The Closer (18+) ✓

| 5.1 | her office ethics

❝I am never gonna give you anything you expect
You think I'm like the others
Boy, you need to get your eyes checked❞

Chapter Five:
Her Office Ethics

It was a lot easier transitioning from the backdrops of the beloved Emerald City to the capital than I had thought. For one, the resettlement allowance provided by my new employer was quite generous. The company was paying for almost everything; from shipping every single box of what I owned to cashing out the big bucks to provide me a temporary accommodation up to a period of two weeks at a fancy hotel suite (until I found my own place).

Sure, I was going to miss Seattle. I was going to miss the cloudy and overcast skies - which I found calming and meditative. I was going to miss the culture of a city I had grown accustomed to over five years. I was going to miss running into the occasional hipster-groups in the park, blowing bubbles in my face and playing music. Seattle had become my home. But over the week of packing and preparing myself for the big move, I had warmed up to the idea of change. Helena had played a huge factor there.

My best friend had turned ecstatic at the idea of my moving to D.C., maybe cause it had always been her dream for us to live together in the upscale capital of the USA and now we were a step closer. But it was mainly due to the fact that now we were literally closer, distance-wise, which meant more visits from my wacky partner in crime...and a lot more drinking. She had been so kind as to send me a bunch of links to how to prepare myself for life in Washington D.C., with warnings on the high cost of living, how I'd have to throw out my casual wardrobe and get a whole new fashionable one. Ever the supportive one, Helena.

As much as the negotiations between Jasper and I had reached a final conclusion of a whopping salary and generous package with benefits like health insurance, a cost of living allowance and the likes, the journey was exhausting this time around. I actually got to travel first-class and the flight was perfect but the burden of the move was heavily settled on my shoulders, not to mention the fact that my stupid emotions had to get in the way. I couldn't tear my eyes off the city after take-off, smiling sadly at what I was leaving behind. Once I touched down in my new home city, I didn't have time left to ponder on what, once, had been.

Jasper had sent a company driver to pick me up, and whisk me away to the hotel so I could rest a few hours before waking up in the morning and heading off to face my first day at work. It was all slightly nerve-wracking, although Peter was good at distracting me.

"How was your flight Ms. Henderson?" were the first words out of his mouth once I was seated comfortably at the back of the car. His Hispanic accent did not go missed. I always had an ear for accents, having been fascinated with them as a child and perked up at the back with a tired but genuine smile.

"It was alright."

The older man's eyes lit up in a wrinkled smile, meeting my own through the rear-view mirror before flickering back to the road ahead.

"It will be your first day at the office tomorrow, yes?"

I nodded, letting out a sigh as I looked out the window. Everything about this city spelled professionalism. I was about to embark into another job that would be just as challenging as the last, if not more with me having to start from step one again. The look on my previous colleague's faces flashed through my head, the day I had packed up my desk and left without a word. Rita was the only one I'd bothered to have a tearful goodbye with but everyone else believed the stupid story cooked up by Deborah. It was easier that way. I was able to make a clean break.

"I still remember my first day joining the company's rank of drivers." Peter's voice snapped me out of my reverie. I looked at the side of his face, noticing the wide smile spreading on it. "Mr. Smythe was my first assignment."

"Jonathon Smythe?" I asked, my posture straightening in kindled interest. Hans' father, the owner of Innovus.

"I was lucky."

I chuckled, mistaking Peter's words for sarcasm. "How is that lucky? You had to drive the big boss on your very first day of work. Wasn't that stressful?"

"It was until I realized that Mr. Smythe is nothing like the rumors say he is. He respected me as his driver for that day, and I, the same. The last thing I expected was for a billion-dollar entrepreneur to treat a man like myself as his equal. It's not something that you see in a lot of people these days."

True, that. Hans certainly didn't take after his father in that way, judging by how he had treated me.

"Then I guess you're right about being lucky," I said, smiling. The hum of the wheels stilled on the road as the car rolled to a pause, having caught up to traffic. That's another thing Helena had made sure to tip me off about; the heavy bustle and hustle of the city but I had already been expecting that.

"Eighteen years later and every day is just as wonderful as my first had been." Peter turned, his eyes warm and friendly as he gave me an encouraging smile over his shoulder. "Don't worry too much for your first day. I can see it in your eyes since the moment we met, Ms. Henderson. I'm sure you'll find your place in the company too."

When Jasper told me he was sending me a driver, the last thing I'd been expecting was a pep talk from a friendly middle aged man but that's exactly what Peter had to offer. My quick beating heart settled a little more in my chest, hoping for the best as Peter did when he dropped me off at the hotel. I've had to fight tooth and nail for every point in my career but Innovus might be different. It started with a struggle, with a Hans but maybe, all my years of pain had paid off in finally handing me the job I really deserved.

In a failing company, but we could always fix that.

_____

Song: You Can't Pin Me Down by Marina and the Diamonds

Dedicated to bear1997 - one of my newest readers! Thank you for your votes and comments, especially the last one that cracked me up. :P

QOTD: Did you ever have a first day at school/college/work that went horribly wrong (or wonderfully right)? What happened to make that day stand out?

Sneak peek of the next part: Tris meets her new colleagues and gets a feel of her new work-place. It just might be better than she had hoped for, especially with the introduction of the handsome and fun-loving Timothy.

The next update will be on Friday! Also, I know this one is rather short but I'm making up for it in the next update, don't you worry!