Laid Off
Is that the time already? Ugh, I should have been out the damn door by now. I barely have time to reapply my makeup. I grab my bottles of liquid mousse as I try to assess the damage on my face in the mirror. Damn! I’m gonna have to start from scratch, thanks to my hysterical bawling session at the end of my shift. Most everything smeared off. I’ve got major raccoon eyes and splotches everywhere! I work the beauty blender into my olive toned skin as I replay the horrible last hour. I can’t believe that I was let go. I’ve been loyal to the company for 7 years! That’s almost a decade of my life wasted! She’s such a prick for getting a day’s work out of me before dropping an atomic bomb. That’s so cruel! I flash back to my boss’ flashy office and picture her stupid little smug smile. I could see where she missed with the plum lipstick on her front teeth. Marla has had it out for me ever since she thought I stole her man a couple of years ago. How dare she! It’s not my fault that Corey prefers chestnut blondes over dull redheads. They weren’t even official! And to fire me over some stupid deadline bull? Talk about holding a grudge! My hands start to spazz out big time, causing me to get foundation in my hairline. Okay, keep it together, Tara. Don’t smudge your foundation again. Keep calm and contour on. I get very shaky when I am really upset, which is a common occurrence because my overactive mind constantly gets me worked up. It’s my silent killer. I take a deep breath and resume painting my face.
I can’t let my girlfriends know that anything is amiss. An imperfect face will be a dead giveaway, especially to Samantha. She knows that I would rather die than walk outside with a less than perfect look. She means well but I am certain she will tell mom if she finds out. Having a best friend who is as close as hand in glove with your parents is a major perk. NOT! Mom can’t know. She will force me to move back home. She already thinks I shouldn’t have moved out at age 22. She believes that a girl’s place is at home with her beloved family until she meets a guy who will marry her and take care of her forever and ever. She is so old-fashioned! And extremely annoying…Oh! Wow! My catastrophe ridden face is contoured to perfection! I pick up my smokey eye palette and begin primping up my horrendous, hazel eyes. Hmm, If I play them up very dramatically, no one should notice that my eyes are a little puffy from crying so hard. They will absolutely pop when I am through with them! I smile at my genius idea and begin creating my masterpiece. I dab my domed eyeshadow brush into some sparkly highlighter and begin at the corner of my eyelids.
Now, what was I thinking about before? Oh, yes, a husband. Of course, I want to settle down someday but I kind of have to meet Mr. Right first. I am totally okay with casual dating until my perfect mate presents himself…Oh, God! I won’t be able to casually date if I’m forced to move back home. My overbearing mother will want to meet every single date and get his life story! She will probably try to find out if he intends to marry me! That will certainly scare them all away! My love life will be over…Alright, focus. Now you’re making uneven lines on your eyelids! I, once again, have to steady my hands as I attempt to counsel myself. Deep breaths, Tara. I am getting way ahead of myself anyway. No one will find out if I keep it cool. If I stick to my usual lemon drop tonight, the girls won’t suspect a thing. But I have to stay away from the Jack and Coke. Everyone knows that something is up when I bust out with the Jack and Coke! No Jack. Got it?! I give myself the stare down in the mirror as I attempt to persuade myself to stay away from the hard liquor tonight. It’s no easy feat for me to ignore the good stuff when I’ve had a crappy day. Now that my bags for eyes have been masterfully disguised, I finish out my regimen with the lipstick.
Everything is such a mess now. When I landed that executive position and moved out, I thought that I would never have to look back. I would never have to get a handout again or turn down drinks with the girls due to lack of funds. Now look at me. At age 29 and back in the unemployment line. I can’t afford the rent on this place now. Gosh Tara, why did you have to pick the new high-rise apartment with all the upgrades? Who cares about marble countertops and stone flooring! You should have stuck with the basics…Okay, I’ve got to stop chastising myself because now I got lipstick on my teeth and chin! Burgundy matte does not belong there! Let me just rub that off. I grab a sheet of tissue and dab.
I am being silly. My years of experience should land me a new job rather quickly. No one has to know that I left until I secure a better gig. That way I can just pretend that I was offered something better. A position that was too awesome to pass up. Yeah. That will work splendidly… Okay, botched lipstick application crisis averted! Just a few spritzes of setting spray and you’re good to go, girl! I stand back to admire my retouched canvas in the mirror as I give myself my fiercest supermodel pout. I look fabulous! This isn’t the face of a girl who just got the shaft! I can totally pull this off…Right?