* X x * x * x * Chapter 17 * x * x * x X*
Nothing unusual has occurred on J and Z's end over the course of the past week, but Kaye's has been quite the opposite, being both busy and fruitful.
It's her first day at work! Work starts at 8, but they were advised to come in to work earlier to finalize their coming to work and will meet with the bosses and team at 10 a.m.
They held a mini celebration at the cafe on Saturday. She and her best friend got accepted for their career job along with two other candidates. They had just finished writing up and signing their job offers the day before. Her best friend stayed for the night, but not in her room but rather in her brother's, aka her boyfriend's.
The two finally hit it off after two years of being friends through her. It kind of breaks the code, but she couldn't care less. Her best friend is the best she could ever ask for her brother, and she knows for sure she deserves better than her annoying brother.
Her decision not to invite and celebrate with Z required a tremendous amount of willpower. The mini-celebration, however, consisted only of a few drinks after hours because it was already quite late.
Although Z congratulated her via message, she still considered inviting her at a later date. She doesn't understand it, but everything in her screams for her to share her joy with her.
Since it's her first day at work, she's been having trouble deciding how to dress for the occasion. She didn't want to look lousy, but she also didn't want to stand out by going over the top.
She shifts her gaze away from the outfit she placed on her bed, which has been reduced from a dozen to the two that are now waiting for her to slip into. A pair of slacks and a blazer sit beside a pencil-cut skirt and a blouse.
She later decided to wear the almond-colored slacks and blazer. She finally decided to wear a body-hugging shirt underneath the blazer, tucked into her slacks. After giving herself a good look in the mirror, she then paired it with her squeaky clean white rubber soles after its fierce battle against her two-inch black heels.
She kissed her brother and sister goodbye and thanked them for their encouragement. She met her friend in front of the company building, where they are beginning a new chapter in their lives.
**********
Arthur hated the idea that he had to go to work so early because of the new hires, but he feels excited at the same time.
It has been three years since he started working at the company. Z was the one who welcomed him to the company and has been doing it together with J, which he is supposed to be doing today. He recalled the time when Z interviewed him for the position.
It was quite nerve-wracking, indeed. He vividly remembers how he couldn't read the girl at all, and he had no idea if he was doing well in the interview. The girl barely showed any emotions throughout their conversation, and he could feel his feet getting drenched in sweat.
He tried to do it in the interview, and it was with the pretty girl—Catherine was her name, as he remembered since she was not just strikingly pretty but the best candidate of them all. She was also the one with the most sincere reason for wanting to apply to the company.
He tried to mimic Z's poker face, but he couldn't do it at all. After spending some time with her, he realized that her boss was just an awkward person and rather shy at times.
It was just because that's usually how Z carries herself in front of strangers. Once you get to know her, she's one of the sweetest people you could find and the nicest boss, with whom you can totally vibe once she gets comfortable enough with your presence.
He exhaled and fixed all his planners and project-related stuff for the day before heading to the lounge to wait for the new hires. There are only five minutes left before the announced time. If anyone is late on their first day, they won't hear the end of it, that's for sure.
A couple of minutes passed, and all the new hires arrived. There are six new hires in total. Two of them will be under his care, of course with his "boss' approval," and the rest are for software development and their marketing department.
*****
Kaye and her best friend, Felicity, went inside the building. They were greeted by a lobby that looked modern with its shining marble and massive chandelier hanging over the ceiling.
Given that their official IDs have not yet been distributed, they obtained their temporary pass from the front desk to gain access to the building.
After waiting for a while, the lift came down, and they went inside and chose the 11th floor as their stop. Outside the lift on the eleventh floor, a huge logo and the company name "J&Z Multimedia Company" greet the eyes of whoever arrives on the said floor.
She smiled at the thought of the two figures that popped into her head upon seeing the initials. They arrived at the floor's reception as instructed, went to the lounge, and were pleasantly surprised to find her interviewer, Arthur, waiting for them.
They were the first ones to show up a few minutes before the agreed time, thankful that they made it on time. They both beamed at him and addressed the guy, "Good morning, Arthur!"
"Good morning ladies, I thought no one was going to show up today," Arthur replied in his usual high-pitched and gay tone. "Thank you for coming early as discussed. Let's take a seat here while we wait for the others." He gestured to the couch he was sitting on.
It didn't take long for the rest of the crew to get together, and as soon as Arthur stood up, so did the thumping in Kaye's chest. Her heart beat so fast, and she wasn't sure if it was the excitement or the nervousness that was taking over her.
Arthur guided the new hires to one of the conference rooms they have available near the CEO's office. He arranged a meeting with them first to show them around the office, answer some questions they might have, and later on give a brief introduction to the department leaders and the bosses.
Just as they turned their backs to change locations, the lift opened once again, revealing the two people from whom the company derived its name. The two nonchalantly walked over their names that were plastered on the wall, not even sparing them a glance, and swiftly went straight to their offices.
"Good morning, Mr. Scott, Ms. McCartney." The reception lady wished them and the latter reciprocated.
*****
Kaye gets more and more excited as the minutes pass. They've been sitting at the conference table for nearly 2 hours and have not taken a break since they started with the orientation.
The hours passed by with the simple explanation of vision, goals, emergency procedures, and all the mundane stuff that one usually forgets after a day or two.
They all simultaneously heaved a sigh when they were finally given a break and were advised to go back in 20 minutes. They are to meet the managers and CEO, and after that, there will be a tour around the office.
She couldn't keep her excitement in check, and Felicity could see that. The latter obviously feels the same.
"Are you that excited to see him?" Her friend giggled at her restlessness.
"Of course, duh," Kaye answered with a playful roll of her eyes.
A smile stretched her face as she thought of the possibility of meeting the reason why she wished to work at this company. She jumped the gun and took her chance to work with her favorite illustrator. To her surprise, she got accepted, and she couldn't be anymore thankful.
She came across this excellent and very talented artist when she was looking for a reference online. She became an instant fan and began following their social media accounts.
When she first followed the artist, there were only about 10,000 followers, but after a couple of years, there are now over 2 million. She couldn't be more delighted. It was such a feeling when she looked back and realized that she was one of the "few people" who saw greatness and fell in love with their art.
The artist goes by the name Reigh Kyler and is rather mysterious. Other than the fact that their bio simply reads "J&Z Multimedia Artist," she knows nothing whatsoever about them personally. She's not even sure if it's a man or a woman or anything in between.
Kaye was eager to find out who the artist was, whom she had been following for as long as she could remember. She feels rather excited to discover the artist than on her first day at work.