Catacomb Heart

"I'll do it."

My eyes zoned in on a finely dressed man sitting behind his desk, his fingers tapping against the keyboard gently whilst his face would crinkle with slight concentration and confusion before the lines would settle. His green eyes flicking across the screen as he read the work before him, then he would pick up a pen and jot down some notes before he continued on with typing.
My ears were becoming accustom to the light taps and the ringing phones all around me as I sat in the recruitment centre, determined not to leave without a whisker of a job vacancy. I needed the money, otherwise it was Adios to my American lifestyle and Hello English soil and rain. My main reason for moving across seas had been dropped down on my head hard and I was struggling to stay afloat in the fast sea of debt.
My own body grumbled at the thought of what I had. A career with prospects forever falling onto my lap, or that's what was sold to me. Along with company car, accommodation and all the air miles I could get. But instead, I was on a bare minimum wage, now living in a shared apartment licking my wounds after the most mortifying moment in my life. One that I shall not speak of. Again.

"Haven?" A familiar voice spoke making my eyes whip up to the door of the private office, one I had been in many times.

"Hi." I smiled scrambling to my feet and following my advisor inside. Helen was hardworking, forever young redhead who despite tapping on the half decade door still held her youthful looks and smile.

"How are you?" She asked taking a seat behind the desk, gesturing to the one adjacent to her.

"Um. Good? Yeah good. Kinda." I replied causing her eyes to narrow questioningly.

"What's wrong?"

"I need work. I am in dire need of it, I'll do anything. I know we had the meeting last month on résumé updates and three main profession searches but I don't want to leave here without a sniff of work." I replied stressing.

"Okay. Can I ask why the urgency? You're already on the priority list considering your position."

"Yes.. I need to get out of that shared accommodation. I need out." I answered sitting forward ready to begin the computer search with her.

"That bad?" She asked knowing the situation I was in already.

"I caught my housemate, using a toothbrush between his toes." I cringed causing Helena face to scrunch in disgust.

"I know! So please... I will do anything now. From cut grass to scraping chewing gum from school desks."

"Let's see what we can do." She replied turning to the computer ready to help.

***

My mind was screaming at me as we finished the final page of job advertisements. Each one being outside of Nevada and needing some rocket science degrees.

"I'm sorry Haven. I really am." Helen spoke softly seeing my downtrodden face.
"It's not your fault. Guess I'll be going home sooner than I thought huh?"

But as Helen went to reply with some positive thinking quote that I'm sure she had memorised, her door knocked and the finely dressed man I had been watching earlier stepped in.

"Oh, I am sorry to interrupt. For you." He informed Helen handing her a piece of paper.
I watched as her eyes flicked before annoyance filled her face. "Are you serious? That's the 6th one in less than a month."

The finely dressed man nodded "I know, but it appears the... Client is a difficult one. It seems nobody wants to work for him."
My ears pricked, like a dog and a food wrapper, I sat up a little straighter staring at Helen as she placed it down.

"I'll do it." I blurted out causing the conversation between them to stop.

"Sorry?" The finely dressed man asked.

"I'll do it, that client. Whose difficult, I'll work for them. I don't care what it is."

"Uh- Haven. I know you're in need to get back to work b-"

"I'll scrape chewing gum from the sidewalk if I have to. Please, just let me leave here with something." I pleaded.

Helen looked to the finely dressed man before sighing "Okay. Why not?" She shrugged handing me the piece of paper.

I took it and began scanning the text.

Assistant/Cleaner

Drivers license, flexible, animal friendly, computer literate. Must be able to travel and be able to work under pressure.

Check, check, check.

The more I read, the more I began to like what I saw. It was when I saw the salary, that I almost baulked.

How much?!

"I'll do it. Tell them they have someone." I informed Helen.

"Haven, I know you're getting desperate bu-"

"I want this job. Tell them they have someone and ask them when they want me on site."

The finely dressed man looked between us before Helen nodded. "Ring them, tell them we have another candidate."
He left without another word to do as instructed leaving me with Helen. I don't care what I had to do. I just needed to be out of that damn shared apartment... I'm just grateful it wasn't my toothbrush!!