RE:BELLE

As the mostly insincere queries after my well-being increased, so did the stench grow.  I received one rather bizarre call from one of the male employees at one particular new job of mine. It turned out to be a call as ludicrous as the many ludicrous things a working girl has to put up with in this field....

Continued from last Tuesday….

The employer was off island and this contributor presented this information as if it was a well-guarded secret, which, only those with the “need to know” would know.  And, clearly, judging by the tone of his voice, it was very important for him to know if I was one of those persons who needed to know. I assured him that I knew. I’d been in the field long enough and so had expected he would want to call me to test the waters.  But, I had not really expected him to... actually call me.

I was ready to end the conversation. But, he also wished to know if I had knowledge of one or two other things.  I listened carefully before assuring him that I did indeed know these things.  I knew, without a doubt, that he was attempting to have me believe that he’d been entrusted with the running of affairs while this particular employer was out of the country.  He kept pushing for the two of us to meet. I replied that I had a very busy week ahead of me. He repeated after me- “you…have a very busy week”, as if anxious to find some specific malice against him in my statement.

He finally got down to the important matter behind his call. He was worried…very worried. He was so afraid that we were running the risk of duplicating efforts and content. We had to meet straightaway so that I could tell him what stories I was intending to be chasing/working on. I immediately felt my face trying to replicate the look on those straight-face/disappointed smileys.

I patiently reminded the caller that I was freelance (felt so good to say that) and cared little for running anything by anyone, save our particular employer. He sighed in exasperation. He understood I was not staff, but, we still very much needed to meet.

And… the calls kept coming- from those who wanted to be in the know and from those who were sent by others who wanted to be in the know. Had it been a year ago, I might have entertained such calls and feigned massive ignorance. But, it wasn’t a year ago. Every working girl knows that the professional world comes stocked full with games- little and grand. 

In my new mode, I’d concluded that this didn’t mean every working girl had to be interested in playing along.

Coming Next Tuesday: Evidence of Perfume...