Page 10 of Reconciling With the Rival

Leo: Liss, what does that mean?

Alissa: Nothing! Have fun!

Dad: Can’t wait to hear about it.

Leo: Talk soon.

I pocket my phone again, suddenly feeling a bit on edge with whatever the fuck my sister is telling me to look out for.She’s probably just pushing my buttons.Alissa was always one for doing that on purpose, especially when we were kids. She was a goddamn menace.

A few seconds later, I’m thrust into a reception area where nobody is sitting. It’s Sunday, so that makes sense, but I can faintly make out a few voices. Imogen—my boss—told me a few people are working overtime today, and I might see them when she gives me the tour. As I sit in the reception area like she instructed, I take a quick look around. It’s a nice office, with warm tones all over it. The walls are an off-white, and the pictures framing this area are quite nice. I assume some of them are campaigns they’ve done for other companies, and they look great.

A knock startles me out of my analysis, and when I look up, I see my new boss. She gives me a smile before holding out her hand, and I shake it. “Hello, ma’am. It’s nice to finally meet you in person and not over a screen.”

“Please, call me Imogen. Formalities make my skin crawl.” When I nod, she smiles again. Imogen is only a bit older than me, probably mid-to-late thirties or early forties. She’s got short brown hair, thick black glasses, and a sweet smile. “Shall we get started? It’s not a big office, but I wanted you to have a lay of the land before you officially started.”

“I appreciate that. It’ll be nice to walk in tomorrow and know exactly where I’m going rather than looking like a lost puppy.”

“Follow me. I’ll keep it short and sweet, I promise.” She waves her hand out, and I step into the full office area, liking what I’m seeing so far.

“So, to the left is our copy room, where you can see we have different computers, printers, and anything else you might need if you’re printing something for any of the campaigns we do. It’s very helpful having them in-office. When we were a much smaller company, we had to send things out to get printed, and it was a nightmare.”

“Sounds like it would be. That’s what we did at my last job in London. It was an absolute pain.”

She nods at me before walking toward some cubicles. “This is where John and Adam work, along with a few other people you’ll meet tomorrow. They handle client relations. Over there is the conference room. You’ll notice the frosted glass is on right now because everyone is working on our latest deadline. That’s the only room with the feature, and it’s used most often when we have big meetings and the like.”

“That’s cool.”

“I’ll show you that room tomorrow so as to not disturb them.”

“Of course.” She continues to show me the small kitchen and dining area in the corner of the office, and then we get to a few smaller offices in the corner.

“Your office is right next to Brad’s, so if you have any questions, you can ask him.”

“Is he the one I’m shadowing for the first thirty days?” One of my first tasks is to shadow someone who has worked here for a while. I learn best on my feet and by watching what others do, so Imogen suggested this when I agreed to take the job. She seems like a great boss already, and I’m excited to work under her and Brody—the guy whose job I’m filling, since he got a promotion.

“No. I picked one of our best employees for that. You’ll meet her later.” Imogen smiles before she opens a door to an empty office. “This is where you’ll be. Your shadow’s office is straight across from yours for easy access.”Great.

“Is decor allowed? Don't get me wrong, this office is wonderful, but the emptiness gives me the creeps.”

She just laughs. “Of course. Feel free to make it your own. Now, let’s head to my office so I can go over what your first month will look like.” I close the door—mydoor—behind me as we head to her office at the front. She pushes her door open and signals for me to sit. “I’m going to let them know we’re in here. Just give me one second.”

“Of course, ma’am.” I shake my head and laugh, noting the slip-up. “Imogen.”

“Great. I’ll be right back.”

This office feels like the perfect fit for me, and I’m really excited to start working here so soon. I’ve been sick with worry I was never going to find something over here. I hate relying on my parents for money and shit like that, so getting the job came at the perfect time.

I have a lot of it—money—but I’ve always prided myself on being self-sufficient, even with a massive trust fund hanging over my head. If I wanted to, I wouldn't have to work a day in my life, but I love what I do, and I’d get bored sitting around all day doing nothing.

Imogen comes back a few moments later, and the two of us get to talking about what a typical day looks like and all the other boring shit that happens during these kinds of chats. By the time we’re done, I’m even more excited. I don’t think anything could dull my spirits.

"Do you have anything else for me?” Imogen asks, and as I’m about to say no, I hear the door open, and a voice I know all too well speaks.

“You wanted to see me?”

“Yes, Ella. Come sit and meet our newest employee, your shadow for his first thirty days.”Ella.No fucking way.I paste my best asshole smile on and turn around. Sure enough, her facefalls when she notices it’s me.Fuck, that shouldn't feel good, but it does.

Ella sits in the chair next to mine, her face still in shock and partly pissed off. I can tell she’s angry—she has her fake smile on, but her eyes are glaring at me as if lasers are about to shoot out of them.Just the way I like it.“Nice to see you again, Ella.”

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