I mentioned a few months ago that I was working on another book from the Rainbow Falls series. (See that post here.) Today I’m giving you a teeny, tiny sneak peek at the main characters’ first meeting. These two are developing into an interesting pair with their fair share of differences. Despite their not-so-auspicious first meeting, though, they keep ending up in each other’s company. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was a conspiracy. :-)
***
Olive scanned the documents. The interview was for a personal assistant position with a Michael Something-or-Other. Forty to sixty hours each week, including everything from housecleaning to handling social media accounts. Shopping, chauffeuring, and cooking, too.
She climbed out of the car she never should have splurged on and whose payment now gave her heart palpitations. As she approached the front door, she put a smile on her face and readied her tardiness apology. She gave the door three firm knocks. There was a doorbell, of course, but knocking was more assertive. It gave more of an I-mean-business vibe than some froo-froo doorbell could ever accomplish. It’s not like a house in that neighborhood was going to have a death metal doorbell. It would either be a boring chime or some piece of overused classical music.
The door swung open and Olive got a peek at a scowling face.
Wait.
Was that…?
No. It couldn’t be.
If it was…
The paperwork said Michael Something-or-Other.
But that was most definitely not Michael Anybody hiding in the dim recesses on the other side of that door.
Shock. A freight train full of Grade A shock unloaded into Olive’s system.
She did her best to swallow it down and hold her hand out. “Hello. I’m Olive Green. I’m here to interview…”
He shook his head, scowl deepening.
Olive didn’t live for country music, but she knew enough to know who Damien Rhoades was. Big star. He’d hit it big around the time she’d started high school, was a raging success by the time she’d headed off to college. Something had happened a couple years ago, though, and he’d vanished from the spotlight. Yet here he was. In Rainbow Falls of all places.
She took an involuntary step back, pushed by the ice-cold wall of displeasure his eyes threw up between them.
Her hand was still extended in greeting when he shut the door on her. The thundering in her ears nearly drowned out the sound of the deadbolt turning.
Olive fisted her hand and dropped it to her side.
Getting a job was hard when she couldn’t even score an interview.
Rejection usually called for some kind of pseudo-celebration, but so far all she had to look forward to was another night on her sister’s half-inflated air mattress.
***
I hope you enjoyed this little look at Olive’s story. There is a lot more to come…and back to my writing cave I go. :-)
GIVEAWAY
Tell me about the strangest job interview you’ve been on or have heard about!
One commenter will be randomly selected to receive a $5 Amazon gift card.
Heather Gray loves coffee, God, her family, and laughter – not necessarily in that order! She writes approachable characters who, through the highs and lows of life, find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her. And, yeah, her books almost always have someone who's a coffee addict. Some things just can't be helped. Despite their different lives and situations, Heather’s characters have something in common. They're all flawed...but loved anyway.
Not really strange, but I turned up to a job interview one week early. (Not sure how I messed up the dates.) The employers were so pleased with my enthusiasm that I got the job. Too funny. It was a great job and I loved it.
My interview story is actually more about the phone call to set up the interview. It was for the administrative assistant to the President of the company and he said, oh and since you are coming in on a Friday, we wear jeans, so don’t worry about dressing up….I laughed and said I am meeting you for the first time, I don’t think I will be able to wear jeans. He said okay, suit yourself….I have been there over 16 years now, lol
Hi Heather! Your new story sounds delightful. Love your question today, because as a retiree it made me pause and reflect on the interviews I had. In almost all the interviews, I felt God’s leading in the job. After moving back to my home town in the 1990s and the birth of my youngest son, the local paper had an article that Lakeshore Shore Schools needed a Middle School German teacher one hour a day. I immediately called the school and was granted an interview. The interview was in August, just before school started. My mom watched my kids, I dressed up with a list of recommendations and butterflies in my stomach went to the interview. When I arrived, the principal was in shorts. When I mentioned I had done my student teaching at Lakeshore under Mr. Adams in 1972, he said Mr. Adams recommended me and I was hired on the spot. The principal asked why I was all dressed up since it was summer. It just never occurred to me not to dress professional for a job interview. After several years of part time teaching, I was hired full time and I retired from this school system in 2012. The principal and I are friends. I even taught his granddaughter German. Best wishes.
Hi Paula! Sounds like my first interview at the school system I retired from. See below. I never would dream to meet a protectional boss in shorts. I worked there for 19 years before I retired. Have a good day.
I really can’t think of any that fits this question. But, your new book sounds delightful!
I can’t wait for the cover reveal :)
I will tell of two interviews that I thought were “interesting”. I was a computer programmer (I’m retired now). I was interviewed by 4 people in a conference room. Their workforce was pretty small, probably around 20 people. Three of the four people interviewing me had disorders that are known to be caused or at least worsened by stress. They treated me as if I would be an answer to their prayers. Now, don’t get me wrong. I was a good programmer, IMHO. But I wasn’t a prodigy by any means. I had to wonder about just how bad their work environment was. When they called me within a week with a job offer (and only a small increase in pay), I politely declined.
The other interview was many years later. I was assisting my manager in interviewing potential candidates. One interviewee mentioned how clumsy his wife was and how she injured herself a lot. After the interview, my manager and I agreed he seemed to be the best of the lot but we both wondered if he may be a wife abuser and his comments were preparing us to believe he wasn’t. We hired him anyway hoping that wasn’t the case. He turned out to be a delightful person and a great programmer.
Love the excerpt! My most interesting job was at a tanning salon. You meet all kinds and have some crazy weird interactions. It was my favorite job!
In the early 90’s I was asked if I would be willing to work quote “Chinese Overtime” which is guaranteed overtime every week at straight pay and not time and a half. No! Was my answer!
I don’t have any strange, weird, etc., interview stories. I know of one man that was “interviewed” by all of the guys he’d be working with over lunch. They wanted to make sure he’d fit in with the others on the projects. All of my interviews have been the standard variety, though. One of the best doctor’s I ever worked for was really good to his employees, though, and took us all to Vegas for a weekend once. The only things we had to pay for was souvenirs and if you gambled.
I guess the strangest job interview was about 12 years ago when I was offered a job out of the blue and went in for the mandatory interview. Found out during the interview that they wanted to hire me as a package deal with my husband which worked out quite well. Neither of us are at those positions now but it was a good place to work.
I interviewed on the phone for a teaching position because I was out of state visiting family. I was trying to be interviewed and get my 2 year old to play quietly. They must have liked what I said because I got the job after I returned home and went in to see them.
It wasn’t an job I was interviewing for , I was the interviewer. I had a man come in and he smelled a bit like alcohol but I went for the interview as usual anyway. When I started asking questions he became belligerent and jumped up and came at my desk quite aggressively. I was able to “squeeze out” of the little office and get help.
Sounds like a really fun story, Heather! My strangest job interview question was when I was asked whether I intended to have children. I think I was in my late twenties and single… I blurted out something about how I didn’t know, hopefully someday, and hey, wasn’t that an illegal question?
I know, right? I give tips and resume assistance to college kids these days – it’s amazing the things they think are okay for interviews!
What a teaser… I want more… pretty please :)
Well, I had one LOL I’ve been interviewing for the accounting position in Prison Industry (well, it’s not in prison per say but you couldn’t have your cell in the building) So, it was a second interview with higher management and testing, which lasted about 2 hours. At the end of the interview, the chief of accounting department asked if I would be interested in a different position, which, according to my experience, was a better fit. I agreed AND she suggested to do the initial interview, second interview, and testing at the same time – to save me a third trip. Well, you can imagine the stress my husband had when I finally called him back after a 6-hour interview in prison LOL
I can’t remember having any strange interviews. Your book sounds great!
Another supervisor and I were interviewing a candidate for a position in our office. Our supervisor was out of the office with his supervisor. We started the interview with normal questions. Our supervisor comes barreling into the room with his supervisor. They are carrying souvenirs from our local baseball team. They proceed to show everyone their purchases and the interview almost turns into a party. The interviewee cannot stop laughing. We have totally lost control of the interview. Needless to say, the interviewee cannot wait to start working with us. We did hire him and he was an asset to our organization. I’m sure he still talks about that interview – it was 2008, the year the Phillies won the World Series!
I haven’t experienced or heard of a strange job interview. Thank you for sharing.
I haven’t had many job interviews, but my first real job out of college was for a full time ministry position with an inner city ministry. The “job interview” was actually a weekend trip to the city I now live in in order to check out the ministry, talk to the director and president of the board, and hang out with the other employees to see how we all worked together. I also stayed in housing provided for by the ministry. I worked there 5 years and only left because I clearly felt God was calling me out of full time mi sorry as I entered marriage.
I’m eager to read Olive’s story! I can’t remember any strange job interviews, but then I’m writing this because I couldn’t sleep and got up to catch up on e-mail :-) I enjoyed reading everyone else’s crazy stories.
Oh I’m so looking forward to this book. Sounds really promising.
I’ve had many failed job interviews, the most annoying one when the guy who was supposed to be interviewing me just sat with a scowl on his face and let the HR person ask all the questions. In the end, they didn’t hire anyone for that position which was pretty sad.
Sounds like a great book haven’t had no strange interview Thanks for sharing!