Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
I know not all men are bad, but in my personal experience and my years working in women's shelters, it's almost always a man who hurts women.
It's not the same man as last time, but as I climb out of my car, I still feel the same level of scrutiny coming from him as I did from the other guy.
I make sure my car is secure before making my way up the narrow sidewalk.
I watch him, noticing the slight dip of his head as I draw closer.
"Ma'am," he says. "Just knock, and they'll let you in."
The last guy had pointed to his head and said he had memorized the visitor list for the day, and now I have to wonder if that list comes with descriptions or a picture of each visitor. The fact that this guy recognizes me without saying a word concerns me greatly. I haven't posed for a picture for this position.
Did Cerberus have security cameras, and did they pull an image from that?
Are these just good security measures, or have there been extensive conversations about me and my history?
My hands are shaking by the time I walk past him and get to the front door, but instead of running back to my car like my mind is screaming for me to do, I lift my hand and knock.
Victoria answers the door, a relieved smile on her face.
"I'm so excited you're here," she says, stepping to the side. "Come in. Come in."
I step inside, met by the scent of warm vanilla with a hint of something floral. It's pleasant and welcoming, like a well-loved home.
"I was incredibly excited to get hired," I tell her.
"Let me show you the office," she says as she closes the door. "It's right over here."
The house is huge. I could tell that from the outside, but it's clear, standing in the foyer, that adjustments and accommodations have been made to meet the organization's needs.
Victoria makes her way to the left of the door to the room that originally would've been used as a formal living area. The double doors leading into the room are wide open, but even if they were closed, there are no curtains on them restricting the view.
"We all share this little office," she says.
"It's lovely," I say honestly.
I can tell from the three desks in the room that it serves a business functional purpose, but the accents, comfy-looking chairs, and decor make it feel incredibly hospitable.
"You'll work there," she says, pointing to a desk in the corner. "You'll need these for your purse."
I look at her, noticing a small set of keys dangling from her finger.
"Top drawer is for physical files, even though we log everything in our secure digital database. The bottom drawer is for your personal things."
She pulls her hand back slightly when I reach for the keys.
"I'm obligated to tell you that even though you have a key to lock things away, that doesn't mean it grants you a right to privacy for anything illegal or that would be considered contraband."
I smile at her. "I understand. The only thing anyone could consider illegal about me is the amount of hard candy I go through in a day."
She chuckles as she hands over the keys. "Well, definitely keep that locked up then. I've been trying to cut sugar, and can't be responsible for my grabby little fingers if I spot something sweet lying around."
I unlock the lower drawer and stash my purse, making sure to grab my phone.
"Cell phone use policy?" I ask, holding it up before I close the drawer.
"Don't be on it so much that it interferes with your job," she says with a shrug. "And I would advise against letting residents use it. That said, the phones in the house are recorded and monitored. It's a safety feature in case someone calls making threats."
"Of course," I say. "A lot of the other houses I worked at were the same way. The residents know that it's monitored?"
"Yes," she answers. "That doesn't stop some of them from making calls they shouldn't."
"You mentioned the digital database?" I say.
"There's a booklet in the top drawer of your desk that explains how to use it. It's incredibly simple, and with your experience, you know about case notes and logging. It's important you input things as quickly as possible, and definitely before your shift ends. When you first log in to the computer, you'll be prompted to set up your login info, including a password. I should have your keys for the facility to you before I leave today, as well as your organization ID and passcodes for the facility."
"Perfect," I tell her as I close and lock my file cabinet, pocketing the keys as I straighten.
"I'm usually here a couple of hours a day," she says as she turns to leave the office.