TNP 02 "The Cherrywood Interview"

My time and life in working for the government during the Savings & Loan Crisis of 1990 with a beautiful woman who took care of absolutely everything for me in my employ. And I mean EVERYTHING.

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Want to read this in a different language ? Change the TO field to your own country and click the TRANSLATE button after going HERE THE NANCY PRINCIPLE My time in working for the government during the Savings & Loan Crisis of 1990 with a beautiful woman who took care of absolutely everything for me in my employ. And I mean EVERYTHING. © July 2013 Written by David Wicker Please do not reprint without permission CHAPTER 2 - THE CHERRYWOOD INTERVIEW This chapter has included in it original FAN-ART ! If you would like to contribute your own at any point in the story, then SEND me a URL of the website containing your art and I will insert it directly in the writing, complete with your own website's address and credits to you, the artist. To track the artists listed in this chapter, click on the illustrations where they appear below. Rated: EVERYONE I hurriedly got dressed again. It was then I realized as I was driving back to BBI and already halfway there that I had dressed up the same as I did last time, in my casual clothes, and that it MIGHT cost me my 2nd interview as I looked anything except office-worthy. What with the stupid shorts, ball-cap, and shirt, though it was different, it was baby-blue to match my shorts. I arrived and flung open the door to the entrance and was clearly out of breath like I was being timed on how fast I could get there and the receptionist from yesterday gave me a frightened look but then smiled when she recognized me. "David," she said with a grin as if she knew something I didn't, "You're expected. Go straight through this door to the LEFT." and then pointed. It wasn't buzz-locked like the other one, but it was a heavy oaken door and I thought I might actually be seeing the president of the whole company so I gulped in fear but stepped in anyways. I went in and it smelled of stale cherrywood cigar smoke and I saw why. There was a rather fat and muscular looking fellow in there sitting behind the desk ahead of me, that looked positively startled at my sudden entrance. He was definitely CHEWING on the cigar I was smelling too. Not so much smoking as chewing the tip of it as if this added action of his might squeeze more nicotine and flavor out of it. I didn't say anything and we both stood looking at each other for a moment. It was obvious he knew who I was from the look in his eye and from what could only be a rather bristly looking smile he gave me around his mustache and badly cut beard that looked like a lopsided triangle. Instead of introducing himself or even confirming I was the person he wanted to see he bit into the cigar with a satisfying crunch and said, "Yeah you're here now, OK. Siddown a sec, will ya." There was a chair which was several feet from his desk. I realized this was definitely the guy that called me earlier. He sat back in his own and massive desk chair that creaked angrily at the weight and then spoke to me. "Lemme clue you in. We've got one opening at this time and we're experiencing an emergency situation with the Savings & Loan Crisis right now and we are in need, for a 3-month temporary employment period, fast and accurate data-entry person to help us get through this situation." He looked at me for a moment with a proud expression and then I spoke up and smiled cheerfully and said, "Well, I'm the man for the job !" and I looked rather pleased with myself at the time reflecting his own expectant smile. The chomping on the cigar stopped suddenly and his eyes got wide at me and the smile melted away. It was if his was brain was thinking something earlier and then paused for a moment in thought. "Man !?" he said perplexed. And then looked down at my application for a moment and then back at me, a few times actually. I will admit, when I was in my teens I had a good complexion, fair of face, and since I wore a ball-cap and had zero body hair to speak of, even on my legs that refused to grow any, and it was quite visible in the shorts I was wearing. I can kind of understand his double-looking at me right then. Today there is not even one telemarketer on the telephone that had yet to not call me, 'ma'am' on the phone because of my quiet and pleasant tenor voice and demeanor. I was afraid it wasn't going well at the moment so I smiled rather sweetly at him, hoping he'd overlook whatever item was confusing him right now. He coughed a rank block of cherrywood smoke at me as if I was only making the situation worse. He murmured to himself a moment, angrily, a bit like a worn steam pipe in a factory, and then fat-fingered me, 'come here' to walk up to his desk so he could show me something. Hoo boy. He was not happy at the moment, I could see that. He had a copy of my application, apparently xeroxed from a copy machine and whirled it around to where I could see it and then stabbed a calloused finger accusingly at an entry to the top right part of it. I looked and saw one part of the application I missed, not too hard really since it was right against the edge where it said Personnel Notes Only. And as I looked to where he was pointing he raised his voice angrily at me, "Son. Did you fill this out as a joke ? Because I fail to see the humor in it !" I looked. It said, "Sex [  ]Male [X]Female." I swallowed in fear. I never signed that part of it ! I answered back at once, "Nossir. I didn't do that ! I swear, I wouldn't do that to you !" I could see he wasn't convinced so I added, "I never make my X's outside the box. See ? Here, it's clearly drawn outside the box." And in truth, it was, in bigger print than I ever used when I filled out all my other stuff on the paper. "See ? I don't do that. I always stay inside the box, sir !" He looked at my face a moment like I had just lost 10-years of age in his eyes or something. He returned an ugly smile to me, and gave a hoarse laugh, "No. I don't guess you does that, do you, son. Good kid huh ? You allays stay inside the boxes does ya ? Well - " He grumbled uncomfortably, like thunder, and then his voice got cross again, "then SOMEONE made a mistake in personnel and marked it in for you !" And then his voice got accusational again, "And I think I knows who." he said looking down at the offensive form, tapping it angrily. I wondered if it would affect the interview I was having now but before I could give it much thought he said, "Siddown son." and then grumbled to himself about having a talk with someone and took a fat shiny pen to make a correction on my job application. And then corrected another sheet I wasn't aware of beside him. He clicked his pen loudly closed and then huffed on his cigar and then crunched down on it with teeth. Breathing heavily as if trying to decide something. He rocked forward and backward in his chair squeaking it noisily for a moment. I could tell he was REALLY looking for a reason to throw me out of his office right now. I just felt it in my bones. He started murmuring to himself as if he actually heard voices, giving him advice on what to do right now, looking left and right at them, and then signed something hurriedly at the bottom of a page while filling in some stuff to the right. Then he twirled the whole thing around in his hand in a 180 degree direction while setting a pen to face against the desk. He looked at me and spoke in a different tone of voice, as if defending himself, "We can't deny you employment here because of you being a - " and he gave me a hard look in my baby blue shorts and baseball hat with the pretty heart in it - And he paused as if the word physically did NOT want it to come out of his mouth - "man," - he said finally choking on the syllable. He continued, "But I'm going to tell yer right now," he growled, "yer will be working entirely on a floor with over a hunnerd girls all about yer own age," he said looking back at my application to see my birthdate, "and that you will be the ONLY," and he emphasized that word, "guy there and will this be a problem for you, mister ?" I blanched for a second, but realized with the other jobs I had that women employees and bosses really seemed to get along with me better than guys so I said after a moment's pause, "Nossir." Then his face wrinkled up into an entirely different smile. I could tell this guy was a lot older than me from the wrinkles that moved on it when he did that. He stepped from around his desk and had his hands behind his back and almost skipped over to me playfully like a little girl would do in a hopscotch game. Rather frightening to watch, really. He then faced me with his nose and I could see his teeth were really quite yellow from heavy smoking. While leaning his massive hands on both sides of my chair he finally said to me, like I was a buddy of his or something he was confiding a great secret in, "You're not going to give my girls any trouble while you're working here, are you son ?" I was shaken at this accusation but said, "Nossir !" and drew a cross over my chest and held my right-hand up to swear that I wouldn't. He coughed nasty in my face for a moment and pulled back, giving me some air, which I really did need right now cause that cigar of his was just plain awful ! Then he stood to the side of me and spoke, obviously suppressing praise in his voice, "Son, you've got good datar-entry skills, yessir, and I can hire you for $12/hr, 9-5, Mon-Fri." Then before I could think up a reply he hurriedly scrabbled away on fat stubby legs and crunched back down in his desk and he waved his hand in the air like shooing a fly without looking at me as if there were important papers in front of him and I was dismissed, "Take it or leave it." I leaned my back against my chair, which was still several feet from his desk. He stopped to look at me now and chewed vigorously on his cigar staring at me. I looked at the cigar as it bounced around his mouth like an oar for a boat. I watched it hypnotically. Left, Right, Left, Right. I imagined seeing a little canoe inside his mouth now and it was obvious the oar-man was fighting against a terrible current that threatened to drown him. Drown me ! He looked at me and I stared at that busy busy cigar, finally smiling at him in confusion. I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do right now. He finally exploded like a stick of dynamite and smacked a fat finger noisily to the contract on his desk that he had turned around earlier and yelled, "Getchur butt up here boy and sign this contract if you still want this job that is !!" "Yessir." I squeaked and popped out of my chair immediately and went up to sign it without giving it too serious a look. It was all very standard as near as I could tell and I saw that I was signing up as a "Temporary Agent." Illustration by CPT-Plaid I saw he had put a red scribble over the female and put a fat black checkmark over male instead, but that was the only correction. His voice then took a rather threatening edge to it and his eyes squinted at me dangerously pointing with a finger. I saw the tip of it was black from his apparently jambing it against inked papers all day. "Now lissen here boy, I don't know if you've worked in a job like this, but any funny business or hanky panky or ANYTHING with my girls and you're going to be out on your a*s for sex-u-oh harrassment, comprende ?" "yessir." I said with more confidence than I felt. He spat out a chunk of smoke from the cigar that almost seemed to be a solid mass and seemed to smile and said. "Good boy. Now, getchur self a suit, you are not working on my nice clean floor with my girls in that - " and he paused trying to think up an an appropriate description, "daisy-tray outfit you're in now." I slid the insult off because obviously I just got hired for a good paying job, so I asked, "Where sir ?" He crunched down on his cigar again noisily and I really was beginning to wonder just how flat the filter on the end of that thing was now. He was definitely sounding cross, "Doncha got any parents of you own, boy !?" "Yessir." I replied meekly. He nodded and I realized his hair was actually a toupee as it slid around, not stuck on very well, "Well get some help from them. Tell them you, son, are now working for - " And he paused with dramatic flair while leaning back in his chair so it squeaked uncomfortably with his weight, "THE GOVERNMENT !" and then gave me a most alarming big smile showing me an entire mouthful of cavities from nicotine. Not one tooth had escaped the ravage. I smiled and my eyes did get big. I was always curious about what the government did. I nodded and then left his office. As I did the receptionist called after me, "Congratulations, David. We're happy to have you aboard." and held her hand out from her desk to shake mine but I was too excited at the moment. I didn't reply or shake her hand I just nodded. She laughed at me and I nodded again, confused, and then finally I dashed out the front door. And I didn't drive back home, I drove to see my Dad with the great BIG news ! My Dad said, "Wonderful. That's very good you got a job like that." I was puzzled, "Why ? Because it's data-entry ?" My Dad dismissed that with a friendly hand wave, "No, no. It's because it's a government job." I shrugged in confusion. Dad smiled at me and continued, "When you work for the government, it's very difficult to get fired from those. It's considerable paperwork for them and they'd rather fit you in, no matter what, and find SOMETHING you can do and keep you at it all the time you are working there." And Dad put a hand on my shoulder, "And that's pretty good, considering your recent - ah - job record." And I looked down, discouraged. He was right. Every other job I had to this point I was fired because there just wasn't enough training or discipline or someone telling me what needed to be done every hour of the day. I needed that kind of instruction in truth. And I guess that's sad, really, but there you go. But then Dad brightened up, "If they've hired you for data-entry though, I think you're going to be fine." Then I told Dad the scary part, "But I'm going to be working on a floor with over 100 women and I will be the ONLY guy there !" Dad suppressed a smile and got serious in his expression and said, "Is that going to be a problem, David, you do know how to keep your hands to yourself around ladies, don't you ?" "Yessir." I said truthfully. "Girls still scare me, you know." Dad replied, "Well, there's a blessing in disguise. Because it's likely they will TEST you while you are there. Crowding around you. Trying to make you feel uncomfortable. Seeing if you will do anything funny, and you WON'T, right ??" "Nossir." I answered back. "Good deal. Well, if it's a government job I guarantee you're going to need a monkey suit for it so let's go shopping !" and then Dad went back into his room to get his checkbook and jacket and we headed out to buy a business suit for me. After Dad bought my suit I folded it up around the cellophane they put it in and took it home with me. I had difficulty sleeping that night. I was so excited and prayed that I wouldn't do anything to mess up this job, like I messed up all the other ones. My alarm went off at 6am and I didn't even bother for a single 9-minute snooze and got straight up, showered, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and put on the new suit that Dad got for me. It even came with a black belt and a shiny buckle and I made sure my buckle could be seen and was shiny as I thought that was always important in a business. Then I put on the tie. Dad realized rather quickly I had no idea how to put one on and that it was too difficult to try and show me in the store so we finally decided on a clip-on to save time and effort, and that was fine with me. I was ready with time to spare. I fought a bit of traffic on the way back and saw the big gleaming sign, BBI as I parked my car and rushed back in the entrance, to see a different secretary there. Even though I'd never seen her before she called out to me, "David Wicker ?" "Yes ma'am ?" I replied back. "Mr. Sunders wants to see you for briefing on your first day here. Just to your left." and then she hit a button on her intercom and spoke directly into it, "David here to see you, sir." His reply came back, "Yeah, send that boy in." Instead of sitting behind his desk last last time he was already standing and walking over to me grabbing my limp hand and pumping it up and down in a hard shake. "Good to see you, David. Good to see you. Let's have a look at you, son." He stepped back for a moment to look and biting back a little embarrassment I twirled around like I was a window store model or something. He whistled, a raspy sound really trying to get around that meaty cigar of his, which apparently he never put down for any reason, although I noticed this one was a little longer so apparently he did smoke a new one each day. "Yessir, that's a nice hang you got there. OK." he said and then went over to his desk and hit the intercom and spoke into it, "Get me someone from B3 in here for Mr. Wicker's nickel tour, Bonnie." "Yes, Mr. Sunders." the receptionist's voice answered back dutifully. It took several minutes for her to arrive, and I did absolutely the right by not disturbing or talking to Mr. Sunders at all as he watched me patiently. Apparently waiting for me to mess something up. Fortunately, I didn't. There was a pleasant knock on the door and she opened the door to enter. She was REALLY pretty, like the girls I saw earlier in the testing room, in a super-short skirt, a low-cut blouse and dark stockings. Tons of makeup and perfume besides. She held a clipboard and manila folder with her under one arm as she entered. Mr. Sunders coughed a block of horrid smoke and spoke, "Now David lissen up !" "You do everything she says and you're gonna fit right in. Okay, now get outta here and maybe I'll check up on you later." and then he hobbled back over to his chair, sitting back hard in it, the wood creaking again, and started poring over the papers in front of him as if we had already left. Since I didn't say anything first, she did and held out a friendly hand to me as it was pretty obvious I was nervous about being here, "I'm Jeanette, David." she said introducing herself. "I work on B3, where we're going to be placing you." Finally I shook her hand and she added warmly, "Welcome to BBI." END OF CHAPTER 2 Return back HOME   You are Earth Visitor #

Reviews

[Cory Firestine]

A good second chapter. You have your protagonist in the setting where much of the story, I assume, will take place. I like the Mr. Sunders character. Also, I feel that something was funny with the application process, including a possible second "Jeanette", behind the scenes, which keeps me interested for more. Really good job!

[dw817]

I'm not sure. I have difficulties with faces. For instance, your Avatar, if you appeared to be facing the camera and with a different background instead of green, I might not recognize you. But your name or an ID #, I recognize and memorize easily. I'm not so good with visual recall, but for digits and names - I'm pretty good.

Glad you're liking the story. As for all books in Writer's Cafe, if you click, "Next Chapter" a square button listed just above the comments, it will automatically go on to the next chapter.

[Cory Firestine]

Oh ok good to know.

[The dark story]

OMG ...i didn't like that girl who messed up with the application. yet in the end,i think she's nice.
anyway, i like the detailed description of mr. sunders.

[dw817]

I can't remember if she is the same one I meet later or not. Normally I don't look at people's faces when I'm working or seeking work as I think they expect something in return.

Mr. Sunders as near as I could tell was the boss of the company. There might've been other people but he was the one whom I answered to ultimately, outside of Nancy, seen later.

[MandaBear]

Amazing Chapter. You could really feel how the main character felt when he was in the office with the boss! I know I would have been scared. Can't wait to read more!

[dw817]

Actually that main character is ME. This is a non-fictional recount of my working for BBI when they were open.

[Ellie EM]

Omg I love it!! I love the way how the main boss talks...and eww, he CHEWS his cigar?! That's gross...lol. xp and lucky David! xD with all those girls…

[dw817]

It's not as happy a situation as you would think. Girls made me nervous, they still do. I think they were aware of that while I was there and did their best to make me uncomfortable.

[Ellie EM]

Oh lol...I'm the opposite. xD

[Ellie EM]

Well, of course I don't get nervous around girls-I meant guys... :p

[dw817]

Just girls w me. Although I did get VERY SCARED when I visited Chris in the locker room where he goes to exercise. It reminded me all over again of P.E. from High School. But I think Chris knew this and asked if I wanted to wait outside. I nodded, and did, and no-one bothered me.

[Ellie EM]

Lol...fail xD

[dw817]

Yah, likely ... There's a lot of things from my past that still haunt me. I know when I went with Chris to see his Dad in the nursing home, there was some -odor- there, a chemical smell. I was so caught up in it I finally coughed realizing I had stopped breathing I was so deep in concentration. I know it's from my past, but I can't quite place it yet.

[Ellie EM]

Omg that's scary...

[dw817]

Well the way I've interpreted it. There are a lotta things you can enjoy in your youth. But - if something bad happens, so bad you don't want to remember it later, it gets suppressed, deep inside, yet - it must come out later. Perhaps years later - but it will and always does - return to you.

[Ellie EM]

Yea, I know. Its like a ghost that keeps haunting u...

[dw817]

That's - a very intelligent way of looking at it. Hmm ... The real ghosts, the ones I actually saw were at a school. It was the last day, Dad was late picking me up, I was in 4th grade, and - there were 2 ghosts talking to each other.

At some level I knew they were talking about me. They kept turning their heads and looking at me and I knew the school was empty of people except for the janitor vacuuming the hallway - a good distance from where I was. I couldn't hear what they were saying though.

Perhaps - hmm - well, I know what Pierce Ambrose said about ghosts, and perhaps there's some truth to it.

"The outward and visible sign of an inward invisible fear."

You're very perceptive, Ellie. Maybe PTSD is like ghosts - and yes, they will keep haunting you until you finally confront them. And no, I've not been brave enough to do that - not with all of my ghosts yet.

[Ellie EM]

Yea, but it could also be depression or lack of sleep...and I've never seen ghost but I know there was one there cuz a chair that's in my living room began to rock and my dog began to bark at it. U know how people say animals and kids could see ghost...but I believe in them...

[dw817]

I definitely do think children can see many things adults can't. In fact - this was mentioned in Harry Potter if I remember correctly.

[Ellie EM]

Well I think kids could see stuff what adults cant see but like they could see it cuz they r young and they believe more stuff than adults do

[dw817]

That could hold a bearing on it.

[Ellie EM]

Yup...it could

[Pryde Foltz]

Loved the characterization of the fat-cat boss. I like your prose a lot. It's clear, clean, and easy to follow.

[dw817]

Curiously enough I never saw Mr. Sunders again except on the last day, and he was really mad at me. It - wasn't a good day. I still have quite a bit to go before I get to that point. Glad you like the style. I try to make my stuff easy to read. :)

[Pryde Foltz]

Success......

[poetdoug]

Great write. You possess a very wonderful mix of story and conversational dialogue exchanges to keep it all moving right along to the end. Thanks for sharing this creative work with us all.

[dw817]

I'm - very glad you like it ! It seems to be quite popular so I'll try and post a new chapter on the morrow, entitled, "The Bathroom Escort."

Yah it gets a little strange here, your hard-paying tax dollars at work - by the government !

[Robert Lindsay]

I found it very funny,observant and well-written.

[dw817]

Thanks, I'll post a new chapter today. I'll try for a 4th tomorrow as well.

[Wall of Words]

I love it. The description... the characters... the dialogue... you make it feel so real. Like its happening right around me. It's wonderfully written, especially for a personal narrative. :)
Also... is it the same Jeanette you met the day before?

Great job writing!
Sylvia.

[dw817]

I'm not sure, while I'm quite good at remember random digits and letters and computer code, human faces can be fleeting at times. Someone who is wearing an entirely different outfit the next day may confuse me. Ultimately I associate people by their location.

In time I know Trudy and where everyone else is by where they sit in the office, not how they appear.

I think in this case it was the same Jeanette who tested me earlier based on her voice.

I'll post a new chapter tomorrow.

[ron]

Oh i can see something happening between Jeanette and David. Good story. Your very gifted.

[dw817]

Happening ? I hope not, I'll get fired for it if that's the case. :7 Glad you like the writing. I'll definitely post what happens after this tomorrow.

[ron]

Oh so this is more of a diary than a story...nicely done my dear freind.

[dw817]

Yep ! It's definitely a diary, all 1st-person perspective through and through. The narrator is ME as I'm the one living the event. :)

[ron]

Well life can make the greatest of stories. I think that why I write poetry, it is who I am and my desires in some cases.

[dw817]

There ya go. :7

[ron]

Well this site is not desighned to be a match maker. But I do love to write.

[RainDancer1997]

Haha I like the way they talk:) Great chapter:)!

[dw817]

I think Mr. Sunder's spoke the way he did cause he was always chewing on that cigar. Fortunately I don't spend much time with him and most of the story is focused on the underground and the ever changing, 'company policy' which I must abide and adhere to.