TEAGAN:
I'm running late to my first day of orientation for my first real big girl job and the man next to me on BART smells. Like salami. It's nearly 9am and this guy smells like salami.
Okay, to be fair, I probably won't be late. But I definitely won't be early. And truth be told, I'd rather be 30 minutes early than 3 minutes late and at this point I'll be lucky if I make it just in time. I feel frustrated knowing that the other new hire is definitely going to beat me there. And they probably didn't have a smelly guy next to them first thing in the morning.
The worst part of all of this is the coffee cup in my hand. I'm officially that bitch that's about to walk in not early with a Starbucks cup in my hand. I hate myself for them already.
As I sprint out of the Embarcadero station toward The Beat's headquarters building, I feel my scarf slowly dropping down heavily to the right side. With my binder in one hand and my piping hot latte in the other, adjusting it right now is not a luxury I most certainly can not afford. I feel it begin to drag on the damp ground and curse to myself.
The high rise elevator takes me to the 22nd floor where I burst through a big mahogany door with my foot, practically breaking my ankle in the process. That's a heavy ass door.
I give the receptionist my name and glance anxiously at the clock. 8:59am. I'll take it. I sit down and set my binder next to me, allowing me a free hand to assess the damage done to my scarf. When I see that the whole bottom third of my scarf is completely swamped, I'm not even upset. I nod in solemn acceptance that this is just the day I'm living today.
As I prepare to remove it and shove it in my bag so I can at least pretend to look professional, I'm startled by someone saying my name.
"Teagan Portman?"
"Yes," I answer too quickly.
The eagle eyed woman fans me forward and says, "I'm Margaret Pierce, your boss. Call me Marg. Like short for the drink. Welcome. Sorry I'm running a bit late this morning. Our other new hire is already in the meeting room." She was running late? It was 8am exactly. This is why I'm early to everything. And the new hire had clearly gotten that memo too.
"Follow me this way," she continues.
I followed Marg through another large door, thankful that my foot wasn't taking the grunt of it this time, to a trendy office space with a too-large glass table and purple embroidered chairs. My eyes quickly fall to the back of the head of a brunette boy. For whatever reason, the thought that the new hire could be a guy never occurred to me. I quickly slip into the seat next to him as Marg crosses over and sits adjacent to us. I feel the eyes of the boy quickly scanning me as I adjust my things before he leans over and whispers, "You have something on your scarf." My head shoots up, and the smug asshole isn't even looking at me. He's looking straight ahead with a tight lipped smirk as though he hadn't just quietly humiliated me in front of my new boss. Just as I was about to shit on his existence for crossing me before I'd even had a sip of coffee, Marg interrupts.
"Alright. Both of your resumes were very impressive. That being said, just because you were both offered the positions does not mean that you won't have to prove yourselves in an on-boarding period."
As Marg speaks, I try to remove my scarf as nonchalantly as possible and quickly stuff it into my bag.
"Absolutely," asshole replies to her.
"Absolutely," I say with a passive grin.
"Both of you have the potential to excel here," Marg continues, "Part of the reason you two were selected was because it is my belief that you both have strengths that will compliment each other. Dean," she looks to the boy, "it is my understanding that you wish mainly in photography, is that correct?"
"Yes ma'am," he replies, "but of course I'm open to any opportunity available."
Okay, first of all, ma'am, is he kidding? Are we living in the 18th century midwest? I can't help but side-eye him.
"Well I would hope so," she said, "And Teagan, you have an interest in both writing and photography?"
"That is correct," I reply. "More so the organizational aspects behind the scenes, not so much behind the lens myself."
"Great. So for this week, I want you guys to spend your time familiarizing yourselves with the office and its staff, including each other. I also want you to take special note of the tone that we portray in our publications. Make sure to utilize all of your resources, because you will be surrounded by them. I'm going to send you both activation codes for your company email accounts, as well as rough drafts of three of the articles we're publishing Friday. At the end of next week I'd like you to have edited the articles together, as well as present to me patterns and strategies that you find within the text and format them. I've got a meeting in five, but let Pam know if you have any questions. I look forward to meeting with you next Friday." Marg flashed a quick smile and exited the room before I could even finish exhaling.
I leaned down to collect my things and when I sat back up there was a hand in front of my face. "Dean," the boy said.
I look from his outstretched hand up to his blue eyes and replied flatly. "Teagan," I say, turning away from his hand in an attempt to not so subtly end the conversation.
He drops his hand. "Teagan," he mutters my name as if to memorize it.
I find myself completely irritated with the fact that if he hadn't been such a dick this morning, he would have been pretty cute. Without consciously planning to do so, I decide against silence. "I dropped my scarf this morning, by the way. If you hadn't noticed, it rained last night." There. That'll show him.
I see the corner of the right side of his mouth turn upwards in a smirk. "I did notice actually. And if it'll make you feel better, I'll happily direct your attention to my feet."
I looked down to see both his shoes and the bottom of his jeans darkened with muddy water. I burst out laughing.
"Puddles are deceiving okay? That shit isn't as shallow as it looks. I take comfort in knowing that the weather bested us both." He continued, "Different weather than we had in Michigan."
"So you are from the midwest?" I reply without thinking.
He looks at me quizzically.
"The whole... ma'am thing."
"Oh yeah," he grins, "I'm a polite midwestern boy."
"Are you also a farmer's son from a small town in the middle of a cornfield that revolves around high school football?"
His eyes fall. "Both of my parents actually passed away in a car crash on the way to my senior football night."
Shit. "Oh my god," I say completely thrown, "I am so sorry that's t-."
"Teagan I'm totally fucking with you. You weren't too far off honestly," he laughs.
"Jesus Christ! I just broke out into like a cold sweat," I set down my coffee and wipe my palms on the jeans.
"I'm sorry!" He says, "Too soon? You seemed like a good sport so I thought I'd just go for it."
I pondered that for a moment, somewhat flattered that he took me for a good sport. "You know, weirdly I respect that?" I returned the smile. He was kind of cute. And now that I knew he wasn't a total asshole, I didn't feel so bad for thinking so. Predominantly, I felt relief. Initially I thought that working with Dean would be a total nightmare based on our initial interaction. Now that I was quickly discovering that he might just be as sarcastic as me, I figured it wouldn't be so bad. Hell, we might even become friends.
Nat was working at the bar tonight, so I was pretty sure we were going out. He didn't seem like a psychopath so far. Maybe I should invite him out with my roommates and I? So he can get to know people or whatever?
"Thank god," Dean replied, "Good gamble then. Are you heading out? I can walk you to the station?"
"Yeah, that'd be good," I said as I gathered my things. "How terrible is it that I'm annoyed that I woke up at 6:45am so that I could come in for 15 minutes?"
"I woke up 5, so I think I have you beat," he held open that god forsaken mahogany door for me.
I slipped under the arm that held the door for me before going, "Good god, why?"
"Gym is less crowded in the mornings," he replied simply with a shrug.
I decided to just go for it. "Look," I said suddenly and if I'm honest, a little forcefully. His head shot up with a bit of alarm. Great. I cringed before continuing to word vomit at him, "I don't know if you have plans tonight, but if you don't, a few of my roommates and I are going to this bar that my best friend Nat works at. I figure if you want to meet a few new people and get to know the area more you might like to join?" I felt nervous. Why did I feel nervous?
He reached into his pocket and handed me his phone. I took it from his hand and looked up at him confused.
"I'm going to need your number if I want the details about where to meet you tonight."
I couldn't have stopped the smile that spread across my face if I tried. I entered in my number and returned his phone to him just as we reached the BART station.
"I'm headed the opposite way, but I'll shoot you a text about tonight," he said.
"Yeah just let me know," I replied, trying my hardest to play it cool.
"Count on it," he smiled. He turned to walk away and I couldn't help noticing his back muscles flex lightly as his arms swayed at his side. I pulled out my phone and texted Nat.
Teagan: You would not believe...