Chapter 5. The Offer

Mia had her Chromebook open on her lap as she looked through job postings. After the disaster a few hours ago, it was clear to her that she couldn’t let up on the job hunt. The Chromebook was old and didn’t stay connected to the Wi-Fi she was “borrowing” from her neighbor very well, but it was better than looking through the newspaper, which she also did on a regular basis.

She was just contemplating contacting a used car dealership, wondering if she could ever really sell cars, when her cell phone rang.

Picking it up, she studied the number. It wasn’t familiar to her, and there was no name to let her know who it might be, but she had to answer anyway. It could be one of the other places she’d recently applied to. “Hello?”

“May I speak to Mia Eaton, please?”

The voice sounded vaguely familiar. It was a middle-aged woman. “This is she.”

“Hello, Ms. Eaton. This is Veronica Smithy from Whitaker and Whitaker.”

A lump immediately formed in Mia’s throat