The 18th Floor

Chapter Four

I'll come down with you and ask reception to have your badge ready for tomorrow. Do you have your phone on you?", Simon asks as we step into the lift.

"Yes," I reply.

"Ok, write down my number and then also Lucien's. If you can't reach Lucien in a situation, you can call me", I hand him my phone from my bag that hangs from my chair handles.

"Do you not want mine?", I ask as the lift is still making its ascent down.

"We've already saved it from your CV", he says simply without looking up from my phone, as if it's no big deal. They already saved my number before I even agreed to take the job? My heart starts pounding again but the elevator doors ding open.

He lets me go first as I push myself towards the reception, Simon making a swift pace next to me.

"Madeline, this is Cyrene, our new marketing assistant, can you please set her ID and card up ready for her to collect tomorrow on her first day of work?"

Madeline clearly fancies Simon; she's nearly falling out of her seat trying to get closer to him over the desk.

"Sure, I'll take good care of her Simon", Madeline says stretching out the syllables in his name.

Simon just smiles back not reciprocating her energy and turns to me. "I'll leave you to have your photos taken and see you tomorrow morning. Congratulations again on joining us, I look forward to having you on the team. Hope you have a good rest of the day."

"See you tomorrow", I reply back smiling.

He just nods and makes his way back to the lifts.

Tomorrow morning. Me, working. I, finally working after months of job applications. I can't believe it.

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Dad can't believe it, even I am still shocked. But he's happy and that makes me happy. We spend the rest of the evening together on the sofa watching Gogglebox sharing a bottle of wine, maybe two, celebrating my new job as I frantically place an order of clothes to come in for tomorrow.

"I always knew you could do it", he whispers as he kisses the top of my head.

My dad is my number one fan in life. It's always been just us, me and dad against the world. I wouldn't have it any other way. He was and still is, my biggest supporter and if he wasn't there for those first few months after I woke up, I don't think I would have made it through.

I can't fall asleep. The stress, nerves and anxiety are catching up with me but I need to keep breathing.

I've already met half the team, it's just Reid and Abbi to get introduced to. Hopefully, they're nice. At least Simon is nice, even if I am still on the fence about Lucien and his comment. I didn't tell dad. I don't want him getting upset. Worst case scenario, I stay for a few months, gain experience and leave. Best case scenario, it turns out to be amazing and I get promoted and work my way up. They seem small enough of a team for it to happen quickly, but I've also never worked a corporate job. I have no idea how these things work, I don't even know if I'm well as I sold myself to be on my CV.

I spend some time that evening online looking up Lucien, but as before, nothing online. I even searched the Kings College website and any alumni, but there's not even a notable mention, considering his first class degree and his now well earning position. I sigh closing my laptop after not being able to find anything else on anyone in the firm.

I reach for the pill box on my bedside table emptying out the medication of the day into my hand. The several pills have never felt so heavy in my hand as they do tonight, knowing that I have to function like a regular human being tomorrow. Flicking off my bedside lamp, I finally feel sleep creep up on me.