Certainly Sensible Read Free Page B

stuffed the yogurt into her bag. “Where are you headed?”
    “I have a job interview,” Susan said, nervously smoothing out her jacket.
    Megan continued chewing, not even looking up from her book. “What kind of job?”
    Susan cleared her throat. “Well, I got a call from the English Department at Rosslyn High School in response to my application, and they have an opening for next school year, teaching ninth grade English.”
    Caroline beamed as she gave her mom a quick hug. “Good luck and let me know how it goes.” She unlocked the door leading from the kitchen into the garage and hit the automatic garage opener button.
    “Caroline!” Megan called. “I asked you…”
    “Not this morning, Megs, I’m running late!”
    “Yeah, late to a non -job!”
    Megan dropped the spoon in her bowl with a clink. “Mom, why didn’t you just apply for a job at Belford High School? They’ve got a huge English Department.”
    Susan blew out a puff of air. “I did apply there, Megan, along with about fifty other candidates, most of them fresh out of college.”
    Megan got up off the barstool and set her bowl and spoon in the sink. “Mom, I know you’re exaggerating about Belford High, but aren’t there any other schools up here in Hamilton County where you can teach? Indianapolis is like thirty minutes away. That’s a long commute.”
    Susan picked up her daughter’s dirty breakfast dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. “Since I’ve had no response to my applications from any of the other districts up here, I guess an inner-city school in Indianapolis is my best shot.” She grabbed her briefcase and headed to the garage. “Are you ready?”
    Megan picked up her book bag from the floor next to the breakfast table, stuffed the literature book inside, and zipped it up. “But, Mom, you aren’t even giving them a chance to call you back.” She followed her mother out into the garage with the door still open from Caroline’s hasty departure.
    “Sweetie, I can’t wait for them to call. I have to have an actual paying job, and soon. Just wish me luck, okay?”
    Megan shrugged and tossed her book bag into the backseat. “Let’s go. It’s almost eight, and I’ll be marked tardy again.”
    ****
    Caroline pulled into the drive-thru at Peterson’s Coffee Emporium on her way to Meadows Advertising and placed her order for a caffeinated latte, skim milk, no sweetener. At the payment window, she dug into her bag for the cash and realized she was quickly running out of money. Not just coffee money. MONEY. “I’ll have to make coffee at home from now on,” she mumbled as she handed the attendant a five dollar bill. She glanced at the dashboard clock. If she didn’t hurry, she’d hit rush-hour traffic, so she decided not to think about her financial situation for the moment. Besides, the year she had negotiated with Richard was almost up.
    “Working nine to five…” blasted through the radio.Caroline cranked up the volume as she made her turn onto Meridian Street, hoping to drown out her conflicted thoughts.
    ****
    Susan sat nervously in a hard, wooden chair just inside the English Department office. It was designed as a waiting area for students, with several closed office doors belonging to various administrators and their assistants encircling the reception area. A row of chairs lined the wall, but she was the only one there at the moment, and she felt conspicuous because two of the office staff kept sneaking glances at her and whispering. Susan tucked her hair behind her ears and then pushed it back again, crossed and uncrossed her legs, opened her briefcase to check again for copies of her résumé, and looked anxiously around the room for signs that she hadn’t been forgotten.
    “Ms. Benedict?” A distinguished-looking older woman emerged from an office.
    “Yes,” Susan said, rising to meet her.
    “I’m Catherine Renfrow.” Susan shook the woman’s extended hand and then followed her through the