"Lettie!" During her next visit to Biba (that weekend), Mary practically pounced over the counter when she saw her. "There's an opening!"
Lettie felt her jaw drop and her heart skip. She almost dropped her bag. "Oh my God-" She rummaged through her bag and withdrew her resume.
Mary laughed. "Prepared are we?"
"Eager! I had it with me every time I'd come here just in case this happened! And now it has!"
"Yes, it's your lucky day. Brilliant, well I will pass this along to my supervisor with some good words." Mary winked.
Lettie gave the blonde a hug. "Oh thank you, Mary, you're a dear!"
"In fact, I'll do it right now so she sees just how eager you are."
"Genevieve?" Lettie asked, a sparkle in her eye. Genevieve Roland was a French fashion designer who was the current head of the Biba ladies's fashion department, who sold her own designs in the shop. She was an idol of Lettie's.
"Yes. Well, Mrs. Watson, my supervisor, who works alongside Ms. Roland."
"I can show her my uni portfolio if she wants, if she asks-" Now she was getting ahead of herself. But she was just so excited!
As promised, Mary went to go deliver Lettie's resume to her supervisor. It was all Lettie could do to prevent herself from squealing right then and there in the middle of the shop.
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"Sitting beside the phone isn't going to make it ring, you know," chuckled Frank, Lettie's dad. "A watched kettle never boils."
"I'm just sitting here reading my magazine."
"In the chair beside the phone."
"This call could change my life, Dad! This is a step in exactly the direction I want to go!"
"Are you sure about working two jobs while you still have school? You're only in the second year of your degree."
"I know, but I'm looking ahead, preparing for the next thing."
"Always preparing for the next thing."
"Well that's a good thing, isn't it?"
"Yes, of course it is. I just don't want you to be too prepared."
"Too prepared?" Was there even such a thing?
"What I mean is, I don't want you do be disappointed if it doesn't work out exactly the way you picture it working out. You've got to be flexible with these things, you know."
"I know, but it will work out, it already is!"
"Alright." With that he left her to continue sitting by the phone waiting for her call.
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"I'm failing physics," Chip promptly declared as he got into the car. Lettie was picking him up after school as they would head straight to the grocery shop for their shift. "My teacher said 'you might need a little extra help,' which is his friendly way of saying, 'you're stupid and hopeless.'"
"Oh, it is not," she assured him. "I mean, physics isn't easy..."
"It seems to be for everyone else in the class."
"That's how I felt in maths class. Just think, you finish this year and then have one more year until you're in university and you can study whatever the hell you want to!"
"It can't come soon enough." Chip rested his forehead on the dashboard, looking defeated. "Now I have to break the news to Mum and Dad."
"They'll understand."
"Hope so."
"They will," Lettie assured him.
"If I don't pass then I won't graduate and if I don't graduate, I won't get to university, and if I don't get to university, I really will be stuck working at the grocery shop with Mum and Dad for the rest of my life."
"That's not so bad..."
"Are you kidding? You don't want to be stuck there either."
"Well it is a secure job at least."
"Easy for you to say! You've already got your dream job all lined up and ready to go!"
"Not exactly, I still don't know if I've even got an interview yet." She was still waiting on that call.
"Whatever." Chip sighed. "Besides, if I were stuck working at the shop, Mum, Dad, and I would drive each other mad, you know that."
"Well you've just got to study extra hard then. You were watching Doctor Who with us instead of studying the other night."
"He's a time and space traveller!"
"Still, don't think that qualifies as studying for physics."
It wasn't that the siblings didn't love the family shop, or didn't appreciate their parents giving them part-time jobs there, no, they definitely did. It was just that food was Valerie and Frank's passion and vision, not their children's. Neither planned on sticking around the family shop for much longer. Lettie, of course, had her fashion-design dreams, and Chip had yet to figure out his next step.
When they got home after work that evening, they were watching telly when the phone rang.
Lettie sprang up from her seat and rushed to answer it. "Hello, Evans residence."
"Well, that's very official," came Tina's voice on the other end of the line. "Usually it's just a simple 'hello'."
"I thought you might be Mary's supervisor from Biba calling," Lettie explained.
"Ah, offering you your dream job. Well I'm sorry to disappoint."
"I'm never disappointed to hear the beautiful sound of my best friend's voice."
"Aw, you're too sweet." Lettie heard Tina giggling, followed by a deep laughter. "Sorry, Tim's here."
"Hi Lettie," called Tim.
"Hi Tim. So were you calling me sweet then, or him?"
"You, though both of you are very sweet." Lettie made a face when she heard what sounded like a kiss through the phone line.
"Brian says hi too."
"Hi Brian."
"HI JULIETTE!"
"And so does Roger, I'm sure you heard that."
"Yes, I did." Lettie was now holding the phone away from here ear. "Hi Roger. So, have you moved in with the boys then?"
"Oh no, not yet anyways. They actually drive me crazy."
"I should send Chip your way. He's driving me crazy too, as usual."
"Hey!" Chip protested from his seat on the couch.
"We need some girls' time soon!"
"Yes, we do."
"Let's do it then. Go for coffee or dessert or to the cinema or something!"
"Sounds great, Teen. But can we wait until I get this call? I'm not exactly sure when that will be."
"Of course. Just let me know."
"Will do. Goodnight Teen."
"'Night love."
"Now don't go putting your life on hold while you wait for this call." Lettie jumped at her father's voice. She turned to see him standing in the living room. "Got to keep moving."
"I know, I just want to be available when the call does come."
"That could be weeks."
"I know, Dad. But I've got to be ready for it whenever it comes."
She wanted this so badly, and yet it seemed like he just couldn't understand that for some reason.
"Don't forget about your shifts at the grocery shop."
"I haven't, Dad."
"Good."
Neither said any more about it.
(Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))