Then And Now

Chapter 1- "Hired"

Savannah-

I checked the time on my phone for the fourth time since I arrived in the building and was led to the top floor.

It was 3:10 PM.

I cleared my throat softly and turned off my phone. I wiped my palms over my navy-blue dress shirt and straightened my blouse. I rubbed my fingers together and chanced a look at the large glass door, where on the other side I'd soon find out whether or not I was still jobless. My long dark auburn hair which had been pulled into a restricting bun pricked a little at the roots, and I sighed, hoping to have the chance to relax my scalp soon.

The brunette who sat at the large receptionist desk outside the glass door and wall chanced a look my way over the computer screen, and she sent me soft smile. I returned the closed lip gesture and exhaled nervously.

A car's honk somewhere on the street below urged me to look out the large window and onto the city. In the distance I could see the blue waves of the famous Cali beaches. The sun was high in the blue sky and the birds flew about.

Then the door handle clicked, and I looked towards the glass entrance, where Marcia, a short elderly woman with glasses attached to a pearl necklace greeted me with a smile.

"Savannah Mars, come on in." She invited me.

I stood up with a smile and hooked my purse on my right shoulder.

Marcia held a manila envelope close to her chest, while I walked passed her and entered a more secluded section of the office. There was a smaller desk which bordered a double door made of frosted glass. The office was also surrounded by frosted glass making it impossible to see what was happening on the other side. Across from the desk, a few steps away from the center of the office was a round table with four chairs with an artificial plant placed at the center of the table.

Beyond that small area was a pantry, and from where I stood, I noted a coffee maker and the edge of a standard refrigerator, which hummed lowly within the walls of the confined space.

"Come, have a seat." Marcia continued with her friendly tone while pointing to the table.

She was dressed in a long bohemian skirt and blouse. Her greying hair was pulled in a low ponytail behind her skull, and she also had short bangs brushed to the side of her face.

"Thank you." I answered while pulling one of the chairs and taking a seat.

I placed my purse on the table and leaned back in my chair while watching Marcia with an attentive gaze. The elderly woman took a seat across from me and opened the folder. Then she lifted her glasses and hooked them behind her ears and on her nose, Only to lift her face slightly while her eyes gazed downwards at the multiple pages in the folder. Marcia then looked up to me and I perked up slightly in my seat.

"So, um congratulations," Marcia expressed with a large smile, "you're hired." She then laughed, earning a giggle of relief from me.

"Oh Yay." I released a large grin in return.

"So as usual, we're just going to cover some of the onboarding details, sign a few lines, cross some t's and dot some i's." Marcia began while packing a series of papers one by one with her fingers.

"Sounds great." I cheered, while digging into my purse for a pen.

"So this first sheet pretty much states the terms of your hire. You will work from 8:00 AM to 5:00 in the evening, you know that this position requires you to complete a minimum of a year's worth of clerical work before you're allowed to leave." Marcia began while slipping the paper my way.