by Ella Sparkle
It wasn’t until after the bagels were toasted and loaded with cream cheese, and the coffee was done brewing, that I realized Cassie had been quiet the whole time I'd been busy in the kitchen. Quiet with Cassie was never a good sign.
“Cass? What's up? Why are you being so quiet?” I asked hesitantly as I walked into the living room with plates of bagels and mugs of hot coffee balanced precariously.
“Thanks, babe,” Cassie said as I handed her a mug of coffee and put the rest on the coffee table. “Are you still serious about only saying yes?” She asked, grabbing a bagel.
I settled into the opposite side of the sofa from Cassie and deeply inhaled the scent of my coffee before bringing the mug to my lips and drinking greedily. I could feel the steamy caffeinated beverage immediately start to slice through my hangover and clear up my foggy mind. After my third drink, I looked at Cassie, “Why, yes, I believe so.”
Cassie laughed. “Stop messing around you goofball! I am being serious!”
“So am I!” I laughed back. “I am serious about the saying yes plan! You are right, it is time for some changes in my life.” I tried to nod for added emphasis but it hurt my head.
Cassie had this look on her face, the one that always terrified me a little. It usually meant she had some kind of devious plan that I was not going to like but was going to be roped into doing because she was my best friend. “Well, in that case... I think I have a solution to your lack of job situation.”
“What did you have in mind?” I took a bite of my bagel and immediately mentally patted myself on the back for obtaining the perfect level of toasting with the exact right amount of cream cheese. Perfection in a bite.
Cassie held up one of the pizza boxes from the night before. There was a brightly colored piece of paper taped to the top. “I don’t get it,” I said looking at her in total confusion. “What does a pizza box have to do with my finding a job?”
“It is not the pizza box itself, but what is on the box.” Cassie tapped her bright red fingernail on the paper taped to the box. I leaned forward to read the boldface font across the top out loud.
“Looking for a job? You are in luck! Pete’s Pizza is now hiring delivery drivers. All schedules available, no experience required. Apply in person at Pete’s Pizza.” Cassie sat there with a huge grin on her face. It slowly dawned on me where she was going with this. “Oh no! You have to be kidding me! Pizza delivery driver? No way, not going to do it.” I shook my head at her for added emphasis – hangover be damned.
“Jenna,” Cassie gave me a disapproving look. “That is not how this goes. You are supposed to say yes when a new opportunity presents itself. You need a job and this flyer is literally asking you to apply.”
I could feel my anxiety start to rise as I nervously twirled my hair around my fingers. “The whole job consists of constant interactions with strangers. And making small talk. Two things I hate. Not doing it, Cass. I don’t even like talking to the checkout clerk at the grocery store.”
Cassie smiled at me sweetly and batted her long eyelashes. “A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet,” she sing-songed.
“Do you have any idea how creepy that sounds?” I tossed a throw pillow at Cassie as she burst into laughter. “I'm having second thoughts about this...”
“No way! You do not get to back out now, Jenna Morgan! You need a job and the opportunity for a job is presenting itself. You have to say yes. This can just be temporary until you find something else. Or who knows? You might really like it and can stay until you go to law school in the fall. Or did you forget you will be moving away and leaving me for three years to attend that big fancy school you were accepted into?”
I had no doubt Cassie intended for that last part to be lighthearted, but just like she knew me too well, I knew her too well. There was some well-founded, deeply-rooted fear in Cassie about the people she loved and cared for leaving her. My voice grew soft as I looked directly at Cassie. “We will still visit each other and there is always the phone and texting.” I gave her a big smile, “Plus, I will be busy studying and you will be busy becoming this area’s premier and most sought-after real estate agent.”
The slight hint of worry on Cassie’s face was quickly replaced by a big smile. “Do not try and flatter me into changing the subject. Although you are right, I am pretty stellar at my job.” Cassie winked at me and we both started laughing.
Cassie was a natural at sales and had already become one of the top-selling agents at the real estate agency she worked at. We often talked about working together at some point in the future. She would make the sales and I would specialize in providing legal services for real estate transactions. We would make a really great team.
“Back to the actual subject we were discussing,” Cassie said with a wave of her hand. “Go take a shower and get changed. You have a delivery job that you are saying 'yes' to and will be applying for later.”
I sighed and finished the last of my coffee. “Fine. I guess I need to start at some point. Yes, I will apply for the delivery job at Pete’s Pizza.”
“Great! What are you going to say when they offer you the job?” Cassie raised an eyebrow at me as she prompted me for an answer.
I rolled my eyes at her. “Yes. I will take the job.” I put on a fake, cheerful smile, inwardly dreading saying yes and disliking this plan already.
“Good girl!” I see my work here is done. Call me later today and let me know how it goes!” Cassie stood up and took her dishes into the kitchen. She grabbed her purse, gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, and walked to the front door.
“You might want to fix your make-up smudges and tame your hair before you go,” I warned Cassie as she had her hand on the doorknob.
Cassie turned to me with a smirk. “Oh, Jenna darling, my appearance and arrival home in the middle of the day will give the neighbors something really juicy to talk about. I am considering it my good deed for the day to get them all riled up.”
I laughed. “Okay, well good luck with that.”
“Good luck with your interview!” Cassie shouted as she walked out the front door. “You are my favorite!” she shouted when the door was almost closed.
“I love you too!” I shouted right before the door clicked shut.
I sighed and headed to the shower. I had a job to apply for whether I liked it or not. I was starting to question the wisdom of my decision to be a part of this crazy saying yes plan. So far I had gained one hell of a hangover and a job application to be a pizza delivery driver. Twenty-four hours before I would have never believed that was where my life would be, but I guess that was the point.
Chapter 6
Jenna
Later that afternoon I stood outside Pete’s Pizza trying to psych myself up to go in. I was freshly showered and wearing dark jeans with a black V-neck sweater; my hair was freshly curled and in a loose ponytail. I figured it was time to take a break from the suits and heels I wore at my previous job.
The outside of Pete’s was nothing super fancy, but the pizza was legendary. Pete’s was a standalone building with huge picture windows in the front that had the restaurant's name painted across them in big white letters outlined in green. The lettering matched the green and white striped awning. It was both a family restaurant and a hot spot for the college kids since it was within easy walking distance of campus. I had eaten there several times growing up and I could see that the decor inside hadn’t changed since I was a kid. There were still tables with red and white checked tablecloths and a big counter next to the cash register where you picked up orders to go.
I took a deep breath as I put my hand on the front door. “A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet,” I said silently to myself. “You are saying yes to new opportunities. Don’t think about it, just say yes.” I added my new mantra to Cassie's words from earlier, which were all still swirling and clamoring round in my head. Any other time I had gone to a job interview, I had spent weeks preparing and researching the compa
ny ahead of time. I was a planner, not a just-jump-in-and-go-for-it person. The fact I was walking in cold to ask a stranger for a job was so far out of my comfort zone I was not even really sure how to act.
I took another deep breath and pulled open the door as the bell announcing my presence softly jingled. There was a very kind-looking man with grey hair wearing a short-sleeve, white button-down shirt, and a black tie loosely around his neck standing behind the counter. He gave me a warm smile, “Welcome to Pete’s Pizza. How can I help you today?”
“Hi, my name is Jenna and I saw this flyer taped to one of your delivery boxes,” I held up the brightly colored flyer and tried to calm my nerves. “I wanted to apply for the delivery position, please.”
“I'm Pete, the owner,” the man said. “Let me just get someone to take over up here and I can sit down with you and talk about the job. Why don’t you go ahead and take a seat at the table in the corner?” he said kindly, gesturing to the table at the back, where we wouldn't be disturbed by customers coming and going.
“Thank you.” I breathed a sigh of relief as I headed to the table and sat down. The relief was only temporary, as I realized I had only just made it through the front door. I still had to actually interview for the position.
“Hey, Mike! Come out here and watch the front for me, would you? I am meeting with someone about the delivery job,” Pete shouted into the kitchen.
“Sure thing!” a voice shouted back from the kitchen. I watched as a guy about my age came out of the back and took over at the cash register. He had light brown hair that was a little on the shaggy side and was wearing a black Pete’s Pizza t-shirt with tan cargo shorts. He looked more like he belonged on a surfboard than behind the cash register at a restaurant. The guy, who I assumed was Mike, looked in my direction and smiled. Even from where I sat I could see he had kind eyes and that his smile was genuine and friendly. I nervously smiled back.
“Now,” said Pete as he settled into the chair on the other side of the table. “I have just a few questions for you so let’s get started.”
The interview was only a few basic questions, so it went by fairly quickly. We seemed to be ready to wind our conversation down when Pete leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I have just one last question for you. I don’t know how else to say this, so I am just going to come out with it. Why do you want this job? You're not the typical applicant I get for this position. Usually, it's high school kids or someone that is looking for a first-time job who has no employment experience. You have years of work experience and are a recent college graduate that has been accepted into law school. You seem a pretty unlikely candidate who might have better options someplace else.” I could see he didn't mean it unkindly, if anything, he looked curious.
I took a deep breath. I'd known that question would be coming and I had already decided to answer it honestly. I looked Pete straight in the eyes as I started my response. “I thought I knew what I was doing and where I was going in life, however, the universe has recently thrown me some curveballs. I decided to take some time to re-evaluate how I make choices, what it is I am doing and where I am going. I need an income while I do that and this seems like a great fit”
Pete nodded his head slowly, “I can respect that and I appreciate your honesty. The job is yours if you want it.”
I smiled at Pete, relieved that the interview was over and that I had survived it without any awkward mishaps. “Yes! I would like the job. Thank you.” I smiled, maybe this 'saying yes' thing was really going to pay off, I already had a job, after all.
“Great. You can start on Monday. See Mike before you leave today and he can get you the new hire paperwork and some uniform shirts in your size.” Pete reached out to shake my hand. “Welcome to the Pete’s Pizza team.”
Chapter 7
Jenna
I survived my first week at Pete’s Pizza and my first week of saying yes. I had to admit, I was actually really starting to like the job. I had some pretty cool co-workers and it was usually so busy that time flew by. Plus, I discovered the tips were really nice and quickly got used to always having cash in my purse.
“Hey, Jenna! In five minutes I’ll have two more deliveries ready for you,” my co-worker Steven shouted out. Steven was twenty-one years old and a total punk. Like, he literally had a bright pink mohawk, several piercings and I had never seen him wear anything other than all black. I figured the fact that the Pete’s Pizza uniform shirts were black, with only the Pete’s logo on them, suited Steven just fine. Oh, and don’t try to call him Steve. I made that mistake on the first day.
“Sounds good! I’m ready, Steven!” I shouted back.
My other co-worker, Kimmy came back into the kitchen. “We're really slammed out there tonight! A game just finished up at the college and everyone's here for a slice and a beer. Plus, the phone's been ringing off the hook with deliveries. It's crazy!”
Kimmy was the same age as Steven, but unlike Steven and his black-cloud personality, Kimmy was like a bright and shiny rainbow. She was always happy and bubbly and wore nothing but bright colors with her uniform shirt. That day she was wearing bright red shorts with matching red sneakers and knee-high socks, the kind with the stripes at the top. Her long, dark hair was streaked with turquoise highlights and pulled up into two big buns on the top of her head which looked almost like ears. Somehow it all just worked on her. I, on the other hand, just wore jeans and tennis shoes with my uniform shirt, with my brown hair pulled back into a low ponytail.
“That's good right? Extra tips, plus it makes the time go by fast.” I looked over my shoulder at Kimmy as I pulled down some empty pizza boxes for Steven.
“You know it girl!” Kimmy shouted back at me as she grabbed the pizza Steven had just finished cutting up and disappeared through the door back out to the front of the restaurant.
“Jenna! Order up! Hustle back because I have another round of deliveries coming up soon!” Steven handed me a stack of boxes.
“You got it!” I said as I smiled at Steven and grabbed the delivery boxes. I really liked my co-workers and, actually, the requirement to say yes had forced me to get to know them quickly, when otherwise I would have been far more likely to hang out in the background. It felt great to have some new friends in my life and they all seemed to be genuinely good, caring people.
I made the first delivery to a frantic-looking mom at a two-story house in a newer development. She explained her daughter was having a sleepover and her house was full of hungry girls as she shoved a wad of cash at me and grabbed the pizza boxes out of my hands.
I headed to my second delivery which was just a few blocks away in an area with newly remodeled condos. I slowed down as I tried to navigate through the parking lot and watch the letters on the buildings at the same time. “Let me see... where is building G?”
I finally located the building and rang the doorbell. I was looking down at the pizza box checking the order when the door opened. I didn't even bother looking up before I spoke. “Hi. I have a delivery from Pete’s Pizza for Nick.”
“I am Nick.”
I froze for a second. It was the deepest, sexiest sounding voice I had ever heard. I slowly lifted my gaze upwards and almost dropped the pizza box. Leaning against the doorway was the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on... and I could see almost all of him since he was only wearing a pair of black athletic shorts hung low on his waist. My eyes greedily took in his chiseled abs before they roamed up a little further to his broad chest and strong arms covered with black ink tattoos. Even just standing there with his arms crossed, his muscles rippled. I continued to slowly gaze all the way up to his deeply intense brown eyes. His dark hair was cut short and there was a slight hint of stubble that graced his model-perfect face.
I could not stop staring and am pretty sure my mouth was hanging open as I blatantly checked him out. I was trying to think of something to say when I noticed his mouth curve into a big smile. It was then that I realized, as much as I was
staring at him, he seemed to be checking me out as well. My cheeks instantly flushed a deep shade of pink.
“Hi. I... uhmmm... I have a delivery for you,” I stammered. Smooth, Jenna. Real smooth.
“Yes, you said that.” Nick continued to smile at me with an easygoing hint of laugher in his voice. The smile reached all the way to those beautiful brown eyes which had me mesmerized. My brain felt scrambled as my heart started to beat faster. I was at a total loss as to what to say other than apparently just repeating myself. Real smooth Jenna!
I flushed another shade deeper. I didn’t want to act like a total idiot, so I decided it was time to just get out of there. Plus, I knew they were busy and needed me to get back to the restaurant. I tried to refocus myself. Stop looking at the beautiful man. Why am I here? His smile is so perfect. Money. That's right, he needs to pay for this. The super sexy man named Nick needs to pay for his pizza. “Uhhhhh... that will be $22.47, please.” My head was spinning and all attempts to refocus myself on the task at hand just found me focusing even more on Nick.
Nick chuckled as he grabbed some money from a table just inside the door and handed it to me. “Yes, sorry. I guess I do need to pay you if I want my pizza.” He just kept looking at me with those beautiful eyes and a half-smile on his face. I felt a nervous giggle escape from my lips.
I handed Nick the pizza box and neither one of us broke eye contact. As soon as I realized we both had our hands on the box, I quickly pulled mine away and shoved them into the pockets of my jeans. I slowly smiled at Nick as I took a few extra moments to just bask in standing there with the hottest guy I had ever seen in real life. When I decided that I couldn’t stand there any longer without totally making it super weird, I gave him one last smile and said, “Thank you and have a good night Nick. Enjoy your pizza... Nick.” I just liked saying his name, it sounded so good.
