Wrigley's
Member
I'm almost finished getting the empty unit ready to rent. Got a slew of applications already and will have to start showing it soon, so I finally hired a new office assistant. As you might expect, almost everyone in all the other units had or knew somebody who wanted the job - it's just a little part-time job. Someone to come in the rental office while I sleep late or run errands, to answer the phone and hand out applications and the list of rules titled How We Can Get Along Good Here. 
layful:
A side door in my kitchen leads out to a covered walkway that takes you to the side door of the rental office. Typically I shuffle in there sometime between 9 and 11am, my teeth clamped down on a bagel with cream cheese, my finger triggering a coffee mug. I make the office coffee, listen to phone messages and go over my to-dos in silence until someone walks in or I have to answer the phone. If I need to work on an apartment or around the grounds, I set the For Assistance Press Buzzer and Wait sign on the counter between a small stack of applications and the inlaid green button.
Unless I have an assistant. Then, if a walk-in wants more than just an application, the assistant will buzz me.
So anyway, I hired a girl who lives here with her mom in apartment A. She's sort of adorable, if you know what I mean. Eighteen, fresh out of high school, a little nervous. She goes on about how she's saving up for a car and peep toes, whatever those are. Believe me, I stopped and listened real hard until she said it a second time.
Yep. Peep toes.
This is her first job. She started on Monday. She pretty much just sat and watched me the first day - make coffee, play messages, flip through to-do notes, answer the phone - "No, Miss Waters, don't send any applicants. I've got plenty of applicants." "Yes, Jared, I could use some help painting. How's midnight?" When the bagel was et and I had my fill of coffee I said "OK, press that button if you need me" and went to lay tiles.
It was Tuesday. I shuffled into the office and about swallowed my bagel whole. Plants everywhere. Plants on the counter. A plant on my desk. One on the guest table next to a stack of magazines I've never seen before. Coffee made. Red smiley faces drawn at the top right corner of the applications! Written messages.
She's at my desk. On the phone. She hands me my to-do slips and whispers "Miss Waters. Do you want to talk to her?"
No, actually. I'll just take my to-dos home now and finish my bagel.
layful:A side door in my kitchen leads out to a covered walkway that takes you to the side door of the rental office. Typically I shuffle in there sometime between 9 and 11am, my teeth clamped down on a bagel with cream cheese, my finger triggering a coffee mug. I make the office coffee, listen to phone messages and go over my to-dos in silence until someone walks in or I have to answer the phone. If I need to work on an apartment or around the grounds, I set the For Assistance Press Buzzer and Wait sign on the counter between a small stack of applications and the inlaid green button.
Unless I have an assistant. Then, if a walk-in wants more than just an application, the assistant will buzz me.
So anyway, I hired a girl who lives here with her mom in apartment A. She's sort of adorable, if you know what I mean. Eighteen, fresh out of high school, a little nervous. She goes on about how she's saving up for a car and peep toes, whatever those are. Believe me, I stopped and listened real hard until she said it a second time.
Yep. Peep toes.
This is her first job. She started on Monday. She pretty much just sat and watched me the first day - make coffee, play messages, flip through to-do notes, answer the phone - "No, Miss Waters, don't send any applicants. I've got plenty of applicants." "Yes, Jared, I could use some help painting. How's midnight?" When the bagel was et and I had my fill of coffee I said "OK, press that button if you need me" and went to lay tiles.
It was Tuesday. I shuffled into the office and about swallowed my bagel whole. Plants everywhere. Plants on the counter. A plant on my desk. One on the guest table next to a stack of magazines I've never seen before. Coffee made. Red smiley faces drawn at the top right corner of the applications! Written messages.
She's at my desk. On the phone. She hands me my to-do slips and whispers "Miss Waters. Do you want to talk to her?"
No, actually. I'll just take my to-dos home now and finish my bagel.
