“I think anything with a giant like P&T counts as major,” Dean says with a smile. “But didn’t you mention Epsilon as one of your dream firms? I don’t mean to sound critical, just curious, but aren’t they sort of opposite ends of thespectrum?”
I know he’s just making conversation, but I’m really not in the mood to have my own doubts thrown at me by someoneelse.
“I’m just gaining experience,” I sayevenly.
“Do you think a firm like Epsilon would see experience with P&T as a favourablething?”
This dream guy is getting less dreamy by theminute.
“I need to start somewhere, and like you said, regardless of their reputation, P&T is amajorstartingpoint.”
I try to hide how annoyed I am behind a smile, and do it well enough to convince everyone but Alice. She kicks my foot under thetable.
“Should we get the bill?” she asks. “There’s this other place down the street Carl and I were talking abouttrying.”
I make a show of checking the time on my phone. “Actually, I might have to head out. I have my first day on the jobtomorrow.”
It’s not even a lie. I really should try to get a good night’s sleep tonight. I order an Uber home and we exit the bar. Alice pulls Carl down the street after sayinggoodbye.
“You can catch up with us later, Dean. We’ll just be one blockdown.”
She makes obscene hand gestures behind Dean’s back as he turns to face me. Clearly she still thinks there’s a chance of me making amove.
“It was nice to meet you,Christina.”
I plaster on a smile. “You too,Dean.”
“I just have to say that I’m sorry if I sounded too critical about your work with P&T. I guess I’m just pretty wrapped up in the industry, and I didn’t mean to sound anything other thaninterested.”
Maybe I wasn’t as subtle about my irritation as Ithought.
“It’s fine. Really, I’m just on edge lately. New job and all. Lots of stuff goingon.”
He raises an eyebrow and gives me a grin that would have most girls pulling him into an Uber home as fast as humanly possible. “Too much stuff to give me your phonenumber?”
I give a little laugh. “Honest answer? Yes. It’s nothing personal, but I’m just not looking to get involved with anyone, in any capacity, rightnow.”
He dips his head in a gentlemanly nod. “So you’re leaving me to third wheel for the rest of thenight?”
“It would appearso.”
My Uber pulls up and we say a quick goodbye. I lean my head against the window on the drive home, trying to put all the feelings churning inside me into order, to turn the negatives into a positive I canuse.
Focus, I tell myself.Focus.
* * *
“So you’rethe new brandrep?”
The same guy with a clipboard from my interview-masquerading-as-a-modelling-audition gives me a bored stare over the top of his glasses. I consider reminding him that we’ve already met, but I guess he must see a lot of models come in and out of thisplace.
You’re not a model, I remind myself.You are an up and coming advertiser whose contributions would be a valuable asset to this company. You just happen to have a job that also includes posing in bathingsuits.
Today I’ll be doing my first photo shoot after a briefing with the creative team to go over my social media goals. I already came in for the HR meeting, a strenuous two hour, paperwork-filled affair. I’ll be posting on the client’s official accounts for their brand, so I basically signed my soul away if I break companyconfidentiality.
“Your briefing is down the hall to the left, boardroomC.”
Clipboard guy goes back to staring at the computer on the desk in front of him and I head off to themeeting.
