The Pen Pal Who Turned Out to Be My New Boss novel · Chapter 14 of 24

Chapter 14: The File

Dear Late Shift,

People who say they hate being surprised usually mean they hate being managed. I can't tell you which one this is until I read your face. Take as long as you need.

Lark

Lark sent me that note in my first month of letters, and I thought of it now on the cold bench.

I thought of it because I was staring at a file folder in my best friend's hands.

"The archive is unlocked on Mondays for the intern," Robin said.

"He's in love with the stapler and doesn't look up."

"I walked in and pulled the P drawer."

"Robin, you can't."

"I'm the photo editor. I'm in there every week for prints."

She held the folder in both hands.

"I read the top page," she said. "Then I came outside. I don't want to be the one who tells you."

"Tell me what?"

"I want you to see it yourself. I'm right here."

I took the folder.

It was the thin cream kind, with a tab in typed capitals: PARK, HALLIE. Hire date, twenty months ago.

Inside were my résumé, my writing samples, and a single typed page on top, on The Lantern's letterhead.

It was a memo to the human resources office from the editor-in-chief who had held the job before Marguerite.

At the bottom was his signature, a looping blue scrawl I'd seen on a hundred expense forms.

I started to read.

"Recommend an interview for H. Park immediately. She is one of 112 applicants, and the screening pile put her in the bottom third."

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