𝑀𝓎 𝑀𝒶𝓃#1~When Love Lasts

Once I put my purse and lunch up, I head towards the call center room, gently pushed the door open and smiled when I saw four heads turning my way.

“Hey babe, you must be Avery.” Says a woman a little older than me.

Babe?

“Um-” I started to say, but cut myself off because I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to add. I have never been called babe, expect from my cheating ex. “Yeah”

“Welcome to the center. I'm Megan. The other two ladies and, of course, the gentlemen are Rick, Sheila, and Wanda.” Megan explained as she pointed to each one while saying their names.

“Nice to meet you all.” I replied, smiled and headed towards the only empty desk left in the room.

It's a pleasant room, not too big. It has five computer system setups and not much space left for another one. I won't what will happen with Sean when he passes the test. Will Mr. Whitlock have another desk moved in somewhere?

“Shoo. I'm pleased to meet you, Avery. We have been waiting for someone to fill that chair up for almost four months.” The man, whose name is Rick speaks up.

“Four months?” I whispered.

Usually, 911 centers liked to always keep their staff full. If they had a computer set up, it had someone sitting behind it.

“Why four months?” I asked on an afterthought. I just find that weird.

“Mr. Whitlock would come in here and be our fifth operator, so we weren't short-staffed or anything. And why four months? Well, it took a while for Mr. Whitlock to discover someone qualified.” Wanda informed me, as she typed away on her computer, before adding. “I hate when something wants to update while I'm working.”

I feel that.

I despise when I'm trying to read a book or play a game and my phone just goes into update mode. It takes about fifteen minutes. I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but that all depends on what you're doing when that update hits.

“Tell us about yourself.” Wanda demanded and added, “Sean said you were nice but that you and him spoke little, so he didn't know.”

I thought him and me have spoken pretty good considering I came in here for a job the first time and today, my first day, I stopped to ask how was his studying going.

“Well, I love to read and bake. I'm not a morning person until I had a cup of coffee. I stay up way too late binge-watching TV shows.” I mumbled as I sat down in my work chair.

I know that's not the answers she was looking for. She was probably hoping I'd give her my backstory. More importantly, the information of why I moved here. Maybe in the future I'll tell them, if we have that close Co worker bond, but until then, they get random facts.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as Sheila turns her head towards Wanda and gives her a look. Then I watched as Wanda just shrugged her shoulders.

“When did you move here, Hun?” Asked Wanda.

“A few days ago.” I answered. Ready for these questions to be done and over with. I don't mind them asking about me. About me. Not about my past. Not about why I moved here.

“What made you move?” Sheila spoke right after I gave them my answer.

She must be the nosy one. I'll have to keep that in mind for the future talks. I wouldn't want all my business to spread around town like a rash because one woman looks to be all nosy, and she just seems like the gossip type.

“Personal reasons, that's all.” I answered her and forced my lips to smile. It was a fake one, but they didn't know that. I apparently can smile and look genuinely happy even when I'm not.

That's not from natural talent, though. I have had to mask my feelings too many times over the years. Mainly because of this job. I would have a normal conversation with someone, say at the grocery store and a bad call memory would pop up out of nowhere. I had to force myself to smile, not to ruin the discussion I was already having, and not to allow my demons to win.

“Why-” Shelia started to ask another question, but Megan quickly talked over her.

“Enough questions,” Megan demand and turned her body towards her computer screen.

Thank goodness someone in here wasn't trying to figure me out. Well, she may be, but at least she isn't making it so obvious.

“I was just-”

“Sheila babe. Give It a rest, yeah? She is new to town. She doesn't want people all up in her business,” Rick added.

“I wasn't I was just being friendly.” Sheila snapped, sounding very offended.

“Yeah. Friendly. You know that. We know that, but she may not think that. Let her be. She obviously isn't ready to answer your personal questions." Wanda said before turning towards me to add. “Don't feel bad honey, she does that to all the new people here. She likes to know everything. She isn't one of those gossiping people, but she does like to know things for herself. She can't help herself.”

"I'm right here, you know.” Sheila snapped while turning herself around in her chair to face her computer.

“I know” Wanda giggled. “That's why I said it. You needed to hear it. Not everyone appreciates someone all up in their business like bees on honey.”

“I was not on her like Bees on honey. God, Wanda, where do you even come up with these sayings? Last week it was biscuits on gravy.” Sheila whined.

“Some girl I follow always comes up with charming country sayings. I steal them.” Wanda shrugged and grinned at me.

“I like them” I told her.

“Yeah?”

“Hell yeah. They are cute.” I laughed out.

“At least someone appreciates them,” Wanda said, looking around to the other three in the room.

“We appreciate them.” Rick defended, throwing her a shut the hell up kind of look. His eyes growing big as he stares at her. “We laugh at them”

“You do not” Wanda huffed.

“We do,” Rick responds instantly.

“Nope,”

That brief argument is put to a halt just as the phone rings for the first time.

“I'll take it.” Sheila said before turning to me.” It's your first day. Get familiar will your desk and where everything is at on your computer.” She brings her hand to her headset and moves the microphone attached to it closer her ear. “911, what is your emergency?”