Remember when I said that I don’t handle stress very well? That could not be a truer statement. I had something happen a few days ago that has left me reeling. I’ve been wanting to write about it, but I’ve had a few nuclear meltdowns that have prevented that.

So a few days ago I told you about the meeting that I had with the Senior Paralegal. She was told by the little receptionist girl that I had been bad mouthing her while we were at lunch. This was absolutely not the truth and I told the Senior Paralegal this. We talked for about an hour and even she agreed that more than likely the receptionist felt that her job was in jeopardy so she was making things up about me to take the heat off of herself. Let me use this time to tell you how bad of a receptionist this girl is. She has been there about three weeks and you cannot find anything in that office. She has not filed since she’s been there, so you can be working on a file and you are missing half the paperwork in it. She has stacks and stacks of filing to do. I did some of it last week just to get it done. Okay, so back to the story’s point.

After my talk with the Senior Paralegal, the air was cleared and all was good. (Or so I thought) Next day, people are acting weird. The file clerk boy is giving me the cold shoulder. The receptionist is avoiding me, which I chalk up to her knowing that I now know that she made these things up about me. She even has the nerve to send me an email and ask if “I’m mad at her?” I reply with “no, I don’t hold grudges, especially in a work situation.” So, then I get a call from my placement agency. What am I doing for lunch and can I come by? They want to talk to me about some concerns the boss has. Okay, I also think this may be very bad but it could also just be her seeing how I’m feeling about the position. The receptionist had to go after she had been there for a week. They told her that she needed to dress more appropriately (she wears low rise jeans that show the playboy bunny tattoo on her hip and belly shirts. Yes, to work. Yes, in an office.). They also told her that Jerri (the boss) doesn’t want her walking around barefoot anymore (she had to be told this!) and no more Old Navy $3.00 flip flops. If I were the boss, I would clearly see that this little girl is just her for a job, not a career. But anyway, I get to the placement agency and they tell me that Jerri wants me gone for gossiping. There is no reconsideration and no talking about it. Gone. I flip out because I have not been gossiping and I thought this little incident had been clarified. Is this not some freak show shit?

I get in my truck and call Jerri and tell her EVERYTHING that goes on around that office and all the things that I never brought to her attention previously because I didn’t want to seem like a complainer or a gossip. How ironic that is what I end up getting fire for. I also mention the fact that I have been there early every day and stayed late most days. How did that go unnoticed? I am 30 and this is a career for me. This other girl is 20 and this is just a job for her. I guess good riddance if these are the types of things that I would seriously have to be worried about on a day to day basis, but still the rejection is hard to deal with.