I leave the elevator looking around bewildered and surprised again: this office doesn't look like mine at all. All floors in this building are supposed to have the same layout but I work in a cold, depressing and bland space painted in neutral shades whereas Savannah's cultural foundation is modern and full of design furniture, dark concrete walls give an industrial touch but the blue armchairs bring colour to the office and light pours in shinning bright through the wide windows lighting up the cream hardwood floor. There aren't many employees but they all look relaxed and happy while working, they contrast sharply with the tension on the floor above where everybody competes to get the boss' approval... unsuccessfully most of the time, I must say.
"Can I help you?" I smile at the kind boy who looks at me confused since I'm still standing in front of the elevator.
"Yes, I'm looking for Savannah's office..." I stop hesitating because I don't know her last name. "We're friends but I've never been here before." I explain and the guy nods, pointing at his left with his hand.
"It's at the end of the corridor, you can't miss it. The door is made of glass so you'll see her sat at her desk."
"Thank you," I whisper walking in the direction indicated. To be honest, I'm not sure Savannah will be happy to see me since I've been avoiding her lately... It's increasingly difficult for me to find reasonable excuses to turn down her invitations every time she asks me to go out with them on the weekends. It's been a month since I met the girls for the first time and I run into her in the lobby or the coffee shop in front of the building, we talk and laugh but, every time she insists on asking me to go out for dinner with them, I have to come up with a new excuse to explain why it'd be a bad idea: my job, the flu, my stupid boss, a distant cousin who lives in this country visiting me... Maybe I should just tell her I don't earn enough money to adjust to their lifestyle because I'm starting to suspect that Savannah thinks I'm avoiding Ruby after getting laid with her, actually, and that's not true; in fact, I wouldn't mind seeing her again and repeating the experience. It'd be a dream coming true...
"Iselen, hello... What are you doing here?" My friend blinks surprised and gets up from her chair, gesturing at me to walk into the office and take a seat on one of the gorgeous blue armchairs in front of her. She doesn't look upset, only confused, and the knot of tension in my stomach loosens a bit. "I was worried about you, I haven't seen you in the coffee shop this week... Have you been sick?"
"No, I was working." I shake my head, amused when I see her rolling her eyes and opening her mouth to insult my boss. "This time is different, there was a good reason to work overtime: we had to publish the new book of a very famous author who's well-known for being a little difficult and very demanding. Surprisingly, I managed to edit it before the deadline and she liked the cover I showed her at first sight... I don't know, I think she likes me and we have good chemistry... The task was easier than I expected. Now I'm the only assistant she wants to work with and my boss is happy and feels relieved. I didn't expect it but he's paid me a generous commission."
"I'm happy for you too, that's great. It was about time for that idiot to realize how good you're at your job." Savannah leans to one side to open the door of a mini fridge on a shelf and takes two soft drinks. "We have to celebrate but I don't have champagne, unfortunately, so this will do for now."
"It's okay," I whisper smiling amused while she looks for two glasses and my eyes are drawn by a colourful painting on the wall, the watercolour standing out against the dark grey: some musicians playing in Bourbon Street in New Orleans and it looks like the artist is amateur but has very good taste and sensibility.
"My grandma painted it, she still lives in the city and watercolour is her favourite hobby..." Savannah gives me my drink and raises her own glass at me. "Congratulations."
