Part 4
Then I reminded that Jess said in her message that work was “interesting”, so I asked: “You said work was interesting. What happened?”
“I nevew told anyone that I wath going to get bwatheth, tho when I thhowed up thith mowning weawing headgeaw, evewybody wath thuwpwithed, but vewy thuppowtive. I told them that my bite wath thweatened by my withdom teeth, that awe about to come in and that my tongue had a wwong pothition in my mouth and had to be wetwained. My bothth wath vewy thuppowtive. He even offewed to wowk in the back-office inthtead of the fwont-office, but by now I think you won’t be thuwpwithed that the fwont-office wath exactly the place I wanted to be.”
“I never told anyone that I was going to get braces, so when I showed up this morning wearing headgear, everybody was surprised, but very supportive. I told them that my bite was threatened by my wisdom teeth, that are about to come in and that my tongue had a wrong position in my mouth and had to be retrained. My boss was very supportive. He even offered to work in the back-office instead of the front-office, but by now I think you won’t be surprised that the front-office was exactly the place I wanted to be.”
I knew Jess worked at a kind of marketing company, where they didn’t only do signing activities, but there was also a desk where you could drop in and order window signing and so, more as a shop. I expected that the front office was this shop.
Then Jess continued: “at about eleven o’clock a cuthtomew came in and ath uthual I got up fwom my dethk and gweeted him. Ath thoon ath he thaw me, he became wude and thaid that ith wath thuch a thhame that a hot giwl like me weawth thith maththive metal contwaption. Then he thaid he didn’t want to be thewved by me and that he wanted thomeone elthe to help him. I told him that I wath on the fwont office, tho that I wath thewe to thewve him.
He became mad and mowe ow lethth thhouted that he wanted to thee my bothth and that I wath not cuthtomew fwiendly and tho on.
Then the nice pawt came, becauthe my bothth wath in the back office and heawd what he thaid, tho immediately aftew the guy had athked to thpeak to my bothth, he thtepped in and befowe the cuthtomew could weact ow give an explanation, my bothth thaid: “I heawd what you jutht thaid and let me be vewy cleaw: thith ith my betht employee and I completely twutht hew expewience, tho the choice ith youwth. Ow thhe will help you ow you can leave the thhop. And without waiting fow an anthwew, my bothth tuwned awound and left the fwont office.
I couldn’t help but thmile thilently and athked him what he pwefewwed. it wath cleaw he didn’t expect thuch a weaction, tho it took a minute ow tho fow him to wecupewate, but then he wealized he had to deal with me.
Duwing ouw theththion he nevew looked at me once, but the end of the thtowy ith that he left the building ath a mowe ow lethth happy cuthtomew, becauthe he got what he want, but he wath thewved by an ugly giwl with hew head wwapped in metal. I weally doubt if we evew thee him again, but in fact I don’t cawe.”
“at about eleven o’clock a customer came in and as usual I got up from my desk and greeted him. As soon as he saw me, he became rude and said that is was such a shame that a hot girl like me wears this massive metal contraption. Then he said he didn’t want to be served by me and that he wanted someone else to help him. I told him that I was on the front office, so that I was there to serve him.
He became mad and more or less shouted that he wanted to see my boss and that I was not customer friendly and so on.
Then the nice part came, because my boss was in the back office and heard what he said, so immediately after the guy had asked to speak to my boss, he stepped in and before the customer could react or give an explanation, my boss said: “I heard what you just said and let me be very clear: this is my best employee and I completely trust her experience, so the choice is yours. Or she will help you or you can leave the shop. And without waiting for an answer, my boss turned around and left the front office.
I couldn’t help but smile silently and asked him what he preferred. it was clear he didn’t expect such a reaction, so it took a minute or so for him to recuperate, but then he realized he had to deal with me.
During our session he never looked at me once, but the end of the story is that he left the building as a more or less happy customer, because he got what he want, but he was served by an ugly girl with her head wrapped in metal. I really doubt if we ever see him again, but in fact I don’t care.”
“Wow,” was the only thing I could say: “I really can’t imagine that people with such a limited mind live in this world. I can’t imagine that someone doesn’t like that sparkling in your mouth and I absolutely cannot understand that someone gets mad and rude because of someone’s wearing braces.”
“I speak for myself but I love seeing your headgear, but when you don’t have your headgear in, your braces are somewhat mysterious. They won’t show until you open your mouth or talk and when they do show, they are not that obvious, so you have to take a double look to see what’s exactly going on.”
Having said that, Jess smiled at me, showing just some small bits of silver, creating exactly that mysterious view I just described. Then, when she smiled somewhat wider, the bottom braces showed more and I got a sneak preview of the molar bands, where her headgear attached to. Only when she opened her mouth, you got a view on the tongue crib and when you need to know where to look for, you could see the bars connecting the tongue crib to the molar bands.
It all was so subtle that it looked like art.
