26. Placers Staffing

Placers Staffing

Hadley spent two weeks filling out applications for stores and small businesses around town and browsing the Classified section of the local newspaper. She applied to every job that sounded remotely interesting and that would take someone young with limited professional experience. She was excited to hear back about a receptionist position with an industrial employment agency. It was only slightly above minimum wage, offering $3.90 an hour, and while Hadley wouldn't have much left at the end of the month, it would at least cover her rent and basic groceries. She wasn't sure what running a front desk as a receptionist entailed but was just happy to have found something that was hiring immediately. Her first real adult job. She stared in the mirror and smoothed her hair behind her ears, feeling proud of herself for this big step.

Despite her initial excitement, as Hadley drove toward the edge of town, she grew nervous. She was offered the position after two phone interviews, and this would be the first time she'd see the office and meet her new manager. There was a small part of her that was convinced it was an elaborate prank she'd show up to an abandoned building.

She approached an intersection, stopping at the red light, and was relieved to see the faded navy lettering for Placers Staffing on a sign across the street. Phew. When the light turned green, she took a deep breath, holding the air in her lungs while she pulled into the parking lot, squinting to make out the almost nonexistent parking lines. She lined herself up the best she could and parked her dad's old 1968 Buick, feeling thankful it was still running twenty years later.

Slowly exhaling, she eyed her surroundings, first noticing that the concrete sidewalks were cracked with weeds sprouting between each slab. Placers Staffing was a narrow building nestled in a faded strip mall; its once vibrant signs now hard to read.

Well, at least my car fits in.

Hadley quickly checked her reflection in the car mirror, and then stepped out, locking the doors, and heading toward the entrance. It rained earlier that morning, so she was careful to sidestep the puddles of water that collected in the low spots of the gravel lot. She wore a cherry red dress patterned with tiny white flowers and a pair of brown leather wedges. The dress had long sleeves, but she was now second guessing if she should have grabbed a sweater. She hoped she wouldn't be required to wear a blazer, because that was a step too professional for her current wardrobe.

Hadley walked into a faded pink room, eyes falling to the row of cracked vinyl chairs. There was a coffee table in the middle with old magazines scattered across the top and a water cooler in one corner that opposed a dusty, fake lemon tree in the other. She slowly approached the front desk, set behind a sliding glass window, and smiled at who she assumed was Mary, the woman she had spoken to on the phone. Mary was an imposing figure, her broad shoulders and strong frame dwarfing Hadley's slender form. Her face, unremarkable in its plainness, seemed to fade into the background.

Mary introduced herself and ushered Hadley behind a door that separated the pink room from a cramped back office with unforgiving fluorescent lighting and undecorated white walls. The unremarkable woman, with short straw hair, had a strong handshake that made Hadley feel small.

With a quick glance around the space, Hadley noticed a navy-blue blazer that matched Mary's slacks draped across the back of one of the computer chairs. Her eyes darted to it, registering it with slight panic, before she forced herself to refocus on the incredibly brief office tour. She nodded intently when her new boss pointed here and there, all the while anxiously holding her breath. Her heart, a trapped bird in her chest, reminded her to breathe. She turned her body away from Mary, pretending to look closely at the nearby desk, allowing her the chance to release a slow, almost-casual exhale.

Turning back to face Mary, Hadley learned her responsibilities and the culture of the company. She would be the first face that the primarily male clientele would see, and it would be her responsibility to welcome them, hand them a comprehensive packet, and collect and photocopy their proof of identification. Most jobs Placers offered were temporary, with a few becoming permanent, and were with construction, outdoor maintenance, or production line companies. She wouldn't need to worry much about that part, as Mary was in charge of securing the partnerships and positions.

Mary explained that everyone who comes to Placers Staffing is unemployed and in need of help. Some of them seemed to be in a bad place, really down and out, while others just seemed to have lost their motivation, wanting to completely pivot their lives. Hadley felt a surge of empathy, their struggles resonating with her own. She had grown up in a dysfunctional household, her childhood marred by alcoholism and neglect. She understood the feeling of being invisible, of being lost in the shadows of her own family. She also understood the desire to escape and the determination to find a better way of living.

While she stood in the center of the room, Hadley did her best to engage with her new manager so that she would have an idea of who she'd be working alongside. It turned out Mary was an open book and freely shared insight into her personal life.

"I have two children, a son in high school and a daughter in middle school," she shared. "I've been married for eighteen years but if you were to ask my husband what an ideal weekend looked like to him, he would pick Sunday night football over our family dinner night every time." Mary huffed and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I've been the manager here for the last three years but have been working here for over a decade. Like I already mentioned, I handle all of the account management which is why I'm not always in the office. I spend a lot of time on the road. I'm usually only here Mondays and Fridays because that's when Meg is off."

"Meg?"

"Right. Guess I should've mentioned that. Meghan also works here but only three days a week. She has a cute little daughter, who she shares with her ex. I'm not really sure what happened there. If you ask me, I would've hung on to that man for dear life."

Hadley smiled, unsure how to respond. As silence filled the room, Hadley looked around, taking inventory of the cramped surroundings. She nodded when Mary told her to not be shy if she thought of any questions. She watched as Mary returned to her desk and promptly opened the latest edition of Cosmo magazine. Hadley, still standing in place, felt a flick of hope ignite within her. This would be her first grown-up job and while she fell into an easy groove at Daisy & Daffodil, even accepting a store manager promotion, she knew this would be so much more. She felt a newfound sense of purpose and felt proud to be joining a woman-led company. This was a big step for Hadley, one that had the potential to change her life and help her move on from the past.

***

At the end of the day, with her head held high, Hadley decided she'd stop at the pizza place around the corner from her apartment. She normally wouldn't splurge knowing she had a stocked freezer from a recent grocery store sale, but decided a successful first day at a new job was reason enough. She pulled into her parking lot and walked the block to Franco's. She ordered a slice of pepperoni and a garlic knot, momentarily hesitating when realizing her dinner cost her an hour worth of work at her new job. She stuck her nose in the brown bag the cashier handed her, inhaling the garlic scent. Worth it.

She walked down the block and up the staircase in her apartment as her stomach eagerly rumbled. As she approached her door, she noticed a yellow sticky note a few inches above her door handle. She pulled it off and stuck it to the pizza bag in her left hand, using her free hand to finagle her key until the knob finally unlocked. Once inside, she traded her wedges for slippers and slid her dinner onto the kitchen counter. She pulled out her meal, enjoying the brick oven aroma, as she read the note that was left on her door.

Name: Michael Martin

Time: 2:35 pm

Message: Donation pick up Wed.

If you want anything, come before then.

Well that was unexpected. She wondered what exactly he was planning to donate and why now. She leaned against the counter, breaking off chunks of her garlic knot as she considered her options. She could go tonight, or she could go tomorrow after work. She rolled her eyes and decided she'd go tomorrow, not wanting to waste the $3 spent on a celebratory dinner. Whatever was to come would surely ruin her appetite.

She licked the garlic grease from her thumbs before grabbing a paper napkin to wipe the rest of her fingers. She dropped the note into the garbage with the orange-stained napkin before she filled a glass with tap water and carried her paper plate of pizza to the couch. She curled her legs under and smiled at the salty taste of pepperoni. So worth it.