Denise Noe

It is 8:52 hurry it is 8:52. 8:52. Walks—runs to her car. Thighs rubbing together, blubber on upper arms shaking. Looking behind, pulling out—unh-oh!—she brakes for that blue car.
She was late last week. If you’re late twice in one year you get fired. Fired! Dear Lord—her phone was already a month overdue and she’d got a cut-off warning.
Looking for work: driving from place to place all day, filling out forms, plus knowing that most of the time it’s useless. We’ll call you if something comes up. That position has been filled. The embarrassment of it. We’ll call and let you know if you’re the one oh sure oh sure!
What’s wrong with these people? Traffic slowing down. She had to get to work in—she looked at her watch—eight minutes. Of course: an accident.
Yellow light—make it—made it—good. Can’t be late again must not be late.
Walking fast on low-heeled shoes, on asphalt, pushing open the door and walking fast on linoleum. The room was an enormous rectangle with peach-colored walls. It was filled with women (plus three men) going to their assigned seats. She found her time card and clocked in. 8:58. So she was not late.
Headset on, adjusted, appliance fixed in ear, it hurts her head it hurts the sides and crown of her head, adjust, re-adjust. Still hurts but not too much. Fingers take their place on keyboard. Her fingernails are right for typing; although she polishes them (pearly pink) she keeps them filed very short. Sounds into letters and periods and commas. Sounds into words faster hurry, catch it catch it. Pads of fingers moist no time to rub on skirt. What will—Not think about it. Fingers move fast fingers move faster.
The appliance digging in the side of her head. Must not slouch, makes fingers move slower. Digging into the side of her head it hurts. She adjusts it but she is wasting time, catch that word and that word and that one the number and the word the number the number. Words now right now. Did she miss—? Mustn’t think about that, she must take down the word being said now, the number being said now, the word now. Get it down. Speed up fingers. The word the word the number the word now.
She sits upright in her assigned seat with the appliance on her head and she types down the word spoken now and she types down the word spoken now—the appliance digs into the side of her head—the word now. Will I—? Get it down. I’m so fat—She types the word the word the number. Dammit—! Get this number now but this word now. If I can’t pay—Not think about it. Not think. Not.
Now the word now the word now the number now the word. Now the word.
Now.
It is 9:12.