Emily glanced nervously over at the booth across from her where her son was sitting down. She'd bribed him with a huge ice-cream and promises of a movie at the drive in later if he sat quietly while she had the interview.
Luckily for her, the waitress had given him a coloring book and crayons so Emily could count on him being busy for hours. She loved how her son was so artistic. He had a real gift of drawing, amazing her often.
The chime of the door opening drew her attention away from her son. There was a very tall, older man walking through the entrance, with twinkling blue eyes and what seemed like a permanent smile on his face.
"Good afternoon Joseph," the waitress said to the gentleman.
Emily's stomach tightened with nervousness. This was the man she was supposed to meet with. She glanced at her son, making sure he was occupied, then stood and walked over to Joseph.
He spotted her and smiled. "You must be Emily," he said in the most booming voice she'd ever heard. She nodded at him and then took the hand he was offering.
"Did you already order something to eat?" he asked.
"No."
"Well let's order some breakfast. We can chat while we're waiting for our food. Molly makes the best omelets in the entire state," he said as the waitress approached.
"Can I have some eggs mom?"
Emily was paralyzed for a moment. She hadn't wanted her prospective employer to know about her son until she had the job but she figured it was inevitable.
"I didn't know you had a son," Joseph said with the same twinkle in his eyes.
"I was going to tell you today," she said guiltily.
"Of course you can have some eggs. I see your coloring stuff over there. Why don't you grab your stuff and then come sit here with us," Joseph said. Emily could tell he was a man used to being in control. She sighed inwardly and went with the flow.
Joseph ended up ordering for all of them. Emily began totaling the bill in her head, hoping the job came through because breakfast was going to eat up most of her cash.
"What is your name boy?" Joseph asked kindly.
"My name is Trevor. I'm five years old," he stated proudly.
"Five is a great age," Joseph said. Trevor beamed at him and Emily could see a little bit of hero worship forming.
Joseph turned his attention back to Emily. "We only spoke briefly on the phone, so let me tell you a bit about the position."
"That would be great," Emily said. She really didn't care what the position entailed. She would scrub out toilets or muck out stalls, if it gave her son some stability.
"The position is for a housekeeper and cook, though more of a cook. There's a cleaning service that comes in regularly. The place is quite large and frankly too much for one person to handle. Can you cook well?" He asked.
"Yes, Mr. Anderson. I don't like to brag but I have a passion for cooking and love to try new recipes. I can make about anything and can easily cook for one, or for a hundred," she said enthusiastically. She really loved the art of cooking a complicated meal. It had been far too long since she had cooked a meal in a nice kitchen. Being on the run wasn't pleasant for Trevor or her.
"The position provides room and board, as well as a weekly paycheck. Are you willing to relocate?" he asked and then glanced at her son.
"We love this area so much and have been hoping to find a job so we can stay here. Trevor's a really great kid and you won't be able to tell he's around," she promised him.
Joseph laughed aloud. "I have three boys of my own and a ranch would be a great place for a kid. If no one knows he's around then that's the time to worry about what he's up to," he said.
Emily didn't know how to respond to his statement. She wasn't sure if he was saying her son would be welcomed or not. She remained quiet and hoped the man liked children.
"Trevor, do you like animals?" Joseph asked.
Trevor tilted his head, as he did when he was thinking deeply about something. "I really want a puppy," he finally said.
"Well of course you do, all boys should have a lot of puppies," Joseph said. He spoke as if it was a matter of life and death.
Emily was sure there would be some dogs running around the ranch. Her son would be in heaven. They continued to chat as they ate the breakfast. Emily was surprised how good the food was. She was a bit of a food critic and the omelet was light and fluffy and the vegetables were cooked to perfection. She would have to thank the cook before leaving.
Breakfast lasted for about an hour. Emily was starting to worry a bit. This was unlike any other job interview she'd ever had before. He wasn't asking her any of the usual questions prospective employers ask. He was far more concerned about her personal life.