Page 7 of The Rebel

I ventured to New Orleans because I wanted a change of scenery, and I took a summer course at Loyola. Then I got this amazing job.

Four days later, I moved into this apartment.

Since I’d always had good-paying jobs, I splurged on my accommodations. I wasn’t a big fan of shopping or anything else, so most of my disposable income went toward rent. I enjoyed having my space.

After finishing my glass of bubbly, I got up from my chair and looked in the kitchen, trying to decide what to eat. I needed dinner first before I poured myself another glass, and I wasn’t in the mood to go out. I wanted to stay in my cozy new apartment and take everything in.

I grabbed my phone, intending to open the delivery app, when I noticed a message from my recruiter.

Samantha: Call me when you get this.

I swallowed hard.Oh no.Why was she messaging me on a Sunday? Maybe the company wanted me to start earlier. Or they finally had the contract for me to sign. I still had an uneasy feeling about not having all the paperwork put to bed yet. I called her right away.

“Hi, Samantha,” I said.

“Hello, Daisy. Sorry about bothering you on Sunday, but I have news.”

My stomach sank as I leaned against the kitchen counter. Itwasn’t that her voice sounded sad, but after things had happened so quickly, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I glanced at the pink sofa that had completely sold me on this place, hoping I’d still be able to live here.

“Did something bad happen?”

“Well, unexpected, for sure. I got a call from the company this morning.”

I closed my eyes, bracing myself. I’d been in the corporate world long enough to know that Sunday calls meant a shit show was coming.

“HR informed me that the CFO decided on a hiring freeze.”

I gasped, feeling a bit dizzy. “What? Starting when?”

“Starting immediately.”

Oh. My. God.This couldnotbe happening.

“But surely I’m already hired,” I stated. “I mean, I need this job.”

She cleared her throat. “Not exactly. But don’t worry.”

“It’s because the contract isn’t signed, isn’t it? That’s ridiculous. They gave me their word. I mean, I have emails from them indicating I’m an employee.” Yes, I was panicking.

“I know. But even if the contract had been signed, either party can still pull out within fourteen days. That would’ve made no difference.”

I swallowed hard. “How can they decide from one day to another on a hiring freeze?” That was a stupid question, and I knew it. Budget freezes were announced exactly like that. In my career, I mostly dealt with budget cuts regarding promos, but I knew hiring freezes were a thing.

“I’m truly sorry. This has only happened twice in my entire twenty-year career.”

“That’s no consolation,” I told her, my frustration evident in my tone.

“No, of course not. I understand that this is inconvenient for you.”

“It’s more than inconvenient!” I decided to lay my cards on the table. “I signed a lease for an apartment last week.” An expensive apartment at that. Hell, I moved herefor this job!

“That’s unfortunate,” she said. “Can you get out of it? Maybe sublet it?”

I sighed. “I’ll look into it, but honestly, I’d rather just have a job.”

“Of course. You’re an excellent candidate, so I’m sure I’ll have something for you soon. Although, companies usually don’t hire in the last quarter. But I have no worries that I’ll have something for you starting in January.”

“Samantha,” I said calmly, “I can’t wait four months.”