April 11th 2016

"Do you ever have days where you want to quit your job?"

"No."

"No? Are you serious? Doesn't everyone have those types of daydreams?"

"I don't. I happen to like my job."

"Who likes their job?!"

"Um, me?"

"Are you of this earth?"

"Are you?"

"Today, I kind of hope I'm not and maybe the mother ship will comeback and save me from this Hell on Earth."

"I'm intrigued. Continue."

"I hate my job."

"Well, this is a huge turn around. I thought you loved your job."

"I did. Past tense."

"What's happened?"

"People."

"People happened?"

"Exactly."

"I'm going to need more information to work with."

"Idiot people."

"Soph?"

"There's this one woman who just grates on me and I've done nothing but be nice to her since I bloody arrived and whatever I do, she still find fault with me!"

"..."

"And it's like, if I smile at her, she turns her nose up at me. If I ask her to submit a piece, she's hours over the deadline. God forbid I ask her to come and see me! I asked her to come to my office this morning, and guess what? I'm still waiting!"

"Are you sure you haven't done anything to upset her?"

"Yes, I'm sure... well, there is that one minor little detail."

"Minor?"

"Tiny, insignificant... it's not that important."

"Ok, what is this tiny, insignificant, minor detail exactly?"

"Oh, you know."

"Ah, that's why I'm asking, because I already know. Silly me!"

"I may have unintentionally taken her job."

"You took her job?"

"I was asked! I mean, I was head-hunted for the position. Look, it would have been different if she'd been offered the job and I'd usurped her, but as it happens, I was the only choice for the job, so technically, I didn't take it. I was given it. Ahead of her. Because I'm better."

"Did you, by chance, say all that to this woman?"

"No. I'm not stupid."

"So, this woman- what's her name?"

"Kennedy."

"Kennedy? For a girl?"

"Masculine names are very common for females this side of the pond."

"Right. So, Kennedy hates you because you were given the job ahead of her?"

"I think she was the second in command here under the woman I'm covering for. She feels slighted that she was overlooked when, maybe, she was the natural heir to the position."

"I don't understand why she's taking it out on you, though."

"Nor do I. I mean, apart from the obvious."

"Do you know why she hates you?"

"Again, apart from the obvious? They didn't give her the job because if they had, she would have been hard to get rid of. I mean, once she's in the position, she'd be reluctant to give it back. That's why they went overseas. Plus, I think they're training me up to be an Art Director. Why else would I have to shadow Nigel?"

"You're in line for a promotion?"

"Yes, I think so. Our Art Director back in London is leaving at the end of the year, I heard. Rumour on the streets is that I'm the frontrunner to replace her but I don't have all the experience to do the job. Coming here, learning from Nigel, who is the best, by the way, learning the tricks of the trade... it seems like I'm being tapped for the job."

"Let's just hypothesise for a second that you are in line for this Art Director job- does that mean you'll be based in London?"

"Yes."

"That's good."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Can you see now why this is all happening?"

"I can. Kennedy, on the other hand, can't."

"She winds me up! So much!"

"Well, if there's one thing I know, it's that you are one tough bitch."

"That's a terrible pep talk, Daniel. Calling em a bitch, not cool."

"Did you miss the part where I said you were tough?"

"No, I got that, but right now, I feel defeated."

"Defeated? You? C'mon, Soph! You are Sophie Clément, for crying out loud! You don't know the meaning of the word defeated!"

"Defeated- to have been beaten in a battle or other contest."

"Really?"

"I said I didn't know the definition. Well, I do."

"'The same boiling water that softens a potato, hardens the egg.'"

"What? Is that supposed to be motivational? Am I the soft potato or the hard egg?"

"Ok, that was a bad choice of quote. 'The moment you want to quit is the moment you need to keep pushing.'"

"What if it's too hard to keep pushing?"

"Look, Soph, I'm going to tell you something that my grandfather would always tell me. You didn't come this far only to come this far. You've worked your arse off to get to the position that you're in and you're not going to let one spoiled woman ruin that for you. Do you want to be an Art Director?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to let Kennedy get in your way?"

"..."

"No! No, you are not! Giving up on your goal because of one set back is like slashing the other three tires on your car because your got a flat. Ok, this bitch is making your life difficult, but you say, 'Fuck it,' and you move forward. Don't let her jealousy cloud your dreams, Sophie."

"Daniel?"

"Yes?"

"Marry me?"

"Yeah, why not."

"But seriously- thank you."

"That's what I'm here for. So, what are you going to do?"

"Say 'fuck it' and keep climbing."

"That's my girl!"

"Haha, yeah. I take back what I said earlier."

"What, you don't want to marry me after all?"

"Not that. What I said about you giving a terrible pep talk. You're actually really good at it. If you ever did want to quit your job, I think you have a career in motivational speaking."

"Like I said, I like my job."

"Mm... Oh, God!"

"What, what is it?!"

"I never asked how your day went! I was too absorbed in my own problems to even ask about you and your day!"

"Ah."

"How was your day?"

"It sucked until about ten minutes ago."

"What happened ten minutes ago?"

"You called."

"I'm the highlight of your day, huh? Even with all my baggage?"

"I never said you were the highlight of my day."

"I'm reading between the lines."

"Or jumping to conclusions."

"I prefer my theory."

"You always prefer your theories."

"Because my theories are better."

"Or so you say."

"Whatever."

"You give in to me too easily."

"Like you always say- do I really want to go up against a lawyer? You're trained to argue and to argue well, and to win. I can't compete with that, so yes. I give in to you easily."

"What if I demanded, like, a million pounds? Would you give in to me on that so easily?"

"Depends on how good your argument is."

"It would be my best one yet."

"In that case, yeah, I probably would. I'm too drained to argue with you."

"Are you drained now?"

"Kinda."

"Time for bed, huh?"

"Bed? It's only six pm here."

"Take an overdue siesta then."

"I think it's going to take more than a siesta. But, I should power down and go home."

"How did it go yesterday with Emma's monster-in-law to be?"

"Terrible. They're no closer to finalising the seating plan. Someone called Sallie and a bloke called Fletcher are holding things up."

"Sallie and Fletcher?"

"Friends of the groom's father, I think. Or relatives, I'm not sure. I think they were married. Newly divorced, perhaps. I don't know. I gave up caring and started drinking wine instead."

"Great maid-of-honour you are."

"I try."

"I was joking."

"I was being sarcastic."

"Oh, God! I best hang up before you get even more sarcastic."

"But, Daniel... why?"

"Stop whining. Turn your computer off, shut off your office lights, go to the lift, take the subway and get yourself home."

"Bossy."

"I'm aware."

"Right, computer's off, flicking the light switch now and heading to the lift. By the way, I don't ride the subway. I have a driver. Yeah, buddy, you're not the only one with a chauffeur any more."

"Congratulations. Would you like me to get you a gold star?"

"Well, if you're offering."

"Go home and sleep, Sophie. Tomorrow, wake up and know that Kennedy is not going to win, ok?"

"Yeah."

"You're stronger than her bullshit. Just remember that you have farther to go. Hold onto the end goal and don't let anyone blow you off course."

"I won't. If I ever did, I'm sure you'd put me be on course."

"Naturally. At the end of this, you'll get to come back and be in London permanently. You think I'm going to let you throw that away?"

"You know I'm coming back anyway, right?"

"Yeah, but you said you wanted to be an Art Director. If that's your dream, then I shall support you fully. Which is why you don't get to give up on your New York job that easily."

"I thought you'd be talking me out of wanting to stay here."

"On any other day, perhaps. But today? Today, you need to stay there and do what you have to do."

"Daniel Whitaker, I'm really lucky to have you in my life."

"Ditto. Are you in the lift yet? It seems like a long walk from your office to the lift."

"Yeah, I'm a the lift. Been here a few minutes, actually. Just didn't want to press the button yet."

"Soph?"

"Yeah?"

"Go home."

"I am!"

"Good. In a while, crocodile."

"Later, alligator."

"..."

"Wait! Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, now-"

"Yeah, yeah. Go home."

"You read my mind."

"Bye, Daniel."

"Bye, Soph."