Terrible Advice From a Career Temp- Chapter Two: Know Who Not To Be

Piper made it home despite her earlier issues with Lindo. Dena immediately questioned her at the door, asking why she hadn't gone home with the buses for Sofie to pick her up. “Didn’t you get my messages?” Piper asked. “Some Marine recruiter gave me a ride back.”

Confused, Dena replied, “You’re joining the military now?” Piper laughed. “No, but Lindo ditched me after promising to bring me home.” “Lindo?” Dena snapped. “He’s no good. I told you not to go out with a bum like that.” For once, Piper agreed. She finally saw Lindo the way everyone else did—no good. Dena sighed, then said, “Well, at least one good thing came out of all this. You’re not moving in with Lindo in Chico.”

Just then, the pregnant Sofie came in with a bag of late-night takeout, Benny-Boy trailing behind. “What are you saying about Lindo?” she asked. Piper, sitting at the kitchen island of their cramped one-bedroom apartment, replied, “He stood me up after promising to take me home. I was stranded at a gas station all day.” Benny-Boy leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Seriously? Someone should volunteer him for a knock-out challenge.” Dena rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s just what we need—another person in this family on the wrong side of the law.” Sofie patted Benny’s arm, knowing he meant well.

Trying to spin things positively, Piper added, “Actually, someone else drove me home and offered me a job at a used motorcycle dealership in Cottonwood. His friend owns it.”

Sofie and Benny exchanged looks. Piper knew what they were thinking. “I’ll see if I can get you a job too, Benny,” she said. It was the opportunity they all needed. Dena was exhausted from long hours of physical labor, and they all needed a break. Maybe, Piper thought, one stroke of luck could ripple through the whole family. At least that was the hope.

Piper hadn't heard back from Hawk or his friend, who supposedly ran the dealership that summer. She assumed Hawk was just another letdown—another person full of promises without follow-through. Adding insult to injury, Piper lost her babysitting job, and failing to find new work, she resorted to mowing lawns for elderly neighbors near her apartment complex. That income dried up when a landscaping company pushed her out of their territory. No one wanted to see a young woman pushing an old mower across a scorched lawn in unbearable heat.

By early October, Piper finally called the dealership herself and applied for a job in the retail and scheduling department. The tipping point was that around that time, a neighbor offered her “cleaning work”—but only if she wore lingerie and promised not to have a boyfriend. Disgusted, Piper told Dena, who confirmed the man had made inappropriate comments to her and other women in the laundromat.

“Ew,” Sofie chimed in from the couch, her belly round and due any day. “We should move soon. This place is getting dumpy.” Dena nodded. She’d just started part-time at an insurance company’s call center, and Benny-Boy was working steadily as a drywall installer. It was time to move up. Piper, however, felt she wasn’t pulling her weight. That guilt finally pushed her to call Hawk’s connection.

“Westford Dealership of Cottonwood. This is Rich. How can I help you?” the man answered. “Hi, this is Piper. I’m looking for Mr. Comeaux. A friend, Hawk, said I’d be calling about the entry associate position.” Rich put her on hold for what felt like forever. Just as she was about to hang up, he returned. “Miss? You still there?” Piper replied, “Yes,” she said quickly. “Good. I’m handing you over to Mr. Comeaux.” The next voice was friendly but brisk. “Piper! I thought I’d have heard from you sooner. That position’s been filled since last month, but our buddy Hawk asked me to give you his number if you called—he said he lost yours.” Piper, surprised, jotted it down. So it hadn’t been rejection after all—just a mix-up. “Don’t be a stranger,” Mr. Comeaux added. “These positions open every few months.”

Piper hung up, feeling both redeemed and regretful—redeemed that she hadn’t been ignored, regretful that she’d waited too long.

Sofie, who overheard the exchange while lounging on the thrift-store recliner, asked, “So, no luck on the job?”, “Yup,” Piper said flatly. “This the same hookup from the guy who drove you home from your senior trip?” Sofie asked, flipping channels and sipping from her dented tumbler. “Yeah, Hawk,” Piper said. “He seemed nice. The dealership gave me his number. I guess since he’s a recruiter around here, he knows when jobs open up.”, “Why didn’t you call sooner?” Sofie pressed. Piper sighed. “I didn’t want to seem desperate. It was already awkward after the whole Lindo breakup.”

“Did you talk much on the drive?” Sofie asked. Piper sneered at the thought of her own memory, “Kind of. Just basic stuff. I just wanted to get home—Lindo ruined that whole trip.”

“Too bad Dad wouldn’t have picked you up if you’d called,” Sofie muttered. “That bastard.”

“I’d rather have walked home than deal with his court crap again,” Piper said. Sofie nodded. “He’s a predictable asshole, I’ll give him that.” She mumured. “Benny wanted to invite him to the baby shower next weekend,” Sofie continued. “I told him not to even post about it online. Dad would make it about child support somehow.” Piper nodded. “That’s his whole thing—punishing Mom for child support.”

“I wonder if he’ll turn on his new family once I turn eighteen,” Sofie said. “Probably. He only put them on a pedestal to spite us,” Piper replied. “Benny and I decided—we’ll tell the baby that Dad is in jail,” Sofie said, flipping back to her show. “I’m cutting that whole side of the family off.” They both sat still with that thought for a moment. “I don’t blame you,” Piper said softly. “I’d do the same.”

Needing a distraction, Piper changed the subject. “I’m calling Hawk.” Sofie was surprised, “Really?” Sofie raised an eyebrow. Piper admitted to her sister, “Yeah. I liked him, and it sounds like he was trying to reach me.” Sofie, ever the realist, pointed out, “He could’ve stalked your social media.” Piper, on the defensive, rebutted with, “That would’ve been creepy,” Piper said. “At least he was respectful.” Sofie shrugged. “Maybe. He’s either really chill or just over it.” Dialing Hawk's number, "I'm going for it,” Piper said. “The worst he can do is say no,” Sofie smirked. “Anyone’s better than Lindo.” Together they said, “He’s the worst.” As they giggled at having the same thought out loud.

Piper texted Hawk, then went back to her nightly routine of job applications and reality TV with Sofie. By the time Dena got home, dinner—Hamburger Helper and air-fried fries—was ready. Sofie was eating for two, due by the end of the month. She and Benny shared the fold-out couch; Piper slept on a cot beside Dena in the master bedroom. They were saving every penny for a bigger place.

Later that night, Piper checked her phone and found a message from Hawk: Thought you’d forgotten about me.

She quickly explained the mix-up. He replied an hour later: I’m in San Diego now—only up north for the summer.

So much for timing; the one guy she actually liked was far away.

At 4 a.m., Piper’s phone rang. Hawk.

“Hey, sorry if I woke you,” he said. “I’m calling before work. We keep missing each other. My training exercise ends Friday—text me your email, and I’ll send you a plane ticket out here. We can hang out in San Diego for the weekend.”

Half-asleep but exhilarated, Piper said yes.

Later, she realized she’d double-booked herself—the same weekend as Sofie’s baby shower. But since Hawk had already bought the nonrefundable ticket, she didn’t back out. Sofie had her friends from school to get her through it.

“You’ve got to see the world sometime,” Dena said the morning Piper left, hugging her at the bus stop bound for Sacramento Airport.

It was Piper’s first time flying, and her nerves were high. But Dena’s sage advice—When in doubt, just follow what everyone else is doing—got her through it.

At baggage claim, Hawk waited with a big grin. Piper ran to him, forgetting how little they actually knew each other. Composing himself, “What’s your suitcase look like?” he asked. Piper flushed a little. “This is it,” she said, holding up her duffel. He carried it for her. “Perfect. I’m parked across the street—a yellow Shelby GT.” Piper’s eyes widened. “Nice car.” She was a little insecure suddenly. “It’s a rental,” he admitted. “Barracks make it hard on us to keep personal cars. Rented one for the weekend—hope that’s okay.” Piper giddy with excitement, “It’d be weird if you didn’t,” she said, laughing.

As they drove down the highway, Hawk said, “First stop’s dinner with my buddy and his wife. Hope you don’t mind—she has trouble making friends.” Piper was relieved. Hawk wasn’t trying to whisk her straight to a hotel like Lindo once had.

They met Ray and his wife, Cherry, outside a crowded Cheesecake Factory.

Ray was friendly, about Hawk’s age, with a polite smile. Cherry, heavier and dressed sloppily in too-tight leggings and a faded floral top. She eyed Piper with an attitude of unwelcome disdain. As they waited for a table, Cherry barraged Piper with questions: “Why don’t you have a job? Did you get kicked out of college? Are you even old enough to be here?”

Piper answered awkwardly until Hawk and Ray redirected the conversation. Cherry didn’t like that. Dinner was chaotic. Hawk chatted with Ray about work while Cherry interrupted with complaints.

Piper whispered, “These two forks are the same, right?” She didn't know if it was worse to ask or risk embarrassment if there was more to it than she realized. “They are,” Hawk said, smiling reassuringly.

Cherry’s order took ages—special instructions for everything. “No peanut sauce, extra whipped cream, gluten-free on wheat toast…” Piper tried not to stare but found herself doing so anyway. By the time the food came, Cherry was mid-argument. “He doesn’t even acknowledge me—it’s abusive!” she yelled at Ray before storming out.

Ray apologized weakly and left soon after. Hawk paid the check. Outside, Hawk joked, “That Cherry—what a fun gal.” Piper, not wanting to seem rude by being the first to say something, “Wow.” Piper said. “That was…something.” Hawk shrugged. “A lot of military guys end up with the first girl they meet. Some can’t handle the isolation. You’d be surprised how many ‘Cherrys’ are out there.”

“I’d never want to end up like that,” Piper said. “I want my own career, my own life. Not just someone’s shadow.” Piper hadn't thought of it until just then. “You? Never,” Hawk said. “Cherry’s the kind who was probably fat in grade school and only washes her hair under threat.” Piper laughed despite herself. He had a way of making her feel at ease.

They walked through the Gaslamp Quarter, then back to the hotel, where he kissed her gently—respectfully, not for show.

The rest of the weekend was perfect. Hawk took her to the beach, the mall, and dinner and a movie before her flight home. He was kind, steady, responsible—everything Lindo wasn’t.

Before she left, he helped her pick out a baby gift for Sofie.

Piper felt a pang as the plane took off. She didn’t want to go home—but she knew she couldn’t stay. Hawk had his duty, and she had her own life to build.

She promised herself one thing: she’d never end up like Cherry.