Ch. 3: Derrick Gets a Job

Our story resumes at the bar, where Derrick is almost done indulging himself. He swears he's just had one drink, and only to further calm his recent aspiration-desperation nerves. He wants to make it a point that he's nothing more than a social drinker. Anyway, he checked out the barista, but after making small talk with the lovely girl, he felt that he was just not that into her. He gave her his phone number, just in case she felt like getting to know him. Frankly though, he didn't think she was the type to call up her customers. He was right. "Gawd, I hope I have better luck finding a job than what I'm currently experiencing trying to find a date!" he wrote in his diary later that night.

Derrick successfully found a job the following day. It seems the gods of luck read his diary and took his latest entry into consideration. Simsville City Hospital had a full-page ad in the Finnland Times looking for qualified individuals to train as EMTs. According to a news item in a different page, the city hospital had been undergoing a massive renovation of its facilities which was turning out to be much more expensive than previously projected. As a result, lower-level employee raises were going to be delayed for at least another year. The hospital lost a considerable number of employees who resigned and took jobs at better-paying private hospitals.


Derrick had no medical experience and understandably doubted that he'd get the EMT job. Fortunately, he had a stellar interview with the hospital chief administrator, who was desperate to hire as many people in as little time as possible. After attending a half-day orientation seminar and an overnight EMT crash course at Academie Le Tour, Derrick was issued his EMT certificate. He's good to go!


Being an EMT paid pennies, but being employed and socializing with the neighbors earned Derrick enough aspiration points to acquire a few more sources of income. He spent most of his early earnings on building himself a real (tiny) house, with a roof and windows and an alarm system. He wanted a TV and refrigerator so badly, but he was afraid they'd just get stolen if he had them while he was still living out in the open. He had to to content himself with freestyling and ordering delivery food while his house was still under construction. He sometimes went to the mall in the mornings to watch TV, but he's usually too lazy to bother going out.

The third time he ordered pizza, the delivery girl coyly flirted with him. "Um, Mr. Elune...Derrick, right? I don't usually talk to customers because this stupid job makes me anti-social, but I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me sometime..."


"Wow...are you serious? I mean, thank you for the offer, uh...(reads nametag)...Lauren! May I have your number?"

"Of course," Lauren pulled out a permanent marker from her pocket and wrote on Derrick's pizza box: "Lauren Reeves, 001-0263". "Ok. I have to make another delivery. I wish we could talk more, though. Bye!"

Derrick thought Lauren was kind of cute before, in a plain sort of way. But the way she came up to her when no one else was noticing really piqued Derrick's interest. He probably would've asked her out eventually, but now he can't wait to see her again.

Derrick called Lauren up as soon as his house was finished. [Sorry, I wasn't talking a lot of pictures at this time, and forgot to take early house pictures. You're not missing much!]. They had dinner at Red's Famous '50's Diner.


Derrick's hoping that this date with Lauren will be the exact opposite of his date with the social worker (whose name he does NOT want to remember, thank you). He's not exactly doing himself any favors by wearing his bright purple pajamas, however. Then again, Lauren didn't bother to change into something other than her grease-stained work uniform. Maybe they are MFEO (Made For Each Other)?