The Spectator

Chapter 3: A Guide to Repeating Outfits and Befriending Your Editor

     Nate wasn't a constant presence in her day to day, but he was definitely still around— a fact Ella was ever aware of. How could anyone be oblivious to someone that freakishly attractive? Plus, he and Dan were close friends, so he passed through the Lifestyle section every once in a while to have lunch with him. This didn't really affect her until he caught her singing in the printer room again. There wasn't anyone around, and she checked the hallway first this time. But then 15 minutes passed and she got comfortable and she started singing some Spanish-language pop songs with more gusto than she should have and—

     "I thought you said something about switching up the costuming? Because this just looks like your usual thing," Nate commented from the doorway. She stopped where she was, but turned around slowly before looking down at herself.

     "My usual thing?" She asked him.

     "Flats. Pants. Sweater," He pointed the items out to her, working his way up until he got to her narrowed eyes. He smirked. "And that ponytail, of course."

     She reached a hand to her hair with a little indignant gasp.

     "Mr. Archibald are you calling me... an outfit repeater?" She whispered theatrically.

     "It's Nate, goddammit," He corrected her threateningly, "And if the shoe fits... wear it every day I guess?"

     He laughed and left her huffing in the printer room. He was a fan of saying hello to all of his employees at least once during the course of the day, so from that day on, if he passed by her cubicle he would peer over to check out her outfit. Usually, she was wearing some version of pants, sweater and a ponytail and received a good ribbing for it.

     "You know we don't have a uniform, right..." He'd remind her. Then Ella would deliver the inevitable comeback and he would be on his way. She took to teasing him about his own outfit choices, calling him captain whenever she caught him in a shawl-necked cardigan. (It happened more than he'd ever admit, honestly... but how could he resist? It was comfortable and stylish. Anyway, he knew she had the same dilemma choosing between comfort and sartorial satisfaction, as he liked to endlessly remind her.)

     If Dan had kept his growing fondness hidden from Ella, Nate at least openly thought she was funny. There were moments, like when he was laughing at one of her jokes and his eyes got all blue and crinkled up, that it even seemed that he might actually be... flirting with her.

     But, no. That was ridiculous-- Nate just couldn't turn off his infamous charm, that's what it was. And he was very charming. She knew this because she sat with Karen sometimes during lunch and she was always complaining of having to field a never-ending stream of calls from his conquests on a daily basis. And that was now that he wasn't even actively dating, being too busy with the Spectator for much else. Ella could only imagine him in his hay day-- a womanizing force of nature.

     On the business side of things, he'd recently made the change from a broadsheet publication to a newsmagazine— a much more user friendly option that increased sales immediately. Were they still behind the Times and the Post? Yes, but they were making strides in what everyone thought was a dead market, which was nothing to cough at.

     One day, almost six months since they'd hired her, Dan asked her to come to an editor's meeting with him. Ella could hardly contain herself. She was so excited, but kept a calm, cool, professional demeanor in spite of it. Well, calm and cool for her, anyway. Dan noted the little hop in her step as she followed him to the boardroom and smirked to himself.

     "By the way, Serena wanted me to tell you your column last week made her spit up her coffee," Dan told her, remembering his wife's cackling laughter when she'd read Ella's description of the current mayor's barely hidden affair with one of his secretaries. 'A Tale as Old as Time... but not as old as Mayor Novak, who was seen playing hide the sausage with his secretary during dinner. And no, they weren't at a deli.' Nate had lost his shit when Dan showed him— and he usually hated the lifestyle section.