Chapter Five

Theresa stood in front of the Martinsen full length mirror, sizing up the dark blue blazer dress. She was twitching her mouth both ways and shaking her head as she decided against the fourth dress now. She moved over to the bed were she had laid out about six other outfit and picked up the black peplum blouse she intended to match with a black pant suit. It was going to be the first day at Havens Cloud and she wanted to make a good impression; more like blow their minds away with the outfit she would eventually wear. She was going for ‘not too much, not too less’. And nothing she had sized up seemed to fit that description perfectly. Or so she thought.

      She felt a certain relief when she tendered her resignation letter at New Times Daily: practically dancing into the agency and gently slamming her resignation letter on Barris’ desk. Not in a million years would he admit this, but he was losing his best P.R.O. and he knew it. She made sure to let him know that she got a job at his rival’s agency as a Journalist, a job he wouldn’t give her despite the vacancies, her hard-work and qualifications and left his office, in the same way she had come in but this time, a beautiful smug was plastered on her face.

      “Have you seen a brown envelope lying around?” William quizzed coming into the bedroom looking rather hectic.

      “You mean the envelope that got soaked up in the sink?”

       His eyes widened. “Soaked up?”

     She flung open one of the drawers by the bedside, revealing the neatly tucked envelope.

     “I was joking,” she poked him in the stomach and handed it over to him.

      She could see the relief on his face. “Thanks babe. My father would have fired me today.”

      “Can he do that?”

     “It’s his company, he can do anything.” He left for the kitchen where he was making toast bread with eggs and custard for breakfast. He decided they should settle for a sumptuous meal that morning seeing as every time, Theresa has to stuff peanut butter all over a bread and munch it down as breakfast whenever he doesn’t sleep over.

      She grabbed the blue high necked dress and white pants suit which went with a black blazer, from the bed and rushed over to the kitchen to get his opinion.

      “Do you think I should wear the white suit or this blue dress?” she asked walking into the kitchen.

     He studied the clothes for about five seconds before pointing to the white pants suit. He grimaced at how much effort she was making to impress Robert Johnson.

    “What?” she asked, sensing he wasn’t saying something.

     William looked up feigning confusion. “Huh?”

     Theresa went back into the bedroom and put on the white pant suit, picking out a black camisole she put on before finishing it up with the black blazer. She slipped on her black loafers, packed her hair into a smooth bun and applied beige pink lipstick before heading out.

       William refused to drive her to the agency as he does almost all the time. He came up with the flimsiest excuse that he had to get coffee for his father at Oakleys before heading to his office. She couldn’t quite place why he had been moody the entire weekend, but she chose to let it slide. Nothing should ruin her first day as a journalist, most especially her petulant boyfriend whom she thought would be incredibly happy for her.

      “Have a wonderful first day,” he kissed her cheek and drove off.

        To say the grace which had been following her all weekend stuck with her till Monday morn as almost immediately she boarded a cab which took her to Havens Cloud in a smooth ride – no traffic, no drama.

     “Theresa Gray,” she answered the receptionist who asked for her name. The woman cross checked the long book on the desk and shook her head. “Who did you say you were looking for again?”

    Theresa almost let out a frustrated sigh. Clearly, this woman hasn’t been listening to all she had explained. She was just about to speak when Robert walked into the agency holding his coat in one hand.

    “If it isn’t the newest journalist in my agency,” he spread out his hands, smiling at them. “Is there a problem here?”

    “Good morning sir. She claims to be Theresa Gray seeking for a job. But I wasn’t informed about any interviews today.”

     Now, Theresa let out that frustrated sigh. Claims? She wanted to draw that long ponytail of hers and scream into her ears ‘Sissy, Theresa Gray is my name’.

     “I very much remember saying ‘I got a job’ here,” Theresa retorted calmly.

     The woman’s head fell and she quickly apologized for not paying any attention.

      “Well Laura,” he turned to the receptionist. “Theresa is the newest journalist in the agency so make sure to include her name in the system here to prevent any more of this,” he referred to the situation that had just occurred.

      “Come on,” he said to Theresa and they both rode the elevator up to the fifth floor where the conference room was situated. A bunch of other journalists were gathered there as Robert had informed them of the announcement he was going to deliver by 9am. They walked into the conference room and as expected, everyone’s eyes were on her. Nothing gave away any negative review and she concluded she was rocking that outfit.

     “I know you must be all wondering why I called this impromptu meeting and who this young woman beside me,” Robert started. Everybody’s gaze came back to her. “This is Theresa Gray, your newest colleague. She will be working as a Journalist.”

     Okay, so far so good, she thought. This was until Robert broke the second news. “And, I have awarded her the contract to write my biography. That’ll be all.”