Bundle of Joy

“Well, there were lots of other kids and parents there,” I continue, finishing the sentence in a different way than I had planned. “You know what they say – word of mouth is the best advertisement, and I’m sure those kids will be talking about that fantastic cake for months down the line!”

“That’s so sweet of you to say,” she says. “But what do you mean you don’t know how long you’ll be working at the resort? Why not? I thought you liked it – at least as much as any of us can like jobs these days, ha. What happened?”

Leave it to Sally to be not only overly concerned but also very perceptive. And also to ask a million questions.

I should have known I couldn’t keep something this big from her. I decide to just come out with it, and I tell her all about what happened.

“Well, well, well, looks who’s gone and caught some feelings,” Sally says, when I finish telling her.

“Hey, no teasing,” I tell her. “I already feel dumb enough.”

“There’s nothing to feel dumb about!” she says. “Even the best of us fall in love. Look at Mike and me!”

“What you and Mike have is real love but that is not what’s going on with Daniel and me,” I protest. “It’s not even comparable in the slightest. It’s more like raging lust. I just met the man!”

“How do you think it started out with Mike and me?” she asks me. “We were just like this in the beginning.”

I guess she’s got me there.

“Come on,” I protest. “Not every crush turns into love!”

“That’s true,” she says. “But you certainly at least ‘like’ him – that other ‘L word’ that means a lot too. I’ve seen you go on Match.com dates and I’ve tried to hook you up with Mike’s friends and I can’t even remember a time when you liked a guy. So, this is huge. There is something in your voice. I can just tell you not only like him, but you really, really like him. That’s the two-r’s and an l phrase that is even more important.”

“That’s a phrase you just made up,” I laugh.

“Exactly. It’s a phrase that rare and special and important. Just like whatever you have going on with his single dad you’re so hung up on,” Sally continues, undeterred. “I think you should nanny for him not only because it’s very good money but also because I want to see what all happens down the road for you two. This is like my own personal soap opera I can live vicariously through.”

“Very funny,” I tell her. “I’m so glad that you can get your drama fix through my crazy life.”

I’m glad I talked to Sally about it and I’m secretly very glad that she thinks I should do it. Like most people, I think I just wanted validation of the choice I was leaning towards, rather than actual objective advice.

But I still can’t decide whether to take the nannying job or not; there are so many downsides. Just then, though, I get an incoming call from the resort, which prevents me from being able to devote any more time or energy at the moment to this nannying job dilemma.

“I have to go,” I tell Sally. “Let’s get together and catch up though.”

“Okay, have a good one,” she says cheerfully.

I hurry to accept the incoming call from work, wondering whether someone didn’t show up and thinking that maybe they need me to work an extra shift. Instead, the harsh voice of Marsha Landers from HR – a voice I only recognize from my intake paperwork when I started but which is famous around employee circles at the resort for being the one voice you do not want to hear on the phone – greets me.

“Catharine, I am going to have to let you go,” she says, as soon as I say hello.

I guess saying she is “greeting” me is too nice of a way to put it.

I had heard she was blunt and to the point, but this was really out there.

“I’m sorry?” I ask, shocked. “Let me go? As in, fire me? Why?”

“Did you or did you not talk about a guest and his son being rich and entitled? I believe your words were something to the effect of saying it’s not the kid’s fault that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth but at least his dad is cute?”

“Woah,” I protest. “That’s really mixing up how things went down. It’s completely taking things out of context. I did say the thing about the spoon, but only in jest and in response to what Michelle was saying about…”

“Look, I don’t have time for all of this ‘she said, she said,” Marsha interrupts. “It’s clear that you participated in an inappropriate conversation about the guests, in front of or even to the guests, no less, so that is grounds for dismissal. You can come clean out your locker tomorrow and then please don’t return.”