“Bastard son of a no account snake-oil salesman!” Audrey swore under her breath, glaring at her phone as it buzzed on the bedside table.
She reached for it, ears radiating heat at the thought of having come all this way for nothing. It wouldn’t be the first time someone canceled the interview before it could happen.
“Hello?” she answered, two rings from the call being sent to voicemail.
“Audrey, hi, it’s Ginny. From The Marquis?”
Glittering spots danced along the edges of her vision.
“Yes, of course! What can I do for you?”
She prayed the strain in her voice wasn’t as audible as it seemed to her.
“I hate to do this on such short notice, but the theater is having some electrical problems and I don’t currently have power in my office.”
“Oh, yikes, I’m sorry to hear that.” Audrey fought to keep her voice calm despite the rising dread.
“I know you had to travel for the interview.”
“Please, not again!” she pleaded silently with the universe.
“Would you mind if we met at a coffee shop down the street? I know it isn’t the most professional—”
“Don’t worry about it, the coffee shop is no problem. Same time?”
“Fantastic, thanks, I appreciate the understanding. I’ll see you soon!”
Audrey slumped onto the edge of the bed when the call ended, her breathing quick and shallow. Tiny beads of cold sweat formed along her hairline. Her conscious awareness of time vanished, until the reminder alarm on her phone brought her back to reality in just enough time to freshen up before leaving.
It was a brilliantly clear day, the air still and warm, feeling more like fall than the first week of January. The sun glinted off her wavy, black hair, one errant strand falling into her face. Audrey took little notice of it though, concentrating on dispersing the sensation of having swallowed stones. She’d lost track of how many interviews she’d gone through months ago. Six were canceled before they could even happen. Her left hand idly twiddled with the silver and amethyst pentacle pendant hanging on a long, thin strip of leather around her neck, drawing out what comfort it had left to give.
“If I get this one, I won’t try to break into acting again. I’ll be happy just working backstage. If I don’t, I’ll find another career.”Audrey glanced skyward, offering the silent prayer up to her patron deity.
This was it; her last chance. Pausing a few feet from the coffee shop, Audrey took a steadying breath and tucked the necklace inside her clothes before going to meet her certain doom. The scent of fresh baked pastries and newly roasted coffee beans filled her nostrils. That never failed to slow her racing heartbeat, even as she teetered on the edge of walking away from childhood dreams for good.
No matter her reason for being there, she made a beeline to the counter for the one thing she used to gauge any new coffee shop; a dirty chai latte. She placed her order and stepped aside for the next person, eyes scanning the display of food offerings wistfully. Almost a year after leaving her last job and the savings were getting thin, commissions her only source of income. Were it not for the generosity of her best friend, she would have been on the street months ago rather than sharing a small one bedroom apartment.
This trip was costing her enough, between the bus ticket and the motel room. She would much rather splurge on the drink and have to settle for cheap food at the moment. The warmth of the cup, the aroma of fine espresso blended with the spices of the chai were like a security blanket, one she desperately needed right now. That didn’t stop the lemon poppy seed muffin from calling to her, it’s siren song growing more difficult to resist by the second.
“Chai latte for Audrey?”
The barista’s voice broke through, saving her from caving just in time. She gave him a weak smile, taking the cup and holding it to her lips simply to inhale the deliciousness flowing from the opening in the lid. Nerves settled somewhat, she turned to scan the room. At a booth in the very back sat a wiry woman with a wild mass of light brown curls barely contained by the folded bandanna tied around her head, motioning Audrey over. Her faded black jeans, untucked shirt and zip-up hoodie made Audrey feel severely over dressed in her black slacks and favorite deep purple button up. Digging deep into what was left of her reserve of courage, Audrey put on her best smile and walked over.
“I’m Ginny. Nice to finally meet you,” she greeted, giving Audrey a smile and a firm handshake. “Sorry for the last minute change of venue.”
“No worries, I love getting to check out a new coffee spot.”
“It’s fantastic having it so close to the theater.”
Audrey sat, pulled the strap of her worn denim satchel over her head and slid it across the slick vinyl seat along with her portfolio case. Cradling her drink, she couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take for Ginny to say the words she dreaded so much they turned her dreams to nightmares.
“Do you need a physical copy of my resume? I know I sent it to you already, but I brought one just in case.”
“Sure. Beats reading it off of my phone. I didn’t feel like dragging my laptop down here.”
Audrey pulled her trusty folder from the satchel, keeping it low so Ginny wouldn’t see it was starting to fall apart, sliding the resume across the table. She took small sips of her latte as Ginny read it over, struggling to calm her nerves. If the look on Ginny’s face was any indication, at least she was pleased with Audrey on paper.
“You have some good experience here.” Ginny said, finally looking up and smiling at Audrey.
“Thanks. Designing was a hobby when I was younger. I was lucky to turn it into a career.”
She told herself that lie to ease the ache of having given up on her true dreams. It didn’t work.
“So tell me, why do you want to work at The Marquis?”
“I’ve been in love with it for as long as I can remember. I almost knew more about it than my first theater history teacher did. I’ve always dreamed of working there, or someplace like it. When I saw the ad, I had to apply.”
Ginny grinned at her, and Audrey actually began to relax a little.
“You brought your portfolio?”
“Of course.”
Audrey handed it to her and sat back to wait. She’d never been good at narrowing it to only a few pieces, so there was a decent stack for Ginny to look through. With each piece, Ginny’s smile got a little wider, her nodding a bit more enthusiastic. For the first time in ages, Audrey felt the tendrils of real hope creeping over her.
“Beautiful work. Really well done. I love that you included photos of finished pieces, just wish there were more.”
“If I had more to include, they would be there. Other than a few commissions, I haven’t had much chance to see a design through since college.”
“Understood. It can be hard to break through the ranks. Do you think you can handle the responsibility of the position here?”
“Most definitely. I’ve been working towards an opportunity like this for years.”
She couldn’t stomach the idea of losing the opportunity based on uncertainty, so she feigned confidence despite her own doubts.
“I’m glad to hear that. Managing a department is a demanding role.”
Ginny went quiet for a moment, glancing over the resume a second time. When she looked up again, Audrey’s heart sank.
“Your resume and portfolio are solid. I’m impressed by how long you’ve stayed in positions since graduation, it speaks to your loyalty.”
“I pride myself on that.”
“I do want to let you know, the owners have made me aware of what caused you to leave your last job.”
“I can explain,” her eyes ached as she fought to keep tears from forming.
“No need. What happened wasn’t your fault, and it’s a dumb reason to not hire someone.”
“What?”
“I just wanted you to be aware that we know. What we care about is your talent and how well you do your job.”
Audrey blinked, having lost all ability to form words.
“Speaking of doing your job well, when can you start?”
Her eyes widened, face otherwise blank as her mind rebooted in its attempt to process Ginny’s words.
“I, um, I can start tomorrow if you want,” she sputtered when the ability to speak returned.
“Perfect. I’ll email you the details. Call me when you reach the building and I’ll come down to get you. It’s tricky to navigate until you get to know it.”
“That sounds great. Thank you so much, I really appreciate the opportunity.”
“We’re excited to have you on board.”
Half an hour later, after discussing the particulars of the offer, Audrey made her way back to the motel. A block and a half past where she needed to be, the realization hit her like a falling piano.
“I have a job,” she breathed, stopping mid-step. “I have a job!”
Excitement and relief welled up inside her. It took every last ounce of self control in her possession to not squeal. Half a minute later, she also realized she’d passed her turn. Laughing at herself, Audrey turned to retrace her steps. She didn’t particularly want to spend more time in that dismal room than necessary, but at least it would keep her from spending — until dinner time.
The thought of enduring yet another frozen dinner cooked in the room’s tiny microwave made her stomach turn. Throwing on her trusty leather bomber jacket and crocheted beanie, she headed out to the hole-in-the-wall burger joint on the corner to treat herself to a celebratory bacon-burger and fries. With extra pickles.
Back in the room with dinner in hand and the door locked behind her, her excitement boiled over. Two more steps to set her precious cargo on the dresser used up the last of her self-control. It all spilled out, Audrey squealing and jumping in circles without a care for whether or not the neighbors could hear. No matter how many times people told her this sort of behavior didn’t suit a woman a handful of months from her thirty-second birthday, she didn’t care.
Holding it in made her twitchy and restless.
Letting it out brought peace.
Changing into more comfortable clothing, she settled in to enjoy her evening without the cloud of unemployment hanging over her head.

When the sun painted the pale winter sky with streaks of pink and orange, Ginny packed up her things and made the short walk back to the theater. She slipped into the foyer of the theater through a side door, locking it behind her like she always did. Her footsteps echoed in the cavernous space. What bits of sunset could reach the windows spilled in across the floor, its golden tones on the smooth, shining stone floor her only light. Upon reaching her office on the second floor, she discovered two things.
The electricity had been restored, and the only other person who currently had access to the building was there waiting for her.
“How’d it go?” he asked the moment she stepped through the door.
“Fantastic. Better than expected, really. We hired five new people.” Ginny replied, dropping her bag on the desk.
“Is she…” He raised his ice blue eyes to look at her, full of thinly concealed fear.
Anyone who didn’t know him well would have missed the slight tremor in his voice. After a year of working side by side, Ginny heard it clear as anything.
“She was the first one I hired,” she said, giving him a motherly smile despite being only a handful of years older. “You told me she was talented, but damn!”
“So, you agree?”
“Agree? If anything, I think you undersold her skill when you told me about her!”
“I didn’t want to influence your decision,” he said with a half-hearted shrug.
“Like I didn’t know you wanted her to have the job?” she teased gently, raising an eyebrow at him. “You know I don’t think bad of you for what you’ve had to do to get her here. You wanted to help. If it makes you feel any better, I absolutely would have given her the job even if she just walked in off the street.”
“I — yeah, I know. Thank you for saying it, though. When does she start?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Then if you’ll excuse me, I have some things I need to take care of.”