Holly - Part 1

1¾(Part One) -WANTED- Earn $3000.00 in six weeks + bonus. Reputable medical testing company needs short term subjects for R&D testing. Call: (xxx)xxx-xxxx

I took another sip of coffee and read it for the third time. Hmmmm, three thousand dollars sure could solve a lot of my problems, I thought. My name is Holly Bronson, and the day I read that ad was the start of quite an adventure for me. I had just moved to Los Angeles from Dayton Ohio in hopes of fulfilling my lifelong desire of becoming an actress, but so far, in the month I had been here luck was just not on my side. Not that I was giving up, no, not at all, I was positive that I had the talent. What I was giving up was the money! I hadn't expected things to be as expensive as they are here and I HAD to find a way to give my dreams enough time to give it a good try.

Soooo, I called the number and made an appointment, 2:00 this afternoon would be fine, the lady said. All kinds of things were running through my mind. I had already decided that I wouldn't do it if it involved any experimental drugs or shots, that scared me. But the lady said it didn't and that the testing is perfectly safe. She sounded nice, and very professional on the phone so what could I lose by keeping the appointment, just to find out?

The sign on the door read Martin-Olgelvie Orthopedics, R&D. The receptionist gave me a clipboard with a questioner to fill out. Well, OK I thought, after all I guess it is a job application, so I sat down and started answering the questions. The waiting room was very professional looking and as I glanced around I noticed some framed photos on the wall of the products that the company makes. There was a picture of a man with some kind of back brace, another was a woman wearing a leg brace, and seven or eight others. On the bottom of each was "Martin-Olgelvie Orthopedics Inc." Each brace had a name, the man's back brace was called "The Malibu" All the others had the same sort of cutsy names, like you would feel like you were at the beach at Malibu if you were wearing that back brace, uh-ha! Right!

"Miss Bronson, you can come in now" I recognized the lady's voice as the one I spoke to on the phone that morning. She introduced herself as Valerie Bennett as we walked down the hall, she impressed me as being very friendly but business-like at the same time. We entered a very comfortable looking office and she offered me a seat as she went behind the desk. "Would you like a cup of coffee or a soft drink? I'm going to have one." My first thought was to say no because I was a little nervous and just wanted to get down to what I had to do to get the money but she seemed so friendly, and her smile really seemed to make me relax a little. So we had coffee.

Miss Bronson sounds so formal, do you mind if I call you Holly? I said it sure would make me feel better, nobody ever calls me Miss Bronson. OK, she said, then you have to call me Val, deal?

She was making me feel more comfortable by the minute. We talked about me for a while, about why I was in California, what my dreams are, even my financial situation. I found that I was really starting to like Val, she seemed to be very interested in me and my ambitions of becoming an actress.

OK Holly, I know you are dying to know what this is all about so let's start with the company. Martin-Olgelvie Orthopedics is one of the oldest manufacturer of orthopedic supports and braces in the country, and one of the largest. We sell to doctors and hospitals all over the world. We have a complete design department and we are always trying to improve our products. When we develop a new design, it's imperative that before it goes on the market, it must be fully tested for things like comfort, wearability, how it holds up to daily use, does it cause any chafing to the skin, and a whole lot of other considerations before we feel we can offer it as a new product. We have just developed a new brace, it's called a C.T.L.S.O. Another name for it is Cervicothoracic Lumboscral Orthosis, Don't worry Holly, you won't be tested on remembering the name! What we need, is a person who will wear this new brace for a period of six weeks. If selected, it will be custom fitted for your own body, you will have to agree to wear it all day, every day and all night, every night. You will come into our lab every morning, seven days a week at 10:00 am. At that time it will be removed, cleaned and checked for any wear or tear. You will be checked also for any redness or undue discomfort, then you will be guided through a thirty minute exercise program by one of our physical therapists to make sure that your muscles stay in good condition. You will also have the opportunity to shower. This should take about an hour of your time each day. when you are finished the brace will be put back on and you can be on your way. There will be small seals put on the fasteners to insure that the brace hasn't been removed between checks. We have to do this to insure the integrity of our testing. Now I want you to know that you may quit at any time, and you will be paid up until that time at the rate of $500 per week, you will get a check each Friday. You also should know that we would rather not start all over with someone else, so we will include a bonus payment of two thousand dollars if you complete all six weeks. Holly, I have interviewed several other applicants but I think you are a perfect subject for the testing, I want you to go home and think about it, don't make a hasty decision, it won't be the most pleasing experience of your life but perhaps if you decide to accept, the money will help you in your desire to become an actress.

I'll call you in the morning.

END PART ONE