As Aubrey slid out of her seat, Jasmine went to get Martina. The sound of hushed voices around them made her uneasy. They were obviously the talk of the office, and everyone was eyeing them suspiciously. She didn’t expect any different. She was, after all, working for a client. She was sure that they didn’t see that kind of transfer every day.
Aubrey picked up her tote bag. She wasn’t sure if leaving her things behind was the best thing to do just yet. Especially since she didn’t know anyone in the office. She could never be too safe.
Jasmine walked up and clasped her hands together. “So, are you ready for the tour?”
“I actually have a quick question first.”
“Shoot.”
Aubrey gestured towards Elijah’s office, where he was sitting and staring at his monitor. “Why does his office have glass walls?”
“I get it,” Jasmine said and adjusted her glasses. “It’s weird, but it’s a policy he has about this office. It’s all about transparency between him and the rest of the employees here. We operate on an open policy. We work in advertising, which can sometimes be all about lies. So, to combat that, he has an open-door policy and a transparent office, so we always know what’s going on.”
“That’s really weird,” Martina said and glanced at the others in the office. “Doesn’t anyone else find that strange?”
“At first, some of us did, I guess. Not so much anymore. You kind of get used to it.”
“Thanks for answering. You can start the tour if you want.”
Jasmine seemed more than pleased to begin and led them to the end of the office. At least someone among their employees was excited about something. Everyone seemed so completely engrossed in their work that it almost scared her. All she could hear was the sound of muffled speaking and typing. Transparency? Sure, that was understandable. The weird atmosphere without music or anything? That was a totally different thing altogether.
After eight solid hours of work, Aubrey was still reeling from the number of emails Elijah had sent her throughout the day. He’d sent links to previous collaborations and a number of websites that she’d already visited when she was still working from Glamour Girl’s offices. She couldn’t help but feel as though he assumed she didn’t know how to do her job. There were six emails in total, and, after the sixth, she was ready to storm his office like a Roman army. It didn’t matter if he was gorgeous and rich. She wanted to rip him apart.
Aubrey stretched her arms above her head and cracked her neck. She was nearly finished with her mock-up. She re-checked even the most minute details to make sure everything was in place. If she couldn’t storm his office, she’d at least show him what she was capable of. She lowered her arms at the sound of another email.
Her cheeks flushed at the sender’s name. She clenched her teeth and grabbed the mouse, nearly hurting her hand with the pressure. She wanted to throw the computer through his stupid glass office. It was Elijah. Again. She read over his email, which included even more links, and a recommendation to look them over when she got home.
Aubrey pushed her chair out from the long desk, nearly knocking the ficus plant over. She could feel his eyes on her as she moved to grab her tote bag, but did her best to ignore it. It all felt far too close to a test, and she hated being tested.
She brought her cell phone from the tote bag and rose from her chair, managing to give Elijah an inconspicuous smile as she left the desk. She walked past the other workers, who were hovered over their own keyboards or on their phones. It was clear no one really paid any mind to the fact that they had someone new on board after the initial disquiet.
She closed the kitchen door behind her and took a seat in one of the leather chairs. She was grateful no one else was in the room. They wouldn’t like what she had to say. The phone was warm in her hand as she pressed Shannon’s contact on the screen and brought the phone to her ear.
“Hello? This is Shannon from Glamour Girl.”
“Hi, Shannon. It’s Aubrey.”
She could tell she was on speakerphone and hoped that no one else was in the office with her. She was ready to run out of the building and go back to her office at Glamour Girl. She could only pray that Shannon would take her back with open arms.
“I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon. How’s everything over there?”
“Do you know anything about Elijah Johnson?”
She heard Shannon pick up the phone and remove her from speakerphone. “Is there a problem?”
Aubrey leaned her head against her hand. “A big problem, actually. He’s insufferable. I’ve received over six emails from him just today going over our collaborations, as though I don’t know anything at all.”
“He can be a little harsh sometimes.”
“And my desk is right outside of his office. This whole place has a weird layout, and he wants me to have a mock-up to him by tomorrow morning.”
Shannon was silent, but Aubrey couldn’t stop. The day had been insufferable, and the whole time she’d felt like a mouse being hunted by a cat.
“I’m not sure if I can work with him,” she said finally, hoping that Shannon would accept it. “I want to be able to prove myself for the position, but I don’t know if I can do it while working here. I think I’d be best working from our office.”
“I’m afraid that just won’t work, Aubrey.”
Aubrey sat back in the chair, barely keeping the phone on her ear any longer. She didn’t want to know why it wouldn’t work. It would all seem like excuses. After all, Shannon didn’t have to deal with him on a daily basis over the next few months.
“He’s your boss.”
Aubrey frowned. “Just for the time being.”
“No, Aubrey,” Shannon said flatly. “He’s our boss. Your job literally depends on you being able to work with him as a willing team collaborator.”
“Wait. What do you mean, our boss?”
She could hear Shannon exhale on her end. “He owns Glamour Girl. I don’t know what else to tell you. He started our company.”
“That’s impossible. He’s not named when it comes to the company’s story, and I’ve never heard his name mentioned during any meetings. Even among our shareholders.”
“Listen, I’m being honest here. He’s your boss, whether you like it or not,” she said, her tone sharp. “I won’t tell him about this conversation, but you’re going to have to find a way to get along with him. He started our company under the Johnson name and was the reason we’ve had so many collaborations in the beginning. He knows what he’s doing, and I think you can learn a lot from someone like him.”
Aubrey placed her head on the back of the chair and brought her eyes to the ceiling. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. So, there was nothing that could be done. Shannon wasn’t one to lie, and there was no reason to make her believe such a thing if it weren’t true. Elijah Johnson. What kind of game was he playing at? “Thanks, Shannon. I didn’t know.”
“So, you’ll do your best to get along? I’m counting on you to make this work.”
Aubrey nodded, even though Shannon couldn’t see her. “I’ll do what I can and keep you posted.”