Love at First Page

One

Living in the city empowers my ego. I live in a daily competition being a black journalist. Mostly staying free of confrontations through the media. Fleeing my hometown in Connecticut after graduating from college, deciding that tolerating toxicity was no longer serving any good in my life. New York easily became home, even though the start was rough at first being unemployed for 3 months. That was up until being blessed by meeting a journalist on my daily morning jog that is now simultaneously one of my closets friends, introduced me to her manager and like you would expect fireworks went off from there.

Sitting at my small dinner table surfing the web while making pasta a loud ting came from my MacBook. Noticing a message from Nik'u ''Can we PLS go out (cry emoji)''. Today out of all days took me a while to decide if I wanted to go out tonight, considering the fact that I go out every night, it was getting exhausting. I can not remember spending a day in my rather expensive apartment, not since my break up. Oh, break ups, if you have endured one you probably are familiar with the feeling of tightness your heart gets before a good cry. My life flipped upside down after getting out of a toxic relationship before moving to NYC. After such tragic occurrences relationships and love were all myths to me. NSA was a girl's best friend.

*ring, ring, ring, ring*

My head aches as my eyes try to force themselves open, reaching for my phone it falls off the nightstand and onto the floor. Instantly knowing this was automatically going to be a good day. Reaching for my phone hearing slight movements next to me, wincing before turning my head the way of the crinkling sheets. Laying my eyes upon a female without any clothes on, then spurring up the fact that this wasn't even my house. Quickly slipping out with my belongings I began to start my day. Running home, refreshing myself, grabbing a coffee, and then faced life. Walking into a hectic office, phones ringing non-stop, people raising their voices to talk on the phone. I take a seat at my desk. Nik'u wraps her arms around my body, sliding them down slowly over my breast. She whispers in my ear, "Why don't you look at the size of that hickey."

Quickly popping the collar of my white button-up over my neck, moving away from her ''I do not remember most of my night."

"Not going to lie, I don't either" she condescendingly says. "But besides that, are you okay?"

Nodding my head turning towards my computer and then shifting my eyes towards the huge pile of articles I have to go through for editing. Then my mind decided it rather talk to Nik'u about my problems "I've been avoiding my family''

''Don't be so hard on yourself, they should be reaching out to you honestly. You are 21 fresh out of college, they make you feel bad for doing what is best for you''

She was a hundred percent correct, my guilt slips away with her growing smile. "JORDYN!" echoes through the office, still staring at Nik'u everyone sat still as I still didn't acknowledge her presence. Slowly turning around, watching Fawn motion her finger for me to hinder her way. My boss is Fawn Hills, she is somewhat my role model but I'll never admit that to her face of course. Fawn's head will grow bigger than it is already, despite that she is everything I want to be.

"You aren't my ideal person for this task but you'll do'' She looks away from me saying ''not sure how I hired so many idiots." Okay, let's make it clear that her asshole personality was something I didn't particularly praise. "I need you to go interview the CEO over at The Melino Agency-" my mind immediately cut her off, now this agency was a big deal. It has all, music, modeling, artists. Melino Agency is the place for any creative forum. "Hello, someone please slap this bitch back to life" I snap out of the world in my head.

"No, I'm here"

Fawn walks over to me, leans her body back into her desk crossing her arms. "Can you go in there and ask these questions to the CEO without acting like a fool?"

I nod my head in silence, wouldn't have been so excited if I have known that my life was going to change right after I met a specific someone.

Leaving out the secluded building into the city, the refreshing feeling of being on an independent mission was so familiar yet unknown. Everything around me moved in slow motion, the traffic, flustered humans trying to get to their destinations. The constant thought of why New York out of all states, is that not one person is alike over here. I might sound like a cliche, but it's my truthful answer. The magazine security guard pushed me out of my thoughts and forced me into a black Chevy Tahoe. The drive was quiet, didn't know anyone in the car except the very antisocial security guard. Arriving at the building it left me utterly shocked, now this was somewhere everyone wanted to be. It was my job but on steroids. Walking into the building, getting distasteful glares from the workers. "How can we help you?" I jumped at the voice behind me, turning around seeing a very attractive curly-headed female.

Snapping out of my glare responding, "I'm with New York Mag"

She smirked, looked away and then returned eye contact "Prove it"

I paused, "What are you the buildings security guard?"

"They wish.....No, but seriously" taking out my badge and she catches my name, bites her lip and start walking. "We were waiting for you"

Stuck in the moment, I couldn't really move. This couldn't be real, the mysterious female continued to walk away from me until hearing the elevator ding and I start shuffling after her. "So are you not going to introduce yourself?"

"I'm Aspen"

"Nice to meet you, Aspen" the elevator doors closed and weird, yet comfortable, silence fell upon us. Not sure what to do next, I gazed through the clear elevator glass, surprised to see the amount of work that was put into this building. The designer and architect made little to no mistakes and it showed. Walking out of the elevator, Aspen guided me down a really long hallway to a tall glass door.

Stepping into the room while watching Aspen walk to a desk, bending over whispering but not actually whispering "She's here" to the mysterious shadow that sat in the large desk chair.

Watching them both turnaround, meeting eyes with a girl? Her eyes were a light brown, skin soft cocoa, her hair straight as a bone. ''Why are you looking at me like a ghost?''

Of course, at first, I had no clue what to say, it is very surprising to see a woman of ethnicity running a huge business in the United States. Whether you want to believe it or not, it's a white man's world. Analyzing the situation, she is intriguing. Her accents consisted of slight New York and French. ''Not used to seeing women in power?'' She said to me breaking our eye contact. ''I was not expecting you, she told me I am meeting a boy''

''Not sure, she sent me instead''

''Who is me?''

''Jordyn, Jordyn Hill'' extending my hand to her she accepts.

''Do you want to get these questions over with?'' She looks at Aspen telling her to bring wine and cups to her desk, looking around placing my eyes on a name. Chantal Badeaux, I am not at all upset that she is behind the madness of this business.

''Yes, let's''

For the next 45 minutes, we go over the interview questions, getting intensively comfortable with the more wine we consume. ''I would just remember my struggle and laugh, actually, I used to cry but it is important to give the people want they don't want'' Chantal shakes her head, leaning forward placing her hand on my thigh.

My body was warm with her touch ''You amaze me'' slips out of my mouth. Again Chantal was the face of creativity yet she followed no rules, did not care about the media when she made the media. We live every day for approval here in New York, she inspires me to live more simply. Our eyes could not break contact, I felt a sweat growing on my forehead. The door opens as Aspen reenters with what I guess is the next interviewee. Immediately standing up not keeping in consideration the amount of alcohol consumed, I knocked over the wine glass and center table. Finally getting myself stabled, putting my wash and go curls in a bun, and started shaking my head. ''Are you going to take that out of my paycheck? Because I am sure these are my paycheck'' Chantal and Aspen laughed to themselves and I quickly said my goodbyes.