Helpful Connections

As I promised Camryn, I will help her get a job.

It was currently around noon. As usual, I was eating my lunch alone outside of the building. I was in a medium-sized garden area. This area had stone paths and was surrounded by hedges. There were archways with flowers acting as exits and entrances and planters were decorating the area and creating a small repeating pattern.

I sat on a wooden bench and felt the cool summer breeze. Since this city was more northern, summers weren’t unbearably hot.

I took out my phone and logged in. As I promised Camryn, I will help her get a job. I was going to call Valerie… Like Connie and Bailey, she was also a classmate in high school — and unlike Connie and Bailey, she did not attend the same university as I did. I guess in high school she became acquainted with me…

I went to the phone app and tapped on her name… I got a near-immediate response.

“Hello? Who’s this?”

“O-Oh… I-Is this Valerie? This is Ren.”

“Ren!? Oh… You don’t call me so I deleted your contact info…”

What? Even though she called me to help at her restaurant about a week ago?

“I-I see…”

I heard a small chuckle come from Valerie’s end.

“Geez, you don’t have to act so seriously — it was just a small joke.”

“Oh…”

A joke, huh? Yeah, Valerie usually acts playfully during her interactions with me. Not just her, but Connie does so as well.

“So Ren, what’s up? It’s not often that you call me.”

“Valerie, I have a question.”

“I question, eh. You act as my business accountant sometimes, so are you requesting pay now?”

Pay, huh? No that isn’t it. I’ve actually occasionally worked as an accountant for Alente Bistro a couple of times in the past, and all at no charge. I don’t know why. Considering that it’s technically another job, I should receive payment right? Valerie isn’t against me receiving payment, I just decline compensation. Why is that? Well… I don’t know. However, I do have some ideas. Maybe I don’t see this as a real job because it is only occasional. Or maybe it is related to difficulty. Personally, I find this to be an easy task, and maybe that is another reason why I don’t see this as a real job.

“No, that is not it.”

“I see…”

Valerie sounded a little disappointed. I guess that makes sense — she insists that I receive compensation, but not to an extreme extent.

“Actually, I wanted to ask if you were still hiring.”

“Eh? Can you please repeat that?”

She sounded shocked by my question.

“Are you still hiring?”

“Oh, so my phone didn’t glitch nor are my ears broken. Hiring? Why? Is Comeffecient just not cutting it for you? That’s weird since the wages here are mostly at the minimum. B-But it’s fine — my team will welcome you with open arms!”

I shook my head even though Valerie couldn’t see me — I guess it’s a habit.

“No, that is not it.”

“Huh? Oh, y-yeah… Yeah, you probably didn’t want to join.”

She started speaking in her joking manner again.

“I mean, why would you want to leave a place where Bailey works!?”

I, um, did not know how to respond to that.

“O-Okay… Actually, I am asking on behalf of someone else.”

“Eh? Someone else?”

Once again, Valerie sounded surprised by my statement.

“And I assume it ain’t Mama Morales, right?”

“No…”

I dug my elbow into my leg and leaned forward on it. This is the second time where I have had to explain Camryn to someone. But what do I say? When I talked about Camryn with Connie, he was nonchalant about the situation, but it will probably be different for Valerie, right? Valerie and Connie are very similar personality-wise, but they may still react differently. Valerie is Camryn’s potential employer, so there is a good chance that she would be against Camryn because of her past. Hm…

“You see Valerie, there is someone I know who is looking for a job.”

“Oh?”

“She is a young girl at the age of fifteen.”

“I see… Sure, I look forward to meeting her!”

“She- Wait, pardon?”

“Hm? Is your phone glitching or are your ears broken? Yeah, I’ll meet with her then decide if I’ll hire her.”

Oh, it is that easy…

“I see… Sorry, I did not think that you would agree to meet her so readily. Do you not want to hear more about her?”

“Nah, save that for when I actually meet her in person.”

“I see…”

“And besides!”

Valerie lowered her voice slightly. She sounded… sentimental. She spoke softly like she was reminiscing and was nostalgic about something.

“I don’t think I need to be hesitant. You’re generous, caring, trustworthy, and kind… Anyone who knew that type of person would be just as likable, right? I’m sure she’s a great candidate.”

There it was again… “Generous…” “Caring”... “Trustworthy…” “Kind…” It doesn’t concern me, so why am I agonizing over it?

“I see… Anyway, I do not have work tomorrow. Can we set up a time to meet?”

“Hm… Swing by Alente at around 2:00. I’ll be there all day so don’t worry about being a bit late.”

“Oh, okay.”

So it is decided — Camryn and I will go to Alente Bistro tomorrow to meet with Valerie. I think this will also serve as a job interview for her.

“Well Ren, it was nice talking to you!”

“Yeah…”

“Oh, and thank you for always helping out at the bistro. You can’t see right now, but I’m bowing in gratitude.”

“Oh, that is not necessary — the work is not much of a challenge to me.”

Valerie laughed.

“Hey Ren, your selflessness amazes me! Regardless, thanks so much for always helping out.”

“Sure, you are welcome.”

“Okay, see ya tomorrow. And tell the girl that I’ll be looking forward to meeting her tomorrow, yeah?”

“Sure. Goodbye.”

“Yeah! See ya.”

And with that, Valerie hung up, leaving me with the noisy silence of the busy streets of Tronito.

I wonder what will happen tomorrow. Will Valerie still be accepting of Camryn despite her past?