Short Story: Tulip Goes Job Hunting

Tulip Fancy

Our sweet delicate Tulip looks to a different type of employment.... something less subservient and feminine.

While going through the newspaper today, I saw an ad for a job that I hoped would be my way out of the diner, namely the busy hands of the male customers. Getting a slap on the butt had become too humiliating and I was getting real tired of picky customers. The job ad was for a general hand in one of the local lumber yards.

I was quite excited and couldn't wait for my wife to get home so I could tell her.

When she arrived, I took her bag and hung her coat up. I was bursting to tell her but didn't want to crowd her when she first came in. I bought us some tea and she looked at me suspiciously. 

"Ok she said, spit it out." 

It was then that I told her about the job at the lumber yard. She looked at me and said, "Do you mean working in the office. Because you were working in an office when I met you and that didn't end well." 

"Well no, I would be working in the yard. Moving timber, filling orders, cutting things up. That sort of thing."

She paused for a minute. Then took both my hands in hers. She was running her thumbs over my knuckles. 

"That feels nice. Is that the new hand cream Kelly asked you to try? Smells nice too." 

"Yes," I said. 

"How do you think the men would treat you?  You've had some not nice experiences at the diner." 

"But I would not look like this. I could get my hair cut and buy some work clothes." 

She looked skeptically. 

"What pretend to be a man? Have you ever driven a forklift? You can't even drive a car. Have you ever used power tools or heavy machinery? No, I said feeling a bit deflated. Look how soft your hands are. They would be covered in painful splinters in no time." 

This wasn't going how I thought it would. I could wear gloves I said hopefully. She pulled me towards her and hugged me to her breast. She smells my hair and kissed the top of my head. 

"I know you want to get out of the diner, but this isn't the way. I have spoken to Monsieur Rabanna. He is the millioner who owns the Ladies Hat Shop in the square," she said."He is looking for someone to open in the mornings for him. He starts late and works late. If you check your lippy and grab your purse, I'll drive you down there to meet him. I believe he is homosexual so you won't have any trouble from him. You might even get a staff discount. If you get a nice hat, I'll take you for a Sunday drive."

(*note: I will begin to place Tulips stories to her own pages soon for better access- Annabelle B)