Chapter 1 - Ella
Access Denied.
I pressed my lips together and clenched my fists around the folder in my hands.
"Can you check again, please?" I asked, my lips pulling into a smile involuntarily.
The guard, a scrawny man in his thirties, looked from his screen at me, then at his colleague, a lookalike save for the heavy moustache that rested on his upper lip, standing to the side. Turns out, it took five guards to let me know that I didn't have access to the office floor five minutes before log-in time.
The scrawny guard huffed and handed my ID card back without a word.
Well, that's just helpful.
"Sir, is there someone you can call? It's my first day- officially. Maybe I'm not in the system yet?"
He huffed again like he wished he wasn't the one dealing with this today. The moustache snatched my ID card from the guard and handed it to me. "We'll ring the guard on your office floor. Go ahead."
"Thank you!" I said, ensuring he knew how thankful I was by the relief on my face and hurried on.
I approached the looming grey building before me with confusion. How had this idea not occurred to the guard ten minutes ago? I climbed the five steps and walked through the automatic sliding doors. Cool breeze brushed my skin, goosebumps rising on my arms. I had chosen a thin black see-through shirt and black trousers, completing the look with small brown heels. Easy to walk around and stylish enough for my first day.
While I was introduced to the team the day before, it didn't count as my first day. All I did was get access to the company system on my work laptop, and I was handed an access card that didn't work and was already successfully distracted by one person.
I shook the thought of him from my head and pressed the button to the tenth floor. I checked my phone, and sure enough, there was a good luck message from mum. I sent a thumbs up so she knew I received it.
The doors opened, and the plaque on the wall greeted me. Thompson And Co.
I had made. I was finally in the world's biggest advertising agency.
I approached the double glass doors. The access reader on the wall taunted me. Pressing my forehead again to the door, my eyes searched for the guard who was supposed to let me in. But the little desk at the entrance was empty. Great. Just as I was about to dial Mathew, my manager, the access reader beeped and the little bar on the top turned green.
I jumped and whirled around. And there stood the distraction I was hoping to avoid.
"Hey th-"
Patrick pulled open the door and sauntered in like I didn't exist.
