Not Enough Mike Stories So Here's One
Disaster
I get to work and Catherine takes me aside to her office.
“Who’s going to take care of-“ I trail off but she waves me to silence. I sit down in the chair across from her. She sighs.
“Jade, you know how you’re always demanding more flexible hours.”
“Yeah.” I say nodding.
“I know you’re a single mother and all but we’ve had to replace you, especially with your recent leave of absence.” She says referring to the vacation I just took with Mike.
“What the hell?” are the words that can’t help but slip past my lips.
“You’ll still have a job with us though,” she says calmly, “You’ll fill in when any of the other mixers are on vacation, and if you’re up for it you can replace announcers too.” I sit there stunned.
“On the hourly basis it pays a bit more but-“
“The hours aren’t consistent.” I finish for her. I put my head in my hands.
“I can also refer you to the other radio stations in the area, seeing as we share replacements a lot.” I let out a long stressed out sigh.
“So you don’t need me today.”
“No.” she says quietly, “We’ll call you when we do, and I’ll email you a copy of the vacation schedule so you know which days you have work, and then it’s just other people’s sick days you have to worry about.”
I quietly walk out of the building to my car. I sit there stunned for a moment before bursting out crying, right there against the steering wheel. I couldn’t support Maddy and I on a replacements salary, for fuck’s sake it’s a student job. My cell phone starts to ring, I look at the number and see its Mike calling. I wipe my eyes and sniff a little before answering the call.
“Hey Mike.” I say trying to hide the fact that I was crying.
“Hey, are you okay, you sound-“
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I lie as I clear my throat, “So what’s up?”
“I was wondering if after you get off work today, if you’d like to meet my family.”
“I met your family.”
“My real family, my band.” He says sounding happy.
“Your band.” I swallow, meeting his band is more nerve racking then meeting his real family, because they mean everything to him, they’re all he talks about, right after Stella.
“Yeah, you get off work at four, right?”
“Umm actually they rearranged the schedules, I don’t work today.” I lie.
“Oh umm great, do you want to meet them for lunch then?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, great, so Mario’s Pizzeria at one?”
“See you there.” I say optimistically.
We end our conversation and I head back to my apartment. I sit at the kitchen table and look over all the bills to see where I could maybe cut down. Cable, internet, phone, electricity, rent; so many things to pay every month. I could probably stop the cable and internet but I still wouldn’t have enough money to sustain Maddy and myself. I’d need to find another job. The problem is, I’ve been working for the same radio station for six years. I go over to my lap top and log onto a job search site and write up a résumé and post it.
Before I know it, its time to leave to meet Mike and his band mates. I fix my hair and make-up before heading out. I get to the restaurant and see Mike’s car parked not far away so I confidently go in. Just as I’m about to ask the hostess where they are, Mike waves me over a table near the window. At the table sits a black haired man, who’s pretty much dressed in all black, next to him a dark dreaded haired woman in a black thick strap tank top and across from them a blond haired man in an acid green t-shirt. I walk up to Mike and kiss him quickly before turning to the others.
“Everyone this is Jade, Jade this is Billie Joe, his wife Adie and of course Tre.”
“Hi.” I say nervously.
“Nice to meet you.” Billie Joe says, Adie smiles in a friendly manor.
“Wow, do you have a sister?” Tre asks with a big dorky grin on his face.
“Yes actually, but she’s married.”
“Happily married?” he asks as Mike and I sit down at the table.
“Very happy.” I taunt.
“Awe.” Tre says, we all laugh, “I’m tired of being single.”
“I’m sure you’ll find someone, being the super stud that you are.” Jade jokes causing everyone else to snort with laughter.
“Hey.” Tre pouts, “I have my good days.”
“I hope Mike gave you a proper warning about Tre.” Adie says laughing.
“Uhh yeah, I think he did.” I say thinking back to several stories Mike told me about the stupid stuff he’d gotten into because of his band, especially Tre.
Mike walks me to my car after lunch.
“They like you.” Mike says with a grin. I smile back.
“Well I like them, they seem awesome.” I kiss his lips as I go to unlock my car door.
“So can I come over tonight?”
“Yeah, of course.” I say carelessly.
“Who’s going to take care of-“ I trail off but she waves me to silence. I sit down in the chair across from her. She sighs.
“Jade, you know how you’re always demanding more flexible hours.”
“Yeah.” I say nodding.
“I know you’re a single mother and all but we’ve had to replace you, especially with your recent leave of absence.” She says referring to the vacation I just took with Mike.
“What the hell?” are the words that can’t help but slip past my lips.
“You’ll still have a job with us though,” she says calmly, “You’ll fill in when any of the other mixers are on vacation, and if you’re up for it you can replace announcers too.” I sit there stunned.
“On the hourly basis it pays a bit more but-“
“The hours aren’t consistent.” I finish for her. I put my head in my hands.
“I can also refer you to the other radio stations in the area, seeing as we share replacements a lot.” I let out a long stressed out sigh.
“So you don’t need me today.”
“No.” she says quietly, “We’ll call you when we do, and I’ll email you a copy of the vacation schedule so you know which days you have work, and then it’s just other people’s sick days you have to worry about.”
I quietly walk out of the building to my car. I sit there stunned for a moment before bursting out crying, right there against the steering wheel. I couldn’t support Maddy and I on a replacements salary, for fuck’s sake it’s a student job. My cell phone starts to ring, I look at the number and see its Mike calling. I wipe my eyes and sniff a little before answering the call.
“Hey Mike.” I say trying to hide the fact that I was crying.
“Hey, are you okay, you sound-“
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I lie as I clear my throat, “So what’s up?”
“I was wondering if after you get off work today, if you’d like to meet my family.”
“I met your family.”
“My real family, my band.” He says sounding happy.
“Your band.” I swallow, meeting his band is more nerve racking then meeting his real family, because they mean everything to him, they’re all he talks about, right after Stella.
“Yeah, you get off work at four, right?”
“Umm actually they rearranged the schedules, I don’t work today.” I lie.
“Oh umm great, do you want to meet them for lunch then?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, great, so Mario’s Pizzeria at one?”
“See you there.” I say optimistically.
We end our conversation and I head back to my apartment. I sit at the kitchen table and look over all the bills to see where I could maybe cut down. Cable, internet, phone, electricity, rent; so many things to pay every month. I could probably stop the cable and internet but I still wouldn’t have enough money to sustain Maddy and myself. I’d need to find another job. The problem is, I’ve been working for the same radio station for six years. I go over to my lap top and log onto a job search site and write up a résumé and post it.
Before I know it, its time to leave to meet Mike and his band mates. I fix my hair and make-up before heading out. I get to the restaurant and see Mike’s car parked not far away so I confidently go in. Just as I’m about to ask the hostess where they are, Mike waves me over a table near the window. At the table sits a black haired man, who’s pretty much dressed in all black, next to him a dark dreaded haired woman in a black thick strap tank top and across from them a blond haired man in an acid green t-shirt. I walk up to Mike and kiss him quickly before turning to the others.
“Everyone this is Jade, Jade this is Billie Joe, his wife Adie and of course Tre.”
“Hi.” I say nervously.
“Nice to meet you.” Billie Joe says, Adie smiles in a friendly manor.
“Wow, do you have a sister?” Tre asks with a big dorky grin on his face.
“Yes actually, but she’s married.”
“Happily married?” he asks as Mike and I sit down at the table.
“Very happy.” I taunt.
“Awe.” Tre says, we all laugh, “I’m tired of being single.”
“I’m sure you’ll find someone, being the super stud that you are.” Jade jokes causing everyone else to snort with laughter.
“Hey.” Tre pouts, “I have my good days.”
“I hope Mike gave you a proper warning about Tre.” Adie says laughing.
“Uhh yeah, I think he did.” I say thinking back to several stories Mike told me about the stupid stuff he’d gotten into because of his band, especially Tre.
Mike walks me to my car after lunch.
“They like you.” Mike says with a grin. I smile back.
“Well I like them, they seem awesome.” I kiss his lips as I go to unlock my car door.
“So can I come over tonight?”
“Yeah, of course.” I say carelessly.