“Today’s the day!” Janie Alexander said optimistically to herself in the mirror.
She smoothed her blouse and practiced a smile that quickly turned to a frown. The suit she was wearing accentuated her curves (she had her fair share of them) and she’d put her light blonde hair into a neat bun, but she still felt self-conscious. Janie knew she wasn’t knock-it-out-of-the-park beautiful. But, hopefully, Howler Inc. was looking for professionals, not models.
Working for Howler would be a dream come true. She’d just finished her bachelor’s degree in business and wanted to go where she saw a need for the work she was passionate about. Tensions between shifters and humans had been high, and integrating their suffocating society was a must.
Stonybrooke was a strange little town, but Janie had managed to settle in pretty easily. It was surprisingly easy to find a small house to rent, but she hadn’t made an offer yet. Currently, she was using her savings to stay at a motel until she was sure she could enter into a lease. Without a job, that would be impossible.
That’s where Howler Inc. came in. Janie had been studying business, but her true passion was the relationship between shifters and humans. She felt there was untapped potential in the market, and the one man who seemed to understand it was Dean Resner.
Her heart fluttered at the thought of meeting him; he was one of the most handsome men in the world, and she knew, from television interviews, that he looked good in a suit. At least, that’s what the magazines would have her believe. The idea of actually meeting him in person was thrilling and intimidating.
But she knew that were they to meet, the illusion would fade. Despite her shallow little crush, they said not to meet your idols for a reason. She probably wouldn’t even be taken seriously.
The sad truth was, he wouldn’t be interested in Janie in the least, professionally or otherwise. She was a curvy girl, not rail thin like that model of a wife he’d had. And besides, she wasn’t there because she wanted to date him. She was there because she shared his vision and hoped to help Howler Inc. remain one of the leading forces of change in the world.
The phone rang suddenly and Janie rushed to answer it. There wasn’t much time left before she had to leave. “Hello?”
“Janie! Today is your interview! How are you feeling?”
Janie relaxed. It was her best friend from college, and her leading source of moral support.
“Leah, hi! I’m really nervous, actually. What if he takes one look at me and laughs me out of the office? Ugh, why did we make so many brownies in college?”
“Because those brownies just happen to be the most amazing thing to happen to North American cuisine since apple pie.”
“You let me eat too much of that too,” Janie replied.
Leah laughed. “Seriously, you’re gorgeous. Don’t worry about your weight so much. If they’re only hiring people who are stick thin, they can go to someone else. If they want sexy and competent, then it’s Janie Alexander all the way!”
“You’re too kind,” Janie said with a dismissive laugh. Still, it was always nice to hear from her best friend. She was a great source of support, and Janie missed her every day. “So how did the date go?”
“Oh, you know Tom. He took me to these super boring museums and disgustingly healthy restaurants…I loved it, even though he was miserable.”
Janie grinned. “I think you two are made for each other.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Leah said. “But we’ll see. Are you excited about the interview? This is what you’ve been working your whole college career for!”
“I’m actually terrified,” Janie said with a soft laugh. “But it’s a hell of an opportunity.”
“Well, whether you get it or not, you’re a young woman with her entire life ahead of her. And you’re cute. That counts for something in this world.”
“Does it really count for more than drop-dead gorgeous does?” Janie asked skeptically.
“You have the skills they need. They’d be crazy not to hire you. Just go in there and show them how it’s done!”
Janie smiled, feeling heartened for the first time since she’d woken up. It was hard to stay optimistic. The world ran on certain principles, and favored women who looked a certain way. She wasn’t used to being in the favored group, and it was probably going to stay that way. Still, Leah was right. She was more than qualified. And it was a job, after all, not a popularity contest.
“Thanks, Leah. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“You better. Break a leg!”
“Thanks!”
Janie hung up the phone feeling significantly better than she had before Leah called. Whether the world saw her as a conventionally attractive woman or not, she had skills and she wasn’t afraid to use them.