Subtle Endearment

3. First Day Done

Kira

I'm able to get through the rest of the day with no other major mishaps. To my delight, Daniel seemed to be ignoring my awkwardness from earlier. He'd even taken the initiative to walk back with me even though I'd told him not to.

"I hope you two enjoyed your first day. You both completed a lot of much needed work today. It's only uphill from here." Lyla says collecting the last of the files she'd assigned us.

"Glad I could be of service," Daniel remarks. Lyla smiles, stars in her eyes at his work ethic. It's obvious that she puts work above all else. The car I'd seen her rummage through on break had a decal that read 'FixedTech Supervisor' and when I passed by her office I could've sworn she had a pillow and blanket in there. Bags under her eyes showed signs of lack of sleep as well.

I have a feeling she was doing all the extra work herself before we got here. She must've been really happy to find out FixedTech hired more people in the department.

"Have a good evening, Lyla," I say before collecting my belongings. "You too," she responds before strolling out the office. "I guess this is goodbye for today," Daniel says throwing his blazer over his shoulder. "Yeah, wish me luck. I have to go see Ian since he broke my phone." I say with a sigh. "He what? He really sure does as he pleases doesn't he? I'm sorry you're his target Kira," Daniel says scratching his head.

"Oh no, he broke it on accident. I'm sure I'll be fine. I just need to make sure he gets the right model," I assure him. "Okay, well good luck. I gotta get home, my dog is waiting for me."

As we part ways on the elevator, I watch the doors close behind Daniel. If I remember currently, Ian is on the 33rd floor. I push the button and sit back in the corner of the elevator. It's already nearly six o'clock. I need to get home and properly unpack my belongings. I moved into the company owned apartment yesterday but was too tired to fully unpack.

My heart beats louder and louder with each step as I exit the elevator on the 33rd floor. I hadn't been this nervous when I came up here before.

Maybe it's the nerves from everything everyone's been saying about him. I've met him one-on-one twice yet I'm still nervous, for what?

Pausing at his office door I take a deep breath then knock at the door. There's no answer. It hadn't occurred to me that he might not even be here. I can see the lights on in the room.

"Hello? Is anyone there? It's Kira. I came to see Mr. Dewan but if he's not here I'll just come back tomorrow." I say to the door. Just then I hear the sound of a lock turning as someone on the other side of the door undoes the lock.

"I didn't think you were going to show," Ian says poking his head around the side of the door. "Come in." I take a seat in the chair where I'd been just hours ago.

"Here's the phone, I hope you don't mind that it's a FixedTech phone," he chuckles to himself. "No, that's fine," I say accepting the phone as he hands it to me. To my surprise, it's the latest version. The phone I had before didn't compare as it was a much older version.

"Mrs. Torlei I think we got off on the wrong foot." Ian begins as I power on the new phone. "No, it was me who messed up, sir. I'm sorry and it won't happen again," I say just as I had rehearsed before coming here. You can hear a pen drop as I begin to transfer data from my old phone to the new one.

Ian did not strike me as someone who would ordinarily be a silent person but here we were sitting in silence. Fine by me, the quicker my data transfers the quicker I can leave. "Are you staying in company housing?" Ian suddenly asks. "Yes, I am. I'd assume you're not?" I remark in an attempt to subside the awkward silence. "No, I'm not. How are you liking the housing?" He asks. "It's good, I've only been there a day but it's comfortable. I'll have to get used to the city though."

"It looks like the data is done downloading. Thank you again for the replacement. I should really get going now before it gets dark." I say looking out the window at the darkening sky line. "Do you want a ride to your apartment?" He offers. "No, I'll walk. A little exercise wouldn't hurt anyways." I say. "Suit yourself," He says taking a seat back at his desk.

The walk from FixedTech to my apartment is fifteen minutes. After a long day at work it feels like triple that. My feet ache as I take off my heels and exchange them for slippers. Moving boxes crowd the living room space and I know I should put them up but I'm too tired. The remains of my breakfast sit on the counter... and the floor... and the wall. Making eggs and bacon is not my forte or any food for that matter.

In the kitchen, I pop ramen noodles into the microwave, the one meal I can't ruin. Sitting on the couch I watch the news anchor ramble on about the tragedies of the city. I barely realize that I'm dozing off as the microwave timer goes off signifying that my food is done. Once my ramen is done I place the bowl on the counter and search through the for moving boxes in the living room.

My quilt must be here somewhere.

As I dig through the third box I spot the quilt my mom gifted me on my sixteenth birthday. Things were easier then it was one of the few fond memories I have of my mom. In the blanket was stitched several memories from my childhood leading up to my sixteenth birthday ranging from my first day of school all the way to the time I passed Driver's Ed. Throwing the blanket across my body I sit on the couch and watch Beauty and the Beast while digging into my ramen noodles.

When the movie ends I throw my clothes into the washer and take a nice steamy shower. The bathroom is equipped with a corner bath that is white with black trim along with a shower on the opposite end. The counter has two sinks and a large mirror spreading across the area above it. This was more than I'd ever had when I lived with my parents. They'd lived in a small apartment meant for one. Although they both worked it seemed like they never made money. It seemed like they were always spending it on bills whenever I'd ask my mom about it.

Steaming hot water trails down my body as I stand in the shower. I'd already washed up but was now contemplating whether I should get out or not. After fifteen more minutes of contemplating I finally step out of the shower, dressing myself in my tan silky pajamas.

My bed welcomes me with its soft cushioning as I comfortably sink into it. The pillow I lay on matches the softness of the bed. It's a major upgrade from the one bedroom jail cell of a room my roommate and I had shared just last semester. I can definitely get used to living here.