Alice
I forgot my panties.
Seriously, it’s the first day of work, and that’s my problem? Most girls might forget their ID and have trouble filling out their paperwork. Maybe they’ll forget their boss’ last name and look stupid during a meeting.
Me, though?
I forgot my panties.
Somehow, I was in such a rush that it slipped my mind until now.
Now that I’m standing in front of the 10-story building.
Now that I’m getting ready to walk through those doors, every little rush of wind tingles against my skin, and I realize that I’m in over my head.
Who am I kidding? Thinking I’m good enough for the likes of Blossom Falls is a huge mistake. I’m making a mistake. I’m just some 23-year-old kid, fresh out of school. I don’t have work experience. I don’t even have my own car. Why did I think it was a good idea to apply to work at the biggest software company in the city?
What do I even know about marketing?
I should leave.
I should turn around, flag a taxi, and head back to my tiny, overpriced apartment. That would be the smart thing to do. That would be the wise choice. Not everyone can make it in the business world, after all. Things here are cutthroat and dire. Things are rough. My friends will understand. They won’t judge me. Hell, they might even float me a little cash for rent.
You can’t depend on other people forever.
It’s true.
Even as I stare at the building, I know I’m not going to leave. I’m not going to turn around. I’m not going to quit. I’m going to do this. I have to do it.
Mom and Dad have always told me I could do anything, be anything. Now is my time to prove that they’re right. It all starts with this first step. People are walking by me, pushing and shoving and hurrying. I’m sure everyone thinks I’m crazy. They probably all think I’m nuts: just some crazy woman who works in the mail room or something, but I’m not.
Nope.
I’m the new marketing associate and I’m going to be incredible.
I’m going to be great.
I can totally, completely do this.
Deep breaths, Alice.
I just have to convince myself to move through those doors.
“Coming in?” A woman passes me and pushes open the spotless glass door. With the number of people entering Blossom Falls, there really should be more smudges. The woman pauses, briefly, and looks at me. It’s now or never, I realize.
“Yeah, thanks.” I hurry forward and scurry into the lobby.
“No problem,” she says, and then she hurries off. Her heels click-clack across the floors, which are also spotless. Everything here is so perfect and clean and pristine.
I feel awkward and out of place.
In this world, I’m nothing.
A prawn.
A beginner.
In this world, I’m absolutely new to everything and somehow, I have to find a way to find my place. I have to make a name for myself here. I have to prove that Blossom Falls did the right thing by hiring me. Yeah, I might be fresh and young and I might not know a lot, but I believe in myself, and that’s something, right?
Somehow, I manage to start moving forward through the building. I try not to gawk at the huge downstairs lobby. I was here before, for my initial and follow-up interviews, but somehow, things seem even bigger today.
I really am just a small fish in a huge pond, but I’m going to make the most of it.
I’m going to make the most of everything today.
No matter what happens, I’m going to be great.
With or without my undies.
*
“Thank you for calling Blossom Falls. Marketing Department. How may I help you?” The receptionist on the 8th floor looks impeccable. Her red hair is piled on top of her head and she’s dressed in classic pin-up clothes: a pencil skirt and button-down blouse. She smiles as I approach the desk and motions for me to hold on a moment while she wraps up the call.
I wait patiently, and after a moment, she hangs up.
“Sorry about that, love,” she says. “How can I help you?”
“I’m here for my first day, actually. I’m the new marketing associate.” It takes every ounce of self-control, but I don’t fidget. There’s a time and a place for fidgeting, and it’s not now.
Be professional, I quietly remind myself.
“Oh, yes, Alice, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
The woman shuffles through some files on her desk and then pulls out a sheet of paper. After a quick glance at the page, she hands it over to me.
“What’s this?”
“Your to-do list for today, basically.” She smiles brightly. “First, you’ll need to go down to HR and fill out some paperwork. Then you’ll need to go to accounting and set up your direct deposit. When that’s all done, you’ll come back up here in time for the 11:00 meeting.”
“Meeting?” My eyes are roaming the sheet, looking at the list. I don’t know anything about a meeting. I don’t really know anything about anything, actually. My interview covered my essential job responsibilities, but I wasn’t told where I’ll be sitting, where my desk is, or what to expect at this meeting.
“Yes, the marketing department has a meeting each Monday at 11:00,” the receptionist says. “Even if you aren’t done with your other tasks, make sure you get back in time for that. It’s vital that you attend and, more importantly, that you aren’t late.”
“What kind of meeting is it?” My mouth has gone a bit dry. Was I supposed to prepare something? Am I going to be expected to speak?
“Don’t worry about that, love,” she smiles. “It’s just a review of the week’s projects and assignments will be dished out. You have nothing to worry about. Just make sure you’re there.”
“Okay, well, thank you,” I tell her. “I guess I’ll head down to HR, then.”
“Good luck,” she waves me off. “Oh, and Alice?”
“Yes?”
“Watch out for Ben from Accounting.”
“Ben?”
“You’ll know him when you see him.”
Right.
“Okay, um, thanks for the tip.”
I turn back to the elevators, wondering who the hell Ben is and why I’ve gotten a warning about him.
*
I didn’t plan to go into marketing. What kid wakes up and says, “I’d like a corporate office job”? Nah. I wanted to be a dancer. I wanted to amaze people with my flexibility and my skill and I wanted to impress them. A severe peanut allergy and an overprotective mother dashed those dreams, though. I had a reaction to a sandwich at day camp when I was a pre-teen and after that, after-school activities weren’t part of my life.
In college, it just seemed right to pursue a career that would land me a real job. Marketing fit. I like people and I like solving puzzles, so it seemed appropriate. Now that I’m here, though, I feel like I’m in way over my head. Everyone at Blossom Falls seems like they know exactly what they’re doing and exactly where they’re going.
Me?
I’m the awkward penguin of the office and I’m hoping I can fake it until I make it.
Somehow, after only getting lost twice, I manage to make it to HR. It’s located on the 2nd floor of the building. This department has a receptionist, too, and she points me down the hall to the office I need to go to.
“Come on in,” the man says when I knock on the door. Rex is his name. Rex Thompson. He looks up at me when I enter the office and offers me this incredible smile. Fuck. Okay, maybe I picked the wrong department. Damn. “How can I help you?”
I hold up my ID card. “I need to finish my paperwork,” I tell him. “I was told you’re the guy to talk to.”
“First day?”
“Yep.”
“Have a seat.”
Rex walks me through the forms I have to fill out in order to prove I can actually work legally and to file my taxes. He chats comfortably with me as I fill everything out. He’s been here for awhile now, and in his opinion, Blossom Falls is the place to me.
“Thanks for filling me in,” I tell him. He gives me a copy of my paperwork and sends me on my way. Then I’m off to find the accounting department so I can set up my direct deposit. I brought a copy of my bank account number, so this part should be easy. A quick glance at my watch shows I’m going to have to hurry, though. Getting lost trying to find human resources really messed with my morning schedule. Somehow, I manage to make it to the accounting department. There’s a receptionist desk set up in another small lobby. To the side of the reception desk, there’s a hallway that leads to offices, I presume. A woman sitting behind the desk smiles at me. She looks like she really loves her job. It might seem silly, but that makes me feel better about working at Blossom Falls.
“How can I help you?” She asks.
“My name is Alice Cherry. I’m a new employee. I’m here to set up my direct deposit stuff for payments,” I tell her.
“Oh, no problem,” she says. A man is walking by the front desk, and the receptionist flags him down. “Hey, Tony, can you show Alice to Ben’s office? He should be back by now.”
“Sure thing,” Tony smiles at me and motions for me to follow him down the hall.
“So, how long have you been at Blossom Falls?” I ask him.
“A few years,” he says. “It’s a good company. People are fun and interesting. There’s always something cool going on. Besides,” he lowers his voice conspiratorially. “The pay is fantastic.”
I can’t help myself. I giggle at the joke, and then we stop in front of an office. Tony pushes the door open.
“Hmm, looks like Ben isn’t back yet.” He looks down the hallway. “Must still be in his meeting with his boss. No worries. I can help you get set up.” Tony leads me into Ben’s office, grabs a form from the desk, and hands it to me. “Here you go,” he says.
“What’s this?”
“Easy peasy is what it is. Just fill it out. Your bank information goes here,” he points to a spot at the bottom of the form. “I don’t mess with Ben’s computer stuff. He’ll have to input the information, but this is all he needs from you. Just fill it out and he should be back any minute.”
I glance at the clock.
“I have to go soon,” I tell him. “I have a meeting.”
“That’s fine,” Tony seems unfazed. “I’ll let him know. Just leave the form on his desk when you’re done.”
“Thanks for your help,” I say.
“Anytime,” Tony turns and leaves, whistling as he does. He’s a younger guy, about my age, but he seems really satisfied with his job here, and he’s been here for a couple of years. I wonder if Tony started working here while he was still in college. Maybe he’s just younger than he looks. Either way, my encounters with my fellow Blossom Falls employees have all been very nice compared to what I was expecting.
Then again, I’m not really sure what I was expecting.
I suppose I thought I’d be dealing with people who were cutthroat and mean, cruel and uncaring. Isn’t that how people in the business world usually act? Each to their own, and all that? Maybe being a part of something bigger than myself is going to be fun. Maybe it’ll be better than I thought.
I’ve needed to get my shit together for a long time. I’ve never considered myself to be lazy or lame or boring, but the whole job thing? It’s time. I fall back on other people too much. It’s my own fault, but my parents made it easy. Growing up as an only child with severe allergies, it was easier for them to shelter me and protect me than to let me go and fly.
It was easier for them to bail me out than to let me make my own mistakes and to have to live with the consequences of those mistakes.
“All done,” I say aloud, looking at the form. I double check it a few times. I still don’t see Ben, but I have to go. I grab one of his sticky notes and scribble a note with my cell number. If he has a problem with my form, for some reason, he’ll be able to get in touch with me. I don’t know my office number yet. With one last glance over my shoulder, I leave his office and turn down the hall. I head back to the lobby when I stop dead in my tracks.
Crap.
I forgot my pen.
It’s stupid, but my mom gave it to me. It’s sort of my good luck pen.
“What’s wrong?” The receptionist notices me standing there awkwardly.
“I forgot my pen,” I roll my eyes, and she chuckles.
“I do that all the time,” she says. “It’s crazy how fast those little suckers disappear.”
Heading back down the hall, I realize that Ben has returned from his meeting. Great. The guy I’m supposed to be avoiding, and I don’t have time to chat. Another glance at my phone. I really need to hurry if I’m going to make it to the meeting. Taking a deep breath and steeling myself, I head into the office. I’m just going to grab my pen and leave.
What could possibly go wrong?