by R. F. Allie
He used to tell me that it was always intended for me. That was why when it was time for me to move somewhere for college, I'd chosen this city and this house.
It was renovated throughout the years, the landmark preservation of the city put in lots of efforts to keep the district spirit and encouraged people to take care of their homes.
My father had indulged in a beautiful mahogany flooring all over the space. When I'd first moved in, I opted for several matching floating shelves for my books and movies collections. An L-shaped warm beige sofa married perfectly with the basic surroundings.
I loved the way the house felt when inside it, it felt like a home. Warm colors, little knickknacks from the flea market. I had a soft spot for the old tea table by the window. Even though it was already damaged when I got it. I'd fell in love with it instantly. It told me its own story with several names carved on the wood, it smelled old and genuine. So I preserved what could've been preserved and added three colored wood chairs around it.
We never drank tea around it, its only mission was to look authentic and give a mystic touch to the space.
I settled myself on the sofa with my favorite quilt watching Jenna initiating her French wit in the house. I was marveling at her enthusiasm even after such a tiring journey. I couldn't help but grin at her cheerfulness.
"This is great. I'm definitely here now."
Jenna crawled next to me jiggling the remaining of her excitement.
"And the best thing about it; is that I'm here with my best friend."
She continued grinning ear to ear.
I pushed into the sofa and took her in a bone-melting hug
"I'm happy too sweetie. You have no idea."
Jenna blew a wayward strand of golden hair off her face and gave me a sheepish smile. Oh god!
I knew the eyelid fluttering announced something I might not like so much.
"You know...»
She said, then cleared her throat. "It's only five."
"So?"
I had my own mind about where the conversation was heading, I faked ignorance.
"So, if we get two or three hours of sleep, we could totally head to a club and celebrate you and me style."
I wasn't surprised by Jenna's emphatic pronouncement; for my beloved friend, everything is worth celebrating and a seven hours flight wasn't going to stand in her way to indulge in one of her favorite past-time.
Instead, it had to be me.
I was really tired, ready to get some rest until the boys get in from work and we can have a night-in catching up on our respective summers. I'd never been separated from Jude for more than a week, and except for a week in Barcelona in July, I hadn't seen him for almost two months, so there was no way I was caving in for her offer.
"I don't think I have any energy left in me honey."
I said apologetically. "Let's rain check on that and I promise you the craziest three days in your new life. Starting tomorrow."
I continued hoping she would take my offer and let go of the whole idea.
"Oh come on, please." Jenna was getting into full-on begging mode and I had to stop it before it got the best of my resolve.
"Here, let's wait for the Jude and Ryan. Eat some dinner, and if you still have the energy to do any partying. I promise we’ll go out."
I added hoping that by the end of the night she'd be just too tired and get to sleep before she realized it.
"I'm game. But that doesn't mean I won't get those crazy days. I start classes on Monday."
I raised my arms in defeat and swore to pay my dues. She settled with a little pout. She knew there was no way in hell for me to be capable of partying later, but she knew I would keep my promise anyway.
"Okay, but tomorrow, no excuses."
Jenna pointed a knowing look at me and shrugged in defeat.
"No excuses. I swear."
I jumped up to a buzzing noise. Jenna was laid at the other end of the sofa. I was so tired that I couldn't carry myself out of its comfort, and apparently neither could my friend. Even so, I wasn't ready to get inside my room, but the few hours of sleep fueled me enough.
Earlier, we’d made a shopping list; he boys had taken care of cleaning the apartment for the summer, so we barely had anything in the fridge other than water and some French groceries we got with us from our trip.
I pushed to my feet and head to the intercom. It was Jude and Ryan. I buzzed them in and returned to the living room to wake Jenna up. I noticed she'd indulged herself in doing some work. She was a lot like me in that area, and maybe a little more.
Jenna had made a career as a journalist at "Le Figaro", which was the French version of "The New York Times". Giving her knowledge of the political scene worldwide and her love for writing, she'd managed to make a career for herself and decided to pursue her master’s degree in media studies.
Despite her professional image as a serious journalist and aspiring successful press-attaché at the white house, she was keen on fashion and always in search of her next 'flavor of the week'.
Over the years, she'd collected lovers and admirers to compete with her collection of shoes. I always admired her for that, she never missed an opportunity to have fun, prove her independent-free-minded spirit, party like a rock star and yet, make a decent career at age twenty-two.
The boys came straight after work with wine, Chinese take-out and caramel pop-corn. We all settled in the living room. Ryan and Jenna had an exciting catching up session, they'd hit it off during the week we'd spent in Barcelona all together during the summer.
The only reason they'd never met before was Ryan's refusal to get on a plane. It scared him to his core, he would drive for several days to another state rather than book a flight that would bring him to his demise. But Jude challenged him, and he started slowly, until he made the big leap and traveled all the way across the continent.
"So tell me boo."
Jude was only too eager to get me for himself for a little bit to check on my mental and emotional state.
"How did the rest of eat-pray-love work for you?"
I offered him a shrug "So far, so good. Leaving the city definitely helped. Now we'll have to wait and see."
He nodded his understanding,
"I'm sure everything will work out just fine. You'll get caught up with work and grad school during the week. And party with us during the weekend."
Jude flashed me his million-dollar-smile and reminded me what a knockout he was.
Truth be told, it was hard to forget. He was one of those genuinely gorgeous men, and his eyes only made him even more unique, along with the one sided dimple that accentuated his features in the most exquisite way.
"I'll drink to that. Especially the partying part."
Ryan rose to his feet and sat next to us on the couch wrapping his arms around me.
"I'm sure you'll be fine cookie."
Ryan pressed a kiss to my forehead and offered me a mischievous wink.
"Especially when you'll be wearing the dresses I made you, knocking every man in town out."
Ryan was a designer. A very talented one. He worked his way through every possible internship at some of the most prestigious brands. Insured a place as a personal shopper, until he established a name for himself by launching his brand and his atelier.
Three collections and several fashion events features later, he was acknowledged as one of the brightest rising talents in the fashion world.
One of the perks of being his best-girl, was a closet full of beautiful fabrics, from night gowns to casual dresses. I had everything I needed as a token of friendship.
"Well I'm looking forward to put one of them at use, tomorrow?"
"Yes!" Jenna exclaimed, "That's what I'm talking about."
Her cheerfulness was deeply contagious and we all joined in laughter...
We drained all three bottles of wine talking about our respective summers and catching up on some Grey's anatomy episodes. I drifted off on the sofa again, afte
r asking them to let me be if I slept in there.
The next three days, I kept my promise to Jenna. It was a pure blast to be home again, with the people I considered family. What was even better, was getting my life back and feeling safe. Every morning we all went running in the park. Jude and I mostly kept to ourselves and our music, while the two newly-found soul-mates bonded.
We went shopping for groceries and a new oven. Jenna indulged herself in some it-girl shopping session with her new favorite advisor. Ryan banished her from some outlet store for buying a dress, then came to what they called a reasonable settlement when she refused to hear about it.
As promised to Jenna, we went clubbing all over the west side. By Sunday, I'd caught up with some unpaid bills, some work stuff, class scheduling and spent the day with Mia and Faith telling me all about their crazy summer adventures.
By the end of the afternoon, I was relaxed and ready for what the next week was going to present to me. I had an intensive Skype session with my mother, and another one with my brother and two beautiful nieces. I polished some details for my job interviews, had an overview of my e-mails.
Caden kept sending some lame apologies. I ignored them and settled on my sofa unleashing a war with my plants over some lawn zombies.
Chapter II
I woke up the next morning to the sound of ‘Foster the people' ' Pumped up kicks’. I coaxed my eyes open and smiled. I’d gotten used to Jenna's morning routine over the summer. We would drink through the night and she would wake up in the same good mood with no hangover to talk about, ready for the beach or the next party.
She stood next to the window carrying those endlessly hopeful eyes admiring the view. She turned to me with a full grin and gestured to the table in front of me.
"Good morning roomy. Come on, le monde appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt."
Jenna' smile was definitely something to look forward to in the morning.
"Good morning." I gave her my broadest smile and stretched under my quilt.
"Medium latte, two espresso shots, no cream and white chocolate."
She announced pointing at my coffee order standing on the table next to fresh baked croissants.
"Girl after my own heart."
"Err, tell me something I don't know."
Jenna extended her arm "Now let's go dance and get ready."
She continued raising the volume.
We got dressed and got some make-up done before it'd even hit seven fifteen. It was nice having a girl as a roommate for a change. Not that the boys were any less pleasant.
It just felt different.
By five to eight, I was in front of Bradley & Miller advertising with fifteen minutes to spare before my interview. I went inside and introduced myself at the reception. I was greeted by a nice man who presented himself as Adam. It wasn't common to be greeted in such a way in this city, but I knew all about this agency and how they'd created it to redeem from the heavy baggage of other big advertising firms.
I was actually accosted by them first, never dreamed about getting more than an interview. But I missed their interview sessions, and managed to get a private one. If I had to choose one of the firms I'd applied to, it would’ve definitely been that one.
«Miss Dane?"
A thirty something well-groomed blond with the brightest green eyes came through one of the closed office door. I stood up hurriedly and gave her a warm smile. She returned a discreet nod and gestured for me to follow her inside.
"I'm Eloise Jones. Welcome to BMA. Please, take a seat."
I complied.
"Thank you for offering me this opportunity Mrs. Jones."
"Pleasure. Please don't be tense Miss Dane. This isn't a test. This interview is merely a way to know you; so breathe and tell me; why advertisement?"
She seemed very sincere and I was instantly put at ease.
She also seemed busy, or in some kind of hurry, so I wasn't going to push my luck.
I managed a genuine smile thinking about my answer,
"That's an easy question. I knew what I wanted to make of my life when I was ten years old."
"Please, do tell."
"Well, my friend and I had this game we liked to play over breakfast when we were ten. We'd get in front of the television and time ourselves five seconds to guess what the next ad would be about."
I paused.
She nodded for me to carry on.
"Not to sound pretentious, but I was unbeatable at that game. It was my powerhouse. It didn't matter whether I knew the ad or not, I could always figure it out. And ever since then, I was compelled by the way an ad would influence our basic needs and create new ones. I was fascinated and curious about the work behind it, from the creative to the marketing team. So when I had to choose a major, I didn't think twice about it."
I finished with another smile. I truly loved my field of study, and was grateful for the mere chance of getting to work in it.
"Well, that is a refreshing way to look at our line of work." Mrs. Jones straightened herself further in her seat.
"And that game would be a great idea for a team building exercise perhaps?"
I nodded my agreement feeling even more comfortable in her presence.
"That should be fun. I always won my best friend scoop of ice-cream."
"So you're competitive too?" She arched a perfect eyebrow twitching her mouth. She was somehow teasing me, suggesting I could get competitive over ice-cream.
I only responded with a wide smile, that giving her reaction, told her everything she needed to know about my ambition.
"Well that sounds promising. Almost as much as your GPA Miss Dane."
She acquiesced, seemingly impressed.
"And you have some great recommendations, especially the one from Pr. Caden Blye."
All the blood drained from my face and I froze in my seat. I'd forgotten his letter was in all my job application folders. It shouldn't be there. I should say something, but I could barely hold my breath, let alone speak.
"Miss Dane, are you alright?"
Mrs. Jones insisting voice pulled me out of my frozen state. I cleared my dry throat.
"I'm sorry, I felt a little dizzy." I lied. "Still jet-lagged, I guess." I lied again.
"Jet-lagged?" She asked turning in her seat and pushing towards the mini-fridge.
I looked around me to try and regain my spirits. It was a nice office space. The view was definitely worth every penny they'd put into getting the floor.
Warm carpeted floors, a beautiful rustic book shelve filled the whole right wall. It contained an impressive collection. A brown leather sofa placed in front of it made it seem like a private part of the office.
On my left, a big conference table cornered under a wall filled with vintage ads next to what looked like award certificates. I definitely loved the ambience of the place, and I was positive it was personalized with Mrs. Jones own touch.
She handed me a bottle of water and an Advil.
"Here, this will make you feel better."
I took the pills and swallowed despite the fact that I had no need for any cure. But I wasn't going to refuse her kindness.
"Why the jet-lag, Miss Dane?"
"I got back from Paris only four days ago. So I guess I'm still synced with another continent."
"Lucky girl. Closest I got to Paris was a week seminar in London. I thought I'd get the weekend and maybe escape to the city of lights, but I couldn't." She said with a regretful tone.
I shrugged, "I'm sorry. But I hope you get to visit, very soon."
"Thank you. I hope that too."
She pushed to her feet and gathered my folder back together. I followed her lead and grabbed my purse.
"I'm sorry Miss Dane, I have to cut this interview short. I have an urgent conference call scheduled with a client who's momentarily in Japan."
She announced, leading me to the exit.
"I understand. Thank you for your time."
Her smile widened,
"Not at all."
We walked to the elevator, and it was only once we were standing in front of it that she turned to me again.
"So Miss Dane." She faced me with a kind expression,
"When will you be able to start?"
I was suddenly stunned and out of words.
But thankfully, she didn't seem to notice
"To tell you the truth, the sooner, the better. We've been establishing a new team of fresh blood over the past week, and I think you'd fit in perfectly."
"You mean... I got the job?" I could hear the disbelief in my voice.
"Well, I know this may seem unconventional. But we have a new client, who needs a fresh vision for his product. Also, we've seen your common application, so we'd rather hire you right away."
Mrs. Jones elaborated with her own arguments, including how different this firm was compared to others and how my résumé made me seem like a perfect fit for the new team.
"Miss Dane?" She brought her hand to my shoulder and I scolded myself for the bad impression I was giving.
I just didn't expect things to work the way they did. I knew I would eventually find a job, but certainly not that easily.
"Yes... Yes of course. And please call me Clea."
"So would you be able to start Wednesday? We have the team first meeting scheduled at ten."
I washed out the lump in my throat with a deep breath and nodded at her.
"Wednesday at ten. I'll be there."
"Well then, welcome to the team Clea." Despite all her kindness, she seemed in a real hurry, so I didn't want to pressure her further.
"Thank you Mrs. Jones. Goodbye." I said offering my hand.
She took it," Call me Eloise. See you Wednesday and again; welcome to the team."
She handed me a contract and asked me to go over it before I sign it the next time. I pushed through the revolving doors with a satisfied and somewhat proud feeling. I decided to call my two other scheduled interviews and cancel. I knew it wasn't a big deal, but I thought that if someday I'd need another job, being punctual or in this case decent, would appeal to them. Life was usually unexpected, especially with such a crowded job market.