The Interview

Current mood: contemplative
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers

Its was a few months within my unemployed phase. I was just laid off after the 911 and was getting a twinge desperate. I was eying a move back into the SFV. Anything to get out of the soul draining feel that was creeping over me.

Papers, phone calls, emails - zip. The static was agony.


I was able to procure an interview with a law office in Tarzana. I placed a white striped shirt on and drove my red Dodge Colt to a East-Wast street in the valley on a Monday afternoon..

The area was less than impressive even for Tarzana - a faded block of pre-fab office building of green gray stucco and glass. The faded glory of the middle 80's was too weak to haunt the place.

I walk in and take a set directly across a table where a receptionist was busily doing something. A quick note of my presence and she went back to her work.

A quick but subtle scan around the office - a faded corner of toys appropriate for a four year old was sitting in a corner - it had the look of recent abandonment.

I try to glance a look the receptionist without staring. She had a willowy, fay, young Russian look, her eyelids were wide and heavy with light-dark circles underneath - dirty blondish curly hair bundled up in a knot, white shirt with rolled up sleeves.



"How's your weekend?" - a voice from other office -



"Too short" she retorted.



A glance towards me, less than a stare - a bit of an assessment - and a voice quiet but directed.... directed to me without looking up from her work - "She's like that" ...she gives me a quick glance then back to her work "get used to it' - a half curl of a smile is raised.


I quickly interpret her tone - its as if I have gotten the job and this is what I can expect from the boss, whomever that would be. It comforted me in some way.
My eyes peer down on the desk that she is working on. A card grabs my notice its stapled to a piece of paper.




CAND...




The card is in color - it displayed a color photo of a woman, peroxide blond wearing a blue jumpsuit bikini, the type that went out of fashion on the early 80's. She had breasts that would defy any physical law. It was stapled in a matter of fact manner onto a paper in a pile of papers onto the desk.

A few fidgety moments pass. I try not to stare at anything else.

The receptionist departs her table. She sits down and promptly says "she will see you now" - pointing to other room.

I rise and walk in. As I walk in I notice a large desk with a robust looking late 30 something Latin woman who was professionally dressed talking on a phone. She has a grin on her face and a tone on her voice that suggested a small, incisive bit of demonic ...fun. She looks away as I stand behind the chair. Curly dark hair.


"ya...I want them to jump right out of the pool... yes then move right on him - not gold. Yes, hahhaaa.....a redhead?....no its a surprise. OK "

she notices me

"gotta go... tell me.... ..he's in court till 2"



- the he I presume is the lawyer and this is his office -- I also presume that the women interviewing me is his wife or partner---

I assess my interviewer. She posses - a ability to shift - clear and decisive in what they needed and expected.



She introduces herself. She questions me on my ability to service standalone PC's, law encyclopedia software and my driver license.

I assure her her about my credentials - apparently she wants me to service stand alone kiosks that run looping video on top of a small Law firm - no problem I assure her.


She asks me about out my driving skills - I services a whole group of PC's in remote locations. Then the questions got a bit - disconcerting..



She asked if I would feel conferrable serving subpoena's to ...certain people - I hedged slightly.. then she asked me if I would like to drive a Van - not a problem.

It was mentioning that I would be paid in cash for most of the time - and some other tasks would be asked of me....


I replied as confidently as I could - but I think a part of me betrayed a bit of ..... hesitation.


I shake her hand and depart. No smile of my face - that was probably the mistake. I should have had more of an enthusiasm, a more confident demeanor - she must have fished out of me a bit of confused reticent emotion.


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I have been in my cubical in a particularly sterile office environment for five years now. Its nice and stable.

............and very sterile. One of my office mates said there is no danger of sexual harassment in this office and Its way too true especially for a tech company.

Upon occasion, in my more surly moments I want to pierce that blank, unyielding wall, in the same way someone would ...induce bleeding just too see some color.


It passes. But the feeling lingers.