Chapter 1
First day on my new job. First day as the assistant of the most extravagant editor in the city.
I could have found an entertaining job as a waitress or dental assistant, but no. I had to win the assistant job. As if I like assisting people… I quit my job as a customer service agent because a) I was sick of taking calls, b) the customers were ungrateful blockheads, c) I had already finished my studies, and d) I simply hated the place in general.
If I see this from the positive perspective, I will be able to buy all the things I want before the year is over. So, I still have three exact months to buy all the things I don’t need but I want (just because) before the year ends and my list is changed for new, unnecessary things.
“Curtis doesn’t like it when his assistants are wandering in Mindland,” the other editor’s assistant comments. A normal editor, you know, those that ask coffee with one of sugar instead of ten. I turn to see the PA, a likeable girl with black hair and defined features.
“I don’t see him nearby,” I say, tired. I have one hour waiting for the idiot to come, but he’s not showing up.
The other PA, who’s name I don’t know, bends on her desk –right in front of mine– and looks around, making sure we are alone.
“It’s weird, Curtis is never late. He is one of the first ones to come…” she comments, confused.
Two of the ones in charge of HR walk near us, making my office neighbor straighten in her seat and check out some papers. The couple enters in Curtis’ office, which is completely empty. Actually, based on the peek that I give from my near-to-the-door position, I can see how they make sure there’s no one in the office.
The woman, named Rachel Montreal, exits the office and gives me a polite smile.
“Good morning, Carrie. How did you wake up today? How was the transit over here?” She asks, as if she cared.
“Hi, Rachel. I woke up thanks to the alarm clock as I was with my eyes closed and laying on the floor; it seems I rolled out of bed and fell. Transit was regular, as it usually is every Monday morning at six am. Where’s Curtis?” I quickly respond, watching what the man, Dave Jackson, is doing.
“Curtis is not coming back,” Dave says, leaving the office. He fixes his tie. “Actually, he is not part of our team.”
“Wait,” I say when they begin to walk in the hall to the lift. “Did I just lost my job?”
“No, you only lost your boss, sweetheart,” Rachel says over her shoulder, without bothering to stop to explain me what is going on.
The ones in charge enter to the lift.
“They must be joking, right?” I ask to the air. “They gotta be playing with me. They hired me last Friday and now I don’t have someone to assist!”
“Hey, calm down. They probably have everything under control,” my neighbor says.
“They told me I’m boss-less! I mean, I’m jobless,” I whisper, annoyed.
“They are not going to fire you, to do so, they have to wait three months, as per the company’s policy,” she calms me down. “I’m Emily, by the way.”
“I’m Carrie,” I say and snort. “Though it doesn’t really matter how I’m named because my name will be changed to ‘The Woman who lost her job in her first day’”.
Emily laughs. “You are a little bit dramatic, Carrie.”
The door of Emily’s boss office opens, revealing the most elegant and intimidating woman in all the state. Even though I don’t work for her (or no one, as a matter of fact), I straighten on my chair and make sure I have an impassible expression, totally different than Emily, who’s happily smiling at her.
“Emily, the philologist report is here?” Esmeralda Sanchez asks, looking at her assistant. The only reason why I know her name is because she introduced herself to me, making me almost shit my pencil skirt.
“No, we don’t even have a philologist…” says the black haired.
Esmeralda looks at her with disbelief.
“Excuse me?”
“Curtis was supposed to be handling the corrections, but,” she points out to the empty office, “he ain’t here, so we don’t have a philologist.”
The Latina woman looks at the office and says a curse that, I’m pretty sure, made the dead shake on their graves. She closes the door with a blow and curses a little bit more, in the commodity of her office.
“Is she always that slanderous?” I ask.
“Does it bother you?”
“No. I would like her to tell me how she curses without losing air,” I comment and take my cellphone out. It’s eight fifteen in the morning.
The lift doors open, showing me Rachel, Dave, and a man that from my position, I can notice is tall and elegant. The three musketeers strut to the open room where Emily and I are.
Rachel walks past me, getting into the office, followed by the unknown man and Dave. The unknown man looks at me in the three seconds he takes to walk from my desk to the office; his grey eyes meet my blue eyes.
I frown and take a peek inside the office, where I see Rachel talking through whispers with the one who just arrived. The man’s eyes moves from Rachel’s face to mine and narrows his eyes on my direction. I arch my brows in an impatient way, waiting for someone to tell me if I still have a job or if I should return to the customer service agency that I just quit to beg them for a second chance to be unhappy for another two years.
He looks at me with evident annoyance and scratches his jawline, returning his attention to Rachel. He nods and I can almost listen to his effort to don’t roll his eyes.
I sigh and straighten on my chair. Rachel and Dave step out.
“You have a new boss, Carrie,” Dave lets me know as he walks to the lift.
I begin to stand up when my new boss exits his office. He intently looks at me and sighs.
“Couldn’t you wait for Rachel to finish giving me orders? Because of your impatience, I have to be someone’s philologist,” he reprimands.
“It’s not my fault that those two lunatics left me with the doubt. I’ve been here for over an hour waiting for them to tell me if I’m fired or not,” I defend myself.
“I should fire you, but I’m not going to because you will help me with the philology thing,” he says, moodily.
“I don’t have a title in Philology.”
“Do you want to keep this job?”
“I’m sorry, Sir, but your PA job’s position is not on you. First, you would have to send a letter to HR and explain the reason why you want to fire Carrie, then they will investigate the situation, for they can take over a month in solving it. In any case, Carrie can set a comeback since she had been hired and her boss was fired,” Emily says. I turn mi attention to her with surprise. “Law school.”
“I hire you as my new best friend,” I say to her.
“As I was saying,” says the moody boss, “you will help me. You’re my assistant.”
“Yes, but I’m not going to assist you in that way.”
The brown haired opens his mouth to say something. He closes it and stares at Emily, clearly annoyed. My new best friend looks away and focuses on checking the same papers that she pretended she was checking out a few minutes ago.
“Carrie, right?” Says the boss, sounding relaxed.
“Uh-huh. What’s your name?”
“Carter Johansson. Look, Carrie, I want us to get along, we will be in this till God knows when, so I’m going to ask you, really kindly, to tell the editor I have to make the revision that I’m not here, if she comes after me,” he nicely asks.
Esmeralda’s office door snaps open, and she steps out.
Her eyes look at Carter in a cold and calculating way.
“You’re the new editor?” She asks.
“Mr. Johansson is not available for now,” I notify. Esmeralda looks at me with curiosity, Emily with a funny expression, and Carter with frustration. “I made my part,” I say and sit down.
“You are so efficient,” Carter sighs before turning to Esmeralda. “Yes, I am.”
“Perfect, I need you to do the grammatical revision of the book,” she says. “I’ll send the document by e-mail, tell your assistant to send it to mine.”
Esmeralda returns to her office, gently closing the door.
Carter throws daggers at me.
“In my defense, it is the first time I do this,” I say with a broad smile.
“In which madhouse I got into?” He murmurs as he runs his hand through his hair and gets into his new office.
I share a smile with Emily, who is silently laughing.
Maybe this job will worth it.
