(dialogue-style short story)

Ms. Lane: Good morning. Leo, right?

Leo: Yes, ma’am. I mean—yes. Leo Hargrave.

Ms. Lane: No need to be formal. Just Ms. Lane is fine. Please, have a seat.

Leo: Thanks. Great office. Love the… is that a rubber plant?

Ms. Lane: It is. The only thing that thrives under office lighting. So, Leo. Let’s start with the classic: tell me about yourself.

Leo: Ah, the question that haunts every jobseeker. Well—I was a literature major, then spent a few years working in coffee shops, which, believe it or not, taught me a lot about customer psychology, multitasking, and surviving chaos before 8 a.m. Recently, I’ve been freelancing as a copywriter for local businesses—blogs, ads, the occasional witty menu.

Ms. Lane: Witty menus, you say?

Leo: “Espresso Yourself” was one of mine. I have no regrets.

Ms. LaneNoted. So why Bright & Keen?

Leo: Honestly? I’ve been following your campaigns. That “Bookstores Are Not Dead” rebranding? Genius. I want to work somewhere that still believes in clever storytelling. Not just clickbait or shouting into the algorithm void.

Ms. Lane: Good answer. But this role is fast-paced. Deadlines don’t wait, clients change their minds on a dime. How do you handle pressure?

Leo: I once served a latte to a woman who realized mid-order she was in the wrong café, blamed me for it, and still tipped me. I think that says something.

Ms. Lane: Fair enough. Let’s talk about collaboration. You’d be part of a team with designers, strategists, and other writers. How do you handle feedback?

Leo: I see feedback as collaboration in disguise. Sure, it stings sometimes, but I’d rather have ten rewrites that lead to a great result than write in a vacuum. Also, I’ve worked with baristas during a morning rush—nothing teaches teamwork like sharing one espresso machine and a line of angry commuters.

Ms. Lane: You keep coming back to the barista thing.

Leo: It was formative. Caffeine and chaos, you know?

Ms. Lane: Alright, Leo. Last question. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Leo: Ideally? Still writing. Maybe leading creative for a campaign. Definitely having fewer nightmares about spelling errors in public ads. But mostly, still learning, still hungry. For ideas, not just coffee.

Ms. Lane: You’re refreshingly honest. That’s rare. We’ll be in touch soon.

Leo: Great. And if not—thanks for the rubber plant inspiration.

Ms. Lane: Take care, Leo.