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We were all up early the day after Christmas, so we could make sure we didn't have to rush to Gracie Layne's interview. "I think we should leave here about 9:30. That should leave plenty of time to find parking," she said.
Mama wished Gracie Layne good luck, and we loaded into our rental for the drive. Many businesses were still closed for the holiday or people had taken the day off, so traffic was light.
The address Gracie had been given for the interview was in an office building on the edge of downtown Atlanta. "This doesn't look like the main DHS office for the city," I said as the three of us walked from the parking garage to the front door. We all went inside and looked over the tenant listing.
"There it is," Gracie Layne said. "412, Special Projects." That's how it's listed on the paperwork I got. I'm not sure if I want this job or not but wish me luck. I want to make a good impression no matter."
"Good luck. You'll do just fine," I said.
"When you're finished, we’ll take you out to lunch, and you can tell us all about it," Chance said. "Good luck." We stayed rooted in place as the elevator doors closed and the numbers indicated it's rise to the fourth floor where it stopped.
"I saw a coffee shop down the block," Chance said. "Do you want to come with me, or are you going to wait here?"
"I'll wait here. I want to check some things, but I'd love an Earl Grey."
He leaned in and kissed me. "I'll be right back."
I took a pic of the tenant listing board on my phone then stepped into one of the elevators. There was no indication of a basement. That was good. One less thing to worry about.
I stepped back outside the front entrance and checked out the adjacent businesses. I made note of a bank a few doors down the block, that meant surveillance cameras in the area. Again, I hoped it would never matter, but I was glad they were there. When I turned to go back inside, someone going into the insurance office a couple doors down caught my eye. I only had a glimpse of the man before he went inside, but I swear it looked like Jim Stafford. Jim would have said something if he was in Atlanta when we talked to him. I thought about walking past the office to see if I could see the man inside, but I didn't want to leave the building where Gracie was until Chance returned. I stepped back into the lobby and waited.
"You OK, Babe?" Chance asked as he handed me my tea. "I'm sure Gracie's fine."
"I know this makes no sense, but I could swear I saw Jim walking into the insurance office a couple of doors down."
"Jim? You mean Jim Stafford?"
"Yeah. He would have told us if he was in Atlanta for some reason, wouldn't he?"
"Of course. You want me to go check it out?"
"I know it's silly, but I'll feel better if you do."
I watched out the front door, as Chance made his way down the sidewalk and disappeared inside the insurance agency. An older woman dressed casually walked in and took the elevator to the third floor. I was looking at the list of third floor tenants and trying to surmise which business she was visiting when Chance came back.
"Didn't see Jim or anyone that looked like him. It's an insurance agent's office. The receptionist said her boss had the day off, but she had to come in to catch up on some paperwork. Seemed legitimate."
"I'm guessing your visit made it worth her having to come in on a holiday."
"She did make a comment to that effect," he said.
Just over an hour after she walked into the elevator, Gracie Layne reappeared. She was smiling and seemed no worse for wear. "How'd it go?"
"Good, I think," she said. "I'll tell you all about it over lunch."
We left the car parked where it was and took the Marta train into downtown Atlanta. We walked a few blocks to one of my favorite restaurants in the city. After waiting only a few minutes, the hostess showed us to a booth. Chance sat beside me and Gracie Layne sat across from us.
"I didn't really know anything about the job, when I went in, but now I'm kind of excited about it. They understand that I need to finish my degree, but they want to put me on the payroll immediately. Some of the work can be done remotely while I'm finishing school. It's for one of their smaller divisions. They couldn’t give me any details until I pass a background check, but it sounds like a good fit for my degree."
"Did they talk about salary and benefits?" Chance asked.
Gracie pulled a folder out of her portfolio and looked over a sheet of paper. "The benefits are pretty standard, and the salary is more than I expected for an entry level position with a government agency."
"So, what happens next?" I asked.
"I let them know if I'm interested. If I am, then I'll have to fill out a lengthy application which is used for the background check."
"Would you be working in that office?"
"No. They asked if I was willing to relocate. The headquarters for the division I'd be working for isn't here."
"Have you decided what you plan to do about it?" Chance asked.
"I think I'll go for it. It would be great to start making a good salary while I finish my degree. That's a real bonus."
While we ate, I tried to think of questions I could ask to get more information from Gracie but give nothing away. It wasn't easy.
"Was it just one person who interviewed you?"
"Yeah. It was one man. He was older. Maybe around your age," she said, nodding at Chance. "He seemed nice."
"Was there anything you heard that you didn't like? Anything that raised red flags for you?" I asked.
"Not really. It was pretty straight forward. They asked a lot of questions about my family. I thought it was odd, but he said it was standard because of the security implications of the job."
Chance and I shared a look, but we knew we couldn't talk about it until it was just the two of us again.