Page 46 of Dilectio
My car is the car I took here from Boston, a ten-year-old Toyota that still ran great for me. Everything else in my life was new, including the apartment and my furniture. I didn’t have much to move, so starting completely over just sounded right to me, and here I am.
On the way to work, I make a quick call to my mom to catch up. She answers with a cheerful voice, and we talk about how nervous I am and how things are so far. I love my mom more than anything in the world, and she’s my rock.
“I miss you. It seems so strange not having you around the corner anymore,” Mom tells me as I stop at a light.
“We’ll see each other in a month when you and Dad visit me. Seattle is so pretty, and you’re going to love it.” I promise her, laughing as I see three Starbucks within a block of each other. “I don’t think there’s any coffee shop but Starbucks here, Mom.”
“You’ll find one. Chains have never been your thing,” she assures me, and I smile. “Make some plans for our visit. We want to see where you are up close.”
“Consider it done,” I promise, and we talk until I’m parked in the lot in front of the massive glass building that holds my new office, the top two floors, in fact. “This building is amazing, Mom. Let me hang up, and I’ll send you a picture.”
“I love you, Laina. Have a good day!” Mom tells me before ending the call. I get out of the car and snap a photo, sending it to her before I make my way into the building. There are several others going into the massive lobby with six elevators, and I glance down at the marble floors with a smile.
This is the real deal and everything I have worked for over the years.
I slip into the third open car and press myself to the side, running a hand through my burgundy waves with hopes they’ll continue to behave today. When the door opens and I see that I’m on the fifteenth floor, I excuse myself through the crowd and look around the lobby with the same flawless floors.
They must mop them every hour.
I walk up to the reception desk and give the woman my name and tell her it’s my first day.
“Welcome to C&K. I think you’ll love it here,” she says as she keys something into her computer. “Kelly in HR needs you for a few minutes and then you’ll see your office. Go down this hall, take the last left, and you’ll find Kelly at the end. Have a great day, Laina.”
“Thank you.” I smile and follow her directions, glancing around as I go. Everything is beautiful here, and it feels so professional to me as I greet people that smile at me.
Just before turning left, I glance to the right and freeze for a moment.
Was that Kyle? I narrow my eyes as if it will allow me to see better and remind myself to get my glasses on before I read any fine print this morning. It is Kyle Owens, and my mouth falls open in shock.
Memories play through my mind as I take him in while he stands in the hallway dressed in a suit, talking to another man. His tousled dark hair falls to nearly his neck, and he exudes confidence as I’d expect him to. I haven’t seen Kyle for twelve years since he moved away from Boston with his family because of a job transfer.
It had been a tough loss since we were best friends back then. We’d gone to the same school and spent hours together despite our families being in different social circles. I never told him then, but I had a secret crush on him, and it made sense why, looking at him now.
Then there had been our silly marriage pact that probably everyone made about marrying each other if we weren’t hitched by thirty. I chuckled, thinking there’s no way that gorgeous man isn’t married.
I come back to reality and stop staring as I remind myself where I’m headed right now. I can deal with Kyle later if I meet him, since I don’t know what he does here.
I continue to Kelly’s office, finding a friendly blonde behind the desk. She smiles and welcomes me, sliding some paperwork across the desk for me to sign.
“This should be it. I know you’ve already done a lot of it.” Kelly smiled, her red lips bright against her pale skin.
“It is all worth it to work here,” I assure her with a wide smile in return. My mind went back to Kyle as I filled out the lines, wondering what had happened to him after he moved. We’d been young and didn’t keep in touch as we might have if we were older.
“You’ll be meeting with the CEO and the management staff after this, where you’ll be assigned to a marketing team, and then someone will take you to meet them. Every team is skilled here, so it’s a win-win. There’s a reason we’re the number one marketing company in the US.” Kelly glanced at her phone as it rang and let it go to voice mail.
“Is what I’m wearing appropriate, or is it more casual than this?” I ask as I sign something.
“You could go more casual. You’ll be working long hours sometimes, and comfort is key. Slacks and blouses are perfect.” Kelly explained, and I nodded.
“Good to know. Thank you.” I reply, moving to the next page. “I didn’t interview with the CEO, did I? I know it was a panel.”
“No, we have a hiring staff for that. The CEO is Kyle Owens, and he doesn’t deal a lot with the hiring process.” Kelly spoke casually, but my hand froze over the paper.
“He’s the CEO?” I repeat, wondering how that can be possible. He’s twenty-five years old, just like me.
“Yes, he is. His father was a partner in the company and handed the reins over to him just six months ago. It’s a lot, but he seems to handle it well. Do you know each other?” Kelly asks and I consider my answer.
“We did when we were younger.” Much younger and completely different people, but it could be nice if we connected again, and I had a friend here in town. “It’s been a long time.”