Mary Jo and Lucinda
A 12th grader’s best life: get ready, head to the country club, serve cocktails, laugh at jokes, get tips. The stories were building. The bank account was building. My confidence level was building. One of the members was discussing his company and how he was looking to hire someone to work during the summer part time. We made eye contact and I said, “I will start tomorrow.”
I’ll never forget my first day at their office. Summer was upon us, and the world seemed at my fingertips. I walked in donning my best dress, and was immediately escorted to the front desk. I was handed the phone, some cards to mail, and a list of people that should they call in, I send them straight to voicemail.
I was into it. Every time the phone rang, I would answer it in a different voice. I would sit up straight, smile, and be more excited about that call than the last one. I flashed back to my days of imagining I was either Mary Jo Shivley or Lucinda Walsh Dixon.
There was a lady that handled “finances” and she was not to be messed with. No one told me that, but it was evident to me based on her entrance and exit every day - and the cloud of smoke that followed her. Her lipstick was always a little smudged, and her perfume never quite covered up the cigarette smoke like she thought it did. Each morning she would walk in, and I would greet her, knowing she wouldn’t verbally respond. Each time she walked out for lunch, I would ask if she needed anything and she would shake her head no. Each evening when she would leave, she would mumble, “Alright Kara, great job today.”
I never told her my name was not Kara.
After about six weeks - things changed a little bit. She was walking out to lunch and I was taking a breath so I could ask if she needed anything. She held up her hand to stop me and said, “Come with me. Let’s go to Applebee’s.”
I looked behind me as I assumed she was speaking to someone else. She said, “Yes, you, Kara.”
I said I needed to just check in with the guys and she said, “No you don’t - let’s go.”
I grabbed my purse as quickly as I could, put the phone on DND and even though I really needed to go to the bathroom first I decided holding it would be the best option.
I was prepared to drive myself and she said, “Hop in on the passenger side.”
I hopped into her giant black Caddie and immediately gagged at the smell of musty cigarettes and musk cologne. She asked if I wanted a mint and I said sure. She dug it out of the center console which included cigarette butts, mints, and some cash. I popped that mint in my mouth and prayed I did not catch anything. Ten seconds after I put the old, stale mint into my mouth she asked if I wanted a cigarette. I choked that thing down and we talked about our favorite things to order at Applebee’s.
Our lunch ended up being really fun. We laughed a little bit as she shared stories about some of the “idiots that worked with us” - and we wrapped it up and headed back to the office. Every day after that I felt a little bit cooler. The guys were VERY fascinated with the fact that she invited me to lunch, as they had NEVER been invited. I just smiled and said, “She just needed some ‘girl time.’”
It took awhile for me to get everything figured out. I knew what I was doing for them, but I wasn’t quite sure what we did. I do know that every Friday we got paid, and every Thursday the owner remembered that he “forgot to give me the payroll paperwork to fill out” so I would just get a handful of cash.
Somehow in the midst of this, I was late submitting my college applications, therefore missing the fall quarter deadlines. I didn’t hate it. I ended up working through fall quarter and then heading to Valdosta State University for winter quarter and beyond. We will just press pause on these stories as after two years of frat parties and (somehow) amazing grades in south Georgia, I was ready to get back to Atlanta to finish my degree and keep working at that crazy place. That actually led to my current job, and the rest is fabulous history.
