I had just finished my last semester of college and landed a great job at Garston's Preparatory. I would be the new PR person. I was surprised be getting the offer so soon after graduation, but the old PR person had suddenly found out that she had cancer, and decided that her health was more important for the job. So I went in and interviewed, and well the rest is history. I knew right away that I was going to love the job, first off the salary was almost three times what our professors had told us we would be making upon graduation, secondly I was provided with a new car, and thirdly I was provided with my own apartment adjacent to the school. The only thing in life that I was missing was a man. I had broken up with my boyfriend a couple of semesters ago; when I found out he had slept with my roommate. So in that department I was kind of low, but for everything else I was on a natural high, and little did I know I was going to be getting even higher. My parents helped me move into the apartment that Saturday, and by Sunday afternoon, I was all settled in. I turned on the television and let it entertain me for the rest of the night. Monday morning was the first day I was to report to the school. I walked across the lawn and took in the total beauty of the school, and then I found the administrative offices and quickly found my new office. I was not there long before a beautiful woman walked into my office.
"Good morning Ms. Jackson, I am Leah, I am your secretary. May I get you any thing?"
"Leah, I didn't know that I would have a secretary. Nice to meet you, a cup of coffee would be nice."
Now doesn't this just beat all I have a new job, a new car, a new apartment, and now a secretary to go with it. I'm loving it.
"Here, Ms. Jackson, here is your coffee, I also took the liberty of bring you a couple of danish. We have some of the best around. Molly is the cook for this particular office and she always has them for us."
"There's a cook in this building?" Did you have to pay for the danish and coffee?"
"No, each building here at the school has its own personal kitchen with its own personal cook, as a staff member especially one as high up as you may eat in any kitchen at any time. Your position also allows for you to make request from any of the kitchen staff. So no matter what your favorite food is it will always be available to you. We all eat here, so we save a ton on grocery money every week."
"These are delicious, and this isn't coffee at all, but cappuccino, French Vanilla, my favorite kind, how did you know?"
"I didn't every morning we try a different blend of cappuccino, but if French Vanilla is your favorite, I will get someone to bring you up a coffee maker, and I will make it for you every morning."
"That won't be necessary; I don't want you to go through any unnecessary trouble on my account."
"You will soon find that being third in command around here has a lot of privileges, and I am here to help you in any way possible. Your wish is my command. I have no purpose in life other than to serve you."
"So Leah, if I decided that these shoes were hurting my feet what would you do?"
"This is what I would do Ms. Jackson." With that Leigh sat down on the floor in front of me and removed my shoes, slowly she lifted one foot into her lap and started to massage it, each toe in succession.
"Get up Leah, I was just kidding, you don't have to do that."
"Making you happy is part of my job. I will take care of all of your personal needs. Look at the time; I forgot to tell you there is a mandatory meeting with you, the Head Mistress, and the Assistant Mistress. I will brief you quickly. The three of you are the top three personnel in this establishment, and any thing you say goes, Karen the person who hired you is over personnel, but that's it. You are her superior, don't ever forget that, and don't ever let her think of you as an equal. You will see and hear a lot of things around here, but you are only to talk to Head Mistress Lana, Assistant Mistress Ebony, or me about it. I will be your guide through everything. In the meeting they will explain more to you about everything that goes on here. Talk to them as your equals, any thing that they ask you answer honestly, because it will come up again. Now take the last elevator on this hall. Here is your elevator key; they will give you a chain to hang it around your neck. The three of you are the only ones who have an elevator key. What ever you do don't loose it."
Elevator keys, equals, foot massages. What in the world have I gotten my self into? This sounds more like some kind of cult instead of a school. I'm loving the personal secretary part though. That Leah just doesn't know how much I love a good foot massage. There where three elevators at the end of the hall. Each seemed to be a normal elevator, but when I pushed the up button on the last one, nothing happened. As I looked closer I saw a tiny slit, for a key below the down button. I inserted my key and the elevator opened up, and what an elevator it was. There was a long pink and black couch along the back wall. Along one wall there were pictures of women in different stages of undress, and along the other wall there was the schools logo 'Making the world fabulous, one girl at a time'. I pressed the button marked H which I can only assume means Head Mistress. I was right. The elevator doors opened and what I saw shocked me again. This floor was set up like a boutique, with loads of pink and black clothing on one side. The other side was mirrors and sofas, there where buffets set up in various areas. I was taking everything in when there appeared a beautiful woman.
"Good morning, Ms. Jackson. I am Vivian. I am the secretary for this suite. I will take you to meet Head Mistress Lana, and Assistant Mistress Ebony. You're younger than I expected. How old are you if you don't mind me asking."
"I am twenty four."
"I remember when I was your age. That was about the age I was when I started working here, but I started out as an attendant. Well here we are, you just go ahead through those doors and there you will find Head Mistress Lana, and Assistant Mistress Ebony waiting on you."
I took a deep breath, and pushed through the doors. Again I was pleasantly surprised. The Head Mistress office was set up more like a bed room, and there where televisions lining one whole wall, showing a view of different rooms within the whole school not just this building. I was impressed with the technology, there was even a large entertainment set in the room. What surprised me the most was that one woman was lying on the bed, and the other woman was sitting on the floor massaging her feet. Just like Leah had been doing for me. I was embarrassed.
"Come in come in. Ebony, get up off the floor, and pull out a chair for Trisha."
"Hi, Trisha, I am Ebony." Ebony introduced her self as she pulled a chair out for me.
"Nice, to meet you both." I said. I didn't quite know what to think or do. This was going to be unlike any meeting I had ever been too.
"Good morning Trisha, I am Head Mistress Lana, but you may address me as Lana, unless there are others around, and then we all use formal names. I am a little surprised to see that you are so young, but Karen assured me that you where well qualified, and I called a few of my former students who are now professors, and they all told me wonderful things about you. So welcome to Garston, Where we are 'Making the world fabulous, one girl at a time'. Tell us about your self starting with family, hobbies, relationships, friends, expectations, you know the drill."
"Well first, I am an only child; both my mom and dad are lawyers. As you already know I attended an all black college, where I majored in Public Relations, I love to read and write, which is why I chose Public Relations in the first place, I have three really close friends who are like sisters to me, we tell each other every. As far as expectations, I definitely don't know what to expect from this job opportunity that has been extended to me, every minute I am here I learn that this is not your usual nine to five job. What is it that I really need to know about this great institution and this job in particular?"