Oneshots

|| The Interview ||

October, 1951, The Times Herald 

The times Herald was a bustling metropolis of writers moving about, the sounds being the sounds of clicking typewriters, and of people talking over each other, trying to get their ideas and stories to be heard. 

Jackie sat her desk, editing her last column.   She sat with a generic yellow pencil in her hand, tapping the eraser on her yellow reporter's notebook in concentration.  

Ever since she had managed to snag herself the "Inquiring Photographer," role at the Times Herald, Jackie began to work on expanding the column into something greater.  Before, it was a column that really didn't have a place in the newspaper, and was just sort of... there.  

Now, Jackie knew that she was going to use her talents as a writer to expand the column, and to liven it up.  She had even been licensed her own camera to use to take pictures of the interviewees that she ended up having.  

At first, it was hard to find people to interview her columns.  People either just didn't seem to have the time, or just didn't care enough.  Jackie knew that probably she was asking questions that people didn't understand.  Asking about various times in history, or French authors or philosophers, people just didn't understand. Then Jackie realized, that she had to make her questions more simple, and more relatable to the people.  

One question that she had ended up asking was, "Are men as inclined to fall for a 'line' as girls are?"   This question was more or less based off the idea of romance.  It was a topic that always seemed to be of interest to everyone.  She did more of what the people liked, and less of her own values and ideals.  

Jackie breathed out the smoke of her cigarette, the smoke beginning to swirl around in the air, and began to type up the final draft on her typewriter for the question of the day, which was,  "What do women desire most?"

As she was typing, her office phone began to ring.  Jackie felt a rush of excitement, as she wondered who it could be.  Could someone be calling about her column?  

"Hello, this is the Times Herald Office, this is Jacqueline Bouvier speaking, the Inquiring Photographer."  

"And the future Mrs. John Husted."  A familiar voice chuckled over the phone.  

Jackie smiled.  "John!  How are you?"  Jackie asked, twirling the phone cord around her finger.  

"I'm well, how about yourself?"  He asked.  

"I'm doing well.  I'm editing my latest question for my column for tomorrow's paper,"  Jackie explained, a smile on her face.  Her enthusiasm for her tiny little column was evident.  

"I'm so proud of you, Darling.  You're doing some great stuff down there at the paper."  John praised.  

"Thank you.  I'm sure you're doing amazing things up in New York.  You've got to be the best stockbroker out there."

"Well, I'm trying," Joohn answered, and Jackie quickly responded with, 

"That's good enough for me."  

The conversation quickly changed, and John Husted suddenly asked, "Hey, do you want to swing up to New York this weekend?" 

The question had caught Jackie off-guard.  She had already began to make plans for the weekend, and her schedule as the Inquiring Photographer had become more and more demanding.  

"I... I don't think I can.  I've got a lot to do, interviews to conduct-"  

"Hey, calm down, Jackie.  It's okay.  I get what it's like to be busy."