The Olive Garden

The Olive Garden is the first place out of thirteen applications Marie fills out to offer her a job. Run by Rajiv George, the restaurant is an important job for Marie as she has no experience in the restaurant industry, making securing a job difficult at best.

Sally Beauty Company

Sally Beauty Company is where Marie works as a temp for twelve weeks where she is supposed to be compiling Y2K contingency plans, but instead she reads The Seven Storey Mountain. Marie spends much of her time at this temp job doubled over with morning sickness and throwing up into a garbage can which is presumably why the temp job was not renewed.

East Texas

The father of Marie’s baby works in East Texas at his uncle’s contracting business. He works as a trim carpenter; finishing chair rail, laying baseboards or finishing closets...