🤍 Jessica's POV 🤍
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The sky's bleeding orange and purple by the time I step out of Nora's house, the air crisp with that weird 'almost-fall-but-not-quite' chill.
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I smile to myself still replaying my conversation with Nora in my head. She's such a sweet person.
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The kind that instantly makes you feel at home. It's funny how I had only intended to drop off a cake and a warning, but instead, ended up with an open dinner invitation for any weekends i'm free.
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I'm halfway across the street when I spot a familiar figure trudging up the sidewalk, his tie hanging loose like a noose and his shoes coated in a fine layer of city grime. His face is a mix of exhaustion and something suspiciously close to... happiness?
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I stop dead. "Why do you look like you just won a lifetime supply of energy drinks?"
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He pauses, squinting at me. "Why do you look like you've been adopted by another grandma?"
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I glance down at the Tupperware of leftover cake Nora forced into my hands. "Valid. But answer the question."
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A grin cracks through his tired facade. "Got the job!"
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"Shut up."
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"Nope."
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"Shut. Up." I jab a finger at him. "Delivery driver Ken? Rolling round town in a van blasting terrible music?"
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He laughs, scrubbing a hand through his hair, which already looks like he lost a fight with a leaf blower. "Eh, Not... exactly."
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I frown "What do you mean?"
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"Warehouse worker. I'll be sorting packages. Loading trucks. You know, the other glamorous stuff."
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I blink. "They're not letting you drive?"
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He shrugs. "Turns out the company's not super into hiring guys who failed parallel parking twice during the test."
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A snort escapes me. "Wow. Harsh."
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"But!" He holds up a finger "It's full-time. Has benefits. And they're paying me more than that pizza place did."
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For a moment, I study his expression, trying to gauge how he really feels about this. "And... are you okay with that?"
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He lets out a short laugh. "Jess, I just needed a job. Any job. I'm not complaining. At least it's a start, right?"
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I nod, my excitement returning in full force.
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Then I lunge forward and wrap him in a hug, cake container squished between us."Absolutely. That's all that matters. Kenneth, I'm actually so proud of you"
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He pats my back awkwardly. "Yeah, yeah. Don't cry about it."
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"I'm not crying," I lie, pulling back. "I'm just... allergic to your cheap cologne."
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He rolls his eyes.
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I grab his arm, pulling him towards our house "Come on, Rach's gonna lose her mind"
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•••••
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The clock ticks past 11 p.m, and I'm sprawled on the couch, half-watching a Kdrama where the heroine just happens to trip into the male lead's arms for the eighth time this episode.
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Subtlety is dead, and honestly? I'm here for it.
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Then my traitorous brain whispers; Check the job listing.
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"No" I say aloud, stabbing my spoon into the ice cream carton.
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Just peek. For funsies.
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No, bitch. Get outta my head.
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Ken got a job. You're a hypocrite if you don't at least look at it.
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This is crazy. Am I really having a conversation with myself right now? Maybe I need to apply to an Asylum.
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"Ugh, fine"
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I put my iPad aside, and drag my laptop to my knees, the screen glowing like a judgmental beacon in the dark. The Valentus job listing is still open in the eighth circle of my browser tabs, right between '10-minute ab workout' which I never click and 'Is sourdough starter sentient?'
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Name. Contact info. Resume upload... blah blah blah.
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I click through, muttering, "Yeah, yeah, I'm Jessica..."
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I continue filling out the application.
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Then I hit the question: 'Why do you want to work for Valentus Technologies?'
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I stare at it. The cursor blinks. Taunting and increasing my stress levels. Probably my blood levels too.
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God, I hate this arrogant question every job application on earth seems to have.
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"Why do I want to work for you?" I mimic under my breath. Bet.
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'Oh, I don't know, maybe because YOU are the ones looking for marketers? Or maybe because your company's former CEO allegedly murdered his mistress? So inspiring'
I type, but delete after the demon that possessed me for a second, leaves my body.
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'I'm passionate about innovation and leveraging synergies to disrupt verticals.'
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Too futuristic. Delete.
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'Valentus's commitment to excellence aligns with my personal brand of aggressively mediocre life choices.'
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What the heck is 'Valentus's'? I laugh.
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Delete!
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'I heard your CEO is single. Asking for a friend'
I mean, Rachel is single and searching.
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Delete. Delete. DELETE.
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What am I doing? Focus, stupid. You need a job.
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So I go with 'I admire your innovation in electronics. My skills in marketing align with your vision, and I'm eager to contribute to your growth while advancing my expertise in the industry'
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But the form wants corporate poetry. At least a 500 character sonnet about my undying love for electronics and team meetings.
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For fuck's sake!
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Time to invite the services of good ol' shatgpt.
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I end up going with 'I admire Valentus Technologies for its innovation in the electronics industry and its commitment to excellence. My skills in marketing align with your vision, and I'm eager to contribute to your growth by developing strategic campaigns, enhancing brand visibility, and driving customer engagement. Joining your team would allow me to apply my expertise while learning from industry leaders, making a meaningful impact on the company's success'
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There. Suck on that.
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I submit.
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Closing my laptop, I toss it aside, curl under a blanket, and let the K-drama chaos swallow me whole.
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No sleep. Priorities.
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