This is Kristen. After graduating, I got engaged with a boy from college while I started working for a news magazine. I started as a proofreader under the guidance of Laura, a social reporter, and little by little, I earned the respect of my workmates, especially, of my young "mentor." It was not difficult working for her or with other editors, on the contrary, they helped me a lot to develop my own style when I wrote my first article about models and their diets. Although it was another reporter who guided me through the interviews and research, Laura kept me true to the human angle, so it wouldn't seem like a "dish" on anorexic women.
A few weeks after my first important piece, my fiancΓ©, Yamil, sent a text message to my cell phone:
"HELLO, KRISTEN. MEET ME AT THE COFFEE SHOP DOWNSTAIRS? I MUST TELL YOU SOMETHING IMPORTANT..."
I called back immediately to ask about it:
"Well, Yamil, what is it?"
"Please, not on the phone..."
"All right."
When I got there, he was already waiting for me with a couple of cups of coffee. After the traditional kiss on our lips, he invited me to sit with him. I tasted my coffee, exactly how I like it. We learned about our mutual tastes in food and drink after long study nights on campus and some evenings at this city.
"So, what's so urgent that you had to see me in person?"
"I'm leaving for Chicago again tonight."
"But it's been barely two months since you did an article there."
"That's why I'm going back. I made very good friends there and they will help me to settle there."
"Settle there? What about us?"
"Things aren't good enough for me at the agency for which I work."
"You have not answered my question."
"I'm sorry, but this could be my big break."
"Yamil!"
"All right, we will have to break up! You wouldn't want me to do so without seeing you face-to-face."
"You're right; It would not have been decent on your part. Now I understand, but tell me, are you seeing someone else?"
"That is not what it is. I already told you: over there, I have a good position waiting for me, but I need to act quickly. I hope you don't hold a grudge against me."
"Not at all. I love you."
"And I love you, but it's better this way. We weren't meant to last. And now, I must leave; my flight leaves in a few hours."
There was one last kiss, a little longer, and a good-bye. I returned my engagement ring right there, and that hurt us both even more. I cried a lot that night, but the following morning, I forgave him and I still consider him a good friend."
Laura also wanted to explore new horizons, and she was hired by a fashion magazine, with no more qualifications than her impeccable taste in clothing. That opened an enviable position at my job and it was such a surprise when the editor called me to his office to offer it to me. I almost fainted. The boss announced that Laura recommended me insistently before quitting. I accepted the opportunity, and I finally understood the decisions that my two friends made.
A few months later, she invited me to cover, along with her, a fashion show at a shopping mall on the outskirts of the city. Although the line was casual, for teenagers and middle-class customers, there were some very elegant gowns and even see-through. I preferred not to write about this in my article, not wanting to draw too much attention to a chain of family-oriented stores. After the press conference and the get-together that followed, we took a moment to write down the last notes into our laptop computers and send advances of the reviews to the newsroom. Upon finishing, I saw my former workmate and I praised her:
"The show was awesome. Thank you for thinking of me."
"you're welcome, you will always be my colleague."
"Even now that I'm your competitor?"
"That's no problem. As long as you can maintain your level of professionalism."
"You flatter me."
Her face brightened, and I imagine that mine did too, and then we blushed, I don't know why. We looked down to close our computers and we went on separate ways to get some hors d'oeuvres and drinks and mingle. Little by little, people were leaving, and when I went to the parking lot, I realized that my photographer forgot all about me, in a hurry to develop his material. Laura saw me and stopped her car, to say to me:
"It seems that we are the last ones to leave."
"I can see that."
"Do you need a lift?"
"Well, yes. If it's no problem, I came by bus and I can't see them coming anymore..."