From the Journal of Debbie Evans

As much as I hated my new situation, I knew it could be much worse. I did have a place to live, at least, and a job to go to. I’d started out at the bottom and worked my way up before, so I could do it again. Nothing was going to keep me down for long.

It didn’t take too long to get everything unpacked and put away. My place was very tiny, and I hadn’t brought much. What took the longest was my computer setup. I didn’t have the luxury of a home office anymore, so the living room, such as it was, was going to have to suffice.

I’d been given some things to do before I was to report to work on Monday morning. Simon Adamsson, my new boss, wanted to get an idea of how I’d done things before. Sure, I was taking a pay cut and starting out on the bottom rung, but as it turned out, it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. Along with some of his other businesses, Simon was starting a new cosmetics company that he wanted me to head up and promote. “I’d be a fool not to put your talents to better use. Still, this is a new venture, and I can’t pay you the salary you’ve made before,” he’d explained to me when we’d talked about my duties.

Having something to do got my mind off my sorry situation. I put all my concentration into getting done what I needed to do, which made me feel more alive than I had in a long time. I was doing something productive, and that felt pretty damned good.

I heaved a tired but happy sigh as I turned off my computer. It was time to fix a drink, but first, I’d need to do a little cleaning. The kitchen counters were old and dirtied easily, so that had to be taken care of before I prepared anything on them. As I ran water into the sink for washing up, the unthinkable happened. The faucet went berserk and I ended up with my second bath of the day. Well, hell! The drink was going to have to wait. Now, I had a plumbing problem on my hands.

I’ve always been a resourceful woman, and now, I was going to have to call upon those resources. With my meager savings, I couldn’t really afford a plumber. I loved to read anything I could get my hands on, so I marched down to the bookstore and found a manual on home repairs. I studied the chapter and diagrams on fixing sinks intently, called upon my courage, and decided I’d better get to work.

Ms. Goodwrench I am not, but I managed to do at least a half-assed job nonetheless. Things just needed a bit of tightening and a washer replaced, so I guess I got lucky. Even so, I had a hell of a mess to clean up.

I was mopping up my indoor river when my cell phone rang. Blowing out a frustrated breath, I snatched it up. “Evens!” I barked into it.

“Sounds like you’ve had a hell of a day, Debbie,” a male voice said in my ear.

“I have. Who is calling?” I asked.

“It’s Simon Adamsson, kid. I make it a a habit to check in on my team, especially the new ones, to see how they’re doing once in a while. I think I already know the answer though. Is everything all right?” Simon’s deep voice was full of concern.

My muscles relaxed. “Sorry if I sounded rude, Mr. Adamsson. I–”

“Outside the office, it’s Simon,” he said.

I smiled at that. He sounded so friendly and easy to talk to. “Sorry if I was rude, Simon. I just had a bit of an explosion over here. This place is nothing to write home about, and the wiring and plumbing are downright archaic.” I told him about the sink as I finished mopping up.

“Want me to send someone over to have a look?” he asked.

“No, thanks. I think I got it, at least for now anyway. I can’t afford to pay much,” I admitted.

“Well, let me know if you change your mind,” Simon said.

“I will. Thanks so much for calling. It means a lot,” I replied.

“No problem. See you at work on Monday.”

When Monday morning rolled around, I was chomping at the bit to start my new job. I whistled as I got ready, then headed out the door with a spring in my step. It was a lovely morning, and I felt ready to take on the world. This was the start of a new chapter in my life, and this time, I was going to make it better than ever and do it right.