The First Job

The woman was pretty and kind. The sort of person who people liked. She supposed. She didn't know much about being liked. Popularity wasn't the type of thing she thought about much.

"Miss Ayanami? Are you paying attention?"

Rei nodded. She hadn't been, but it was okay.

The woman smiled. "Good. Okay, now I'll show you how to answer the phones." She picked up a handset to demonstrate. "First, give a cheery hello. It helps to smile when you do it... the customer can hear the smile in your voice. Then, ask what you can do for the caller. Always be polite. Help them as best as you can, and if they ask something you don't know, put them on hold and ask me, or take down their name and tell them you'll call them back later." She smiled at the silent intern. "Don't worry. I know it seems like a lot now, but once you get the hang of it, it'll come naturally. I know girls your age spend half their lives on the phone." The woman's smile widened, as if remembering something pleasant.

>BRRRRRR!<

"Oh, a phone call! I'll field this one, Rei. Pay attention to how I do it, so you can learn how too." She picked up the handset, smiling. "Hello, circulation department, how may I help you?"

Rei probably should've been paying attention. She rarely spoke on the phone. Never, if she could help it. So she didn't really know what to do. Yet she decided this wouldn't be the best thing to bring up to her boss, as her boss seemed to like the idea of using the phone. It made her smile. Come to think of it, the woman smiled a lot. Strange.

The dull tone of the phone snapped Rei out of her reverie. "Okay," said the woman. "This one's yours. Try it out!" She held out the reciever.

Rei gingerly took it, handling the phone as if it were a foreign object. But that's only because it was. Rei didn't let it faze her. Instead, she held it to her ear.

"Now, smile," her boss reminded.

Rei did, a rather small affair that made her cheeks feel funny. At the not-so-hidden pained look on her boss' face, she tried again, with a bit more success.

/Hello? Is anyone there?/ asked the voice on the phone.

"...hello..." Rei echoed.

/Hello? I can't hear you... did anyone pick up?/

"Hello," Rei answered, louder.

/Hi. My company is interested in your magazine, and I was hoping you could help me./

"..."

/Yeah. Well, we were wondering if we could get a free subscription./

"..."

/Um. I heard there was an application or something, and I was hoping I could get one./

"..."

/Hello? Is this a recording or something?/

"...?"

/Well. Uh... I'll just call back later./ >clik<

Rei hung up the phone. She turned to her no-longer smiling boss, and shrugged. Figuring that was enough work for that day, she went home.

Funny, Rei thought as she entered the elevator. The woman had been smiling because of the phone before. Now she doesn't, even though the phone is still here. Strange.