It's Contractual - a Joseph Quinn Fanfiction

Chapter 4 - Empire State of Mind

The subway doors open and I find my way through the bustling crowd to the stairwell. The sun is relentless today, making me quite appreciative of the patches of shadow being cast by the looming skyscrapers. The buildings stand in monotonous rows that span further than my eyes can see, separated by the occasional pop of colour, intricate statue, or grassed area. I'm supposed to be looking for a grey building that reads "Barth & Mack Entertainment".

I find it in between a coffee shop and an accounting firm, and make my way inside through the revolving glass door. The ceilings are akin to those of a Cathedral, with a floral chandelier hanging in the centre. Square tiles line the walls, and to my left are three polished elevators that seem to be making noise every ten seconds as they cycle through occupants. Wandering over to the front desk, I wait for the lady to finish her phone call.

'Thank you, take care.' She hangs up and her attention shifts to me. 'How can I help you, ma'am?'

'I'm here for an interview, my name's Adira.'

'Adira...' I watch her eyes skim the computer screen. 'He should be running on time so if you'd like to wait, please take a seat over there.'

I smile at her, making my way over to the seating area. I sink down into one of the black leather couches and set my purse down on the glass table before me, next to a stack of magazines. I pick one up - Wonderland. As I roll through the pages, an audible gasp escapes my lips as I arrive on a spread about Joseph Quinn. Chuckling to myself, I snap a picture and message it through to Sadie:

Look who I found in the magazine at my job interview...

'What a fancy name we have here. Miss Adira Hazel?'

Startled, I slam the magazine shut and shove my phone into my pocket. A man in a pinstripe brown suit is peering at me through oversized rectangular glasses.

'Yes, hello!' I stand up, clutching my purse by my side.

'I didn't mean to scare you, darling,' he chuckles. 'I'm probably not who you expected to see, but our recruiting guy's off sick today. I figured I might as well get to know who we're employing nowadays!'

I offer a courtesy laugh, hoping to disguise my growing nerves.

'The name's Oliver by the way, but everyone here calls me Mackie.'

'It's great to meet you.' I shake his hand. His grip is strong and purposeful.

'Follow me, my office is higher up. Way better place to observe the world from.'

Hopping into the elevator, we travel upwards in what feels like an hour-long trip. A ping can be heard from somewhere above us as the doors open, revealing an open space divided into a dozen separate office-like spaces. Mackie turns left, leading me to the largest of the spaces that also fronts New York City. The room is lined with glass panels and decorated with different sized books and unusual plants.

Taking a seat, Mackie asks, 'Are you a coffee girl, or not really?'

'Not particularly, but thank you.'

'Tea, then? Juice? Water?'

'I'm fine for now, thanks.'

Mackie nods, mumbling the word "right" over and over. 'Overwhelmingly polite and doesn't like coffee, noted. Now, let's get started!'

'All ready!'

'You've got quite the resume, Adira,' he remarks, removing a booklet from his briefcase that I assume is the resume in question. 'You're originally from Australia, is that right?'

'Yes, I was born in Melbourne.'

'Lovely. What made you want to move to the States?'

'I was given an opportunity to sign with Seaford Records, which is based over in LA.'

'I thought I recognised your name from somewhere. You work with Luca Seaford?'

'He is my producer, yes.'

Mackie nods again. 'He was one of your referees, if I'm not mistaken. Had a lot of great things to say about you, actually.'

My cheeks fill with blush. 'He did? That's so sweet.'

'Yes, coming from him. Strange guy, but very knowledgeable. Hard man to please.' Mackie sets down the booklet on his desk, clearing his throat. 'So, give me a quick summary of why you want this job.'

'I've always loved performing arts, and...'

'I'll stop you right there.' Mackie adjusts his posture. 'I want you to tell me something I don't already know. Something that old Oliver won't be able to find on your resume.'

I pause, absorbing what he's just said. 'Would you like to hear what sparked my passion?'

'That's more like it, Miss Hazel.'

'When I was eight years old, one of my friends invited me to sing in her little band for a school talent competition,' I began. 'They had me playing the triangle, of all instruments. But I just remember falling in love with the art that was performance. It was thrilling to be onstage and to see just how much of an impact we had on the people in the audience.'

'So from a young age, it enthralled you. What did you do next?'

'Whatever I could, really. I took up singing lessons, I continued piano, took up a few more instruments, started looking into theatre...'

'And there we go, Adira.' Mackie leans backwards in his chair. 'So you're into helping others who are likeminded?'

'That would be amazing.'

'This is good stuff, chick. I'd imagine you've already had a look into what our company stands for, no?'

'Absolutely. Fostering talent, encouraging passions, and kickstarting careers.'

'Exactly. Miss Hazel, we seek to serve people like you. The babies of the industry, if you will.'

'And that's something I'd love to play a part in.'

Mackie points his pen at me, narrowing his eyes. 'I know. Because otherwise, why would you be here, hey? Now onto my favourite question, what sets you apart?'

I draw in a deep breath. No matter how many times I am asked this, I struggle coming up with an answer.

'What makes you, Adira Hazel, unique? What would you bring to our marketing team that's so vastly different from the rest that we just have to choose you? You'd better not say your passion for music, or I will scream.'

I reflect on his question. This is my chance to really sell myself and back up my own abilities, but my mind is filled with a thick silence. I begin to bounce my leg up and down to alleviate the nerves.

What does make me unique?