Her dad had said, “School’s not real life. Get a job and learn something useful.”
The boss hired her to answer the phones at Frankie’s Flooring.
“I’m running a little late on installations. If they complain, just say the van broke down.”
Joyce asked, “Are you going to get it fixed now?”
“Get what fixed?”
“The truck.”
Frankie heaved the rolled carpet onto his shoulder and laughed. “Yeah, sure.”
After the third complaint, Joyce understood her real job was lying. She supposed it was a useful skill.