Kiss of Fate

*** 4 months earlier***

1.  Kiss of fate

The train driver brakes suddenly and all the people in the wagon lose their balance, bumping chaotically into each other.

“S**t!”, I think as I'm starring down at the fresh coffee stain on my blouse. “Well, that’s fantastic”, my inner voice keeps scolding my clumsiness. When I reach my stop, I get out of the train hurriedly, and I search my purse for some wet wipes to clean up the mess. Of course, I am not lucky enough to find any, since I never buy them. But once more, my hope for a miracle is stronger than reason and the irony of it makes me smile bitterly. 

Making my way through the packed avenue, I start fasting my pace as I see how late it is. From the very first day I got this job, I was on the verge of getting fired, so any mistake I make is pretty crucial. Getting closer to the building’s entrance, I hear the same speech I always do :

“Travel in style with 'The Sun' travel agency! Get your trip to paradise today!”

“Morning, Bob!”, I say amused by our salesman’s immortal enthusiasm.

“Ilinca!”, the round, chubby man turns around happily."How’s it going, sweetheart?”

“Good, good! For you?”

“Keeping your business alive, ay!”, he says in his characteristic manner which makes me laugh every single time. “Gave away 2 flyers and no-one spit on me so far.”, he laughs and the genuineness in his eyes melts me.

“Aw, Bob!”, I say with a soft chuckle.

“No need for the face, dear!”

“What face?”, I say, hoping I managed to hide my pity.

“The sympathetic look in your eye.”. 

“You deserve more.”, I say.

“Well, it gets me food in the refrigerator and a roof over my head. I ain’t complaining.”, he laughs with the outmost humility.

“You're my hero, Bob.”. He winks at me friendly. "You have twice more life in you than all these people walking by.”, I continue, "Keep on the great work!". I give him a smile and he mirrors it instantly.

"Whatever pays the bills, kid.”, he replies back lifting up the bulk of flyers in his hands.

“Whatever pays the bills.”, I repeat. 

I sigh as enter the building, remembering of my ruined outfit and I pray no one will intersect my way to the elevator. But I hear Jack and Ana entering soon after me.

“Oh, my God, she’s gonna kill us!”, Ana says dramatically.

“Calm down, the meeting starts in 10! We’ve got plenty of time!”, Jack’s voice follows.

“We didn’t even get to talk about what to say in the board meeting! She will kill us!”

“Drama queen!”, Jack exclaims

“Umm, have you met Diana?!”, Ana replies, with slight arrogance in her tone. I’ve only known her for a couple of months, but I can tell her teenager-like behaviour still needs a lot taking care of, if she wants to be treated seriously. 

“Oh, look! Ilinca’s here!”. I turn around and I point at the big stain on my chest.

“Yeah, she is.”, I say while waiting for their reaction.

“Oh, no! What happened?”, Ana tries a fake concern.

“It happened on my way here…”, I clarify with sad expression.

“It's fine! I didn’t even see it.”, Jakes slips in the conversation, but both mine and Ana’s faces show deep disbelief. I raise an eyebrow, waiting for him to confess his lie.

“Yeah, okay, it’s pretty obvious.”, he caves and we all break a laughter.

“Jack we gotta go now!”, Ana insists and, swearing noisily, she grabs Jack’s arm and starts running to their office.

 

I chuckle softly to myself and then it’s my turn to get agitated about meeting eyes with Diana: you’re either her slave or her enemy. There’s no way in between. 

I'm a fresh college graduate with little to no influence, and so, I fall in the slaves pit. For 2 months, I’ve been her personal assistant, when I was supposedly hired to be her right hand in the department. I still find the optimism to think things my change one day, but another part of me knows I’m just fooling myself. For starters, she won’t even look at me. And to be totally fair, I prefer her not to because when she does, I can read on her expression she only sees a dumb little girl staring back at her. I tried to make her change her mind, but seeing she’s stuck with the conviction I’m a total idiot, I eventually quit making an effort. 

As I reach the top floor, I take a deep breath before I enter the office. Once door opens, the usual pale of stale air hits me.

“Hi, Diana”, I say, trying for the nth time to get in her grace. But, as usual, no reply comes back from the massive, wooden desk she sits at.

“I have called the media agency yesterday after you left”, I continue, already used to her rudeness,”… and they’re ready with the new commercials. Have you gotten my email?”

“Yes.”, she says blankly.

She definitely doesn’t feel like chatting, but I still try to spark up a conversation.

“I really liked the third one. The one with the trip around Europe. I thought it was really catchy.”. But as I say it, my smile fades away at the sight of her expression: she lowers her glasses and she looks at me with something that seemed like a combination of anger and disgust that makes me want to disappear here and now. Without saying as much as a word, she drops her glance in her computer and she continues typing. I bite the inside of my cheek as I feel my face reddening with rage. I haven’t done anything wrong to this woman, nor have I undermined her in any way. Why? Why is she like that?

“Go over to Ana’s and Jake’s and see why on Earth aren’t they logged in for the board meeting yet.”, she commands me after I just sat at my desk. Without saying anything back, I get up and I go towards the door.

“Ilinca?"

“Yes?”

“My daughters are going camping this weekend and they need backpacks. I want you to go get them.”, she continues without lifting her eyes from the screen and I can’t feel anything but anger.

“With all due respect Diana, I’m a marketer. And this is why I’m here. I’m sure your problem is urgent, but I was hoping I could assist the board meting and learn a bit from it.”.

She takes out her glasses and she points her freezing stare at me.

“Do you know why you’re still here?”, she asks and fear starts shattering my confidence. “It's because I let you.”, she continues and I’m stone-like. “I’ve been working for this mediocre agency for 20 years now. And I’m good at what I do.”. Her eyes stare me down like I’m a toddler. “One word from me to HR and you are out of here. Right now, your insubordination gets me really close to do just that.”. I look helpless at her cruelness and try to pull together a sentence, but she’s faster: “I'll give you one more chance.", she continues warningly, before getting back to her computer, "Go."

“Quit!”

“Mia, if it was that easy I would’ve done it a hundred times by now. I have nowhere else to go and my parents need the money."

“I know, I know.”, she says back, taking another sip from her beer. “Any responses from those applications so far?”, she asks hopeful.

“Nope. Nothing yet."

“Is your dad feeling any better?”, Mia continues but I shake my head and the sorrow chokes me. “Oh, Ilinca. I’m so sorry.”. I support my chin in my palm and I feel tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Hey, Joe, we need another round here!”, Mia yells at the bartender and I crack a smile.

“Thanks, M!”. I face the ceiling and letting a sigh out, I try to regain my strength. “I know it’ll be fine.”, I continue, more for me to hear it than her, “Just not for while…”

“There you go ladies.”, Joe shows up with two Mojitos. “On the house.”

“Thanks Joe! You didn’t need to.”, I say honestly.

“Of course I did. Look at that long face of yours.”, he jokes.

“Yeah… Rough days.”, I confess and he looks like waiting for an explanation.

“Thanks for the drinks!”, Mia intervenes and she saves me from having to detail on my troubles further. Joe walks back to the bar and I thank her silently.

“The last thing I need is to give Joe my alibi.”, I smile and she nods in understanding.

“Oh, look, Altisak!”, she says, pointing somewhere in my back and I flinch with enthusiasm at the sound of that name.

“What? Where?”. I turn around breathless.

“Clam down! On TV I meant.”, Mia says, unable to contain her amusement.

“Jeez, Mia, you almost gave me a heart attack.”, I laugh and I turn my attention to the TV screen.

“What if you had the chance of going on tour with one of the hottest bands in the world?”, the TV speakers shout loud and I frown confused. I turn to Mia to see if she had any idea what the promo’s about, but she is just as clueless. 

“What if you could be Altisak’s road manager for the upcoming world tour?”. 

“Shut up!”, I whisper.

“This is Luke.”, the band’s front man takes over the screen to introduce himself, followed by the rest of band, ”Richard, Alex, Bruce and Nelson. What if you could be the one to command our band?”, the lead singer continues. “It's the most fun you can get with your clothes on”, one of the singers adds and I scoff, amused. “Altisak is challenging its most devoted fans from across the States to enter a battle of   wit and resourcefulness to see who has what it takes to join the band’s management team. Apply now and get the chance of a lifetime to be Altisak’s road manager!”, and the advertisement ends. I can’t stop staring at the screen.

“Are you still alive there?”, Mia asks funnily and I have to smile back.

“I think I’m in shock.”, I admit.

“I know. I heard it all too.”

“Did you know about this?”, I say unbelieving, but Mia shakes her head negatively.

I sigh in amazement and I’m still indecisive whether I should let myself hope on this or not.

“The coincidence is just surreal.”, Mia ads with the biggest smile on her face.

“It's Altisak!”, I say unable to contain my keenness and I feel the fan in me taking over.

“It's a road manager job!”, she says sharing my emotions. “Well, it’s easy.”, she continues,”Do want to apply?”

“Y-yeah!”, I exclaim, but my sureness gets clouded by second thoughts, “What if the pay is not enough to keep helping my parents?”. Mia lifts an eyebrow mockingly:

“Yeah, right! Manage some millionaires and you’ll get less than what your crappy travel agency pays you. In what world, sweetie?”, she says smiling. “What’s there to think about? You’re basically in love those guys, you’re in need of a job and… a life, if you don’t mind me saying, and it’s the probably the coolest job a mortal like me and you could ever get!”. I nod with my head tilt down.

“I shouldn’t think twice, right?”, I say, in need of a confirmation.

“Not a bit.”, Mia answers firmly. “Stars don’t align twice.”