Page and Blood

Chapter 2

She dashed through the glass door into the room full of DVD’s, CD’s, magazines and books for rent and sale. They were stocked neatly in wooden dividers and display cabinets. Movie posters and album covers alike filled the walls.

A young girl about the age of seventeen wearing an ultra red mini-skirt and super fitting long sleeves, stood by the first column of books, greeted her and scanned her from head to foot. “You’re a mess.”

“I know.” She smiled and went passed her, poised and swift.

A door at the end of the room said “on air”, and a woman with luscious red lips and extra kinky blonde hair that never matched her skin tone, not one tiny bit, stood blocking the door with her hands folded across her generous chest. It was Gracie, their scheduling officer, their payroll clerk, their personnel manager, and her big mouthed, jolly, fast talking friend.

“You’re late.” she said over emphasizing the word, ‘late’.

“I know.”

“You’re a mess.” she said, over emphasizing the word, ‘mess’.

“I know.”

Gracie shot her one more look.

“You’re late.”

She paused. “You already said that.”

“You’re a…mess?”

“You already said that too.”

Gracie paused, narrowed her gloriously smoky wide brown eyes, scanned her head to foot—once again—and bobbed her head sideways questioningly, robbed her chin and said, “What else should I be saying to you?”

“That you look really glamorous today.” Jessica said helpfully.

“No.” she said. “I’m glamorous.”

Jessica nodded and smiled. “Exactly.”

And they both laughed.

“Oh’ shut up.” said Gracie. “Now remember, am mad at you because you’re late. You’re late. Am mad at you. Got that?”

Jessica nodded. “I know. I’m sorry.” she said. “I won’t happen again.”

“It will.” Gracie corrected. “Now, quit lying to my face, get in there and do your job.”

Jessica nodded politely and rushed in.

Gracie is a real fast talker except, fortunately, when she’s disappointed, mad or stressed. The communication part of her brain freezes and malfunctions and the processing of words to say and things to discuss take so much time which was exactly what just happened recently. But unlike most bosses, she rarely raises a tone. She’s considerate but could be very absurd sometimes. And if she does not like you, she wouldn’t give you work schedule, and then you won’t have so much of a pay.

But that never happened to Jessica. She just whips her with compliments and it’s all done. Plus she never competes, and Gracie likes that, a lot.

Take for instance, Jessica’s dressing style. It’s minimal. She wears nothing for make-up except for lip gloss—even forgets to—and she doesn’t expose her cleavage. She doesn’t wear heels—her boots have heels but those weren’t sexy. She does not wear miniskirts and tight fitting blouses, and most of all, she hates wearing perfume or cologne and anything that smells like fruit and flowers. In short, she is not Gracie’s competition when it comes to all of that. And that’s why, perhaps, she likes her.

The room, Jessica rushed in slamming the door, was lined with cushions to contain the sound. There was at least 3 head sets, 2 separate microphones, several monitors, equalizers, computer, cd, dvd, mini disc and mp3 players and all other things that were usually found in an fm station.