Jamie looked up the concrete vastness of her new work place, where she was to start this morning as a new accountant. She never even wanted this job, this profession, but she had studied it to be able to follow her high school sweetheart away from her family. Her parents were both pragmatists, and put little stock in teaching emotional values to a little girl. As a result she had become a quiet girl, who spent more time in her own mind than she did in the world around her.
"Damnit" she thought, looking at the clock. 7:56. The office was on the 6th floor and she did not have the time to drift away like this on her first day. She marched in the entrance doors of the building, noting that the receptionists desk was still empty. Maybe the receptionist didn't start until 9, Jamie thought to herself as she pressed the button for the elevator. As she stood there waiting for the melodic ding of the elevator marking its arrival, she heard the entrance doors swoosh open, and turned around.
In walked a young man, clad in casual clothes for a work place like theirs. He was wearing a set of worn jeans, a semi-casual white shirt with just one too many buttons unbuttoned, and a pair of relaxed sneakers. Around his shoulder was a laptop bag. Taking the excuse of his entrance making noise, Jamie took the opportunity to look at the man further. His hair was an almond brown, and as he approached the elevator, and by proxy, her, she noticed his eyes being a clear blue.
He looked back at her, mostly as a result of being the only two people in the room. His quizzical look made it seem like he considered her an equation or puzzle he couldn't quite solve. As he finished his approach he murmured a dispassionate "Good morning", just before the elevator bell dinged.
She smiled her most professional smile as she returned the greeting, and entered the elevator. She looked at her clock again before pressing the button for the 6th floor. 7:58. Her original plans of being ten minutes early her first day were long gone, now she just wanted to be there within the hundred and twenty seconds she had left. Her elevator companion pressed the button for the 5th floor. This made her frown slightly, considering the additional seconds that would be spent during his departure, and she again looked at her clock. Biting her bottom lip in frustration, she looked straight ahead of her.
The walls of the elevator were mirrored. Jamie took a quick glance at her companion, and saw him studying her with a slight frown. This made her feel way too self conscious for comfort, and she looked at herself in the mirror as the elevator made its way up. By all intents and purposes she looked good. She had let her blonde locks loose framing her face, and her green eyes had been said to be the colour of emeralds. She was wearing a classy work attire, with a somewhat rigid black skirt, a white blouse and a black jacket. Her attire was set up to show her professionalism. But the more she looked at it the more she thought that nobody would buy her ruse.
She hardly noticed the elevator doors closing again as it had made its way to the 5th floor, and was now departing for the 6th. Her companion was gone, and she prepared herself mentally for this day getting introduced and trained in her new job.
The first few hours went by as they often do in this setting, she was introduced to a wide number of people she wouldn't remember, she was explained the basics of her job description and shown her desk. Before lunch she was guided by an assistant manager on a tour of the premises, in order to learn where the different departments were and who to speak to.
Again, she had little real interest in the pleasantries and paid little attention when she was lead to the IT department. She immediately recognized the young man from the elevator, sitting in the centre of the room talking, with all his colleagues and supervisors listening intently. She was introduced to the department leader, with a general smile and wave to the rest of the crowd in the room. The young man was looking at her with those clear blue eyes, with a half smile on his lips, as if he knew a secret and had no intention of sharing it.
When it was finally time for lunch, her head was spinning with new names and new faces. She felt like she was all out of pleasantries to share and the fabric of her skirt felt constricting and uncomfortable. She was invited to join the rest of her department for lunch, but declined politely as she needed some time for herself. She took the elevator back down to the ground floor, exited the front doors and sat down in her car.
Jamie rolled down the window on her driver side, put on some low music so as not to attract attention, and started eating a sandwich she had brought from home while trying to stabilize her mind to go back in. Suddenly she heard a knock on her passenger side window, and as she looked over she saw the guy from the IT department. Reluctantly she leaned over and rolled down the window.
"Mind if I join you?" He said, lifting his own lunch disarmingly. She had no will left in her to argue, and just opened the passenger side door to let him in. He smiled at this, and sat down in the passenger seat next to her. "There are a lot of people in there" He said, looking at the concrete building. "Bet your head is spinning right about now."
She didn't know what to answer, so she gave a slight smile and took a bite of her sandwich. Having food in her mouth was a perfect excuse not to talk. "People are way too concerned about control." He continued, as if he didn't need her reply. "All these fleeting moments in time that make up our days, our weeks, our life, we feel this pressing need to always be in control of it. And it wears us out." She looked over at him at this, he was still looking out the window, apparently deep in thought. "That's part of being grown-up." She replied. "We have no choice."
He frowned slightly at this, musing over what she said. "We always have a choice. You arrived here today in an uncomfortable set of clothes that wear your body out, and this persona you're holding up trying to convince everyone how extroverted and successful you are is wearing your mind out."
Her eyes locked with his, his words found home in her, knocking at her insecurities and making her feel self conscious and disarmed. She wasn't sure whether to get angry at his forwardness, intrigued at how he read her, or simply scream out her frustrations in a futile attempt of release.
She decided to take action, and unbuttoned the side of her skirt, lessening the pressure it put on her body. She could see his eyes wandering down and catching a glimpse of her black lace trimmed panties. Closing her eyes she decided not to react to it, and took another bite of her sandwich instead.
"See, now isn't that better." His voice sounded a little different. He had always seemed so calm and composed to her, could one glance at her panties affect him so? Her curiousity and vulnerable state lead her to her reply.