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Halle
Not long after I take my seat in Holt’s private office, I hear a mix of voices outside, accompanied by the rumbling of fire trucks. The boys just came back from a call, and they’re likely thirsty, starving, and overall exhausted. Suddenly, the firehouse sounds as though it has come to life again, and I can’t help but wonder if this is what it sounded like when my dad was around.
With Marie watching Sammy and Luna, I’m able to be fully present at this interview. I keep my focus on Chief Holt as he takes his seat and goes over a printed copy of my resume. If everything goes well with Marie and my kids, I might just take her up on her offer to help with daycare services. After I have a chat with Sammy and Luna about it, of course.
“Halle, it says here you haven’t had much experience in the administrative field,” Holt says as he flips through the pages detailing my work experience.
I saw this question coming. Fortunately, I came prepared.
“Not really, sir, but I do have a strong work ethic and plenty of experience in customer service across several industries. That should tell you that I’m adaptable and also a quick learner.”
“Waitress. Bartender. Receptionist at a five-star hotel.”
“Isn’t a receptionist a PA of sorts?”
Holt gives me a concerned look. He reminds me of my dad and I imagine he’s what my father would be like if he were still alive. Based upon pictures on the walls of his office, Holt is a former ginger with dark brown eyes. Most of his hair is white now, plenty of deep lines drawing shadows across his pale face. He wears his age with grace and poise, the insignias and emblems on his shirt adding a certain gravitas to his posture.
“You would be in charge of my entire agenda. Calls, meetings, liaising with the Commissioner’s office, Dallas PD, the Mayor’s office,” he says. “I need to make sure you’re up for this. None of your qualifications are relevant for the position, if I’m honest.”
“I need you to be honest, sir,” I say. “And I completely understand if you don’t want to hire me. But please allow me to say one thing. What I lack in qualifications I will absolutely compensate for through my drive and dedication. I’m not experienced as a PA, but I am hungry and ready to learn fast, to do whatever it takes to bring my best into this job.”
He thinks about it for a moment, a glimmer of hope dancing in his eyes. “You’ve got two kids, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Where’s the father?”
“Out of the picture, sir.”
“Can you tell me why that is?”
“What relevance does that have to my job application?”
Holt laughs lightly. “Fair enough. I’m just trying to understand you better, Halle. I did not mean to insult you in any way.”
“You didn’t insult me, sir, don’t worry about it. But the truth is, I’m a single mother of two doing the best she can to provide for myself and my babies. I would’ve stuck to the diner job—”
“But the fire,” he nods in sullen agreement. “What would you say is your best asset for this job, then?”
I think about it for a second or two. “I’m a lot like my father,” I say. I wouldn’t usually play on his memory to get what I want, but desperate times call for desperate measures. “I adapt quickly. My mind is like a sponge. I am fearless, much like he was. I don’t focus on the problem per se, I choose to channel my energy into a solution.”
“Sounds like John alright,” Holt smiles broadly.
“I may also be just as hot-headed sometimes,” I giggle, “but that should give you a warm sense of familiarity, if nothing else. Mind you, I’ll never bite your head off, sir. I am respectful of authority.”
“Your dad couldn’t give a rat’s ass about authority,” Holt laughs.
“You’re right about that but I know I can ace this if you give me a chance. That’s all I need, sir. One chance to prove myself. Worst case? You fire me, and I’ll go find another job.”
“I don’t want it to get to that. I don’t want to burn through a dozen PA’s until I find the right one, but I do need to find someone, if only on a temporary basis until a more permanent arrangement is agreed upon.”
I hold my breath, anticipating a conclusion.
Holt scratches his short white beard and I notice a hint of orange left in it.
“I loved your father like a brother,” he says, letting a heavy sigh roll from his chest. “It took me a long time to get over what happened. To stop blaming myself for not being able to do more when the building came down.”
I remember the incident. It was all over the news, and there was even a documentary made about it a few years later. In the end, my dad went in to save two of his men—Holt being one of them, as it turns out. They’d gotten stuck in the basement during a rescue. They made it out. He didn’t.
