The Lily

Day 30

Diane calls me to her office again, and I know it's not to fire me or to criticize me in any way, because I've been stealing Gabrielle's clients. What surprised me is that she's actually been nicer for it. I'm pretty sure Diane told her to lay off.

"Hello, Chris." Diane says as I walk in the stock room. "Sit down."
I sit and fiddle with a on in the small desk.
"You've been doing an excellent job." I look up and blush. I'm not used to compliments. "Everyone thinks so, I didn't even need to tell Gabrielle to lay off. She did so herself when she saw you were fighting back."
I'm speechless. Not that I wasn't expecting this, but that I have no idea how to react to this sort of compliment.
"You've been doing such a good job that I decided to promote you. You'll be at the same level as Matt, Amanda and Gigi. You'll have more work to do."
"You-you're... You're promoting me?" I stammer.
"You're perfect for it. Now you can rule over Gabrielle. Never liked that girl." She says.
"But, what will I do that I didn't do before?" I ask, still on the shock of these news.
"Well, a lot of paperwork, mostly: taking orders for me, spying on Subdued, taking the pictures for Instagram..." She trails off.
"Uh, did you say spy on Subdued?" I ask.
"Well, you see, they are our concurrence. I order to augment our profit, we must eliminate our match." She says. "What I said was so poetic."
I ignore the second bout of her phrase. "But spying on them? Isn't that a bit extreme?"
"Not at all dear. That way, we get to see what new products they sell, and do it better, or perhaps cheaper. They do it too, you know. The most frequent clients come from a Subdued, can you believe it?"
I shake my head. I was going to be a spy. The thing I'd dreamt of doing the most my whole life as a kid. But without the gadgets. And also the fact that I'm spying on clothes.
I glance at my watch and realize that I'm going to be late to my dinner with the Team. I feel included for the first time, because they've invited me at Taco Bell. With them.
"Anything else?" I ask Diane.
"Oh, you'll also be in charge of the celebs. And the rich people basically."
"What??"
"Anytime a celebrity gives us a call, we show them in a special room where they can try as many items as they like and buy a multitude of them."
That didn't mean much to me, but I knew that I'd be able to brag that I'd met Gigi Hadid or something.
"Well, gotta run!" I peck Diane on the cheek, grab my stuff that's hanging in a corner and run to the Taco Bell next door.
When I get there, not all the Team is there. Only Matt, Gigi, Gabrielle, Kati (whom I learned was Matt's sister), Kylie and Amanda.
I feel like I belong to the Team now, and it feels good. It feels like I have friends.
But I don't feel quite complete. I feel like something-someone is missing in my life. Someone I can be me with. A best friend, a girlfriend.

If anyone wants me to continue this story, please don't hesitate to send me a message and I will. I have been busy with another story that I'll hope you'll like and that is much better than this one.