I gently opened my eyes, and what greeted me was a severe headache. I leaned against the headboard, holding my head, but then I noticed something in my hand-a necktie. My heart starts pumping like crazy. What’s this? Why is this in my hands?
When I turned to face him, he was gone, just like before. Ismael is no longer present, but his necktie and the scent of his perfume linger. I shook my head again in irritation. I held my head, trying to recall what happened yesterday. I only recall being in the yard while intoxicated; how did I return to my room?
“Look at me. Look at me, Jothea. I am here.”
I closed my eyes. Was Ismael actually here yesterday? Why is he not here now? Does he truly have no intention of showing himself?
I got up to bathe my body when I realized I was dressed differently. I bit my lip. I want to be happy, but my dissatisfaction with him is growing. He makes me feel that he’s here, but he only confuses me. I am a mess. Also, I have no recollection of what happened after I drank alcohol. I’m getting more and more annoyed.
I sighed before heading to the kitchen for a drink of water. I then remembered our talk with Savannah from yesterday, so I quickly reached for my phone and sent my CV to Safira’s email. Come what may. I do not want to think about Ismael anymore. It is up to him what he wants to do.
The day moved rapidly. It’s like that when you’re preoccupied. You no longer think about the things that used to keep you distracted. I got an email from Safira. They asked me for a job interview, and because I had prior experience, I aced it. They give me a position with a minimum income that is adequate for a newcomer like me.
Today is my first day at Safira Company, and I was startled to find a small group of people working on a brand. Unlike in LMC, many people commute to work. There is a modest office where all of the team members work: a brand manager, social media manager, graphic designer, communications specialist, finance specialist, and me-a marketing associate.
“Jothea, right?” questioned a woman who didn’t look that elderly to me. “My name is Sapphire, and I am the owner of the Safira. I am an acquaintance of your friend, Savannah,” she said when she spotted me. I smiled and grabbed for her hand. “Actually, this perfume brand has long been my ambition. It’s a little tricky to develop because it’s still in the early stages, and I really need your assistance to make it work.”
When she speaks to me, it’s as if I’m her close friend. Typically, an owner will not reveal their difficulties to a newcomer, but I believe she trusts me. I felt compelled to help her. Even though I’m not particularly excellent at marketing, I’m confident that I can apply all I’ve learned to help her. And, one day, I will find myself in need of assistance in order to achieve my dream too.
I immediately adapted to Safira. I believe we can establish a firm bond as friends since they see me as a friend also who they’ve been yearning for for a while.
“Jothea, did you eat breakfast already? Would you like a cup of coffee?” Erl, our communications specialist, asked me. I shake my head. “I don’t drink coffee.”
“Right! I apologize; I forgot. How about tea?” I smiled and nodded.
“Jothea, the bosslady said we’d have dinner later. She called it a treat. You should come also, huh?” Zedee told me that she even rolled her swivel chair next to me.
“Sure.” Zedee is our social media manager, and she sits next to me at the desk.
“So finish your work early so we can go home early too!” Caylie stated that seated on Zedee’s left. She’s our graphic designer.
“What do I hear about going home early?” asked Mill, who had just left Miss Sapphire’s office. Mill is our financial specialist. “Does Miss Ayu know that?” she asks, referring to our brand manager.
“Absolutely! That is marvelous! Miss Sapphire’s utterance will immediately reach Miss Ayu!” Erl said, going slowly because she was holding two cups-one for her coffee and one for my tea. We all laughed. At least I’m able to keep up with them. The other side of my personality emerges. It’s excellent to have a relaxed working environment because we’re just competing with ourselves, not with other companies. When you have that mindset, you simply run smoothly.
“Team! We have a problem.”
When Miss Sapphire shouted, we both lost our smiles. “It looks like we won’t be able to continue tonight. We got a lot of orders!”
The next thing I heard was the girl next to me shouting loudly. This is what it’s like to be joyful about a problem. This is the type of problem I prefer. Too good not to bother with.
We completed late in the evening because of the high volume of orders. We are also the ones who took care for it. It’s fun because I’m learning about how I’ll run my business one day. It’s OK to start small.
Miss Sapphire ordered a large pizza and Coke for our meal. I mean it’s enough rather than going out. We each headed home after a full day of work because we had an early start to work the next day.
It was late, so I decided to walk home. After all, there are no more vehicles. I do not want to take Miss Sapphire’s offer to take me to my place because her route is different than mine. And I told her there is no need to panic because there light posts on the road so it was not that dangerous.
My body was sore, so I rubbed my shoulders and punched my back while walking. Work is exhausting, but it also brings me joy. Aside from helping in marketing our company, I also learn a lot because others contribute their innovative ideas, so I am not overburdened with my workload. I hope to myself that one day I can create such a nice environment and be as understanding as Miss Sapphire.
When I realized someone was following me, I stopped walking. So I looked into it. I noticed a man in black walking behind me. I was nervous, so I sped up my walk. I nearly forgot that I’m a girl. Maybe horrible things will happen to me. The next time, I’d rather accept Miss Sapphire’s offer than risk tripping over men who are out walking.
I arrived home at eleven o’clock and couldn’t clean, so I slept on the couch. The next morning, I woke up to the loud sound of my phone. Someone is calling. It was unknown number. I realized that I keep receiving calls from unfamiliar numbers these days.
Who would be calling at this time? Six in the morning?
I wasn’t planning to respond, but I was so drowsy that I clicked the green button instead of the red one. “Hi! This is Sir Martin of the Loeisal Malmdan Company. Is this Miss Jothea Alvandra?”
I awoke when I heard the name LMC. That caused me to lose a lot of sleep. Am I dreaming?
“Yeah, speaking,” I said calmly.
“I apologize for the late response, Miss Alvandra. May I inquire if you’re still interested in the position? I can make arrangements for you to attend the last interview, which we missed due to an urgent meeting with the CEO. Are you free today?”
I halted. I hadn’t expected their call since I applied for the position in another company. I believed I had failed because I hadn’t heard about them in a few weeks. I gave up on getting into LMC since I believed I lacked the qualifications.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I already have a job,” I said truthfully. “I don’t think I would want to quit there in the near future.”
A period of stillness fell over us. I was simply being honest. I can’t get rid of what I have that was accepted in order to turn it into something better or what I still desire.
“I understand, Miss Alvandra. Can I inquire which company you are currently working for?”
“Saffira.”
*****
I’ve slapped myself multiple times. I should not have said that. I should not have mentioned the company I currently work for. They could believe that’s what I traded them for. I mean, I gasped. I haven’t truly lost my sense of humor.
I entered the office and was shocked to see my coworkers gathering outside Miss Sapphire’s office.
“What’s up?” I asked to greet them. They turned to me one by one.
“You won’t believe it, Jothea! LMC is buying our company,” Erl added, causing me to stare.
“What do you mean by LMC?” I said it incredulously. I do not want to believe that the LMC they are referring to is my dream company.
“What else is LMC? It is the Loeisal Malmdan Company, Jothea!” Zedee said, making my mouth even softer. I cannot believe this. Why would LMC purchase the Safira? Out of the blue?
I was still curious when the door suddenly opened, and I was astonished to see who I was going to see-the woman I had seen with Ismael before. She was that woman. Why is she here? What’s she doing here?
I fainted when our gazes touched. As I watch her wonderful grin on me, I can feel the pain in my heart, but I am at a loss for what to do because of envy.
“Team, I’d like you to meet Miss Jenna Levanier. She is the marketing manager for the renowned Loeisal Malmdan Company. She is coming to make some arrangements with us about the collaboration of our brands.” Miss Sapphire introduced the woman next to her. Okay, so it was a collaboration? Not about purchasing our company, Safira. Right, if I were Miss Sapphire, I would reject any approach from a competitor to buy my brand. Despite the fact that LMC is well-known, I would not agree either, given that our brand is still in its early stages. What if we actually beat the LMC? I mean, it’s not awful to have huge dreams. They say to shoot for the heavens; even if you miss, you’ll land in the sky.
“Hello everyone. You can call me Miss Jenna or Miss Levanier,” she announced boldly. I thought of her again and how little the world is. “I am here as a representative of the LMC because our CEO was attending other business meetings. I would appreciate your participation in making our partnership possible and stress-free. Just like Miss Sapphire and I discussed and agreed on, your marketing associate would be working with us in the meantime,” she said, explaining that she was the reason my coworkers looked at me. If I were in their circumstances, I’d look at myself also. Why me? What do they require from me?
I gazed at Miss Sapphire. She just nodded and smiled. So she consented to this? How about me? Will they ask me if I want to work for that company? Why not simply conduct the collaboration planning here? Also, why is this so sudden?
A notion sprang to mind. Hold on, I don’t want to assume, but are they doing this because I declined their offer this morning? No way. Who am I? This is ridiculous!
“If you don’t have any further questions, Miss Alvandra, shall we?”