As they stepped out of the elevator, someone came to help him with his suitcase and another opened the door for him. Who exactly was he? Selena stood in awe as she watched everything and everyone revolved around Adam. She didn't need a wizard to tell her how important he was. So much so that she found myself unable to say his name. Adam stopped as she lagged behind him.
"What's the matter, Selena?" he asked.
"Nothing," she replied, with her gaze avoiding his. Yet, somehow Selena could see his soft smile, even as it slowly faded away.
"Mr Rockwood, Mr Sanders awaits you in your office," one of the employees said with a soft bow. Although mostly expressionless, Selena could perceive a feeling of disdain from him as he pried Adam away from her.
"I guess I'll see you later then," Adam said, as he left.
"Yeah," Selena replied, the words barely escaping her lips.
Time paused around her as Selena found herself lost again. Unable to fully comprehend or perhaps accept what had just happened, she stood still as time resumed, unaware of the frantic environment around me. Rockwood Industries. She knew it would be a lot, but nowhere in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that it would begin like this. On her first day on the job, not only did she meet the 'Mr Rockwood', but the entire place felt like a battlefield. Slurred words that she was sure made sense to someone else filled the space around her. Even the images were slurred before her surprisingly still. A word kept ringing in her head but she couldn't make sense of it as she stayed dazed.
"Selena?" finally, the words got to her, and somehow, everywhere was back to normal. "You're Selena, right?" the voice called again.
"Yes," Selena replied slowly. This time, she made sure that the words came out.
"I'm Martha," a young woman who looked no older than Selena stood before her with her hands outstretched. Her smallish figure might give the impression that she was younger than 22 years of age, but there was a calming presence about her that made her feel a lot older as well. It was reassuring, however, as Selena reached for her hand as well.
"Nice to meet you," Selena replied. "Sorry, I'm not always like this. It's just…"
"A lot. I know. Don't worry, it's not always like this either," Martha said.
"It's not?"
"Yeah. Mr Sanders is a big partner of this company, so today is a lot busier than most."
"Well, that's reassuring," Selena sighed.
"But don't get too comfortable though. Rockwood Industries does not give heads up before it becomes a mad house," Martha teased.
"Right. I'll keep that in mind," Selena replied. "How long have you been here though?" she asked.
"Well, a little over six months. Finally feels good to not be the youngest here," Martha said, with a skip in her step.
"We're probably the same age, you know?"
"I know. But here, I'm six months older. So feel free to lean on me whenever you want."
Whether she meant that as a joke or not, Selena couldn't tell, but something about that statement as comforting as it was, felt sad.
"Are you okay?" Martha asked as she noticed Selena's face drop.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Good. Let me show you to your table. Welcome to the administrative department, everybody needs us, yet no one likes us."
"Well, that's reassuring."
As Selena stepped through the glass doors, she followed Martha through the maze of cubicles and bustling corridors, taking in the sight of her new workplace. Rows of desks stretched out before her, as everyone seemed too busy to take notice of her, something that Martha noticed in Selena's eyes.
"Like I said, it's a busy day. But it's a good thing that it is," Martha said.
"Why is that?"
"Well, for one, you don't need to spend half your day greeting everyone yet. You can take the time to get used to the air. And secondly, I get to be your tour guide for the day. The other option would have been Freddy, and trust me, he is no fun," Martha teased.
"I heard that," a voice beside them echoed.
"And that's Freddy," Martha said, pointing to the young man across them.
As Selena glanced over at the source of the voice, her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Freddy. He stood tall and confident, with a relaxed demeanour that exuded charm and charisma. His dark hair was tousled in a way that suggested effortless style, and his hazel eyes sparkled with mischief as he flashed her a playful grin.
Despite the casualness of his attire, Freddy carried himself with an air of self-assurance that was undeniably attractive. His chiselled jawline and warm smile gave him a boyish charm, while his easy-going nature made him instantly approachable.
"Freddy, Selena," Martha added.
"Nice to meet you, Selena," Freddy said.
"Likewise."
As Martha introduced them, Selena couldn't help but notice the faint hint of stubble on Freddy's jawline, adding a rugged edge to his otherwise polished appearance. His voice was smooth and velvety, with a hint of playfulness that made Selena's heart flutter. "Looks like we're neighbours," Freddy said, as Selena noticed her name tag on the desk across his. "Welcome to the team," he added.
A soft smile escaped her face lips. In that brief moment, Selena found herself captivated by Freddy's magnetic presence, feeling a strange pull that she couldn't quite explain. And as they exchanged pleasantries, Selena couldn't shake the feeling that her time at Rockwood Industries was about to become a lot more interesting. Oddly, however, not for reasons she could have ever envisaged.
***
Adam came out of his office with whom Selena assumed to be Mr Sanders. He was a middle-aged man, tall, and wore a very distinct look on his face. It was neither friendly nor harsh, just a stern confidence that resonated with his powerful aura. As he and Adam walked towards the exit, Sanders's gaze caught Selena and his stern look was replaced with a shocked one.
His eyes looked like they had seen not a ghost, but the devil himself. A fright enveloped him so much that Adam noticed he was off. "Zulu?" he said with a tone that wished dearly that he was wrong.