Left her childhood home, again. And swore that she is never coming back. Starting a new job in a different country sounded perfect. Until she met her boss, and now they have to figure out what are the feelings that they have for each other. The cher...
The hotel room looked like any other she has stayed in before. A double or queen bed with white crispy sheets, neatly folded towels in the bathroom, and some coffee and tea next to an electric kettle. This was Cynthea's home for the next two weeks. Or less, depending on how the flat hunting will go.
When she got there, she texted her mother that she is safely in the room and that she is going to get something to eat. It was a habit that she picked up at a young age. After watching her mother worry over her other child almost all the time, not knowing where he is and what he is doing at 2 o'clock in the morning, she decided that she will not let her worry like this. Even now, when she was an adult and did not really have to inform her about where she is and whether she is alive, it was so automatic that whenever she left the childhood home, a short text for her mother followed once arrived at a destination. She did not feel like eating because she was tired from the train and flight. One thing about living in the middle of nowhere was the fact that taking a plane took all day because there were no airports nearby.
It was easy to tell that she is no longer in her home country from the air that hit her in the face once she stepped out to get a taxi to her hotel. The air was much warmer, and she had to take off her jacket as well as the hoodie. The Athens airport was crowded as any other airport she has been to. The ride to the hotel was not long, but it was difficult for her not to fall asleep. The realization that this city will be her home, for now, did not hit her yet, but she felt free.
She took a deep breath while lying in bed. Tears ran down her temples and into her hair. Images were flowing inside her head while she was staring at the beige ceiling. She took another breath. How easy it was to breathe now. One of the images was her family sitting at the table in the dining room. They all had shot glasses in front of them, and two empty bottles of rum were sitting in the middle. More tears started flowing. She did not need to remember the words they said, the cruel statements that she was not meant to hear, and yet only the image was enough. She shook her head. Cynthea felt stupid for crying over something like this. She should not be focusing on... Her phone rang.
"Hello?" her voice was a bit raspy, so she cleared her throat.
"Hi, is this Cyndy?" a melodic and smiley voice asked.
"Ehm, no. Cynthea."
"Oh, sorry. Yes, Cynthea. Do you have a minute? I'm at the hotel reception. Can we meet?" Cynthea sat up. Her heart rate sped up. She did not know the voice. Of course, the company knew where she is staying, but she did not tell anybody when exactly she will arrive. She purposely gave vague information just so she could get some space. Her face frowned.
"Who is this?" she asked. There was noise in the background. People talking at the front desk and footsteps echoed in the foyer. The person really was waiting at reception. Maybe it is not here, she thought.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought they told you about me. I'm Gala. I'm supposed to show you around and make sure you have everything you need, basically." The sounds in the background faded and a door closed. Fabric shifting and steps were heard, and Cynthea could hear the breath of the person.
"Nobody told me anything. Can we leave it for tomorrow?" she hoped that the person will leave her alone. She wiped the rest of the tears from her eyes and stood up to check herself in the mirror quickly. In case she would really have to leave the room, she would need at least fifteen minutes to get ready. And take a shower.
"Well, I'm already here. So, I thought I can show you some good spots around. Maybe just a drink at the hotel bar? I'll pay." Cynthea could hear a giggle on the other side of the phone. She checked the time. It was close to nine. She was tired, but she did not need to get up early tomorrow, as the first meeting at the office will be after lunch. For a moment, she considered the invite. It would be good to make some new acquaintances here. But was it safe? Who is this Gala? She has never heard of anyone with this name, nor did even see it in the team of recruiters. Were they really part of the company?
"Hello? Are you there?" the voice asked. It was melodic and sweet; the person was almost singing the word there.
"I'm here," Cynthea answered. She felt like she needs a drink now. It was a long day, and she should celebrate this lost freedom that she regained. She took a deep breath. "I'll meet you at the bar in like fifteen minutes if that's okay?" Her heartbeat suddenly sped up as she was waiting for the voice.
"Perfect. I'll be at the bar. I'm wearing a green jacket. See you soon!" The sound of a disconnected call followed. Cynthea looked at the time again. And before she went to take a shower, she took out her laptop and opened the documents that the company sent her. She tried to find the name. When she did not find it, she checked her emails. There was one that she did not open, yet. It came about an hour ago. It was information about the welcoming party scheduled two days from now where all the new employees will be introduced to their teams. Suddenly, she noticed the name she was looking for.
...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
