Hurt Me Once, Shame On You

The blank screen of Kate’s laptop stared back at her. The cursor blinked, waiting for her to type something but her mind had been a mess for days now.

“Damn it! This is a disaster” she said to herself considering she planned on turning her passion for writing into a career. No matter what she did, she always found her way back to it but unfortunately, it didn’t pay her bills. She needed something steady to keep a roof over her head and the lights on which is why she had applied to a couple of companies including Whitmore Global.

It was one of the biggest tech companies in Chicago that only accepted the most qualified candidates. If she happened to get the job, that would solve a lot for her financially while she still worked on her writing. She quickly refreshed her email but there was nothing new that she was interested in at the moment.

She exhaled heavily before closing her laptop. The sky outside had gotten cloudy and the morning air was stronger and extra chilly, billowing her curtains around her window. She got up quickly and pulled her windows shut then made her way to her bedroom and did the same.

“Maybe I'll function better after a warm shower,” she said, remembering her late mother’s words.

Her mother would always tell Kate when she was younger that there was nothing a nice shower could not fix, God rest her soul. Shrugging out of her pajamas Kate took a look at her reflection in the mirror. The natural glow of her caramel skin was further illuminated under the warm light of the room. Her eyes were tired and her thick, curly hair sat in a messy bun on top of her head. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the shower humming a catchy pop tune.

Thirty minutes later after she was done and all dressed up in shorts and a sweater, she decided on a quick sandwich for breakfast but as she sat down to eat, an email notification popped up on her phone screen. She glanced at it briefly but something caught her attention and she looked again at the preview.

Whitmore Global: Dear Miss Jones…

With her heart pounding in her chest, she slowly picked her phone and opened the message. It read:

Dear Miss Katrina Jones,

You have been scheduled for an interview at Whitmore Global Technology for Wednesday the 4th of April…

Kate placed her hand over her mouth as she read through the email twice then slowly the third time just to be sure she was not dreaming.

“Oh my God! I really have a shot at this” she said out loud and as if it finally sank in, she jumped on her couch and squealed with delight. Waving her arms in the air as she did so.

Kate had come across the sales position days ago and applied in passing without really putting much thought into it. Even though it was one of the most sought after companies in the state, she never really did think she would fit in there but desperate times called for desperate measures.

‘No shit! It’s tomorrow’ she thought then ran into her room to prepare what she would wear, her breakfast clearly forgotten as both excitement and anxiety washed over her.

The Next Morning

Kate stood in front of her mirror dressed in a long sleeved navy blue silk blouse tucked into a cream coloured pencil skirt. Her dark curls were pinned behind but that didn't stop a few curls from escaping around her face. At twenty eight, she still had a youthful look to her. She looked professional but her appearance didn't stop her nerves from kicking in.

‘What if something went wrong?’ ‘What if I say the wrong thing and ruin my chances?’