excerpt from Falling for the Voice
by Mag Maury
1. The Curse of the Pigeon
No, no, no, nooooooo!”
Not today! Why did my bed have to take me hostage today?
Is it conspiring with my alarm clock or what? Why didn’t it ring? The day of my job interview…
I leap to my feet and wail in frustration, “Whyyy?”
Come on, get going, action-reaction, I only have an hour to get ready and get to my interview. I hate it when things don’t go according to plan! What a disaster!
Action stations! I go into warrior mode and get showered and dressed as fast as possible: I pull on some jeans, a blouse, and my boots (luckily, I prepared my outfit carefully last night), then add a little makeup. If I’m lucky, I’ll get there! I give myself a quick once-over in the mirror: hmm, yes, that should do. A spray of perfume, and I’ll be—“Shit, it burns! It burns! Arrrgh, my eye!”
Great start! That’s just what I need: a red eye at a first interview.Honestly… Grrrrr!
Come on, stay calm! Try to look on the bright side. Umm… At least my retina smells good!
I’m 28, and today I’m interviewing for a temporary waitressing job at the Green Country pub, which might lead to permanent work. I can’t afford to blow this interview. Not with my apartment to pay for. I can’t let Chloé, my best friend who lives with me, pay the rent alone while I’m trying to find work.
Sure, our little nest is no palace, but we like it. It’s spacious with a small open-air courtyard, it’s bright, and big enough to give us both the independence we need. We’ve known each other for ten years. It’s been a long and wonderful friendship, and now we’ve been living together for two years.
Chloé is the impulsive one: she’s as spontaneous as I am cautious. She’s a year older than I am and is head sales representative for a cosmetics chain. We were lucky to find each other! We couldn’t be more different, but somehow, we make a great pair. If I didn’t have her, I’d stay shut up at home like a hermit in his cave. She’s a real party animal and is responsible for my finest hangovers…
Actually, while we’re on the subject, I have Chloé to thank for the brilliant idea she had last night… surprise drinks, in the hope that white wine would relax me for my interview today. Thanks to her, the Fraggle Rock puppets are holding an after party in my head.
I pull the door shut behind me and run down the stairs two at a time: I still have twenty minutes to get to the pub.
As I sprint down the street, I savor the feeling of the warm spring air rushing past me. There’s no denying it: living somewhere as sunny as the south of France sure has its advantages. Lost in thought and stressed about what lies ahead, my heart just about stops when an unidentified projectile suddenly hits me smack on the cheek. In an instant, I’m in ninja mode, ready to take on my assailant!
It’s a goddamn pigeon!
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