The Countdown to Thirty (19 page)

Sonya

Bright and early Friday morning a decision had been made. I
leapt up and down, hopped, skipped, hell I even twerked in the middle of the
living room with excitement when I found out
I
got the job as Accounting
Specialist for Maddison’s. I was even louder than the excessive banging and
crashing coming from the perverted trash men outside collecting the complex
refuse.

“Bye-bye stupid job applications, bye-bye ridiculous
compatibility tests, screw you debit card declines and peace out daytime TV!” I
yelled as I ran around my apartment like a clown on uppers.

Gwendolyn called me at eight o’clock sharp and happily
offered me the position with company paid benefits after ninety days, two
weeks’ vacation, eight personal days, thirty percent discount on whatever,
whenever and get this…a starting salary of thirty-eight thousand a year.

Oh God was so good to me, my prayers had been answered!

After taking no time in accepting the position she asked me
to meet her at Maddison’s at four; I needed to complete my new hire paperwork,
bank deposit information and get my instructions for the first day.

“Thank you Gwendolyn, I’ll see you at four.”

“You’re welcome Sonya and please, you can call me Gwen.
You’re officially part of the family now.”

“Okay Gwen I’ll see you then.”

“Oh wait honey before you hang up, make sure to bring your
ID and social security card with you okay?”

“Okay, no problem.”

Now that that’s settled, me being gainfully employed again
and all, I was free until four when I needed to meet Gwen. No need to bother
with lengthy job applications and interview callbacks today, but I did need to
let Saundra know that my assistant duties would be coming to an end here
shortly.

I let out a long sigh of relief as I pounced down on my
living room sofa, “Freedom.” I exclaimed before remembering the slip I’d gotten
in yesterday’s mail.

When I checked the mail yesterday a beige colored slip from
the post office was nearly missed when I found it hidden amongst a stack of
junk mail. Finally my package had arrived after waiting weeks for its delivery.
Corrine, the diva herself, and her sap of a fiancé didn’t blink an eye when
Saundra told them I required a budget for custom packaging for the jewelry
pieces. After all, this was going to be a Sonya Kemp design and it had to be
perfect, including the presentation. Nearly two weeks ago I placed an order by
phone, after speaking for an hour and a half with a highly knowledgeable rep
from Exquisite Packaging Online. We discussed bulk orders, small orders, hot
press stamping, engraving, custom logos, custom designs, acrylic bags, paper
bags and lastly ribbons. After it was all said and done I was confident in my
order couldn’t wait to see it!

Filled with the sensation of financial relief and goal
accomplishment I got up from my lounging position on the couch and went to the
bathroom to take a shower. I watched the hot water spray with passion when I
asked myself;
what am I rushing for?
Instead, I turned off the shower
and placed the stopper in the drain to draw a relaxing bath. I raided my
hallway closet stash of bath salts, body scrubs and bath bombs and chose one of
each. I felt good and I wanted to look and smell good to. I poured in a
generous amount of bath salts, Lemon Verbena scented and dropped a few honey
lemon bath balms in the water and watched them explode creating my own in-home
spa.

After forty-five minutes of soaking and day dreaming to the
point my fingers turned into rigid wrinkles and the water began to lose its
therapeutic heat, I unplugged the drain and skipped to my closet. I couldn’t
wait to get to the post office and get my hands on my order. I was so anxious I
forgot to put on panties before leaving the house!

I waited in the offensively long line at the post office
until the white haired postal clerk finally handed me my packages through the
large cutout in the door. He wasted no time in calling up the next customer
before I even had a chance to walk away.

“Geesh! Can I collect all of my stuff before you call the
next person in line?” I thought.

But I was too happy to be mad so instead I opted to struggle
with the packages through the lobby and out the door without the peep of a
sarcastic remark. Isn’t it amazing how good news keeps you happy and somehow
suppresses the urge to be unpleasant?

I managed to stuff the boxes into the small and compact
confines of my passenger’s seat somehow then hustle to the driver’s side.
Unable to wait until I got home, I anxiously used my key to puncture the tape
on the largest box then struggled to get it open.

“Come on, open up.” I said as I used my strength to pull the
box apart.

After removing the pieces of tape from my car keys and
throwing the inside packaging to the car floor I finally saw the first set of
lids for the jewelry boxes, they were beautiful. More than beautiful they were
stunning. The boxes were a gorgeous hue of lavender to match the final color of
the bridesmaid’s gowns and across the front in pretty scripted gray lettering
read the words:

In
Honor of the Corrine Palmer

Bridal
Shower

A Sonya Kemp Original Design

A smile the size of Nina’s cleavage appeared across my face
as my heart did somersaults in my chest. Then I reached for the satin gray
ribbons that were to be placed on opposite corners of the boxes for an extra
touch of sophistication. Everything was so perfect, it felt magical. If I could
I would kiss the rep at Exquisite Packaging Online and give her a raise for
doing a phenomenal job. Although I’m sure she wasn’t actually in the factory
producing the boxes she explained everything to me perfectly.

“Brava, amazing customer service at last.” I said as I
neatly placed the lids and packaging back into the box and cruised down Tenaya
Way towards home.

v
 
 

At three forty-five I parked my Mitsubishi in the crowded
parking lot at Madison’s. I glanced at my reflection in the rearview mirror to
see shininess emanating from my forehead and across my nose bridge. I broke out
my Mac compact and began dabbing away to restore the made up face I had before
I arrived at Kyle’s house earlier and had the most sensuous sex I think I’ve
ever had. I stuck around a little longer than anticipated so he could show me
the ambitious deck he was building in his backyard. He was rightfully proud of
his craftsmanship even though it was still in its beginning stages. After
showering him with a few ego boosting compliments I announced I’d found a job.

‘Congratulations’ he’d said while we walked the perimeter of
the deck. Yea, yea so I was beginning to feel more comfortable with him but so
what. It didn’t mean anything. He was just someone who I felt should know about
my decline in availability. Being that my schedule was forty hours Monday
through Friday our sexcapades wouldn’t be as often anymore…the only drawback to
finding a full-time job.

I entered Madison’s with much more confidence then I had the
last time I was here. I walked past the shoe and lingerie departments towards
the back of the store and entered the gray hallway that led to the management
offices where I’d had my interview. It was interesting to think of how unsure
of my fate I was when I first graced these halls. Initially I thought of them
as the green mile, not knowing if the interview would yield the results I
wanted. But now I felt more like Dorothy prancing down the yellow brick road –
minus the Tin Man and Lion.

Had I been more focused on the task at hand, or if I had a
case of interview anxiety, it was possible that my mind wouldn’t’ve meandered
for the fiftieth time to how long it taken Kyle to grow those sexy dreads that
I’d gotten use to running my fingers through.

I still can’t believe you haven’t asked!

My conscious badgered me until I temporarily removed the
thought from mind…but not before remembering to put it on my list of things to
do.

I walked into the office and greeted the administrative
assistant who was absent the day I came to interview. She was a young girl no
older than twenty-two, twenty-three and had a serious Hello Kitty fetish.
Everything including her hot pink mouse and tape dispenser had a picture of
that odd little cat who I’ve recently been told is actually not a cat at all
but that’s ludicrous. Hello Kitty will always be a cat in my book. I explained
to her I that I was meeting with Gwen to complete my new hire paperwork but
there was no need, she knew just who I was.

“It’s finally nice to meet you Sonya, Gwen told me all about
you. She’ll be back in just a moment she went to deal with a customer. But in
the meantime,” she said reaching for a large white envelope she had neatly
filed in a pink stackable on her desk, “you can begin completing the packet in
the envelope. There’s a table over there you can make yourself comfortable at
and did you need a pen?” She asked handing me a pink pen with pink feathers.

“Oh no thank you, I have one,” I replied smiling graciously
while opting to go with my grown-up pen instead.

I took my time completing the paperwork, being very careful
not to make a mistake and have to scratch something out, I hated that. In what
should have been an easy task I was distracted several times by the admins
phone conversation with someone I’d guessed was her boyfriend?

Instead of the typical drama I was used to hearing from
Nina, Kaia and any other woman who was brave enough to be forthright about
their relationship, she seemed legitimately happy. She giggled and flirted with
him while she twirled the black phone cord between her fingers. They were discussing
something about bowling tonight then taking “Frenchie”, who I believed was the
Pomeranian whose picture she had framed on her desk, to Petco to get groomed
this weekend after they had breakfast at the lodge on Mt. Charleston.

“Cute.” I chuckled to myself.

Lamont didn’t like dogs and I’m sure there was no way in
hell he would ever be adventurous enough to have breakfast in the mountains
just because.

“Asshole,” I thought.

Twenty-five minutes later and finally nearing completion of
the detailed package, I was sure I’d purchased a house. I pictured a
three-story with an elevator and a pool in the backyard.

Gwen finally walked in with a beaming smile then immediately
ushered me to follow her into her office. She sat me down and sang my praises
about how impressed she was with me at the interview from my sense of fashion
style to the professional way in which I carried myself.

“Whew, I’m so relieved Debbie and I were mutual in our
decision to hire you Sonya. We’d much rather work with you over the strawberry
blond with the big tits.” She unremorsefully explained. “That lady doesn’t need
a job, she needs a hobby.”

I assumed she was talking about Amy.

We both laughed and I thanked her again and again for the
opportunity. I have a great feeling Gwen, Deb and I are going to get along just
fine.

“Now, all I need before I can get you out of here is your ID
and social so I can make a copy.” She said extending her left hand while she
signed off on my paperwork with her right.

“Sure,” I complied. But when I reached into the depths of my
oversized purse I couldn’t seem to feel my wallet. I took out my phone, make-up
bag, hand sanitizer and even my purple day planner but still I didn’t see it.

“Is something wrong Sonya?”

“Yes,” I admitted, “I can’t seem to find my wallet. I’m
wondering if it somehow slipped out of my purse at home or maybe the post
office earlier. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’ll come up. How about this, you go
find your wallet and just bring your ID and social with you on your first day
okay?”

“Okay, thank you Gwen. I’ll see you on November 3
^rd
then.” I said putting my belongings back into my purse trying not to show signs
of panic.

Before walking out I stopped to admire my vacant cubicle. It
was spacious which I was more than grateful for. It was nothing compared to the
tiny claustrophobic boxes they kept us in at Alliance America. I decided the
color purple would be my trendsetting theme.

By the time I reached my car it was beginning to get dark
and the weather was cooling. I made the fifteen minute drive from Madison’s to
the post office before they closed, but with no luck they hadn’t seen my
wallet. The same white haired clerk I dealt with earlier took my number and
said he’d call me if it came up. He didn’t seem very hopeful but I encouraged him
to call either way. Once I raced home to Chateau Oasis, I gave a smile and a
wave of my hand at Charlie who was so much more professional looking than a
rent-a-cop with a flashlight. He waved back.

I searched high and low in my apartment for my wallet but
still couldn’t find it anywhere. I even checked odd places like the microwave,
but still no sign of it.

“Shit!” I said stomping my feet with frustration. My day was
almost perfect, nearly perfect now this!

“I’m going to have to cancel my credit cards and my debit
card. Shit, apply for a new social security card and ID.” I mumbled reaching
for my phone to get the banks on the line. The biggest thing that I was scared
about now was this pushing my start-date back. I hoped Gwen didn’t think I was
careless.

I searched through my phones contacts for the number to
Wells Fargo then hit ‘Send’.

I put the phone to my ear but heard nothing. No automated
voice prompt giving me the option to opt-in or out of a customer satisfaction
survey at the end of my call and no list of options to choose from. The other
end of the line was quiet.