hooked - flamingo (albert aretz)

6

Blair sat at her small desk, her fingers nervously tapping on the edge of her keyboard. The clock on her laptop screen ticked closer to 2:00 PM, the time set for her first Zoom call with Albert Aretz—Flamingo himself. After weeks of waiting for a response to her email, she had nearly given up hope, but to her surprise, she had received a reply. Not just a generic one, but a request for a Zoom meeting to talk about her designs.

She had spent the morning trying to calm her nerves. She wasn't sure why she felt so jittery—after all, it was just a job interview. But this was Albert. This was Flamingo. She had watched his videos for months, and now, she was about to speak to him face-to-face (or, well, screen-to-screen).

The clock hit 2:00, and her heart skipped a beat as a notification popped up.

Albert A. is inviting you to a meeting.

Taking a deep breath, Blair clicked "Join," and the screen went black for a moment before the Zoom window opened, revealing a blurry figure adjusting his camera.

"Oh, wait—hold on, I think I'm...sideways?" Albert's voice came through, slightly muffled.

Blair smiled, watching as he fumbled with his webcam. The camera tilted, showing the ceiling, then his shirt, and finally, his face. He blinked, realizing he was live, his eyes widening slightly as if he hadn't expected to be on camera yet.

"There we go. Sorry, my camera hates me," Albert said with a sheepish grin, running a hand through his messy brown hair. "I, uh, I didn't think it was possible to mess up a Zoom call this badly, but here we are."

Blair couldn't help but giggle. "No worries. Happens to the best of us."

For a moment, the two of them sat there, awkwardly staring at each other through the screen. Blair noticed that Albert was even more boyish-looking in real life than in his videos, with a messy head of hair that seemed to have a mind of its own and bright, expressive eyes that darted around nervously. He was good-looking in an unconventional, endearing way, but he clearly wasn't used to having these kinds of "formal" interactions.

"So, um, hi!" Albert said, breaking the silence. He waved awkwardly at the camera. "I'm Albert, but, uh, you probably already know that, because... I'm the one who emailed you, and also the one who runs the channel. Obviously."

Blair stifled another laugh, feeling some of her own nerves ease as she realized he was just as awkward as she was feeling. "Yeah, I figured," she replied with a smile. "I'm Blair. It's really nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too! I, uh, I should've probably done this over email, but I thought a call would be, y'know, more professional or something. But it's me, so it's probably going to be... the opposite of professional."

Blair laughed softly. "It's fine, really. I appreciate you taking the time."

Albert rubbed the back of his neck, his smile turning into a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, I'm, like, really bad at these things. Like, talking to people. In real life, or even virtual life, I guess. I don't do this a lot unless it's, like, screaming at Roblox characters."

"I think you're doing fine," Blair reassured him, feeling her own nerves melt away as Albert's awkward charm took center stage.

"Yeah, that's what they all say before I completely mess it up," he joked, leaning closer to the camera. "But, hey, let's hope I can hold it together long enough to not make this super weird."

Blair grinned. "I don't think you're in danger of that."

Albert let out a playful sigh of relief. "Phew. Crisis averted."

For a moment, the awkwardness settled into something more comfortable. Blair noticed how Albert's awkwardness wasn't off-putting; it was endearing. He wasn't trying to be anyone other than himself, and that made her relax a little more.

"So, thumbnails," Albert said, clapping his hands together and then looking down at them as if wondering why he'd done that. "I've been doing them myself for a while, and, uh... let's just say, it's not my favorite thing in the world. You probably noticed that from my channel."

Blair nodded, trying to keep things professional. "I did take a look, and I think there's a lot we could do to make them pop more. Your content is so energetic, and I think the thumbnails could reflect that even more."

Albert raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. "Yeah? I mean, I know they're not exactly, like, masterpieces. I basically throw in as many bright colors as possible and hope for the best. It's a strategy, I guess. A bad one."

Blair smiled, shaking her head. "It's not bad. It's just... it could be refined. You've already got a great brand going; I think it's just about tightening the visuals a little more. Maybe leaning into the chaotic humor but making it a bit more polished."

Albert blinked, leaning closer to the camera again. "You just used, like, way too many big, smart-sounding words. Polished? Refined? Whoa, I need to level up."

Blair laughed, feeling herself relax even more as they shared the joke. "Sorry, I didn't mean to go all technical on you."

"Nah, it's cool," Albert said, leaning back in his chair, his smile growing. "I need someone smart. Clearly, I can't be trusted with anything that involves thinking."

Blair giggled. "Well, that's what I'm here for."

"Yeah, and thank goodness for that," Albert replied, his voice light and joking. "Otherwise, I'd just be stuck making thumbnails that look like a five-year-old went crazy with MS Paint."

They both laughed, and for the first time since the call started, Blair felt the tension ease completely. It wasn't just a job interview anymore—it felt like they were already on the same wavelength.

"I like that idea of making the thumbnails more, like, 'chaotically polished,'" Albert continued, his tone more thoughtful now. "Like, they should still have that crazy energy, but maybe not look like I made them in the middle of a sugar rush."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Blair replied, nodding enthusiastically. "Your style is so unique, and the thumbnails should match that. They can still be wild, but with a little more structure."

Albert nodded, his face lighting up as the ideas clicked into place. "Yeah, yeah, I like that. You've definitely got the vibe down. I'm starting to think this could actually work."

Blair smiled warmly. "I think so, too."

They spent the next few minutes talking through ideas, bouncing concepts back and forth. Albert cracked jokes every few minutes, some landing perfectly, others awkwardly trailing off, but it didn't matter. Blair found herself laughing more often than not, and by the end of the call, they had both loosened up, finding a rhythm.

As the conversation wound down, Albert shifted a little awkwardly in his chair. "So, uh, yeah, I guess this is the part where I say, like... you're hired?"

Blair grinned. "Really?"

"Yeah! I mean, you seem cool, and you actually know what you're doing, which is a huge plus in my book," Albert said, a nervous smile playing on his lips. "I'm excited to see what you come up with."

Blair felt a rush of excitement. "I'm excited, too. Thanks so much, Albert. I won't let you down."

"Nah, you've already done more in this call than I've done in a year of making thumbnails," Albert joked, giving her a thumbs up.

They said their goodbyes, and as the Zoom call ended, Blair leaned back in her chair, letting out a deep breath. It had been awkward and weird, but in the best way possible. And somehow, she had landed the job.

This was just the beginning.

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1326 words

whooop first meeting alert !!