Way Forward (GirlxGirl) [E-book available on MEB]

Maybe you'll love it

"No."

Charlie answers before the question gets a chance to leave her visitor's mouth. She moves her eyes from the monitor on her desk to the blue-hair man who is about to knock on her opened door. He comes with the same request he has been asking her all morning and now he is here to take another rejection from one of his directors. He pouts and whines as he feels the weight of the entire universe has just fallen on him and is about to crush him to death.

"But I've never been to a client without an actual person who knows how to talk." The blue-hair man sluggishly crawls his way into Charlie's glass-wall office and dumps himself face-down on the sofa by the door. It is not a big office space but it is definitely better than the one Charlie had in New York city. The natural light can freely travel through huge windows behind her and the neutral activities can be freely seen through huge glass walls before her. It is hard to feel so cooped up in here.

"You don't need to talk to anyone, Glen. Just take the photos and come back." Charlie leans back against her not-so-comfortable office chair and watches their summer intern crying like a baby about the job he is assigned for. "It's a restaurant, isn't it? There will be food. You don't need to talk to anyone. Take pictures. Eat. Bring back some food."

"There are the owner and the chef, Charlie." Glen pushes himself up on the sofa and tries to convince Charlie for the last time. Both of them are practically rookies in this marketing agency. Charlie has started a few months ago and Glen has started early this month. And since Charlie is more experienced in the field and in a much higher position than Glen, she is put in charge of the college kid. "What if they want me to pitch them?"

"Tell them you're there to take pictures. The team will pitch them later." Charlie throws a piece of nicotine gum in her mouth. She has been trying to quit smoking for a while now. Some days she finds success and some days she doesn't. It just has been the later one more lately. "I have enough work here."

"Charlie." A middle-aged lady in stylish outfit with dazzling accessories knocks on Charlie's glass door. The boss lady doesn't notice Glen at first but when she does, she is more than delighted. "Oh good, you're here, Glen. Charlie, Glen is taking photos for one of our new clients. That new Italian restaurant. Can you go with him?"

"Yes!" Glen whispers and holds up his fist like a winner when he hears that the luck has landed on his side.

"Just accompanying him in case they have concerns or you have ideas." Bernette makes her command sound so pleasant to the ears with her smile that always shines so bright. Happiness of waking up and getting to do what you love as a job has this much effect on people. "Buy him lunch also and get the bill to me."

"Alright." Charlie doesn't have much choice when the boss herself asks her to do the exact same thing as what Glen himself asked her. She is not as thrilled as Glen when she gets up on her feet, puts her phone in her pants pocket and smiles politely at the lady boss. She loves this. She loves her job and she can't deny that there are some mornings that she wakes up with regret of leaving that amazing opportunity in New York city. However, she is glad she found this job. Bernette is an amazing boss with energy to spare for everyone. There isn't one morning Charlie doesn't want to be here. There isn't one morning she doesn't want to come to work. And she gives all the credit to Bernette.

"Excellent." Bernette takes off to go back to whatever she was doing and leaves the new duo in the office.

"Do they have cocktail?" Charlie digs through her satchel bag for her car key that is definitely not in her pocket. This is not the first time it is misplaced and she is more than certain that it is not the last.