ROSIE

[1]

Rosie tucked the phone between her shoulder and ear and wriggled into her sheer pantyhose.

"I hate first days," she said into the phone.

"Oh, come on," her best friend, Jisoo, said. "What's so bad about first days? New chances, new beginning..."

Of course, Jisoo as a psychologist would see it that way.

"Hey, I'm not paying you for your fabulous cognitive reframing skills, so please just let me complain."

Jisoo laughed. "Go ahead."

"My first day of kindergarten, I hid in my mother's closet so I wouldn't have to go. First day of elementary school, I got sick all over the teacher."

"Ugh. Sounds like the teacher didn't have such a great first day of school that year either."

"She sure didn't. The poor woman smelled like a pole-cat for the rest of the day. My first days of middle and high school didn't go much better." It hadn't helped that her
family had moved all over the country because her father had been in the military. She had lived in eight different towns and had gone through eight first days at new schools. Each time, the teacher would inevitably get her
name wrong and call her Roxanne. "Then, of course, there's my first day at Kallhoff Consulting back in San Diego."

"Nothing to write home about either?" Jisoo asked.

"I got into a car accident on my way to work."

Jisoo sucked in an audible breath.

"No one got hurt," Rosie said quickly. "Or maybe I sustained some brain damage. That would explain why I started a relationship with the woman whose rental car I hit. Needless to say, it didn't end well."

"Don't tell me... Tzuyu?"

"The one and only." She took up position in front of the mirror in the bathroom and gave herself a stern look, remembering her promise to move on and forget about the past. "Maybe today will be different. How bad can a
company producing kids' toys be, right?"

"Right. Can't be any worse than the last company you worked for, that's for sure. So, what are you wearing?"

Rosie chuckled. "Does your partner know you're having this kind of phone call with other women?"

"You wish."

They both laughed. Rosie gave her reflection a once-over and grinned at herself in the mirror. In a beige pencil skirt ending just above her knees, a matching suit jacket and a cream-colored blouse that brought out the reddish color in her hair, she was all set to make a great first impression.

"None too shabby, if I may say so myself."

"Good. So go get 'em, tiger." Jisoo let out a hiss and a roar.

"I'll give it my best. Thanks, Jis."

"No problem--the bill is in the mail."

When they ended the call, Rosie felt ready to face this first day. She dabbed a touch of perfume to her neck and wrists.

A quick glance at her watch showed that it was time to leave. Better to take the early train, just in case. She wanted to arrive bright and early.

On her way to the door, she blew Hank a kiss. "Wish me luck."

"Fuck you," the cockatoo warbled.

Rosie groaned. "Thanks a lot for that heartfelt encouragement."

She'd kill her sister the next time she visited. Apparently, she had thought it fun to teach her pet foul language. Needless to say, she didn't share her sister's twisted sense of humor.