Jacob H.
July 19th, 2013, 03:59 AM
1
Steve was planning on having a good day today, as he drank his coffee and read the newspaper. He just felt so full of energy! He had never realized just how much he loved this coffee shop. It just smelt so familiar, so home like. He could smell freshly ground coffee beans, and the spice cake that was baking for the lunch rush He would come in here every day before work, and usually on Saturday. He always sat at the third booth from the front of the shop. He would always say hi to Martha when he walked in, and order a medium vanilla latte with 2 shots of caffeine from her. Everyday he did this, and he was content with life. Today however felt special for some reason, not like a normal Tuesday, he just felt like today would be more, alive.
He finishes his coffee and gets up too leave, Says bye to Martha and walks outside. It was a sunny day, but it had a nice cool breeze. Steve looked up at the bright blue sky, a little difficult due to the tall buildings around him, and followed a lone cloud for a couple seconds, then he got on his way. While walking to work Steve accidentally bumped into a lady, who was a little flustered and in a hurry, he picked up the package that she dropped and told her sorry, and she hurried to wherever she was going.
He arrives at work, sets down at his desk, and gets to work. He works for Tech support, helping people with their “emergencies”. He did his job, he didn't really hate his job, it was just a little boring, and could be annoying answering questions like “how do I get on the internet?!?”.
Lunch time comes around and he decides to go back to the coffee shop, not something he usually did, but he just felt like having some of that spice cake he smelt everyday at the shop. He enjoys the short walk to the coffee shop, looking at the sky and the people, he noticed a homeless person on a corner asking for some change. Steve, felt that everybody should be happy today, so he handed him a $20 and hoped that he wouldn't spend it on “booze” or something.
Steve arrives at the coffee shop, and walks in “Hi., Martha” he says.
Martha, who was a little surprised to see him, says “Hey Steve”
“I'll take a double serving of that delicious spice cake, I smell it cooking everyday, and figured I might as well try it.”
“sure thing, coming right up Steve.” she said with a smile.
While His plate was getting made, Steve picked up the newspaper again. He decided that he could go ahead and look in the classifieds. Who knows, since today was such a good day, he might get lucky with a good job.
While he was looking, his plate of cake arrived. He said thanks to the young lady who brought him his cake, he didn't recognize her, she must have been new there. He took big sniff of the cake savoring the sweet smell. He took a big bite of the spice cake, and it really did taste as good as it smelled. It was a good thing he ordered a double helping, Steve thought. He ate his cake while scouring the newspaper for a good job.
As he finished off the cake, he felt like a drink. He waved over a waitress, and ordered a glass of milk to wash the delicious cake down with. While he was waiting for the milk he noticed a job that interested him
Tech. Support needed, high wages (negotiable), seasonal, requires good communication skills and a expansive knowledge of technology
It sounded good, he had got those two things from his time in college and from his job. Also it was seasonal meaning a good amount of time off, and apparently it payed well. However he still had a job, and didn't want to risk quitting his in case this one didn't last like he knew his current job would.
“oh well.” he sighed
He packed up his stuff, left a tip, and got up to leave.
“see ya later.” he said to Martha
“later, Steve” She replied
He enjoyed his walk back to work, looked at the skies, and the clouds. He thought that today, the sky was just so amazing. As he walked he said hi to the Homeless person he had given the $20 to. He seemed to be getting happier too. He walked the rest of the way to work with a smile on his face.
Unfortunately for him, once he got to work he realized that he had dallied to long at the coffee shop and on the walk back, he was 10 minutes late. Another score against him, he was afraid he might get fired.
“So much for the perfect day.” he said under his breath.
“My day would be better, if you showed up on time, Steve.” said his boss, Vince, who had overheard what Steve said.
“Sorry, boss, I just lost track of time. I guess. Won't happen again.”
“You make sure it doesn't, your this close to getting fired” he gestures to a space between his fingers.
“It won't.” Steve assured him.
“Well, off to work then.”
Steve headed off to his desk for another bout of answering idiotic technology questions. The Ad in the paper for Tech. Support still lingered in his mind. It would be awesome to have a new job, or at least it would have to be better than; this.
He goes home, exhausted, and frustrated from his day at work. Watches the news, and a game show or two, checks his E-mail, and goes to sleep.
This pattern goes on for a week or so more, until;
“time for lunch!” he announces to the utterly uninterested people at his office.
Steve decided today was another good day for that spice cake,it was too good to resist the last time. He makes his way down the city streets, waving at anybody he knew, and being careful not to run into anybody. He makes it too the coffee shop, walks in and says “hi.” to Martha.
“hey, Steve” she said, with a touch of sadness in her voice.
“Hey Martha, whats wrong?” he asked, genuinely concerned, he might not know her, but she was a part of his life.
“it's nothing.....” she starts crying, large tears splattered on the cash register, her sobs overtaking the other sounds in the shop, good thing there weren't very many patrons at the shop that day. He guides her over to his booth, and consoles her. She talks about how the shop wasn't making enough money to stay in business, and how everybody was going to lose their jobs, and how it was going to close, and how she wouldn't know what to do when that happened.
“I really, REALLY! Need this job, Steve, If I don't have this job I'm going to lose my house.”
“Don' t worry you'll figure out a way, I'm sure it will work out. It would be impossible for a place as good as this too go out of business.”
He consoled her for a little, and drank some coffee. Then after Martha had calmed down a little, Steve glanced down at his watch.
“Holy shit! My lunch break is over!, see ya I have to go!”
“Bye!” Martha exclaimed as he ran out the door, sad that he had to leave so soon.
MARTHA
“There he goes again...” Martha sighed, gathering herself again
“Wheres Steve run off too this time?” asked Anna, one of the servers there.
“oh, he's late for work... again.” Martha replied
“I heard you guys talking over here and didn't want to interrupt, what happened”
“well, I sort of broke down... I didn't mean to, it's just that he is such a regular customer here, and I was thinking about what he would do if we shut down.”
“Oh, ya I guess your right. I would miss him if we got shut down. You know? Doesn't really talk that much, but still he is part of my day everyday”
“Ya, I know what you mean.” said Martha. As they were talking a new customer had walked in.
“oh sorry,” Martha said to the customer, waving Anna off. “what can I get for you?"
“It's O.K., I just came here to meet somebody.” said the customer as he waved to somebody sitting at a booth in the cafe, “I'll just take a medium caramel mocha.”
“what kind of milk do you want in it?” said Martha.
“Eh, whatever works.”
“Does whole work?” Martha knew most customers didn't like to have to many questions, but she didn't want to mess up his order either.
“yeah, that's fine”
“Ok sir, that will be right out.”
MARK
“yeah, that's fine.” said Mark
“Ok, sir that will be right out.” said the lady as cheerfully as she could, though it looked like she had been having a rough day. While he was waiting for his coffee, Mark went and found his seat next to Rachel, his partner in his newest plan.
“Anybody apply for the job yet?” he asked Rachel.
“Not yet, but hopefully somebody will here soon, or else we'll have to pull the plug on... every single... one of our plans. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like fun to me.” Rachel replied with emphasis on the “every single”.
“I know, I know, but we have come to far to quit now. The months worth of planning, of research, of sleep that I... we've... put into to this can't be held back by one thing. I mean do we even need a computer technician for it to work?!?” said an exasperated Mark.
“Yes, and you know it. After all we have spent months on this. We need tech support on this job, or... we have to re-do all of our plans.
No leisurely walk to work, enjoying the view and the sky. No, Steve ran to work, as fast as his feet could carry him. Knocking over a few bystanders along the way, sorry he yelled behind him at them, but he had to get to work, now!
When he gets to work, 40 minutes late, who else would be waiting for him except his boss. As if he was waiting for the chance to fire him.
“Steve, so glad you could make it to work, is your lunch break not long enough?” asked the boss, Vince.
“I'm sorry sir, its just that one of my friends was having a bad day, and I just felt like helping them through it. It won't happen again, I promise.”
“Well, obviously your parents never enforced the importance of a promise now then did they? How many times have you said “I Promise”, or “I swear” when you showed up late to work?”
“I... I... well... It's...” Steve stammered
“T...t...t... too many is the answer.” Vince mocked
“Don't bother showing up tomorrow, because your going to march into you cubicle, clean it out and leave!, now!”
“B..but, Y....You can't do that!” Steve exclaimed hysterically, “If you do, then I’ll have to find another job, and in this economy that’s nearly impossible!” Steve is close to tears as he says this.
“Well then go and do the impossible.” Vince sneered, “Because apparently it's impossible for you too show up on time.”
Steve cleared out his office as he was asked, he couldn't do much else; he was officially fired. No longer a part of the company, shit-canned, dismissed, laid off, gone, they were no longer in need of his “services”.
The first thing Steve does is take a silent, and solemn, trudge to his house, with the meager possessions from his cubicle. It was a long walk, his mood being different shades of self-pity, and parts anger. He did not smile at anyone he passed, nor did he wave, or acknowledge anybody, he trudged straight home.
After delivering his possessions home, Steve decided to get drunk. Not just buzzed, and feeling good; no, he wanted to get completely sloshed, and try to drink away his problems. He went to the “Train station”(a bar that got its name from people who waited for loved ones at train stations, only to find that their lovers had eloped during the trips, and went there to drink their problems away. Much like Steve was trying to do now).
Steve walks up to the bartender, “I'll take two shots of whiskey, sir.” he said
“Coming right up!” the bartender replied
Steve finishes those off in quick succession, with the burn in his throat masking the gut wrenching pain in his stomach. That pain comes from the thought of not knowing what to do. He was glad for that.
“keep 'em comin'” Steve ordered
“Are you sure that's a good idea, sir?” the bartender inquired
“Do you think I care whether it is or not?!” Steve Retorted, “Just Give me some more”
“If you insist...”
After about his tenth shot or so, Steve got to be a bit, well: drunk. 'Time to go home' Steve thought. Carefully, he got out of his chair, paid for the drinks that he had, bought a small bottle of whiskey, and tumbled out the door, swaying his way home, to drunk to keep steady. Steve spent the rest of his night slouched in his chair, with an empty bottle of alcohol clutched in his right hand.
Steve awoke with a blinding headache, and a stomach that was, understandably, upset. He Stood up from his chair, and stumbled in the bathroom; where he lost the contents of his stomach into the toilet.
“ugh!” Steve moaned, as his body tried to rid itself of the poison Steve had gave it. After a couple of minutes of dry heaving, Steve wearily got to his feet, and stepped into the shower. “A cold shower should help calm me down a little” Steve thought. He turned the shower nob, first to cold to help him get his edge back, and then too hot when he couldn't stand taking a cold shower anymore. Steve stepped out of his shower, feeling better, but still pretty shitty.
'What to do now?' Steve thought to himself as he sat in his living room.
Steve stared at his ceiling, finding pictures in the texture on his ceiling. Hoping that perhaps one of them would spark an idea.
“There's one!” Steve said to himself, “ it looked like a bank robber... “well there's an idea!” Steve exclaimed.
“I could rob a bank” Steve said jokingly, and then laughed at his own joke.
'I need a walk to clear my head' Steve thought.
So, Steve went to his favorite place: the coffee shop.
“Hey Martha” Steve said as he strolled through the door.
“Hey Steve, running a bit behind this morning, are we?” Martha asked
“well, really, I was fired from my job yesterday” Steve replied solemnly.
“ Oh my! That's terrible, How did that happen?”
“Just lost track of time too often, I guess.” Steve shrugged after saying this. “now lets get onto a better topic shall we?”
“yeah... sure... Steve, if you don't wanna talk about it.”
“How about just a cup of black today Martha?, trying to get over an upset stomach, and I figure that would be better than vanilla latte with loads of cream.”
“Sure, coming right up.”
Steve went and sat down in his booth that he always went too and stared out the window. He looked at the cars and the people moving about their way, wondering where they were going. And if it was really that important in the grand scheme of things.
“here you go, Steve.” Anna said as she sat his coffee down in front of him.
“Thanks, Ann” Steve replied mechanically
Steve sipped his coffee, staring at the newspaper, looking for his next job. Scanning through the classifieds, Steve saw job offerings for cashiers, waiters, bartenders, ect.. Nothing that really paid enough for him to keep living in his house. He even saw that his old job had already been added, the boss needed somebody to fill his spot, probably did it as Steve cleared out his cubicle.
As he was scanning the paper, Steve got excited. He hoped that the job he had found the last time was still open. The search for just any job turned into a search for the ad of that job.
'hah! Here it is' Steve thought excitedly. 'Lets see this is it right?'
Tech. Support needed, high wages (negotiable), seasonal, requires good communication skills and a expansive knowledge of technology
'sure looks like it' Steve thought excitedly.
'Let's see now, how do apply?' Steve scanned the ad, looking for contact info.
'Ah! Here it is'
To apply contact James, at [email protected]
Steve got up excitedly, and paid for his coffee.
“see ya Martha, I have to go check out a job!” Steve said as he ran out the door
“bye Steve, good luck.”
Steve ran home, though not in too much of a hurry. He was unemployed after all, and didn't have anywhere to get too. He gets home, and rushes in through the front door. Steve turns on his computer. While he waited for it to warm up he went and got him some stomach ache pills, he still wasn't feeling the best.
He got on the internet, went to his email, and wrote his letter to James.
I read your job posting in the classifieds for somebody that could perform tech support services. In said ad, you asked for somebody with considerably technology knowledge, and the ability too communicate well. I have a Masters in computer science. Also I worked for a Microsoft tech support office for 3 years, giving me great communication skills. My resume is attached as well, and if you need any more info on my background, just Email me, and I can answer your questions.
I look forward to you reply.
Sincerely,
Steve Clutch
Steve read it through a couple of times, making corrections here and there until he was satisfied,
but wholly the message remained the same. He hesitantly hit the send button.
'there it goes' Steve thought.
'hopefully I'll get the job.'
2
2 days later
MARK
Mark was sitting with Rachel in the coffee shop again. Rachel had her laptop open on the table in front of her, along with her coffee, and a slice of spice cake.
“Anything yet?” he asked, not really expecting a good answer, just asking to ask. “That spice cake looks good, is it?”
“Yeah” Rachel said
“What do you mean 'yeah'?” Mark asked excitedly, really hoping that she was talking about the job offer. Though the cake did look pretty good, it would be worth more too him if somebody qualified had applied for the job.
“yeah, the cake is good...” said Rachel slowly.
“And...” replied Mark, anxious to pry any information from her about the job offer.
“'and....?' what?”
“Any body reply to our ad in the paper?”
“yeah.”
“'Yeah' somebody did, or...?”
“Yes, somebody replied to the ad in the paper.
Steve was planning on having a good day today, as he drank his coffee and read the newspaper. He just felt so full of energy! He had never realized just how much he loved this coffee shop. It just smelt so familiar, so home like. He could smell freshly ground coffee beans, and the spice cake that was baking for the lunch rush He would come in here every day before work, and usually on Saturday. He always sat at the third booth from the front of the shop. He would always say hi to Martha when he walked in, and order a medium vanilla latte with 2 shots of caffeine from her. Everyday he did this, and he was content with life. Today however felt special for some reason, not like a normal Tuesday, he just felt like today would be more, alive.
He finishes his coffee and gets up too leave, Says bye to Martha and walks outside. It was a sunny day, but it had a nice cool breeze. Steve looked up at the bright blue sky, a little difficult due to the tall buildings around him, and followed a lone cloud for a couple seconds, then he got on his way. While walking to work Steve accidentally bumped into a lady, who was a little flustered and in a hurry, he picked up the package that she dropped and told her sorry, and she hurried to wherever she was going.
He arrives at work, sets down at his desk, and gets to work. He works for Tech support, helping people with their “emergencies”. He did his job, he didn't really hate his job, it was just a little boring, and could be annoying answering questions like “how do I get on the internet?!?”.
Lunch time comes around and he decides to go back to the coffee shop, not something he usually did, but he just felt like having some of that spice cake he smelt everyday at the shop. He enjoys the short walk to the coffee shop, looking at the sky and the people, he noticed a homeless person on a corner asking for some change. Steve, felt that everybody should be happy today, so he handed him a $20 and hoped that he wouldn't spend it on “booze” or something.
Steve arrives at the coffee shop, and walks in “Hi., Martha” he says.
Martha, who was a little surprised to see him, says “Hey Steve”
“I'll take a double serving of that delicious spice cake, I smell it cooking everyday, and figured I might as well try it.”
“sure thing, coming right up Steve.” she said with a smile.
While His plate was getting made, Steve picked up the newspaper again. He decided that he could go ahead and look in the classifieds. Who knows, since today was such a good day, he might get lucky with a good job.
While he was looking, his plate of cake arrived. He said thanks to the young lady who brought him his cake, he didn't recognize her, she must have been new there. He took big sniff of the cake savoring the sweet smell. He took a big bite of the spice cake, and it really did taste as good as it smelled. It was a good thing he ordered a double helping, Steve thought. He ate his cake while scouring the newspaper for a good job.
As he finished off the cake, he felt like a drink. He waved over a waitress, and ordered a glass of milk to wash the delicious cake down with. While he was waiting for the milk he noticed a job that interested him
Tech. Support needed, high wages (negotiable), seasonal, requires good communication skills and a expansive knowledge of technology
It sounded good, he had got those two things from his time in college and from his job. Also it was seasonal meaning a good amount of time off, and apparently it payed well. However he still had a job, and didn't want to risk quitting his in case this one didn't last like he knew his current job would.
“oh well.” he sighed
He packed up his stuff, left a tip, and got up to leave.
“see ya later.” he said to Martha
“later, Steve” She replied
He enjoyed his walk back to work, looked at the skies, and the clouds. He thought that today, the sky was just so amazing. As he walked he said hi to the Homeless person he had given the $20 to. He seemed to be getting happier too. He walked the rest of the way to work with a smile on his face.
Unfortunately for him, once he got to work he realized that he had dallied to long at the coffee shop and on the walk back, he was 10 minutes late. Another score against him, he was afraid he might get fired.
“So much for the perfect day.” he said under his breath.
“My day would be better, if you showed up on time, Steve.” said his boss, Vince, who had overheard what Steve said.
“Sorry, boss, I just lost track of time. I guess. Won't happen again.”
“You make sure it doesn't, your this close to getting fired” he gestures to a space between his fingers.
“It won't.” Steve assured him.
“Well, off to work then.”
Steve headed off to his desk for another bout of answering idiotic technology questions. The Ad in the paper for Tech. Support still lingered in his mind. It would be awesome to have a new job, or at least it would have to be better than; this.
He goes home, exhausted, and frustrated from his day at work. Watches the news, and a game show or two, checks his E-mail, and goes to sleep.
This pattern goes on for a week or so more, until;
“time for lunch!” he announces to the utterly uninterested people at his office.
Steve decided today was another good day for that spice cake,it was too good to resist the last time. He makes his way down the city streets, waving at anybody he knew, and being careful not to run into anybody. He makes it too the coffee shop, walks in and says “hi.” to Martha.
“hey, Steve” she said, with a touch of sadness in her voice.
“Hey Martha, whats wrong?” he asked, genuinely concerned, he might not know her, but she was a part of his life.
“it's nothing.....” she starts crying, large tears splattered on the cash register, her sobs overtaking the other sounds in the shop, good thing there weren't very many patrons at the shop that day. He guides her over to his booth, and consoles her. She talks about how the shop wasn't making enough money to stay in business, and how everybody was going to lose their jobs, and how it was going to close, and how she wouldn't know what to do when that happened.
“I really, REALLY! Need this job, Steve, If I don't have this job I'm going to lose my house.”
“Don' t worry you'll figure out a way, I'm sure it will work out. It would be impossible for a place as good as this too go out of business.”
He consoled her for a little, and drank some coffee. Then after Martha had calmed down a little, Steve glanced down at his watch.
“Holy shit! My lunch break is over!, see ya I have to go!”
“Bye!” Martha exclaimed as he ran out the door, sad that he had to leave so soon.
MARTHA
“There he goes again...” Martha sighed, gathering herself again
“Wheres Steve run off too this time?” asked Anna, one of the servers there.
“oh, he's late for work... again.” Martha replied
“I heard you guys talking over here and didn't want to interrupt, what happened”
“well, I sort of broke down... I didn't mean to, it's just that he is such a regular customer here, and I was thinking about what he would do if we shut down.”
“Oh, ya I guess your right. I would miss him if we got shut down. You know? Doesn't really talk that much, but still he is part of my day everyday”
“Ya, I know what you mean.” said Martha. As they were talking a new customer had walked in.
“oh sorry,” Martha said to the customer, waving Anna off. “what can I get for you?"
“It's O.K., I just came here to meet somebody.” said the customer as he waved to somebody sitting at a booth in the cafe, “I'll just take a medium caramel mocha.”
“what kind of milk do you want in it?” said Martha.
“Eh, whatever works.”
“Does whole work?” Martha knew most customers didn't like to have to many questions, but she didn't want to mess up his order either.
“yeah, that's fine”
“Ok sir, that will be right out.”
MARK
“yeah, that's fine.” said Mark
“Ok, sir that will be right out.” said the lady as cheerfully as she could, though it looked like she had been having a rough day. While he was waiting for his coffee, Mark went and found his seat next to Rachel, his partner in his newest plan.
“Anybody apply for the job yet?” he asked Rachel.
“Not yet, but hopefully somebody will here soon, or else we'll have to pull the plug on... every single... one of our plans. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like fun to me.” Rachel replied with emphasis on the “every single”.
“I know, I know, but we have come to far to quit now. The months worth of planning, of research, of sleep that I... we've... put into to this can't be held back by one thing. I mean do we even need a computer technician for it to work?!?” said an exasperated Mark.
“Yes, and you know it. After all we have spent months on this. We need tech support on this job, or... we have to re-do all of our plans.
No leisurely walk to work, enjoying the view and the sky. No, Steve ran to work, as fast as his feet could carry him. Knocking over a few bystanders along the way, sorry he yelled behind him at them, but he had to get to work, now!
When he gets to work, 40 minutes late, who else would be waiting for him except his boss. As if he was waiting for the chance to fire him.
“Steve, so glad you could make it to work, is your lunch break not long enough?” asked the boss, Vince.
“I'm sorry sir, its just that one of my friends was having a bad day, and I just felt like helping them through it. It won't happen again, I promise.”
“Well, obviously your parents never enforced the importance of a promise now then did they? How many times have you said “I Promise”, or “I swear” when you showed up late to work?”
“I... I... well... It's...” Steve stammered
“T...t...t... too many is the answer.” Vince mocked
“Don't bother showing up tomorrow, because your going to march into you cubicle, clean it out and leave!, now!”
“B..but, Y....You can't do that!” Steve exclaimed hysterically, “If you do, then I’ll have to find another job, and in this economy that’s nearly impossible!” Steve is close to tears as he says this.
“Well then go and do the impossible.” Vince sneered, “Because apparently it's impossible for you too show up on time.”
Steve cleared out his office as he was asked, he couldn't do much else; he was officially fired. No longer a part of the company, shit-canned, dismissed, laid off, gone, they were no longer in need of his “services”.
The first thing Steve does is take a silent, and solemn, trudge to his house, with the meager possessions from his cubicle. It was a long walk, his mood being different shades of self-pity, and parts anger. He did not smile at anyone he passed, nor did he wave, or acknowledge anybody, he trudged straight home.
After delivering his possessions home, Steve decided to get drunk. Not just buzzed, and feeling good; no, he wanted to get completely sloshed, and try to drink away his problems. He went to the “Train station”(a bar that got its name from people who waited for loved ones at train stations, only to find that their lovers had eloped during the trips, and went there to drink their problems away. Much like Steve was trying to do now).
Steve walks up to the bartender, “I'll take two shots of whiskey, sir.” he said
“Coming right up!” the bartender replied
Steve finishes those off in quick succession, with the burn in his throat masking the gut wrenching pain in his stomach. That pain comes from the thought of not knowing what to do. He was glad for that.
“keep 'em comin'” Steve ordered
“Are you sure that's a good idea, sir?” the bartender inquired
“Do you think I care whether it is or not?!” Steve Retorted, “Just Give me some more”
“If you insist...”
After about his tenth shot or so, Steve got to be a bit, well: drunk. 'Time to go home' Steve thought. Carefully, he got out of his chair, paid for the drinks that he had, bought a small bottle of whiskey, and tumbled out the door, swaying his way home, to drunk to keep steady. Steve spent the rest of his night slouched in his chair, with an empty bottle of alcohol clutched in his right hand.
Steve awoke with a blinding headache, and a stomach that was, understandably, upset. He Stood up from his chair, and stumbled in the bathroom; where he lost the contents of his stomach into the toilet.
“ugh!” Steve moaned, as his body tried to rid itself of the poison Steve had gave it. After a couple of minutes of dry heaving, Steve wearily got to his feet, and stepped into the shower. “A cold shower should help calm me down a little” Steve thought. He turned the shower nob, first to cold to help him get his edge back, and then too hot when he couldn't stand taking a cold shower anymore. Steve stepped out of his shower, feeling better, but still pretty shitty.
'What to do now?' Steve thought to himself as he sat in his living room.
Steve stared at his ceiling, finding pictures in the texture on his ceiling. Hoping that perhaps one of them would spark an idea.
“There's one!” Steve said to himself, “ it looked like a bank robber... “well there's an idea!” Steve exclaimed.
“I could rob a bank” Steve said jokingly, and then laughed at his own joke.
'I need a walk to clear my head' Steve thought.
So, Steve went to his favorite place: the coffee shop.
“Hey Martha” Steve said as he strolled through the door.
“Hey Steve, running a bit behind this morning, are we?” Martha asked
“well, really, I was fired from my job yesterday” Steve replied solemnly.
“ Oh my! That's terrible, How did that happen?”
“Just lost track of time too often, I guess.” Steve shrugged after saying this. “now lets get onto a better topic shall we?”
“yeah... sure... Steve, if you don't wanna talk about it.”
“How about just a cup of black today Martha?, trying to get over an upset stomach, and I figure that would be better than vanilla latte with loads of cream.”
“Sure, coming right up.”
Steve went and sat down in his booth that he always went too and stared out the window. He looked at the cars and the people moving about their way, wondering where they were going. And if it was really that important in the grand scheme of things.
“here you go, Steve.” Anna said as she sat his coffee down in front of him.
“Thanks, Ann” Steve replied mechanically
Steve sipped his coffee, staring at the newspaper, looking for his next job. Scanning through the classifieds, Steve saw job offerings for cashiers, waiters, bartenders, ect.. Nothing that really paid enough for him to keep living in his house. He even saw that his old job had already been added, the boss needed somebody to fill his spot, probably did it as Steve cleared out his cubicle.
As he was scanning the paper, Steve got excited. He hoped that the job he had found the last time was still open. The search for just any job turned into a search for the ad of that job.
'hah! Here it is' Steve thought excitedly. 'Lets see this is it right?'
Tech. Support needed, high wages (negotiable), seasonal, requires good communication skills and a expansive knowledge of technology
'sure looks like it' Steve thought excitedly.
'Let's see now, how do apply?' Steve scanned the ad, looking for contact info.
'Ah! Here it is'
To apply contact James, at [email protected]
Steve got up excitedly, and paid for his coffee.
“see ya Martha, I have to go check out a job!” Steve said as he ran out the door
“bye Steve, good luck.”
Steve ran home, though not in too much of a hurry. He was unemployed after all, and didn't have anywhere to get too. He gets home, and rushes in through the front door. Steve turns on his computer. While he waited for it to warm up he went and got him some stomach ache pills, he still wasn't feeling the best.
He got on the internet, went to his email, and wrote his letter to James.
I read your job posting in the classifieds for somebody that could perform tech support services. In said ad, you asked for somebody with considerably technology knowledge, and the ability too communicate well. I have a Masters in computer science. Also I worked for a Microsoft tech support office for 3 years, giving me great communication skills. My resume is attached as well, and if you need any more info on my background, just Email me, and I can answer your questions.
I look forward to you reply.
Sincerely,
Steve Clutch
Steve read it through a couple of times, making corrections here and there until he was satisfied,
but wholly the message remained the same. He hesitantly hit the send button.
'there it goes' Steve thought.
'hopefully I'll get the job.'
2
2 days later
MARK
Mark was sitting with Rachel in the coffee shop again. Rachel had her laptop open on the table in front of her, along with her coffee, and a slice of spice cake.
“Anything yet?” he asked, not really expecting a good answer, just asking to ask. “That spice cake looks good, is it?”
“Yeah” Rachel said
“What do you mean 'yeah'?” Mark asked excitedly, really hoping that she was talking about the job offer. Though the cake did look pretty good, it would be worth more too him if somebody qualified had applied for the job.
“yeah, the cake is good...” said Rachel slowly.
“And...” replied Mark, anxious to pry any information from her about the job offer.
“'and....?' what?”
“Any body reply to our ad in the paper?”
“yeah.”
“'Yeah' somebody did, or...?”
“Yes, somebody replied to the ad in the paper.