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    Valkyrie
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
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Promptings from Valhalla - 26. Jack of All Trades

This is my response to the newsletter idiom prompt. I was assigned "Jack of all trades" and had to make the saying literal.

Idiom Prompt “Jack of All Trades”

“Welcome to All Trades Employment Agency. I’m Jack. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The tall man reminded Chris of a beanpole—skinny, but not unattractive. Jack’s smile was that of a polished businessman, beaming but appearing to be genuine.

“Chris Andersen.”

Jack and Chris both felt a tingle throughout their bodies as their hands made contact in a brief, but firm, shake. Jack gestured to a pea green chair across from his oak desk, and they each took their respective seats.

“So what brings you to my agency? How did you hear about us?”

“My friend Cindy highly recommended you. Since I’m new to the area, I thought this was a logical place to start my job search.”

“Cynthia Rella? She’s fantastic. A real go-getter. So, do you have the paperwork we sent you?”

Chris nodded and removed the requested items from his briefcase, then handed them to Jack.

Jack frowned. “It’s rather thin.”

“I graduated with my MBA two years ago, so I don’t have a long work history.”

“I see. Well, we prefer to employ individuals with a broad range of experience, as our customers’ needs are quite varied. Why don’t you tell me what jobs you had prior to and while you were working on your degree?”

Chris raised an eyebrow. “I worked at Dunkin Donuts when I was in high school. During college I worked part-time at an accounting firm. They paid for my MBA, but unfortunately went out of business last month, which is why I’m here.”

“Tell me about your duties at Dunkin Donuts.”

Chris stared open-mouthed at the man before him. “Let me get this straight… I have an MBA from an Ivy League university, and you want to know about my fast food experience?”

“I don’t have any need for an accountant at the moment, but I do have a request for a baker from the BBC Company on Main. Did you help make the donuts? That could qualify as baking experience.”

“No, I didn’t make the donuts. I made coffee and cashed out the customers. It wasn’t exactly rocket science.”

“So your major was business and accounting. Did you have a minor?”

“I had a minor in English and literature for a while, but gave it up to put in more hours at the firm.”

“You have good office skills then? Fast typing, computer savvy, know how to string a grammatically correct sentence together?”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

“Great! Then I might have just the job for you.” Jack shuffled through a pile of papers on his desk until he found the one he was looking for. He held it up in triumph. “Red Wolf Publishing needs an administrative assistant. You’d be a perfect fit.”

“A perfect fit? How? I’m an accountant, not a secretary!”

“Well, you have to start somewhere. And getting your foot in the door at Red Wolf would be a great start. They employ a lot of people in this area.”

Chris sighed. “I suppose I don’t have much of a choice. I’m almost out of money and need to pay my bills. How much does it pay?”

“Pay?”

“Yeah, you know… that pesky little thing called ‘salary’?”

Jack laughed. “The name ‘All Trades’ doesn’t just refer to professions. We work on the barter system around here. What do you need? I’ll make sure you get it in trade for your services.”

Chris shook his head. He’d had enough of this crazy place. “I need a paying job. Thank you for your time.” He stood and left the room, leaving a puzzled Jack scratching his head. What the hell was this guy’s problem? Jack shrugged and tossed Chris’s papers on the stack already piled on his desk. He’d be back. After all, he was the only employment agency in town.

Thanks for reading!  I appreciate all comments and reactions :) 
Copyright © 2018 Valkyrie; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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1 hour ago, Puppilull said:

With the way things are going for young people fresh out of school, this matter thing isn't all that improbable. I hope Chris sticks to his guns and gets an actual paying job. 

Thanks.  Navigating the job market isn't easy, especially for new graduates.  Hopefully Chris will find a better fit. 

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1 hour ago, comicfan said:

Jack sounds like an interesting boss. He does seem to work in all trades. Would love to see more.:*)

LOL That's my line ;) I'm always telling you I want to see more :P  Thanks for reading.  I'm glad you liked it. :)

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1 hour ago, MacGreg said:

'Jack of All Trades',  good one, very literal! Not only did you use the idiom well, you perfectly demonstrated how being a jack of all trades is not necessarily a good thing. 

Thanks, Mac.  I tried to incorporate the rest of the saying... "Jack of all trades and master of none." Glad to know it worked.  

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49 minutes ago, Renee Stevens said:

Nice job, Val! Really enjoyed your take on your idiom. Maybe Jack can make a future appearance :)

 

I'm glad to know people like Jack so much.  Maybe he'll appear in a future prompt, if it fits.  Thanks for the comment :) 

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38 minutes ago, drpaladin said:

It is an apt and interesting take on the idiom. I have to say if I walked into a guy's office and he had a pea green chair, I'd probably turn around and walk out, but that is just me. The name Red Wolf Publishing gave me all sorts of nasty ideas about what they might be publishing. It's difficult to imagine how you could live on a barter system unless you occupied a tent or a commune. Nice work, Val.

I have a whole world in mind based off this prompt, so maybe we'll end up seeing more of Jack and Chris and All Trades Employment Agency ;)  Thanks for the comment.  I'm glad you liked it :) 

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3 minutes ago, BlindAmbition said:

Very clever use of the idiom. Definitely used in the literal. Cash is king... barter my ass. Great job Val.

Haha  very true :P  Thanks for reading and commenting :) 

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1 hour ago, Valkyrie said:

I have a whole world in mind based off this prompt, so maybe we'll end up seeing more of Jack and Chris and All Trades Employment Agency ;)  Thanks for the comment.  I'm glad you liked it :) 

 

The All Trades Employment Agency is definitively an interesting world. I liked the fun story. Well done.

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A barter system sounds better than slaving for hours for barely enough money to pay rent and other bills. So, where do I sign up for this agency? I have office experience :P 

 

A great fun short Val :hug: 

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14 minutes ago, Dolores Esteban said:

 

The All Trades Employment Agency is definitively an interesting world. I liked the fun story. Well done.

Thanks so much.  I appreciate the comment and compliment. :)

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15 minutes ago, Caz Pedroso said:

A barter system sounds better than slaving for hours for barely enough money to pay rent and other bills. So, where do I sign up for this agency? I have office experience :P 

 

A great fun short Val :hug: 

Thanks, Caz :) I'm glad you liked it.  I'm sure Jack could find something for you. He's always looking for good employees :P  

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The reveal at the end was a surprise since you had used the idiom earlier. I liked it. Can I trade a piece of cheesecake for one of the herd?

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1 minute ago, dughlas said:

The reveal at the end was a surprise since you had used the idiom earlier. I liked it. Can I trade a piece of cheesecake for one of the herd?

LOL  Um... no :P  

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I loved the story. I’d hate to be one of Jack’s clients though! But maybe an apartment owner is also a client…  ;-)

 

 

But I have to admit that the first thing that popped into my head was All Worlds Video, the Gay porn producer most famous for using the plentiful Marines and Sailors in the San Diego area. Apparently the company was supposed to be ‘The Best of All Worlds’ but people read that as if the video recording was a ‘best of’ compilation. So the name was shortened to just the last two words.  ;-)

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2 minutes ago, droughtquake said:

I loved the story. I’d hate to be one of Jack’s clients though! But maybe an apartment owner is also a client…  ;-)

 

 

But I have to admit that the first thing that popped into my head was All Worlds Video, the Gay porn producer most famous for using the plentiful Marines and Sailors in the San Diego area. Apparently the company was supposed to be ‘The Best of All Worlds’ but people read that as if the video recording was a best of compilation. So the name was shortened to just the last two words.  ;-)

Landlords, farmers, grocery stores... you never know who might need Jack's services.  And that takes on a completely different meaning after reading the second part of your comment :P  LOL Thanks for reading :) 

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15 minutes ago, Valkyrie said:

Landlords, farmers, grocery stores... you never know who might need Jack's services.  And that takes on a completely different meaning after reading the second part of your comment :P  LOL Thanks for reading :) 

Yes, Jack of All Trades does take on a completely different meaning! Hmmmm. I wonder if anyone has registered that URL yet…  ;-)

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1 hour ago, Efmaer said:

"Cynthia Rella"  <<<<<<<snerk>>>>>>>

I wondered if anyone caught that ;):gikkle: 

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