Page 25 of A Girl Like Janet

Janet arrived at the office an hour early Monday morning. She’d typed the letter of resignation so many times that her fingers

flew across the keys without thought. As the paper reeled off the printer, she reread the words. It sounded so cold, so cut

and dried, as if two years of her life could be blotted out with only a few carefully chosen words printed on a plain piece

of paper. The black ink seemed to glare back at her from the white paper. Black and white. The contrast seemed to represent

her relationship with Reese. The words blurred for a moment as her eyes refused to focus. Janet and Reese were too different,

like trying to mix oil and water. She had been a fool to believe Reese would ever change. But not anymore. Not after today.

Brisk steps carried her into his office and she placed the letter on the desk where it would receive his prompt attention.

It stated that in lieu of two weeks’ notice she would be taking the vacation due her, effective immediately.

It wasn’t long before she had removed the personal items from her desk and the room. When everything was neatly placed in

a small box she had brought with her, Janet phoned the employment service Reese had used in the past and set up interviews

to begin that afternoon. Another quick call brought a substitute from the steno pool to take her place.

All that was left was to wait for her replacement. Janet had hoped to be gone before Reese arrived, but he walked in the door

twenty minutes ahead of schedule.

“I want to talk to you,” he demanded in an iron voice that wouldn’t easily be defied.

Janet bolted upright, pausing to push her glasses from the tip of her nose. “Good morning, Mr. Edwards.” Her voice was heavy

with sarcastic undertones.

A grip on her upper arm forced her into his office. “I said I wanted to talk to you,” he repeated, his eyes hardening into

chips of blue ice.

Janet yanked her arm free. “Don’t touch me.”

“Then listen to reason,” he said harshly.

Janet chose to ignore him, instead taking the letter of resignation from his desk and handing it to him. “I believe you’ll

find everything in order. I’ve called the employment agency and set up interviews. The appointment times are on my desk. Also,

Mary Kaufman from the steno pool will be replacing me until you hire a new secretary.” She strived to keep her voice level

and businesslike.

“You can’t resign,” Reese argued. “You owe me two weeks’ notice.”

“If you’ll read my letter you’ll find that I’m taking the vacation due me instead.”

The anger and frustration seemed to boil within him as he paced the floor in front of her. “Janet, don’t do this.”

She gave him a wary glance. There was a faint pleading quality to his voice so unlike the man that she thought she knew. Sadly

Janet lowered her head and gave it a short shake. “I won’t reconsider.”

“If you’d only listen to me I could—”

“No,” she interrupted hoarsely, “there’s nothing more you can say. I heard it all yesterday. I don’t want to listen anymore.”

Her lips trembled and she bit into the soft inner flesh of her cheek to hide the telltale quiver. “I refuse to work for a

man I neither respect nor like.”

Reese inhaled a long, hard breath.

A polite knock at his office door centered their attention on the young girl who had entered the room.

“Good morning, Janet.” She smiled, oblivious to the tension that arced like warring bolts of electricity around the room.

“Did you call for me?”

“Yes... yes I did.”

“Get out,” Reese stormed.

Ignoring his outrage, Janet looked at the girl calmly. “I’ll be with you in a minute, Mary. Wait for me in the other room.”

Mary’s face was tight and unsure, but she did as she was asked, quietly closing the door.

“I don’t believe there’s anything more to be said.”

“Janet.” A wealth of emotion seemed to burst from Reese as he called her name.

She couldn’t trust him. Regret rippled over her and for an instant she closed her eyes. Even after everything she knew about

him, the desire to stay, to be with him was so strong it almost overcame her. With her chin tilted at a proud angle, Janet

walked out the office and didn’t look back.

It felt strange to be home on a Monday morning. The apartment looked cold and empty. The minute she walked in, it was a battle

not to phone the office and review things with Mary one more time. Certainly there was something she’d forgotten. “It’s not

your responsibility anymore,” she told herself aloud.

Janet sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. Her feet were propped on the chair opposite hers. The classified section

of the newspaper was spread across the surface of the table. Janet forced herself to read through the columns of jobs listed,

mentally finding fault with each one.

When she could endure it no longer, Janet phoned Reese’s office at a time she knew he would be in a meeting.

“How’s it going?” she asked Mary in a feigned carefree voice.

“Fine,” Mary told her, but she sounded strained.

“Well.” Janet hesitated. “If you have any questions, I’ll be here the rest of the day; feel free to phone me. Do you have

my number?”

“I don’t think I’d better. Mr. Edwards made it clear that I’m not supposed to contact you in any way. No one is.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t restrain the small shocked sound. It hadn’t taken Reese long to completely sever her ties with Dyna-Flow.

“Thanks for calling anyway,” Mary said softly in sympathy. “So far everything’s running pretty smoothly. Other than warning

me that I’m not to have any contact with you, Mr. Edwards has been nice. Oh, by the way, I heard him call the accounting office

to have your check mailed to you.”

“That... that was thoughtful of him. I’m sure everything will be fine. Good-bye, Mary.”

“Good-bye.”

Fingers clenching the receiver, Janet slowly replaced it in its cradle. Reese didn’t need her. Within minutes after she’d

left he had effectively cast her from his life. She wasn’t any different from one of his blonde dates. Cheaper. This time

he didn’t have to pay for a bracelet.

By the time Gail walked in the door that evening, Janet had two interviews scheduled for later in the week.

“You really did it, didn’t you?” Gail hung her coat in the hall closet and kicked off her shoes, walking barefoot into the

kitchen, where Janet was busy frying hamburger.

“Yup, I did.”

Gail flopped into a chair. “Any regrets?”

Hoping to relate an indifferent, untroubled impression, she shrugged her shoulders and gave unnecessary attention to stirring

the frying meat. “Not a one.”

“You’re not likely to find a job that pays as well.”

“I know. But some things aren’t worth money.” Like being hopelessly in love with her boss, she silently reminded herself.

“It seems I’ve been deluding myself with my importance. I talked to Mary this afternoon and everything was fine.”

“Don’t be so hasty,” Gail said thoughtfully. “I don’t think anyone, especially Reese, knew or appreciated all you did to keep

the office running smoothly.”

Janet remembered a time when Reese had told her how much he needed her, appreciated her handling of his affairs. That had

been months ago. Now Janet was sure that he would do anything rather than admit that.

The next afternoon Gail entered the house, a knowing smile lighting her eyes. “Mary left Mr. Edwards’ office crying this afternoon.

She refuses to work for him another minute. Steno sent up a replacement,” she announced casually.

“What happened?” Conflicting emotions crowded Janet’s mind. Perhaps she’d forgotten to tell Mary something and the incident

had been her fault. But there was also a small feeling of triumph.

Janet’s interview with a downtown brokerage firm didn’t go well the next morning. When the interviewer questioned her reasons

for leaving Dyna-Flow, Janet stammered and looked away uneasily. “I’m looking for a change of pace,” she said finally, but

she noted that the interviewer’s attitude changed sharply afterward. Janet didn’t need to be told she was out of the running

for that job.

Janet picked up Joel early Thursday afternoon.

“Hi, Janny.” He met her at the front door. “What are we going to do today?”

Before Janet could answer she saw the book resting on the dining room table. The front cover seemed to glare at her, blinding

her vision. C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity , the book Reese had borrowed last Sunday.

“Janny, where are we going?” Joel demanded impatiently.

Janet looked to him with a blank expression on her face. “I’m sorry, Joel. What did you say?”

Friday morning Janet returned to the apartment after another interview. She hadn’t done much better with this one. Defeated,

she tossed her jacket on the back of the worn couch and walked into the kitchen to get the newspaper. Maybe it was time to

make a complete change in her life. Try something new and different like... She opened the paper to the classified section

and read the first ad that caught her eye. A plumber. That’s it; she’d become a plumber.

The doorbell chimed and Janet jerked around, surprised. A glance in the peephole showed it was Reese’s father.

“Mr. Edwards.” She tried to hide her surprise as she opened the door for him.

“Hello, Janet.” His eyes were tired, but kind.

“Come in, please.”

He followed her inside and sat on the couch. Self-consciously, Janet removed her jacket and hung it in the closet.

“What can I do for you?” She remained standing, hands clenched tightly in front of her.

The elder man leaned forward until his elbows rested on his knees. Janet couldn’t prevent the small smile that touched her

soft mouth. Many times Reese sat in exactly the same way and Janet couldn’t hold back a flood of sadness.

“My son has gone through four secretaries in as many days.” Samuel Edwards ignored her question.

Janet’s mouth tightened. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“He needs you, but he won’t ask you to come back.” He seemed to be studying Janet closely.