Hold Me Down

chapter 20

I stare up at the looming steel and glass building. I brush my skirt once before I pass through the heavy glass doors.

I've gotten up early that morning to get ready. I've worn a white, button down blouse and smart black pencil skirt that sits above my knees. The heels I've borrowed from Clary clack against the smooth floors as I walk towards the receptionist's desk. I finger with my mother's necklace anxiously, running my fingers over the polished brass angel.

"Good morning," I smile politely to mask my nervousness.

The brown haired girl doesn't look up at me. "Are you the new secretary?" she simply asks. I remember this girl from when I first conducted the interview all those weeks ago. She wasn't particularly polite then, and she didn't seem to have changed now.

I nod fervently. "Yes. Theresa Gray." She doesn't respond right away. I note that her rectangular, metal name tag reads Tatiana Lightwood. It's such a pretty name for a girl as unpleasant as her. She would be prettier if she smiled.

She only jerks her head to the left. "Elevator's that way." And she resumes her typing.

I give her a quick thank you, and head to the walls. Around me, businessmen and smartly dressed women are greeting each other and heading to their offices. There's so much activity occurring within this dauntingly large building. It makes me think of what Will said when I was interviewing him for the paper.

"If I were to fire all of my employees, forty-thousand people would struggle to pay their bills. That's quite a lot of people I have power over."

It feels like so long ago. The memory brings up unpleasant feelings. It helps to settle the butterflies flying furiously in my stomach at the thought of seeing him. As the elevator ascends, I try to focus on his worst aspects: his arrogance, his lack of humility, his rudeness.

Finally, I'm at the top floor. I step out of the elevator and am greeted by the same girl with the scar who greeted me the last time I came here.

"Hey," she smiles at me. I smile back, grateful for the warm welcome.

"It's my first day. I'm the new secretary. My name is Tessa." I hold a hand out to her and she shakes it. Her hands are so soft and warm.

"It'll be great to have another girl up here. It gets so boring," she laughs. It's a lovely, pleasant sound. "I'm Sophie."

She leads me to a cozy office to the left of Will's large office. As I pass by, I turn my head to see if he's here but the door is closed.

The room houses a clean, white desk with nothing but a white box and folder on top. There is a long-backed white desk chair, and behind it is a floor to ceiling glass wall that looks out onto the city of London. I almost gasp at the view. There's a glass vase full of vibrant colored flowers on a smaller table against the wall, and a fruit bowl next to it.

"Wow," is all I can say. "This is amazing, thank you Sophie." She smiles at me.

"That folder on your desk has a couple intern applications in it. Today you'll just read them and discard the ones you don't like."

"That's it?" I'm struck again by how good my luck has been. "What's that door?" I point to a brown doorway on the left wall of my office.

"That leads to Mr. Herondale's office. You two will be working closely together."

I swallow. "I see."

Sophie nods. "My room is right across from yours. Call me if you need anything. Good luck, and congratulations on getting this job, Tessa."