The next morning, the first morning of winter break, I entered the same hospital door I’d gone through when Darius had passed out and hit the Taco Bell. There, sitting behind her reception desk, was Emily Cook.
“Hi!” she said. “You’ve got a meeting with my manager in twenty minutes, okay? Dr. Anderson already mentioned you to her, so that’s good. Fill out this application.” She handed me a one-page app.
“Got a pen?” I asked her.
Five minutes later, I’d filled out the form. It was pretty cool because I already had some job experience. I listed Brad’s dad as a reference for the pool. And better yet, the application asked me to explain any experience I might have had at filing and running a reception desk. Well, I had several weeks of hard-core filing and receiving under my belt from working for Nussbaum!
Seemed to me the job was in the hole, dingus.
But Emily’s boss, Ms. Poller, wasn’t so sure.
Her office was totally hot—like sweaty, not sexy. So I felt a little dizzy and wasn’t at the top of my game. The first thing she said was this: “I live two doors down from Danielle and Reggie Corrigan. You’re the kid who keeps climbing their house, aren’t you?”
Well, how was I supposed to answer that? Should I have said no? Not me? I’m not the guy when clearly I’m the Taco who climbs houses in her neighborhood? I said, “Yeah, I’m Maggie’s…” I almost said boyfriend, but we were pretending not to be in love, so I caught myself. “We’re pals. She’s their daughter.”
“I know,” Ms. Poller said. “I’ve known Maggie since she was a little girl.”
I sweated really badly right then. I might’ve spritzed Ms. Poller because the perspiration just shot out of me, but I got myself under control. “I’m not climbing their house anymore. Last time I did, the Corrigans weren’t home, and I set off an alarm. I was almost charged with criminal trespassing! It’s lucky the cops know I’m a good kid.”
“You were injured the time before, if I remember correctly,” Ms. Poller said.
“Growing up is hard to do,” I said. “But I’ve learned my lesson well.”
Ms. Poller smiled at that, and I was very relieved, dingus.
She reviewed my application while I worried if she’d think my handwriting was neat enough and I had the experience necessary. Then she said, “This job is twenty hours a week, sometimes more. Do you have time? You’ll be working two overnight shifts and a half-shift on the weekend.”
I thought about the twenty hours I was putting in at Nussbaum’s and calc, but I also thought about Darius and Dad and my baby and Maggie’s large appetite and need for hair dryers, shower additions, and clean towels when she moves in, so I said, “I am prepared to take as many hours as you’ll give me.”
Ms. Poller nodded. “Dr. Anderson told me about your people skills—how you helped with that young patient when you were here to visit your brother.”
“Yes,” I said as nobly as I could, although all I’d done was be myself with that girl.
“I’m a little reticent due to your history of climbing houses. But that’s done, right? No more odd behavior?” she asked.
“Absolutely. Done and done.”
“I really enjoyed the few times I met your mother,” she said.
“She was a good person,” I said.
Ms. Poller nodded. A smile flashed on her lips, and her eyes seemed to water a little. She picked up my application again. “Oh, Bill Nussbaum is our lawyer,” she said. “He’ll give you a good reference? Barry Schwartz too?”
“Those guys think I’m the cat’s meow,” I said. What the hell does that even mean? Cat’s meow? It just came out.
Ms. Poller smiled wide. “I bet we’ll agree with them. We don’t usually move so quickly, but we are short-staffed…you’re hired, Mr. Keller. Emily will start training you tomorrow.”
I didn’t tell her not to call me Mr. Keller. I didn’t jump out of my chair and give her a fist bump. I didn’t plant a wet kiss on her mouth. I simply reached over the desk and shook her hand because at that moment, I was proud to be Mr. Keller, a man with a job and the demeanor to match.