What I landed on was editing and proofreading mechanic manuals. It wasn’t as fulfilling or exciting as actually working on vehicles, but it at least used my skills and knowledge, and after Willa was born it allowed me to stay at home with her. The job had been a godsend. I didn’t want to leave her to go back to work, but I had to have something that would support us. The work on the manuals was enough to get us by, especially when we were living with Kira. It gave me a decent income, and I planned on continuing with it even after I started a hands-on position again. Being able to tuck money away gave me a greater sense of confidence and security. I wanted to know if anything happened or there was an emergency, I’d still be able to take care of Willa.
And despite the mess my interview turned out to be, there was a chance I might have that position soon enough.
Darren walking into the garage sent the entire interview into a tailspin. When I walked out of his office, I thought I would go back to the garage and find Quentin and Gus still there. We’d pick back up where we left off, and I’d be able to show off some of my mechanic skills to secure my position with the company. Instead, I walked out and found both men leaning against the outside wall of the office building. I was only able to give them an awkward, tense smile. There wasn’t really a lot to say in that particular moment.
“I take it you and Darren already know each other,” Quentin said.
I couldn’t really tell what the emotion was behind the words. It could have been accusatory. It could have been amused. It could have been simply curious. I really didn’t know because my brain was so full of my own twisted thoughts and emotions, I wasn’t able to accurately interpret anyone else’s. My only option was just to answer the best I could and see what happened next.
“Yes. He and I met a while back in a completely unrelated situation. I didn’t know he was the rider here,” I clarified.
They nodded and exchanged glances, then looked back at me.
“We’ll call you,” Quentin finally said. “Thank you for coming out here today.”
The words weren’t mean or aggressive, but they hit me like a punch in the gut. That wasn’t the kind of sentiment I wanted to hear at the end of an interview. Those were the words someone said when they wanted to end an interview early or shut down an applicant who they already knew wasn’t a fit for the position. I did my best not to let on any kind of negative reaction, smiled, and left. Since then, I’d been thinking about the interview and the possibility of getting the position. I might have been overanalyzing what they said. Maybe they ended the interview quickly so they could go talk to Darren about me. That could be a good thing, but I didn’t know if his word was enough to actually get me hired, so I wasn’t holding my breath.
I’d already made a lot of progress in the book I’d been working on and quickly got into a good rhythm. At this pace, I could actually get to bed at a good time and hopefully catch a few hours before Willa woke up. I was halfway done with the work I wanted to do for the evening when my phone rang. The sharp sound instantly woke Willa up, and she burst into tears. I reached for my phone, soothing her and rubbing her back to calm her back into sleep.
“Hello?” I said.
Willa started to settle down, and I let out a breath of relief.
“Kelly?” a voice I didn’t recognize asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“Hi. I’m sorry it’s so late in the day. I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to call you. I hope that’s all right.”
“It’s fine. Who is this?” I asked.
“Oh. I’m sorry, again. This is Minette Freeman, but you can call me Minnie. I handle the intake around here, and I wanted to give you a call to talk about your new position.”
“My new position?” I asked, wanting to make sure I actually heard what I thought I did.
“Yes. Quentin and my husband told me all about you and the interview they had with you yesterday. They were both impressed by your resume and are looking forward to you joining the team. That’s why I wanted to give you a call today rather than waiting until tomorrow just in case you might have other companies considering you. We wanted to snatch you up off the market before there was a chance any of our competitors might get you,” Minnie said.
“Oh, no,” I said, perhaps a bit too quickly. I took a breath to calm myself and slow my voice. “No. I’m free and clear and happy to be a part of Freeman Racing.”
“Great,” Minnie said happily. “Then let’s talk about some details.”
I listened almost breathlessly as Minnie talked about when I’d get started and the salary I’d be earning. She made it clear there was plenty of room to move up and earn more the longer I worked on the team. When the conversation ended, I stared down at my phone, still in shock. It was exactly what I wanted and hoped for, but I couldn’t believe it actually happened. Finally, I leaned down to kiss Willa’s soft, warm baby head.
“We’re finally getting there, sweet pea,” I whispered.
9 Darren
I didn’t hear anything else from Quentin or my father about the interview for the rest of the day. I didn’t know what was going to happen after Kelly left my office. She said she was going back to the garage to continue the interview with my brother and father,
