Pull Shapes

Tonight was filliping amazing. We went to a big night club in the Upper East Side called Venom. I don't even know where to begin to describe how awesome it was. So I'll let the pictures do it for me.



This is that little club called Venom!




And here is a picture of Keith and Rachel

And yes Keith and I danced. And yeah he's not bad.

It's Just the Perfect Day

I can't even believe today.

I had a catch-up-on-paperwork-day around the office and so did a couple of the other Enders closing out the final ripples of Valentine's Day. It was pretty slow and I was placing papers into folders when Rachel rang my desk phone and asked if I could grab a stack of folders for her from the supply room.

The supply room is just a modified walk in closest with four shelves of office supplies. I walked in to look for the file and noticed Keith crouched in the corner flipping through a stack of file labels. I almost stopped before he could see me and walk out but the sound of a door being pulled closed alerted him to my presence. We both looked at the door when we heard the distinct click of a lock being turned over.

"Shit this happens sometimes people lock each other in as a joke. I wonder who was trying to prank you."

"I have my ideas."

I could have killed her.

But then we started to talk. He mentioned how I must be the new girl and that he had heard my initial numbers were impressive coming right out of training. When we realized no one was going to be needing new pens for a while we started talking about being new to the city. He said when he first moved here it was difficult at first to find the best places to go for a drink. And then he asked if I wanted to go out this weekend to one of his favorite places. I didn't say anything but must have looked slightly shocked. He quickly followed up that he and some guys are going to a night club this weekend and that I should come with Rachel.

I said, "Okie Dokie."

Are you kidding me? Okie Dokie. What the hell is wrong with you Kat.

We must have been there for nearly 15 minutes before a guy from accounting keyed in to get a stack of post-it notes.

I looked across the office to see that Rachel was giving me a thumbs up when I walked out of the supply closest. I almost burst out laughing right there.

Later in the day I got a call that was just the person on the phone breathing slightly heavy. I told Rachel that it was very funny but she was going to have to grow up by Friday night.

Client #4

Rush week continues with the cleanup of the Valentine's Day Massacre. I popped into the company car and headed to a tiny suburb on the outside of the city. I knocked on a small one story house's front door. Mr. H. opened the door dressed in a splattered painter's smock. H. was a small time painter just entering his 30s. He was married to his wife, L., for 2 years. L. was growing tired of the lifestyle and wanted to get away. She was going to move into the city and start with a fresh slate.

Carolyn told me that marriage cases have happened before. In these situations we help the partner file all the legal paperwork and serve it to the target on top of the standard services provided. We can't sit in for the partner on legal meetings but we offer a service to help get them on their way to a healed heart. H. didn't really seem to believe me when I told him all this. He asked who was I to tell him that message. How could I be the person who could tell him that his fucking wife was leaving him. I told him I was just carrying out the wishes of my client. His face flashed disgust and he looked at me like I was garbage when he signed off the paperwork.

I tried to avoid Rachel at work today. I didn't want to know what she had to say about Keith and I was pretty much in a bum mood already.

Client #3

I went to work straight into a termination scheduled last Friday. This was my first of the post-Valentine's Day break-ups. I had to wonder if this lady decided to do this after seeing the ad Carolyn placed. This guy J. was working on washing his car when I approached his spot. His file said he was in his mid 20s. His partner had said that their interests no longer lined up. This wasn't an immediate thing though. She had tried to deal with their differences. The biggest problem was that some fundamental issues divided them. Primarily a dialog on spirituality. I read this to him and wished I had made something else up. He looked crushed. Wounded almost, like I had struck him myself. His eyes started to mist a little but he rubbed it away like the sun was reflecting off his car's hood. I asked him if he wanted to step inside. He said no and just listened to my piece and signed the termination acceptance papers.

Yesterday Rachel and I met for coffee and to go over the details on the guy I had just terminated and who she would be meeting for a romance plan session tonight at an upscale restaurant. After the success of our last pairing Carolyn had decided to experiment with teaming us together to see if our numbers would stay high. At work Rachel caught me eying a guy filling up a cup of coffee at the other end of the break room.

Rachel looked down her celery stick at me and said

"You want some of that?"

I could have killed her as she looked past me at him.

"His name is Keith. He's an Ender just like you but in the Male-to-Female sector of the business. Been here for about seven months now."

My cheeks were burning when she told me she could help set me up if I wanted.

Client #2

Today I terminated my second target. This one was particularly tough because it was a couple days before Valentine's Day. Poor guy didn't even seem to see it coming. His name was T. and was in his late 20s. His partner listed that he wasn't assertive enough and she didn't feel needed. She was actually cheating on him with another person but didn't want that to be brought up in the break-up. He started yelling at me telling me he wanted to see her right now and tried to call her. When she didn't pick up he flipped his coffee table over. I tried to remain calm and insistent as I gave him my spiel. I explained to him I was just doing my job. Don't shoot the messenger fella. Eventually he calmed down and signed the paper. I got up and left him sitting on his couch just staring at his record cabinet.

Rachel has been showing me around the city. She took me out to an asian fusion sushi bar. We didn't have anything as exotic as that in South Dakota. We went shopping around after that. Rachel is pretty direct sometimes but I like that. She asked me if I was looking for anything or anyone specifically in the city. I told her I didn't know. Rachel has a certain confidence about her that makes me enjoy spending time with her.

Also Carolyn called me into her office to talk about the reports of the first termination. Passed with flying colors. All parties were pleased with my services. Oh and she showed me the advertising that the company just put out for restless hearts in the Seattle area.

The Squirrels and the Birds Come

I was just about to complain how this weekend was a wash but then I had a pretty awesome day at work.

I met for a couple of interviews to set up termination days for the coming week and next week. The office is buzzing because Valentine's Day is coming up. Why is that a big deal you might ask? Well I was a little confused too. Apparently statistics show a large increase in the number of break-ups in the weeks prior to and after Valentine's Day. Which for us means more business and a hectic couple of weeks.

But the extra work wasn't the most exciting part of the day. I made some real human connections at work.

So I was sitting eating my lunch in the break room when a girl came up to me and introduced herself as Rachel. She said she was one of the Wings who sees the targets post-termination and helps get them through their struggles. She said she had a date last night with the guy I terminated last week. She told me that he asked about me. I joked with her that I really know how to leave an impression on guys. We talked for a little while. She is about my age and has been with the company from the get go. She's been living in Seattle for most of her life. When I told her that I'd just moved here for the job she said we'd have to go out sometime and she'd show me the hot spots in the city once the Valentine's Day crunch slowed down.

Cheers to that!

Client #1

So I showed up to work on time and got straight to work on the final touches of the termination I would do today. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty nervous.

Carolyn came over to wish me good luck and to "knock him dead," and gave me the keys to the company car. I got lost and drove all over the city to find out where South Alaska street was before I finally rolled up on a small apartment building near the bottom of the city.

I got out of the car, straightened my suit, and checked to make sure I had all the paperwork ready before I went over and rang the bell for D.'s section. When he answered I told him I was a specialist sent to talk to him for a few minutes. It's best to get a foot in the door before you break the news.

I met D. on the second floor of the building and he let me into a small clean apartment. When he opened the door I shot my hand out in greeting and he invited me to sit down on his couch. D. was a short man in his middle 20s but was already seeing his hairline thinning at the top. He had a friendly smile when he said he had to go into the kitchen to take a pot of the stove. I looked around the room to take in my surroundings. Across from the couch there was a nice sized t.v on an entertainment center with dvd's neatly arranged in a shelf. Next to the t.v was a bookshelf packed with books and picture frames. A couple triumphantly displaying him and S. together.

D. came back into the room and asked what this was all about and I quickly remembered what I had come to do. We are supposed to confirm identities to verify the situation. He said he was a Mr. D. and that he was in fact dating a Mrs. S. for several lovely months. I felt a twinge of guilt as I looked into his friendly eyes.

I said to him, "Well Mr. D. I'm an employee for Beautiful Break-Up and Mrs. S. has employed our services to inform you that she wishes to end the romantic relationship that exists between you." When I finished I let out a big breath. The weird thing was D. just sat there and stared at me like he didn't even hear any of that.

I might have sat there for a few minutes if I hadn't come prepared. So I said, "Now I understand this all may be very confusing and I understand how you must feel but you must understand these are the wishes of Mrs. S." He continued to just sit there and stare past me. I slid him a piece of paper to sign verifying that he has heard the message and that I've performed my job. I also informed him that S. wished to express she would rather not be contacted any further.

I pulled out another packet containing a standard brochure the company prints-out for targets to read. It contains a bunch of quotes pertaining to the ending of relationship. "There are plenty of fish in the sea." "Every end is also a new beginning." That sort of song and dance. It's protocol.

I told him that one of our company's services included a "post-termination counseling session." Basically in a couple days another employee will contact him and plan a date at a bar or restaurant. They are made available for expressing emotions and will help make an action plan about how to move on. Around the office they are known as "Wings."

I started to stand up and get my papers in order. D. continued to sit and stare at the wall behind me. I could have just left but he looked so sad. I told him "Again I'm very sorry Mr. D. but I'm sure there are plenty of women who would want to go out with you." His eyes darted from the wall and looked at me. "Really?" he asked me inquisitively. "Sure," I responded, "I think plenty of women would think you're a good catch." He was practically beaming after I said that.

It wasn't my place to say anything like that but I think I made him feel better. And I was able to consider my first termination a success.

Dress-up

At work I had a day to finish excess paper work and prepare all the documentation needed to do the ending tomorrow. It was a pretty slow day all and all.

After work I went downtown to do some necessary shopping I picked up this jacket and a matching dress skirt.




I have nice clothes to wear to work but this just called to me. It looked so formal and demanding. I think it gives me an authority of professionalism that will tell that guy tomorrow that it's over.

Real Work. Real People.

I went to work with my spirits a little higher. I finally realized I should be excited because I was about to start my first actual career. I got to work early to start going over the info sheets and prep my speech modeled on the role-plays from last week.

I'm not really sure what I can say about the details of my job without breaching my contract but we have to collect info on the victim from the "initiating party," in a very rigid, structured way. But what we do with that info isn't a science, it is an art.

We need to get a good physical i.d on the target (preferably a photo) so that Enders, like myself, can get a good idea what the guy looks like. Really feel him out.

Then we have to ask for a brief history of the romance. How it started, when it started, why it started. Next we go over the details as to why the romance is in the progress of termination. At which point we allow the initiator to reflect and discuss their relationship qualms. We do this in order for the initiator to confirm the certainty of termination by signing a non-binding legal document stating how Beautiful Break-Up is not clinically, or legally, responsible for any feelings caused by the initiating party post-ending. We have to inform the party of this at every meeting. And I know what you were wondering, it is a mouthful.

So my first client opens the door and a middle-aged woman comes in. I should mention I'm professionally bound to not share information that can identify a client. I'll call her S. just for ease. So S. comes in and says she wants to get out of her relationship and we start getting into all the bureaucracy of it. It was all really cut and dry. Her and the victim, D., met seven months ago at a bar. He danced with her, bought her drinks, and called her the next morning. Swell guy. So things go well but S. starts to get annoyed by D.'s quirks. He's too needy, he's too dependent, he's too short. S. knows this relatively early but every time she goes to break up with D. he talks her out of it for various reasons. Three attempts later she is fed up with trying and saw our ad in the Times.

It all went extremely smoothly and according to protocol. But when we are finishing up the initiating interview. S. put on her coat and shook my hand. While she was shaking my hand she gives me a cautionary stare and tells me to be careful with D. because he gets upset over bad news and tries to talk away a problem rather than accept it.I don't anticipate any problems. "Firm and professional," as Carolyn says.

Missed The Boat

What a shitty weekend that was. I did nothing but sit on the couch watching t.v marathons hoping someone would whisk me away to do something fun. I mean come on this was my first weekend in this big, exciting, new city. But here I am coming out of it and into a really bad mood.

I guess I do this to myself all the time though. I mean not having fun, or expecting to have fun, or expecting to not have fun. In all honesty I can't say I'm surprised. During high school in South Dakota I lived in a small town with a few close friends. When it came to college I wanted to move to a big college in a big city. Fast forward a couple of years I wind up at a small state school for monetary reasons. I can't pretend like I wasn't a little disappointed. I didn't really have the "college experience." I rarely went out to parties or make many long lasting friends. I just sort of thought everything would just happen for me and I'd be happy.

So have I learned from this? Apparently not, because instead of picking myself up and going out to meet new people I sat in my room hoping my new neighbors would come knock on my door and talk to me. I can't expect much from an old Polish couple who don't seem to speak English and a boring woman who is violating her lease by harboring at least six cats.

I know I'm just letting my past issues threaten the excitement I have for being here and starting my life fresh and happy. I mean it has been a week. I can't sit here acting like my entire life in Seattle is shot because of one boring weekend. After all work is going really well. Carolyn says I'm doing very well with the role-plays and I have a talent for being sympathetic but direct. Tomorrow I have my first interview with a client as I take on my first real case. Everything is fine.

I hope.