She's With the Band

Never Seen Anything "Quite Like You"

"From what we heard, Valerie," Dylan began with a humoured expression, his silent fit of laughter had not yet vanished, "we're impressed."

"Hopefully, I can live up to these words," she replied.

"I'm sure you will," Dylan continued, "Gale tells us you were an HR manager at a hotel."

Valerie nodded and handed each of the men a copy of her resume. "You'll find details of my previous employment in my resume."

The men looked at their copies in surprise; each was protected by a glossy transparent file which revealed the professionally typed resume cover. Michael flipped through the first pages of his file and glanced up, "It says here you were nominated for a position as senior manager in London. What made you stay in Ireland?"

"Well," Valerie began with a deep breath, "I felt as if the position had nothing new to offer me; it was a good pay, no doubt, but I like to consider the non-financial rewards. I gave The Fairfax four years of my life as head of HR but I came to the realization that I wanted a more enriching career path."

"Do you think being our band manager will help you accomplish this?" Dylan pitched in his question.

"Yes, I do." Valerie had practised this countless times over the past few days to the point of perfection; she was to avoid her sad-break-up sob story and focus on her professional goals, "In my previous job, the unfortunate hierarchy made direct communication lines difficult; the HR goals set by the senior hotel executives were unrealistic and closed to negotiation. As a result, our department faced problems when it came to implementation; therefore, employee relations weren't strong."

Valerie was encouraged to continue by their open faces, "I think being a band manager will allow for direct communication because of the close interaction on a daily basis. Also, it makes solving conflicts and publicity problems more effective—which is my area of expertise."

"Your degree is from the University of Edinburgh, is that right?" Michael looked up from the file.

"That's correct, I studied 'Business Management and Administration' which mainly focused on Staff Relations and Conflict."

"And—that's a surprise; a minor in music?" Gale raised his eyebrows amusingly.

"That," Valerie laughed, her nervousness vanishing into the rich restaurant air, "was just a few courses in music appreciation. I have always had a liking for music, and I've been a fan of this band for a while, now. I'm not just saying that for your sake—trust me."

"Well that's a bonus!" Dylan joked with an agreeable expression on his face that his bandmates have come to know as 'I like her'. Gale didn't need an interview to make a decision; he had already taken it the day of the hospital. If it were only up to him, Valerie would be at their studio already.

A waiter stood close to the table, a clicking pen and pad in hand, "Are you ready to order?"

Having not had the chance to look at the menu yet, the party quickly scanned the platters offered. "I'll have the Ravioli and an iced tea to drink, thanks," Valerie ordered after the men had decided on their dishes. She closed the menu gently and handed it to the expecting waiter.

"So we've covered your resume," Gale spoke, "now, we should discuss responsibilities." The waiter returned with the table's drinks and set them silently. Gale reached for his wine and took a small sip, the muscles of his face already relaxing from the drink's effect.

"Generally, bands just focus on the music and production and managers focus on the business aspect. Managers basically embody all departments in a company; they're the financial advisors for resource management, personal advisors for the creative stuff, marketing advisors for promotion purposes, legal advisors for contract negotiations, and they also make travel arrangements."

"Well, don't give it all away at once," Dylan snorted, "where's the fun in that?"

Valerie laughed at Dylan's attempt at lightness, she thought him to be a free-spirited persona. His unintentionally dishevelled black hair confirmed this; some strands seemed to stick out of place, but there was evidence of an attempt at taming them. He took a swig out of his wine, and seemed to resist the urge to burp out of curtesy to the formality of their dinner.

Michael leafed through the pages of the resume with a slight nod every once in a while. Valerie noticed the small strand of ginger hair that fell in front of his eyes and watched as he absentmindedly removed it from his face. His green eyes were deep in concentration, as if oblivious to the frequent clatter of the dishes around him, and only looked up when his grilled chicken plate was placed in front of him.

"So," Gale began with an earnest smile, "what would you say was a difficult challenge you had to overcome?"

Valerie took a bite out of her ravioli and chewed slowly, formulating the answer in her mind. Off the top of her mind, the answer was clear: all the events of the last month ranging from the breakup, the accident, and the unemployment—all of which she filed under the 'Quarter-life Crisis' label tucked neatly in her subconscious.

"I think," she began, thoughtfully, "the most difficult challenge I had to face was starting fresh in Dublin." The band listened to Valerie intently and chewed silently; the clatter of utensils against their plates muted as if not to derail her train of words.

"I dived into it with all my heart, so there was no going back even before I realized it. The difficult part was coming to terms with the decision to leave the familiar behind and build some resemblance to it, in a different place," Valerie talked with distance in her eyes, as if she was watching these difficulties on an translucent screen before her eyes, "I'm not one to run away from change, so I try not to look back often. Instead, I'm focusing on the process at hand."

Gale had stopped chewing for a while and was instead eyeing Valerie with intensity, trying to visualize what her life was like. He was trying to understand her, to visualize the people she met and the situations she faced. He imagined how she must have looked as a child; her heart shaped face framed by the dark contrast of her brown hair. He was curious about her, even though he knew her for a short time.

The restaurant became quieter and the noise faded away, leaving only the busy shuffling of the staff in its wake. The men's wine glasses were empty save for a little circle of a translucent maroon-colored liquid formed at the bottom. Their plates were bare; the sign of a good meal and full stomachs.

Valerie dabbed her napkin against her lips and pushed her chair back, "If you'll excuse me, I'll use the ladies' room." On one hand, she wanted to reapply the lipstick she had dabbed away, and on the other, she wanted to give them the privacy to discuss matters amongst themselves.

Getting out of her chair, Valerie felt pleased with herself; the dinner went better than expected. They were a lively company whose conversation carried through without effort. She only hoped they thought the same of her.

Gale watched Valerie go and turned to Dylan and Michael with an expectant face. "Well?"

"I can see why you have a crush on her," Dylan began with a mischievous smile.

"Oh, would you bloody grow up!" Gale's forehead creased with annoyance and turned to Michael, who was the closest resemblance to a voice of reason despite two glasses of wine.

"I like her," Michael said, dismissing Dylan's comment, "she's exactly who we're looking for; she's a professional and her past experiences qualify her enough."

Dylan interjected, "Are we making the right decision here?" A hint of seriousness crept into his voice for the first time this evening.

"Listen, we're not amateurs," Gale stern tone returned, "we need firm management to get us out of our big mess. You've heard her; her department dealt with crises like these all the time—she knows what to do."

Michael agreed with Gale's words, his face bobbing up and down in decisive nods. His mind was decided and his it was clearly pronounced on his face: Let's hire her!

Dylan looked dubiously at Gale's eager face, "Fine, I just hope she lives up to your expectations."

"So, it's decided?" Gale searched their faces carefully, trying to look for signs of hesitation or uncertainty.

"Yeah, she's in."