It had worked, apparently. Too well. They thought she had written a book. On love!
Rose let out a laugh, covering her mouth. It was too absurd to make up. Lillian and Lucy wouldn’t even believe her when she told them later.
She kept walking, weaving through the building’s lower lobby, a six-foot tall digital clock towering over her and counting away the time – 12:53.
Her stomach sank. She was about to be late for her other interview, the one she’d meant to do, the one she was qualified for – or at least, shehopedshe was qualified for – and it was entirely her fault for not speaking up and simply saying, “Oh no, I was not supposed to be interviewed on the news about writing a book, but thank you.”
At least it was over. She still had a chance to make it on time, and her hair lookedreallygood.
She darted back into the waiting elevator and pressed the button for the third floor.
Nothing.
She pressed it again, and a screen flashed “scan badge.”
“Shoot.” She stepped out, looking for the friendly security guard who had rushed her upstairs before. She spotted him at his desk, with a line of people waiting in front of him.
She had no choice but to go and get to the back of the line.
Rose arrived for her interview sweaty and short of breath, six minutes after it was supposed to begin.
Her potential boss, an unsmiling man in his fifties, led her into a conference room and sat down with a huff. “This is not a good start for someone who boasted about their organization skills in their cover letter.”
“I know, and I amsosorry. You wouldn’t believe what happened.”
He held up a hand. “I don’t care. Let’s get this over with.”
Seventeen minutes later, she was back in the lobby, looking down at her feet and trudging through the crowd. She had a sinking feeling in her gut, telling her everything that had happened was her fault. The last thing she wanted to do was deal with that feeling.
She needed a distraction. Rose pulled out her phone and saw a text from Lillian.
How’d it go??
Not the kind of distraction she was looking for. She put her phone away, her eye catching a Starbucks across the lobby.
Perfect.
The line was long, but that was okay with Rose. It would give her time to carefully consider what she was going to order. A pumpkin spice latte was always nice, but there was a new apple cider tea concoction she’d wanted to try, and who knew when she’d be near a Starbucks again. There were none on Orcas Island, and it didn’t seem like she’d be starting a new job any time soon.
A soft voice chimed behind her. “Dr. Woodson?”
Rose paused her careful drink consideration and stood still, listening.
Was the real Dr. Woodson nearby? Was she about to get yelled at for stealing her identity?
“Rose?”
She peered over her shoulder and spotted a woman looking at her. She was young and slight, wearing a black dress with a shining gold belt, and she smiled brightly when Rose looked at her.
Rose forced a smile back. “Hi.”
The young woman took a step toward her. “I’m so glad I found you. My name is Lydia, and my boss wanted me to catch you before you left. He wants to talk to you.”
The line was moving. Rose was third, and she still hadn’t made up her mind on what she wanted to order. “Sorry. I’m in a hurry.”
“He wanted me to tell you he has a job for you.”
Rose stopped. “A job?”
