Broken Marilyns

A NEW CHAPTER

A NEW CHAPTER

I was dreading the venture into town, knowing exactly what to expect. I had an appointment with the Editor of The Drift, the town newspaper. Yes, even a place this small had a newspaper. Full of everyone's opinions and over-glorified small community accomplishments, it wasn't all I'd dreamed of as a girl, but it would pay the bills. Maybe I could finally land a writing job.

Taking a seat in the egg-yolk colored chair, it hit home that I was not in Kansas anymore. The building reeked of stale coffee and sweat. I sensed his officiality as soon as he stepped out of his office: the balding man clad in a pastel yellow dress-shirt and permanent look of boredom. "Chad Newman, Editor, nice to meet you," a chubby hand was thrust in front of me.

"Jenna Pierce. Nice to meet you, Mr. Newman, I'm excited to be back." It was a lie, but I'd decided against I can't believe I'm back here, please give me a job so I can booze myself through this quarter-life crisis of mine.

Leading me into his cluttered office, Mr. Newman offered me a seat in another offensive looking chair. "Jenna Pierce. I've heard a lot about you," why was I surprised? This was Aldbrook, after all. "I understand you were a researcher up in Seattle?" A grimace twitched at the corner of his mouth. He probably thought I was a prude.

"Yes sir, it paid the bills, but I've always wanted to write." He examined me for a moment, tapping his cheap pen against his coffee-stained desk calendar. I smiled like an idiot and tried not to check the clock.

Analyzing my writing samples and looking up every now and then with an awkward glance, Mr. Newman finally relaxed against the back of his chair which looked like it might break at any moment. "Well, I think we have something for you," he smiled proudly, "and yes, you'll be writing." I got more excited than I'd like to admit...until he divulged exactly what it was I'd be writing.