even paid for furthering your education.

Stacey reviewed all the things she had learned in her business administration classes.  Be direct, look them in the eye, firm handshake, speak clearly, and smile.  She could hear the instructor assuring them that not only would these things make a good first impression but would go a long way in securing a good interview. Stacey thought about the hours upon hours she had spent at the computer learning all the different software programs.  She felt she knew them like the back of her hand.  There wasn't anything she couldn't do.  She felt strong and confident.

Ms. Wellesley entered the room and smiled stiffly.  Stacey stood up and shook the outstretched hand proffered her, firmly.  Both women took their seat, Mrs. Wellesley behind the great oak desk and Stacey slightly to the left.  Stacey was glad the chair she took was not right in front of the desk.  Off to the side seemed much more friendly somehow.  Not as direct.

After the preliminary how do you do's, Ms. Wellesley began to study Stacey's résumé. It seemed to take her a very long time.

"Geez, she must be reading every word three times*probably looking for a typo....oh, god, I hope I caught them all," Stacey's mind raced through her résumé as if she had it right in front of her.  She could almost recite it exactly as she had written it; she'd gone over it so many times.  Stacey began to fidget with her hands, and then she caught herself tapping her heel rapidly.  "STOP," she screamed silently to herself, willing her feet and hands to be still..

"Hrmph!"  Ms. Wellesley cleared her throat.

Stacey sat up straight looking directly at Ms. Wellesley, waiting expectantly.

"Did you bring your references with you," Ms Wellesley's voice was rough and cold.  Her smile was icy and looked forced.

"Ahh, yes....yes, I did."  Stacey pulled them from her briefcase.  Damn, she should have had them in the folder already.  Stacey began to bite her lip.  Her hands felt sweaty.

Ms. Wellesley was taking her time with the references as well.  She never looked up, just continued to read them over and over, flipping the pages back and forth as though looking for an error.

Finally Ms. Wellesley laid the papers neatly in front of her and stood up.

Stacey was stunned.  Was the interview over?  The woman had never even asked her a question? 

"Ms. Masterson, I am afraid you really are not what we are looking for," Ms. Wellesley hesitated.  "I am sure you are quite over qualified.  Perhaps you don't understand what the job is about."

"Of course I do," Stacey stammered.  "Why, I've studied and gone to school and gotten good grades just so I COULD have this job....or one like it.  It's exactly what I want.  It has good pay, good benefits, and great mobility.  It is challenging and I will get to work with the public and exercise my great people skills.  You know, I have great people skills....it's right there on page two of my resume."  Stacey lifted slightly in her seat pointing to the neat document lying on the desk.

Mrs. Wellesley turned a bright shade of red while Stacey spoke.

"Oh, my God!  Now I've done it, she's angry," thought Stacey, taking her seat again and landing with a slight thud.


Suddenly Ms. Wellesley began to laugh.  A big gusty laugh!  She laughed so hard she had to pull out her chair from behind the desk and flop down into it.  She laughed and laughed. Stacey could see tears dripping down the woman's cheeks. Ms. Wellesley held her stomach and bent forward trying to catch her breath.

"I fail to see the humor..."  Stacy started angrily.

As Ms. Wellesley tried to gain control of herself, she reached for a tissue in one of the drawers.  Wiping her eyes, she let out a big sigh.  After a minute or two and in control at last, she stretched out her arm, leaning forward over the desk.  Ms. Wellesley reached out and touched Stacey's hand, which was now clinging onto the edge of the desk tightly.

"Oh, no!  You don't understand...you see...you must have come into the wrong office..." Ms. Wellesley gulped.  "Whew,"  she whistled and shook her head.   "Maybe even the wrong floor....or the wrong building.  I'm interviewing for..."  she giggled again but tried to contain herself.  "I'm interviewing for....for...." she couldn't seem to find the words.

"For what?"  Stacey was exasperated.  She'd spent a lot of time preparing for this interview and to her it wasn't funny one bit.  "WHAT?"  Stacey shouted.

Ms. Wellesley grew quiet.  "Actresses." She whispered.

Stacey's frown showed her confusion.  She shook her head slowly.

"Actresses, honey....you know....actresses?"  Ms. Wellesley gave Stacey a meaningful look and wiggled her eyebrows.

Finally Ms. Wellesley gave up...."PORN actresses, honey!  Porn actresses!  Not that ya' ain't pretty and all but...."

Stacey was gone before the woman could finish the sentence.