Our Minor Mistake

In order to give my baby the best start in life I decided that I need to get a job. Cora recommends that I go look around town and see what they have going in the way of employment down their but she warns me it may be slim pickings.

I set off round the small town. It’s a beautiful place to live. I walk along the bay to the amusement arcades. I walk into one. Most of the machines lights where knocked out and there was a little bit of graffiti on the walls. This doesn’t look like a very nice place. I find someone who worked there. ‘’Yes, how may I help you?’’ said the girl behind the counter. She was a bit older than me with a face full of makeup and a bored expression.

‘’I was wondering if there were any jobs going?’’ I ask her.

‘’One second I’ll fetch the manager’’ she says glaring at me.

A tall buy with about ten facial piercings turns up. ‘’Sorry we don’t have any jobs’’ he says. ‘’You can have a date with me if you want’’ he says winking creepily at me.

‘’Thanks but I think I’m okay’’ I say turning round and leaving as fast as I possibly can. I shudder. I think that was a very lucky escape from a horrible place to work.

I try everywhere, shops, café’s, fish and chip shops, stalls and arcades but nowhere seems to have any jobs to spare. I feel slightly humiliated and by now my feet are hurting and I’m starving so I buy myself some fish and chips and eat them while I walk.

Before I get a chance to finish them someone walks smack bang into me and they fly out of my hand. ‘’Shit, sorry’’ says the person who knocked into me. I look up to see a boy about my age with messy brown hair. He is fairly stocky with dazzling blue eyes.

‘’its okay’’ I say smiling although I’m hungry as hell.

‘’Its really not I’m so clumsy let me buy you some more chips’’ he said apologetically.

Normally I wouldn’t but I decided to take him up on his offer because I’m so hungry. So he buys me some more chips and we eat them on a bench.

‘’I’m Elizabeth by the way’’ I say as we sit down.

‘’I’m Claude’’ he said in his thick Yorkshire accent so I can tell he’s a proper Scarbourgh lad. ‘’So what brings you to the north bay of scarbourgh?’’ he asked.

‘’Job seeking mainly’’ I say.

‘’Oh god, any luck?’’ he asks.

‘’Not a single thing. I did almost get a date with a creepy arcade guy though’’ I say laughing.

‘’If you still need a job the Belle Hotel needs a receptionist and I work there so I reckon I could get you the job’’ he said.
I smile at him. ‘’Well thank god you’re so clumsy’’ I say beaming at him.

Together we walk up to a small hotel on the hill and Claude leads me in. The lobby seems nice enough. It had light pink wall paper and a horribly patterned wall paper with stairs leading away and a couple of doors. He leads me into one of these doors where a tall brunette woman with a little too much makeup. ‘’Hey Rebecca is there still that Receptionist job going cos I’ve got the perfect girl for the job’’

The woman turned and looked me up and down. ‘’How old are you?’’ she says suspiciously.

‘’I’m seventeen’’ I lie. ‘’I’ve always looked young for my age’’ I say grinning.

‘’Do you have any experience?’’ she says. I shake my head. ‘’But I have a very strong work ethic’’ I say confidently as I could under Rebecca’s stony gaze.

‘’Can you answer phones, take booking and sort out customers problems?’’ she asked quickly.
‘’that’s sounds easy enough to me’’ I say.

‘’Then you’re perfect for this jobs you start on Tuesday at 7.30 and we’ll give you a trial week. You work Monday’s, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday morning and then Lucy, that’s the other receptionist, does Thursday afternoon, Friday and the weekend’’ she said quickly.

‘’Thanks so much’’ I say over the moon that I found an actual job.

‘’What size are you clothes wise’’ she asks.

‘’Size ten’’ I answer slightly confused. She pulls a shirt out of the draw behind her. It had a ‘Belle Hotel’ logo on it.

‘’There is your shirt where it with trousers, no jeans and flat shoes’’ she said.

‘’Thanks’’ I say taking the shirt. I couldn’t believe my luck.

I set off back home with my new shirt in my back pack. I had an actual paid job which would help me provide for my baby. It may not be the best job or the most well paid job but it was perfect for me. I didn’t even have to work the weekend or even the whole week.

I arrived back at home and opened the door. Cora, Billy and Nana were sat in the living room as I entered.
‘’Any luck pet?’’ asked Nana, clearly not expecting good news.

‘’Yeah actually I bumped into this guy called Claude who got me a receptionist job at the Belle Hotel’’ I say grinning.

‘’That’s brilliant darling’’ said Cora hugging me.

‘’Its two and a half days a week and I’m fairly sure its minimum wage but I reckon it’ll do for now’’ I say gleefully.

‘’We’ll have to celebrate’’ says Billy from his chair.

‘’I can’t drink because of the baby’’ I say sadly.

Billy laughed. ‘’She really is a Rothwell decedent’’ he said. (Rothwell is my mother’s maiden name)

‘’Yeah they’re all drunks as well’’ says Cora. ‘’Like your brothers lad Rory’’ she says.

‘’Rory’s a good lad’’ said Billy

‘’I was thinking more like a cake Lizzy’’ said Cora giving her husband a stern look.

‘’Oh, that makes more sense’’ I say giggling.