The view from the office.
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The office is nice, I'll say that. The taste isn't too skewed toward a specific direction and seems to take a neutral stance.
Dark grey carpet, pretty ordinary, and most of the windows with the same white blinds as in most offices. A water fountain there, and wood panels on a wall behind a tall potted plant. A clock with lines in place of numbers on the wall and the panes of glass on the windows tinted slightly grey.
A door to the right is close, and the one to the left is far. Behind the corner to my right is the elevators I rode to get here. The lady at the reception downstairs led me here, then departed. I can hear somebody speaking behind the door to my right, but they haven't come out to talk to me. The left door is closed and quiet. It's too far to hear anything anyways.
Checking my watch, the time checked already earlier, I note my presence here is not unwanted. I'm just calming myself that indeed I, Hogarth Fallin, have been summoned here after I applied for the job listed.
Honestly, it was a pretty strange description for the job. The basic job description was looking for a person who was "capable of auditing, assisting, and general help."
That's a very interesting description, but I guess if I get this position, I'm happy. I'm only twenty-three, and any job like this would be a dream.
In this building, in D.C., is one of the most powerful companies in the world. You'd think it has to do with maybe technology, or maybe weapons.
No. It's medicines and agriculture that's handled here at Garner Incorporated. Food and medicine will always come back and slam your side if you aren't careful. That's what makes it powerful as it handles so much of what is produced by the earth and reaped by human hand that it really can't be messed. And medicine. Two things that everyone will always need. Tech is modern, but sustenance is far more pressing.
Shifting in my suit, which I really can't get used to, I check my watch again. I was told to come by at eleven in the morning, but it's eleven-ten. Maybe they don't have me down in the schedule and I'm just sitting here for a position that's already occupied.
I really hope that's not it. My parents in Texas send care-packages to their son-fresh-out-of-college, but it's really time that I earn my own income. Especially since I've graduated last month. It's dreadful to think I might not have a spot here in this company to work in.
The door to the left opens, and a man in a suit dark blue and deep in color spots me.
"Hello, Mr. Fallin. I'm the vice president, Levi Zermeno, here at Garner Incorporated. But call me Levi. I'm immensely sorry for keeping you waiting out here for such a long time."
He steps forward and shakes my hand, his firm ones gripping mine.
"No, it was no problem at all. I was here only for ten minutes," I say as I point to the clock, which seems to indicate more of twelve minutes. Relief is not apparent on my face but I'm grateful that I have been expected.
He stands around my height, which is pretty tall, and dark skin with black hair and hazel eyes greet me. His dark-blue suit is sharp on him.
"Please, step into my office," says Levi as he motions for me to enter. I do and take a seat inside a moderate-sized office. Levi goes around the large desk where several papers are scattered around and a computer to the right and his left sits turned on.
"Again, I apologize for the inconvenience you may have had to wait. I'm afraid I was dealing with some company issues," he apologizes as he smiles.
"It's no issue," I say again, smiling myself.
"So, I take it you have read the details of the opening?" he asks as he looks at a paper on his desk. "Hogarth? Do you mind if I call you that here in the office?"
"I don't mind. And yes, I've read the details of the job. It's mainly of assisting you in your office work, correct?" I reply.
"Well," says Levi as he tilts his head slightly, "it's not actually me you'll be working for. It's more of my boss that you help out, but you'll report back to me. As well as him. Mostly him."
"Your boss? So...the CEO?"
"Correct. It's confusing, but that's the truth," says Levi.
"So," I say a little confused, "should I go see him?"
"Well, I thought it best that I talk with you first about some crucial elements of this job," says Levi, "not to scare you. But in order to understand why there's a strange setup is because my boss is a little... a bit of a miser when it comes to work."
Levi chuckles and I do too, even though I have no idea what he means.
"That might be confusing," says Levi, "see, he's not a cheap person. But he doesn't share his work, and he tries to do it all himself. That's what I mean by miser, he doesn't share any work.
"And because of that, recently he received word from his doctor that it's crucial that he not force himself to such a demanding lifestyle. In other words, he needs to lessen his workload."
"I see," I say, "and that's where I come in."
"Correct," says Levi with a nod and a grin, "you will be crucial in helping out Azrael, that's his name, in his work. Perhaps you already know, though he does keep an unusually low profile.
"Anyhow, the reason that you are contracted under me and not Azrael is because it's crucial to keep you here to help him, and Azrael will not throw you out if you try to help him when he needs it."
"He sounds very scary when you say that he might throw me out," I say with a chuckle.
"Don't worry. He's very calm and hardly is emotional around others. He'll work, but he won't let his emotions rule him. Though just to be on the safe side, he's agreed and signed a statement that he will not force me to fire you, and that he will have you do some of the tasks he needs to do."
"I think I can do that," I say as I nod, "I've just left school, but I think I can help out."
"That's the spirit," says Levi with a snap of his fingers, "and on top of helping him, you'll also serve as his secretary, which means you'll have to be on standby for the duration of the day. You'll get weekends, but phone calls should be picked up as it might be important."
"Do you think I'll get a lot of calls?" I ask.
"I don't think so. Azrael tries to get things done before the weekend, and it wouldn't do to work too much, as he needs to rest. That's another thing. You have to make sure he's being healthy," says Levi, "and that might sound arbitrary, but it means that he doesn't stay too long in the office, he doesn't eat those nasty frozen-foods, and most importantly, he keeps those death-sticks out from between his teeth."
"He smokes?" I ask.
"He chain-smokes actually. And it's almost comical how many times he does. He's been trying to kick the habit, for quite some time now," says Levi as he glances at a calendar where several red X's are slashed boldly on specific dates, "but, it seems he'll need some more time to really end it."
"He sounds somewhat difficult to handle," I say with a chuckle.
"Sometimes he is. But it's in his nature to always try to help out people. He won't give you a hard time," says Levi, "and in any case, I've seen your record, and a double major in health sciences and business will help in you accomplishing your job."
"I hope so," I say with a smile.
"I'm pretty sure you will do alright. You seem capable, and your record says so."
"Well, then, shall I go see him?"
"I think I'll show you to your office first," says Levi as he stands up from his seat and goes over to the door which I follow him as I grab my backpack, "your office is next to his, and you'll find a desk and a few cabinets for organizing."
The office is toward the door to the right, and I didn't see it as it was hidden in the angle of the walls. Opening the door, Levi reveals an office about the size of his, maybe a little larger, with a window looking out at the Potomac.
"If you need any office supplies, you can use the phone and dial 1-4-5 and ask Jules for them. He's the man for getting those supplies to us," says Levi as he walk over to the desk and pulls the landline telephone into view from next to the wall on the desk.
"Okay," I say as I walk over and set my bag down and look around. It's pretty spacious, and not at all tight or suffocating.
"You can also decorate, change the color of the blinds, and even perhaps bring in your own little office chair, if you don't like that one," says Levi as he points to the office chair. A generic black one.
"I might. But I think for now I'll just try to settle in," I say as I walk over to it and take a seat.
"Good idea. I'll leave you to that. If there's anything you need, dial 3-3-0-2 on your phone, or just come over and tell me, alright?" says Levi.
"I will. Thank you for letting me work here," I say gratefully, as I soar in my chest at acquiring this position.
"It's actually my place to say thank you. I'm very glad to have you here," says Levi.
"Good to be here," I reply with a smile.
Levi nods and leaves, closing the door behind him. I open my backpack and pull out a few of my belongings. A water bottle, a pencil case, and my lunch. I didn't know how exactly I'd settle lunch today, so I brought my own. My phone I also pull out.
Checking my phone, I type a quick text to my girlfriend, Christina. We've been in a platonic relationship for a year now. We don't kiss often, but we always are happy around each other.
I got my job position!
I text to her, and she replies with a 'yay! I'm happy for you!'.
Setting my phone down, I spin in my chair and look out the window. Summer on the Potomac is bright and I spot the Washington Masonic Memorial across it. Old Town is stretched out around it and a few figures walk around in the summer day.
Taking a drink from my bottle, I sit up and then walk over to the door and exit my office. I better go say a greeting to my boss.
Walking to the door, I knock and wait for an answer.
"Come in," comes a scratchy-voiced reply.
Opening the door, I enter an office, much larger than mine. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that it's twice as large as mine. Huge windows from ceiling to floor dominate the wall to the left, and to the right metal cabinets and a coat rack sit. A desk leaning toward the right of the center of the room sits in front of a sofa against where the two walls meet, and three plush leather chairs are in front of the desk in turn.
The man seated at the large desk is looking down at papers and writing. A lot of papers are scattered around the desk, and some sit under the two or three laptops on his desk.
"Did the cohort for the assistant position come in yet Levi? I was wanting to meet him soon," says the man without looking up from his papers.
He mustn't have noticed I'm not Levi.
"Um..." I say to get his attention.
He looks up and he jumps in his seat a little.
"Oh! I'm sorry. You must be...uh..." he says as he looks for a paper on his desk and finds my name, "Hogarth Fallin! Excuse me for my rudeness."
He steps up from his chair and walks around his desk to shake my hand. He's rather short, and now I take in his details. Man might be wrong to call him, and looking at him now he seems almost a boy. Short black hair and pale skin. Dark circles under his blue-grey eyes and a few burn marks on his fingers. From the habit unshrugged.
He's small too, barely coming to my chest height, and lean. Not skinny, but his lifestyle is visibly taking a toll. His voice is itchy in my ear, though his grip is firm. His smile, strangely, is perfect and spotless, not a tooth out of place and gums pink and normal.
"I'm Azrael Durst."