Getting The Edge

by Alexandra Warren

  “Don’t you think I know that? Did you forget I’m the one that has the job on lock?”

  Yeah because of that ass…

  “Look, can we be done with this? I was actually excited to see you, you know.” She relaxed a bit, cracking a smirk.

  “Ohhh, so now you were excited to see me?” I grabbed her hand from across the table and she blushed upon contact.

  “I was always excited to see you. Have you seen your ass in that pencil skirt?” She laughed her sweet little laugh as she pulled her hands out of my grip.

  “Unfortunately. I felt those bastards gawking at me as I left.”

  So she does know.

  “Should you really be calling your future bosses bastards Ariel?”

  “I call it how I see it. This position is just a start anyway. Entry level as far as my career goals are concerned. I won’t be here forever but they’ll be old, rotting bastards... forever.” I couldn’t help but laugh as she continued on. “But what’s your next move Jamison? I mean, I hope you didn’t have all of your eggs in one basket.”

  “Hell nah. Come on now. You may not know me like that, but you know me enough. I actually have another interview tomorrow.” Her ears seemed to perk up.

  “Really? Where at?”

  “Intergalactic Records.” I said it quickly before taking a sip of my coffee. I knew the name alone would ring a bell.

  “So you’re fraternizing with the enemy huh? You know they are constantly battling with J&J for the top spot in the city.”

  “Well, if J&J wanted to have that top spot they should’ve hired me. But since they didn’t, I gotta take my talents elsewhere and make it happen.” I could tell she wanted to be offended, but she held it in for the sake of my ego.

  “Even though I don’t necessarily approve, I hope you get the job. You deserve it.”

  “I appreciate that. But enough about job stuff, what’s up with you not hitting me up? Jasmine told me you would be in touch.”

  She smiled innocently as she sarcastically replied, “I did say that, didn’t I?”

  “Oh, so you forgot about me huh? It’s cool. I see how it is.” I was only messing with her and was glad that she had enough humor to pick up on it.

  “You’re a guy. I’m sure you do things like that all the time.”

  “Not all the time; just enough to understand what you mean. Except for when I do it, it’s usually because I don’t have any interest in the girl. Was that your point?”

  “If that was my point, I wouldn’t have invited you out for coffee. I promise this isn’t a pity date for you not getting my job.” Her mostly sweet demeanor spotted with arrogance was almost too attractive.

  “Well hopefully it also isn’t the last date you invite me to.”

  ariel.

  “Baby girl, I am so proud of you!” I had my mom on speakerphone as I sifted through my closet for the perfect outfit to wear on my first day at the job.

  “Thanks Mommy.”

  “Are you nervous? I’m nervous for you! Okay, maybe not nervous. Anxious. That’s what it is. I’m anxious for you.”

  “Mommy calm down before that stuff rubs off on me. I’m very calm, very cool, very collected. One day at a time and this just so happens to be the first. I was built for this.” I hoped that my words would manifest now that I had said it out loud considering I actually had butterflies in my stomach for the first time in my life.

  “I know, I know. You’ve always been so good about that. I admire that about you baby girl; that and your little feisty ass attitude. I could’ve whooped you for it a few times when you were growing up, but now I’m fine with it. It works on you.” I was pretty sure she did whoop me for it more than a few times but I was happy that she had at least come to terms with it now that I was an adult.

  “Well thanks. I think.”

  “You’re welcome. But I’ll let you go so you can get yourself together. Have a good first day! I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

  “I’ll be sure to call you when I get off. Love you Mommy. Tell Daddy I said hi when he wakes up.”

  “Love you back baby girl. And will do.”

  As my phone gave its call-ended beep signifying that my mom had hung up, I sat at the vanity table in my new apartment, simply observing my features. I still looked like the college girl that I was up until a few weeks ago but I felt a whole lot different. Now I was an adult. Like a real ass adult. Just like that. It was still exciting for now.

  Take that Jamison.

  Oh Jamison.

  Sweet, sexy Jamison.

  It should have been a crime in at least 48 states to be that damn fine. And smart. And goal-oriented. And now, according to Intergalactic’s latest press release, he even had a good ass job to go along with it. The article mentioned his position going into effect today so naturally I thought about at least sending him a text to wish him good luck but then it hit me.

  You don’t even have his number.

  He was supposed to be just a one-night stand; a door opened and closed back in Cali. But now he was here, surely accessible if I were to try. Hell, I hadn’t tried at all and ran right into him in this so-called big city. But instead of playing eager beaver, I’d leave it up to the stars to align on their own.

  After getting my make-up right, hair right, and settling on one of the three dresses I had originally narrowed down my decision to, it was time to make moves. I thought about grabbing a quick breakfast, but the butterflies flapping away in my stomach left no room for any sustenance. So instead, I grabbed a granola bar and a banana, tossing it in my bag for a snack later.

  Instead of driving, I decided to take the subway for economic reasons. Well that and the fact that I was sure the traffic would kill me before I could even make it to work. Even though California was pretty fast paced, it was nothing in comparison to the hustle and bustle of NYC, especially at this particular morning hour. People didn’t even offer a friendly smile when they made accidental eye contact or small talk when you were jammed next to them in the overcrowded public transportation. They were all about themselves and wherever they were going which for me, would take some getting used to.

  When I arrived to the J&J building after the short walk from the subway station, I quickly switched out of my walking shoes to my heels and took the deepest of breaths. I knew once I went in, there was no turning back but there shouldn’t be a reason to need to turn back right?

  “Good morning Ariel! I hope you like the way your office is set up. We try our best to accommodate all of our employees’ tastes. We really just want everyone as comfortable as possible so they can give the label their best.” The receptionist was going on and on but all I could think about was the fact that I had an office of my own.

  I wonder does it have my name on it.

  I followed her to my office as she continued on, “You have a nine ‘o clock with our new girl group and a nine-thirty with the marketing analysts to discuss promotional options for said group. From ten to noon, we have our weekly label meeting with J&J and then you’ll have lunch. I try not to schedule anything from noon to one but as you can imagine with the right-now needs of this industry, lunch dates do often happen. Am I moving too fast for you?”

  “What’s your name?” She seemed shocked that I had actually asked her about her like it was something foreign. With as much as she probably did around here, the least I could do was know the girl’s name.

  “Valerie.”

  “Nice to meet you Valerie. Now we can worry about that other stuff.” She smiled and continued on with a bunch of information I knew had to be written down somewhere for me to access later as there was no way I was gonna remember it all right now. We made our way down a long hallway, stopping by a few of the offices along the way so she could introduce me to people, then we ended up at a door that actually did have my name on it, sketched into the glass. I’d be sure to snap a picture of it for Instagram later.

  Inside, I was surprised to find a bouquet of flowers on the
desk. Valerie must’ve picked up on my curiosity as she piped out, “Oh yeah, those arrived for you first thing this morning. If you need anything Ariel, just give me a buzz!” Then she walked out just as quickly as she had walked in. I walked over to the desk to take a long sniff of the tulips before I picked out the card.

  “Flowers already huh?” The deep, baritone voice startled me, making me drop the card on the floor.

  “Umm…yes. Yes sir.” I ran my hands down the front of my dress mostly to rid my palms of the sweat that had instantly accumulated.

  Relax Ariel.

  It’s just your boss.

  “You must have someone pretty special in your life if you’re getting flowers on your first day.”

  “No I don’t. I mean…I’m not sure who these are from.” It was like no matter how much I told myself to calm down, it wouldn’t happen under his powerful gaze.

  “Ahh one of those situations. I know that all too well.” I wasn’t exactly sure what kind of situation he was referencing but he continued on before I could overanalyze, “Anyway, I’m so glad you accepted the position Ariel. We are really...really excited to have you.”

  “I’m excited to be here sir.”

  “Oh no sweetheart, save the sir for someone who deserves it. Just call me Aaron. Actually AJ. That’s what my friends call me. And I’d...like to be your friend Ariel.” I could hear the carnal undertones of his words and it made me super uncomfortable no matter how much I had prepared myself for it. J&J had a reputation for being...well perverts to say the least but it was up to me to make sure I kept things on the professional level so they wouldn’t get any ideas.

  “Friends in business AJ; absolutely.” He smiled with an evident lust as he leaned on the door frame. I would be kidding myself if I denied the fact that he was a sight for sore eyes. Rich mahogany skin, deep umber eyes, and a ridiculously perfect beard surrounding his million dollar smile. I was sure it didn’t take much for him to snag ladies, but he surely wasn’t gonna be snaggin’ this one.

  With his old, married ass.

  “You’re cute. See you at the meeting Ariel.” I smiled politely enough to dismiss him before I got back to what I was originally trying to do; figure out who the flowers were from. I snatched the card off the floor, peeling back the teeny seal of the envelope to retrieve the message.

  “Happy First Day on the Job Ariel. I know you’re gonna kill it. And if you don’t, well that actually works for me too :). -Jamison”

  My swoon meter went off the damn charts. First the unexpected flowers at graduation and now he had taken the time to send flowers to the office for my first day?

  I checked the clock to make sure I had enough time before my first meeting to make a thank you phone call. Since I didn’t have his personal number, I called the Intergalactic office hoping he had made it in.

  “Intergalactic Records.”

  “Hello there. This is Ariel Harper, from Jones and Johnson. Can you please forward me to Jamison Parker in the marketing department?” I tried to make the call sound as legitimate as possible.

  “Absolutely Ms. Harper. Please hold.” I listened to the holding jingle at least three times in a row, almost ready to sing-a-long, before he finally picked up.

  “This is Jamison.” I closed my eyes, picturing him sitting at a large cherry wood desk, leaned back in an executive chair with his feet crossed on top of a desk-sized calendar.

  So sexy.

  “Are you really this sweet all the time?” I could feel him smiling through the phone which made me beam even harder.

  “Only for those who deserve it. Has your first day been as busy as mine?”

  Besides the boss hitting on me already...

  “I’m still getting settled in but I have a slew of meetings starting in…” I peeked at the clock on my desk, “ten minutes.”

  “Sounds about right. Well I’m glad you like the flowers.”

  “Love them.” I had the phone practically glued to my ear just elated that it was actually him on the other end. Jamison’s presence, even through sound waves, had a hold on me that I didn’t quite understand considering we had only come into actual contact twice. It was like my soul knew him - recognized him -, and was more than happy to welcome him back for more no matter how baffled my mind seemed to be about it. No experience in my past compared to the vigorous, enchanting pull I felt when it came to him and I only knew the bare minimum of his existence which made the whole thing even more bewildering. Luckily, the small ounce of ambiguity I felt was drowned by his allure.

  “Hey, maybe we could do lunch or something.” I wanted to give him a resounding hell yes but for the sake of not sounding like a skeeze, I kept it cool.

  “I’d like that. I’m free between noon and one.”

  “Damn. I’m not free until one. How about dinner?”

  Hmm…will it come with dessert?

  Stop, you freak!

  Good girl angel Ariel and bad girl freaky Ariel were getting ready to scrap it out on my shoulders as if it wasn’t the most basic of conversations between Jamison and I.

  I did my best to shut both of them up with a simple, “Dinner sounds…great. What time?”

  “Well, I have a late night in the office so probably like eight o’clock.”

  Eight o’ clock is such a romantic dinner time.

  Eight o’clock is definitely late evening…hello nightcap!

  “Eh, we’ll have to make it a quick dinner. I have to be at an event at nine.” I still didn’t understand why AJ kept insisting that I come to the event tonight like I had never been on the working end of one before. I definitely wouldn’t have applied for the job if I hadn’t.

  “Look at us; too busy to function already. Ain’t this about a bitch?” I laughed even though I couldn’t agree more. It was helpful that I didn’t have to explain the demands of the music industry to him since he was now a part of it too.

  “Definitely. We’ll make it work though. Text me the spot.”

  “Ariel, you know good and damn well that I don’t have your number otherwise I would’ve been blowin’ that shit up.” I giggled some more before I gave him my number, and then repeated it for confirmation. “I’ll hit you up when I’m leaving the office. Cool?”

  As if any woman in their right mind would turn down a date with his fine ass…

  Of course, bad girl freaky Ariel prevailed in my thoughts but to keep good girl Ariel happy, I replied, “Cool. Looking forward to it.”

  jamison.

  “So, how’d it go?”

  Ariel was sitting across from me at some chic sushi restaurant one of my coworkers suggested I try. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Japanese staple, but since Ariel said it was what she was craving, I went with it.

  “I’m exhausted. I consumed enough coffee to just about guarantee I won’t be getting any sleep tonight. And I’m still technically on the clock.” The way she spoke about it made it sound like a death sentence.

  “So you hated it?”

  “Loved every single moment. What about you, Hot Shot?” Even with all the meetings, the overabundance of information I was expected to digest, and the lack of downtime, everyone was so casual and nice; totally different from what I expected a record label to be like. But maybe that was part of the reason why so many people were trying to get signed by them.

  “I like the vibes at Intergalactic. Everybody is super chill but productive which I can appreciate.”

  “That sounds lovely. Wanna switch?”

  “Hell to the no. You know I make more than you right?” I was only telling her that to tease her about getting the job that I initially wanted.

  “A thousand or two only means you’ll be paying more in taxes later so that doesn’t bother me smart ass.”

  “Good point. So what event do you have tonight?” Ariel was already dressed for whatever it was and from the looks of things, it was definitely party-esque.

  “Before I started there, the team had been working on this huge promo even
t for our new girl group. It’s tonight.” I had heard about the group J&J put together during one of the earlier meetings I went to. According to our camp, they were sure to be a smash so we would have to figure out a strategy for our platinum-selling but haven’t dropped an album in a year girl group to not fall in their shadow.

  “I see. Well I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

  “Yeah fun for the normal people that just get to attend, and drink, and socialize. Not for the working people like me who have to be behind the scenes making sure everything is done to a tee.” It made me laugh the way Ariel talked about her job like she really wasn’t feeling it even though she claimed to be all about it.

  And it was only the first day.

  “It’s in the job description hun. You signed up for it.”

  “I know, I know. I’m just running my mouth because I’m crabby and could really use a catnap.” I knew exactly how she was feeling. The pace of the job was definitely not one for the weak-hearted. There was always, always something to do. But since she seemed a little more tired than I was, I thought I would help her out.

  “Come sit by me. You can use my shoulder.” She rolled her eyes, taking a bite of her California roll.

  “Jamison, I am not about to take a nap in this restaurant.”

  “Why not? It’s dark. No one will even notice. So come here.” She eyed me with skepticism before she slid out of her side of the booth and joined me on mine. She peeked up at me, smirking before she leaned against my shoulder. In what seemed like no time at all, she was in the parted lips slumber I remembered from the first night I met her; the night that had played over and over in my dreams until I saw her for a second time by surprise. Maybe she was supposed to be more than a memory after all.

  I would’ve let her rest for at least five minutes but her phone began to vibrate on the table. I peeked at the screen and saw it was an incoming call from Boss Man 1 which automatically made the call important enough to wake her up over.

  “Ariel...Ariel, wake up.” She stirred slowly until I said, “Boss Man 1 is calling.” That made her perk up. She snatched the phone off of the table to answer it.