Killed Once, Lived Twice by Gary Whitmore - HTML preview

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Chapter 13

 

The sun started to peek above the horizon. It was Wednesday morning.

Martha did her usual routine on waking up Harry and Michael every morning for work.

She walked over to Michael's closed bedroom door. She lightly knocked then opened up the door and poked her head into the room.

"Time to wake up," Martha called out while she glanced at Abby sound asleep in Michael's bed.

Abby stirred a little then her eyes opened. She saw Martha in the doorway in her nightgown.

"Good morning, my dear," Martha said with a smile.

"Good morning."

"Harry and Michael offered to let you get to the bathroom first. There's a towel for you on the hook on the back of the bathroom door," Martha said then closed the bedroom door.

Abby tossed the covers off her body and got out of bed.

She headed into the bathroom and got ready for her day.

After an excellent breakfast provided by Martha, Harry headed off to the General Motors Plant.

Michael drove Jennifer, and Abby off to the college. The three of them did small talk during the drive to the parking lot of the college campus.

In the parking lot, Abby, Jennifer, and Michael got out of his car. 

Abby wore one of her new Montgomery Ward outfits. It was a dark blue dress with dark blue high heels. 

She clutched her white purse under her left arm with her resume in her right hand.

They walked off to the college buildings with Michael and Jennifer holding hands. Abby got a little jealous.

When they walked to the campus grounds, Abby glanced around the area and noticed numerous small trees that were recently planted, as they had their brace wires in the ground. She recalled how they were tall and provided shade around campus.  Now the campus grounds saw plenty of sunshine.

They walked down the sidewalk amongst numerous students rushing off to their first class.

Abby, Jennifer, and Michael turned left down another sidewalk and headed over to the front entrance of the Science Department building.

"Well, good luck with your interview," Jennifer told Abby then gave her a good luck hug.

"Thanks."

"We'll all meet at my car after work," Michael told Jennifer.

She smiled then walked off down the sidewalk toward the Engineering Department building next store.

Michael walked over and opened up the right glass front door to the building.

Abby went inside then Michael entered behind her.

The main hallway was busy with students rushing to class.

Michael walked Abby down the main hallway.

"Good morning Professor Osborne," a young girl student said while she passed him in the hallway.

"Good morning Professor Osborne," young guy student said while he passed him in the hallway.

Michael walked Abby to a door on the left where a maintenance man just finished painting the black "Science Department" lettering on the glass window. The maintenance man stepped aside when he saw Michael and Abby and knew they needed to go inside.

 Michael opened the office door for Abby.

Abby glanced around the office area.  She knew it was the office she worked out of in 2010.  It looked the same except for the old 1950s style office furniture and filing cabinets. 

She glanced at the spot where her desk from the present day was and saw an older 1950s style desk. On top of the desk were a Royal manual typewriter, a wooden inbox, and outbox stacked on top of each other, and a dial-type phone.

Michael entered and closed the door behind him.

He walked her to another door with a glass window that was opened.

Michael entered the office while Abby waited a little nervous outside the door.

"Good morning Doctor Bowman," Michael said from inside the office.

It took a few seconds for it to dawn on Abby, but her eyes widened. "Doctor Bowman?" she mouthed the words.

"Good morning, Professor Osborne," Dr. Bowman replied from inside his office with a younger voice.

"Abby Austin is out here ready for her interview," Michael replied.

"Very good," Dr. Bowman replied.

There was a new second of silence from inside the office, and that gave Abby butterflies in her stomach.

Michael stepped out of the office. He winked at Abby then walked away and headed to the other door.

"Please come in, Miss Austin," called out Dr. Bowman from inside his office.

Abby took a deep breath of courage and stepped inside his office.

She saw a young and vibrant thirty-two-year-old Dr. Phil Bowman working behind his desk. He wore a tweed jacket with patches on the elbows. But now he did not have to wear glasses or sported a goatee. Abby thought he actually looked cute.

Dr. Phil Bowman got up from behind his desk and walked over to Abby with a smile.

"You came highly recommended by Professor Osborne," he said then he got this strange feeling. "Do I know you? You look extremely familiar."

"I'm sorry, but we never met," she lied.

"You're a striking resemblance to Michael's fiancé Jennifer," he said while looked at Abby then saw the resume in her right hand. "Ah good, you have a resume," he added and held out his hand.

Abby handed him her resume.

"Please have a seat," he said while he walked back around to his chair while he glanced at her resume.

He sat down in his chair while Abby sat down in the chair in front of his desk.

There was silence in his office while he glanced over her resume.

She glanced at the top of his desk and saw a brand new brown leather attaché. It looked just like the faded one he had in 2010. Then Abby realized that that was the same attaché but forty years younger.

"Secretary at the Dr. Phillips Hospital in Orlando for the past four years," he said while he talked out loud.

Abby nodded in agreement.

Dr. Bowman spent a few seconds, glancing at her resume. This caused the butterflies in her stomach to really start fluttering.

Dr. Bowman placed her resume down on his desk. "Well, Miss Austin, I'm in dire need of a secretary. I just got this Dean's position, and the previous secretary retired along with the previous Dean. So if you're interested, it starts at a sixty-five cents an hour," he said then waited for her answer.

"Yes, sir, that would be great."

"Good, you can start right away. The next step is for you to head over to the Human Resources Department in the administration building. It's located two buildings behind us," he said.

"Thank you," she replied.

"Go over there to fill out some paperwork then report back here, and we'll get started," he said.

Abby nodded in agreement, then stood up and walked out of his office.

Dr. Bowman looked at the doorway and tried to understand his feeling that he met her before. He shrugged it then picked up his phone and dialed a number.

Abby knew the way and walked into the Human Resources Department office in the Administration building.

Behind the desk in the entrance area sat Maris Sommers, now twenty-seven years old with black hair.  Abby looked at Maris, and she looked familiar. But Abby did not realize that this is the same woman from Human Resources in 2010.

"May I help you?" Maris asked while she looked up from her paperwork. Her eyes widened a little as she thought Abby resembled Jennifer.

"Yes, I'm Abby Austin. Dr. Bowman told me to come her for some paperwork. He wants to hire me as his secretary," Abby said.

"Yes, he called a minute ago," Maris said then picked up a job application form and pen from the top of her desk.

She walked out from behind her desk and walked over to Abby. 

"Please fill this out at that table," Maris said while she handed Abby the form.

Abby took the job application form and pen then walked over to the table. She sat down and started filling out the application.