I walked into the building feeling stupidly nervous. It was my first day at my new job. I kept worrying that I was too honest about my job searching intentions and someone would realise that I wasn't really suitable for the job. Or maybe they'd realise that going to an interview thinking it was for a completely different company wasn't really appropriate. Or that they'd figure out I lied and didn't really want the job.
I felt like I was walking on egg-shells. I didn't like this one bit.
I walked in through the heavy main door a little flustered—because I was also a little out of breath from rushing up the road, not just nervous—and noticed the reception area. If you could call it that, as it was just a small room with a glass window to the left. The small window had a view of an office room of sorts behind it, and there was a dauntingly large security locked door in front of me.
This place means business.
There was no one in the room I was standing in or in the small office behind the small window, so I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. I pulled on the security door, but it didn't budge.
Maybe it's a push door you plonker! I thought to myself and sighed as I pushed the door instead.
Still nothing. Obviously it was a security door, it wasn't supposed to be easy to go in or out. I could see there was an access panel on the side of the door where individuals had to scan a card or something to gain access. I obviously didn't have one, so I wasn't going to gain access by myself.
I groaned and looked around again. There was no one there. I had no idea how to get in.
In the corner of the room I stood in, however, there was a security camera looking right at me, catching me looking like a plonker on my first day. I waved at it, but nothing happened.
"Hello?" I called, waving at the camera again. Nothing.
Until I heard a voice; "Hello."
I span round and saw an amused looking woman staring at me from behind the glass. She had short curly blonde hair, an oval face with pink cheeks and bright green eyes.
"Oh, hi," I said, trying to keep the embarrassment at bay. "I, err, my name is—"
"Miss Mark. I know, I guessed it was you."
"Oh."
"Are you finished waving at the camera? I can leave you for a few moments if you like?"
"Huh?"
She laughed. "I'm messing with you, my love. Go on through the door," she said, and must have pressed a button because I could hear a buzzing sound. "Come round and meet me. I'll wait by the door on your left."
"Okay, thanks," I said, and pulled the door open. It took me a few seconds to realise it really was a push door, not a pull, and I managed to open it before the buzzing stopped and locked me in the room again.
I rushed through, feeling extremely embarrassed now and saw the same woman standing and waiting in the threshold of the door like she said she would.
Behind the security door was a long dark and dreary corridor with a number of doors off of it from either side, the only light was coming through from a very vacant looking and rather small kitchen at the end of the corridor. The room behind the woman was the same room that I saw from the main entrance only from a different angle, and it really was that small.
"I'm surprised to see you," the woman said, pushing glasses up her nose as she surveyed me.
"Oh, I, err, start today?" I said, pushing the strap of my bag up my shoulder a bit more.
"Ah, you didn't get the message?" she asked.
"What message?"
"Well, I asked my assistant administrator to ring you and ask if you'd mind starting mid-week instead. It's just we're a little busy getting your contract sorted." She turned around and went into the small office, suddenly busying herself in a pile of paperwork on one of the desks. She pulled out a file from the stack of paperwork and I was sure the pile was going to fall over.
I thought the file was for me at first, until she opened it up, jotted something down with a nearby pen and then put the file back on top of the dangerously wobbly stack.
The room itself, although clearly small, looked extremely disorganised. I wasn't sure if it was disorganised, or if it was because the room was so small it made it look untidy. Right next to the door I was standing in, there was a small desk with a large computer monitor, a huge pile of paperwork that the woman had just busied herself in, a well-used off-white mug with a unicorn on the front of it discarded on the desk with dregs of tea still in the bottom, and a small uncomfortable-looking chair tucked tightly underneath. Along one side of the room was the small window that looked into the small room I was previously trapped in. At the far end, there was one more slightly bigger desk with even more paperwork stacked up on and a small row of rather tall metal filing cabinets alongside. The wall to my right, however, was just a completely bare white wall that felt like it was looming over me. I suddenly felt really uncomfortable.
"Oh," I said and frowned. "I didn't get the—"
"That's okay." She waved a hand dismissively and interrupted me like it wasn't too much of a deal. "I can always just give you some paperwork to read through? You're welcome to stay and read through it or you can take it back with you to read. It's up to you."
"Oh, I don't want to get in the way—"
"Seeing as it's our mistake for not telling you about the change," she continued, interrupting me again, "we'll still pay you the full week, so don't worry about that. But you're welcome to go and read them. You could just sit in a café or something. I'll give you my number if you have any questions."
"Sure," I said, feeling a little better knowing that my finances won't be too messed up this week. Although I felt a little taken aback that she was happy with leaving me with the paperwork and still paying me.
Maybe this job isn't so bad after all?
"Come on in, I'll get the paperwork for you."
"Okay." I stepped wordlessly into the small office, feeling a little claustrophobic in it. Because the room was so small and there were two computers, the room felt unnaturally stuffy. I was suddenly glad that I was a support worker and not an administrator. I couldn't work in a small office like that all day.
"So, did you find the building alright?" the woman asked, walking to the row of filing cabinets.
"Oh, yeah, it was easy," I said, looking away from the computer that was next to me and up at the woman again. I couldn't help but notice that the systems looked extremely out of date. Not to mention there were an awful lot of sensitive files out on show and not filed away properly and securely.
"Oh really? Most people have issues!"
"I'm used to it," I said, sitting down in a chair next to me while the woman opened up a draw on one of the tall filing cabinets. "I've moved jobs a lot, so I'm used to the awkward first days. I wasn't sure where the building was, so I went on the internet and—" I paused abruptly, realising what I just said. "Wait, I don't mean I go from job to job, like, getting fired. I just mean—"
The woman laughed again. "Relax, Miss Mark, it's fine. I've read your CV. It was actually me that offered you the job."
"Oh," I said, frowning at the back of her head.
She turned around and held out some paperwork; a pile of what looked like policies and procedures. I inwardly groaned at the prospect of reading through them all. "My name's Mary. This is my company, I own the place."
"Oh!" I said, my eyes went wide, I recognised the name. I read about her on the rather poor website they had. "Sorry, I didn't know—"
"That's okay." She laughed. "Not many people do, except for those who work here. I don't like plastering my face up everywhere."
I nodded. "I would have recognised you on the website."
She smiled. "On our terrible website?" My face dropped and she laughed again. "It's fine, I know it's terrible, we're having it redesigned—again. We had a few issues with the last website designer. He left us a little out of pocket and ruined the website, we had to make do with what we had, and I wasn't happy with it at all."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Don't be, it's not your fault." I was sure she just winked at me. "So, here's all I have so far. I'll get your contract finished up by Wednesday afternoon, so you can come in any time on Wednesday. Although it'll be nice to know you've read these through first. There is a PVG form in there too which you'll need to redo and if you could complete the bank form so we can get your bank details sorted on Wednesday too."
"Sure," I said, still a little flustered as I took the pile of paperwork from her, holding them like a new born baby in my arms; delicately and afraid to drop them.
"Well, that's you. I'll see you again on Wednesday." Mary smiled.
"Thanks." I smiled back. I was feeling a little happier now. Although daunted by the large pile of paperwork to get through.
***
A few moments later I was sat on the bus on my way back home and feeling a little deflated. The paperwork was still in my arms, but resting on my lap. I had to avoid looking at them so I didn't feel so overwhelmed. Although the woman seemed nice, it wasn't what I wanted to do, and I was worried about that office I had just seen. I knew there was a security door, which was reassuring, but that office was not only out of date and disorganised. I was worried about all those files that were on show, anyone could see through the window and get a look at them.
Plus, that hotel job was still lingering on my mind, and that strange meeting with that handsome Dan guy last week.
I plopped the paperwork on the spare seat next to me and took out my mobile phone before searching for that business card Dan had given me. For a moment I thought I had lost it, but it was right in the bottom of my bag. I sighed and started to dial the number on the front.
"Daniel Jefferies," said a familiar voice on the end.
"Hi, err, Dan. It's Alice."
"Alice!" he sounded like he was beaming down the phone. "Lovely to hear your voice again, how is your first day going at your new job?"
"Err, well, apparently I don't start until Wednesday."
"Ah, and you've reconsidered my offer?"
Offer? Was it a date then?
"Well, I–I guess I feel I at least owe you an apology for being so rude."
He laughed. "Ah, don't worry about that!" he said, and then sounded like he was talking to someone else for a second. "Sorry, the joys of being boss; you never have a moments peace and quiet here. So, how about... Tuesday?"
"Sure," I said, frowning at the back of the seat in front of me. He was a boss? I thought he was just an interview panel person? Or whatever he was. I didn't know how a hotel actually worked. But I didn't know he was a boss? Unless he did have a small team or something?
"Great," he sounded like he was beaming again. "How about Luigi's?"
Luigi's? Wasn't that a bar? So, I'm not meeting him at the hotel? Shit, this is a date!
"Yeah, o–okay," I said, feeling a little flustered that a hot guy was asking me out on a date. Right at the moment I was just going to agree with anything he said and figure out what it meant afterwards.
Of course, after I hung up—not long after he had given me a time to meet me there—I realised I had no idea where this Luigi's was!
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