Ease My Mind | Finley & Harlyn #1.5

Chapter 6

Harlyn

July 18th

5:01 AM BST
Finley:
I. Hate. Paperwork.

5:07 AM BST

Me:
I'm so sorry love.

5:10 AM BST
Finley:
Why do they need to know all of this information?

5:15 AM BST

Me:
They just want to make sure you're not coming here to take over the country.

5:17 AM BST
Finley:
If they talked to me for just two minutes, they'd know that I do not have the ability or desire to take over a country.

5:25 AM BST

Me:
I don't know. You can be pretty persuasive when you want to be.

As usual, the breakfast shift is mostly coffee and hash browns. And, as usual, I leave smelling like grease and feeling like I bathed in a fryer. I have one unread message from Finley from before he finally went to sleep around midnight his time. That was a few hours ago, but I text him back anyway and move on to my next notification, starting down high street toward home. It's a missed call and a voicemail. I start listening to it just as I cross under the city wall.

"Harlyn, this is Marty Williams. Sorry to have missed you. If you could give me a call back at this number as soon as you can, that would be great. Thanks."

The job. I just went for the interview a week and a half ago. It went well? I think? I don't know. I haven't interviewed for many jobs. I don't have much of a yard stick. I also don't have much of a yard stick for how long it takes to hear after an interview. Is fast good? Bad? Does he have more questions? Did I forget to include something with my resume and recommendations?

I wait until I'm home and in my room before calling him back. I consider showering first, but he can't see me, so I decide against it. He answers almost immediately.

"Harlyn! Good to hear from you!"

"Yes, sorry," I say, sitting on the edge of my desk chair. "I was at work, so I couldn't get to my phone."

"No worries at all. I just wanted to give you a call about your interview and the position at Highton House." I try to read his tone, but I can't.

"Yes, of course."

"Well, we'd really love you to be part of our team, if you're still interested," he says.

I take a breath and a moment to celebrate internally before answering. "I'm very interested, sir. Very. When do I start?"

"Slow down," he chuckles. "We're still in the beginning stages of all of this. We're not even allowed into the house yet, technically. There are still some legal things to take care of. A lot of planning is going into this. And organization. We think September will be your official start date."

"Alright. Makes sense."

"We will bring you in a couple times before that for meetings and briefings. And to do all the logistics."

"Of course."

"I'll get all of that emailed over to you by this afternoon."

"Thank you so much, sir. I really look forward to working with you."

"I do, too. We all do."

As soon as we hang up, I hurry down the stairs to find Mum only to remember that it's her shopping day. She's not home. And Dad has a lecture this morning. Elly's at work. I have to tell someone. Anyone. Somebody. I check the time; eleven forty five. That means it's not even six am in Illinois. Finley will definitely be asleep. But...he's always saying to call him no matter the time if it's important. Or even if it's not. So, I do. I hit the call button and wait.