Worth It

Chapter Four

Katarina

I've worked at The Fashion Lab Magazine for the past five years. I got the connection through Xavier actually when I first roomed with him. He introduced me to Megan, our boss, and we hit it off incredulously fast.

Megan was your perky cheerleader in high school, prom queen, and valedictorian, but she wasn't one of those girls. She wasn't overtly prude, snobby, or arrogant. Instead, she was kind-hearted, always preppy, and in a good mood, and she knew how to authorize and control an entire building and magazine.

She had this power switch that she switched on and off between meetings and clients. Her crimson hair was always in the same razor-sharp bob cut, with one of her many diamond earrings glittering and shimmering beneath the strands.

She had cunning, observant, siren blue eyes that could spot a fashion trend from a hundred miles away. After our first meeting, I showed her my credentials and resume, which she scanned through rapidly, then hired me on the spot.

I've always loved English, Grammar and always have been a perfectionist at heart. My office wasn't vast or something to blab about, but I loved the space, nonetheless. I had a view of the ever-busy LA traffic and the tall buildings that made up our city.

I had gotten more than used to the constant honking and bustling of the cars outside. My L-shaped executive white wood desk was in disarray with paperwork, old magazines, the new magazine we were working on, clippings, and other inspiration I could pluck out from the internet.

Across from my desk was a sapphire blue Chaise lounge coach and a glass table in front of it with various Voguemagazines stacked astutely on each other. Besides the Vogue stack, I had another stack of books from Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty to Yves Saint Laurent Catwalk.

I had a vase with various flowers since I didn't have a favorite. My snow-white colored walls were stacked with frames of family and friends, events, galas, magazine shoots, and mood boards filled with ideas, inspirations, and anything I could find on Pinterest that piqued my creativity.

At the back wall behind my desk and chair, I had a wooden hanging shelf with more books, frames, tiny cacti, candles, and every printout of the magazines from Fashion Bug. A knock on the door plucked me out of my thoughts, and my secretary Tina walked in with her famous outfit of the week.

This week we were evidently doing fruit. Monday's fruit was strawberry. The outfit consisted of a strawberry printed skirt, matching sleeved top, dangling earrings, and necklace, and she topped it with a large strawberry hairclip that pinned her pinkish hair back. Tina smiled widely, her hazel eyes shining mischievously at me, and flashed me two cups of coffee.

"Yes, please. You're my savior."

I sat up straighter in my chair as she handed me the cup. She plopped down on the Chaise lounge in front of me. I took a sip and made an aaaahhh sound.

"Tomorrow, coffee is on me," I told her, but she waved me off. "How are you? I've been so busy editing and meetings with Megan all morning that I didn't get a chance to say hi."

"I'm great, actually. I bumped into Xavier on the way to your office." She drawled on.

"My god, what did he say to you now?"

Her eyes twinkled as she spoke. "I heard you met a guy."

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't meet him, Tee. He's a friend of Opal and Xavier."

"You've known them for almost six years, yet you both have never met?" She speculated.

"I know. It's crazy." I shrugged. "I guess our schedules never lined up, and they thought we'd be perfect for each other, so they set us up."