Savrienna

Chapter Two

                “Your parents certainly were creative,” Sebastian told me as we stood in the elevator. “In all of my years in this business, I’ve never heard of a name quite like yours. And believe me, there have been a few odd names that I’ve come across.” I blinked. I had been staring at him out of the corner of my eye. He just seemed to be one of those people who held your attention no matter how hard you tried to look away.

                “Yeah,” I said. “I always wondered why they named me that. My mom just says that it was the first name that occurred to her.” Sebastian laughed. The sound of it made a warm feeling in the pit of my chest. The elevator halted and the doors opened.

                “This is the floor you’ll be working on during most of your time here,” he said, stepping out from the elevator. I followed after him with interest.

                “Remember the numbers ten and fourteen,” Sebastian continued, walking away from the elevator and into a maze of cubicles and offices. “They’ll be your lifeblood while you’re here.”

                “Oh?” I commented, feeling like an eager child following in its father’s wake. Sebastian was a good head or so taller than I was and he moved with more purpose and speed than I ever could have imagined. He came to a stop next to a rather roomy looking cubicle near the edge of the office jungle.

                “Floor ten, cubicle fourteen will be your new home while you’re here,” he said. “Make it as homey and comfortable as you wish. We have no limit on expression of self here.” I looked at him.

                “You don’t?” Sebastian shook his head.

                “No. I think that if you restrain your employees’ ability to be creative, you’ll never truly experience their abilities,” he explained. Then, he grinned at me. “Besides, isn’t a fashion magazine all about creativity?” I nodded and smiled at him. When I was here, I didn’t have to fake my grin. I was naturally comfortable.

                “If you have any questions, Calypso in the next cubicle over can answer them,” he said. Without another word, he walked off towards the elevator and vanished behind its doors. I was left standing in the middle of my bare cubicle and new home.

                “Cal isn’t here today,” said a voice from behind me. I turned to see a young woman with wavy sandy blonde hair smiling at me from the other side of one of the cubicle walls.

                “She isn’t?” I asked. She blinked in surprise and then laughed.

                “Wow, typical new person mistake,” she said. She leaned over the wall a little bit and pointed into the cubicle on my right. I walked over and stood outside the entrance. The little name plate that was posted on the small part of the wall to my left read Logan Calypso.

                “Calypso is a guy?” I asked in bewilderment. The blonde nodded.

                “Sure is,” she said. “But, unless you want a nasty glare, you’ll call him either Logan or Cal. He hates his last name,” she told me. I nodded in acknowledgement of her advice.

                “That’s a good thing to keep in mind,” I said, glancing around Logan’s cubicle. It was so neat and orderly, it made me feel like a slob (and I’m the neatest person in my apartment complex). I looked up at the blonde and gave her an appreciative smile. “Thanks for the advice.”

                “No problem,” she told me. “And by the way, the name’s Avery.”

                “Mine’s Savrienna,” I responded. She let out a low whistle.

                “How did your parents ever come up with that one?” she asked in half sarcasm. I shrugged.

                “They still won’t tell me,” I said. We both laughed. Avery grinned at me before glancing over her shoulder into her cubicle.

                “I should probably get back to work,” she said. “The boss will kill me if I don’t wrap up this article. He may be gorgeous, but with him, looks really can kill.” I nodded in understanding. Sebastian definitely wasn’t a person to mess with. Avery smiled and disappeared back into her cubicle. I walked back over to mine and sat down in the desk chair. Besides the chair, a sophisticated looking computer, a filing cabinet and a small tray labeled “Inbox,” the cubicle was bare. I pulled out a notepad and started jotting down things that I needed to go out and buy. The rest of my day was spent doing trivial tasks.

~          ~          ~

                “Don’t be late tomorrow,” Sandra called to me. I smiled at the receptionist.

                “I get my first assignment; why would I miss that?” She laughed and I waved to her as I walked out the door. So far, this looked like a brilliant place to work. The people were funny and sociable, the atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable, and it paid well. I couldn’t have gotten a better job, I thought as I walked down the street.

                When I got back to my apartment building, I had a somewhat nasty surprise waiting for me. As I walked into the building’s lobby, I spotted Margo leaning up against the pillar in the center of the lobby. I put on an award winning smile and strolled towards her. She had her arms crossed and an annoyed look pasted across her face.

                “Hey, Margo,” I said, trying to be mock cheerful. “How was the signing?”

                “It was nice,” she said, shifting her position slightly. “The author was a lot sweeter than you would think, considering he writes horror novels.” I nodded.

                “Yeah. Normally you picture guys like that as intimidating and cruel.” She shrugged.

                “I guess. Oh, by the way, here’s your copy. You owe me thirty-five dollars,” she said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a hard cover book with a modern-looking witch on the front. The title, Bewitched by Beauty, was scrawled across the front in a font that looked a lot like a cross between graffiti and messy handwriting. Margo held it out to me and I took it from her.

                “Thanks,” I said as I tucked it under my arm. She shrugged again.

                “Whatever.” I thought for a second and then smiled.

                “Since you went to such trouble to get this for me, let me give you something in return,” I told her. She raised a skeptical eyebrow and gazed at me. I grinned. “How does dinner on me at Olivia’s sound?” Margo continued to gaze at me for a moment, her expression unwavering. Then, she smiled.

                “We’re getting dessert, too,” she said. I laughed.

                “Sure thing.” With that, the two of us walked across the lobby and out the doors. I certainly knew how to pick the right things to say.