Look Both Ways (Complete)

2. The Ride To The Top

Tie's heart rate rose with the elevator as the floors whisked by.

He looked at the ceiling and closed his eyes. He reviewed his employment history, starting with the first day, and then his second posting, trying to recall an event that would explain this  unusual meeting.

Floor 12.

EnerCorp's entry level position was Tie's first job.

On his inaugural day, he wore a Gucci shirt, co-ordinated tie, and Italian shoes. This contrasted with the casual atmosphere of the mailroom. He had arrived early and introduced himself to the supervisor clad in denims and a black AC-DC concert t-shirt.

"Hello, I'm the new guy, Quincy." He shot out his hand, focused on presenting the solid businessman-like handshake that he had read about.

Sam evaluated him from his neatly trimmed coif to his soft leather Derbys. Her pierced eyebrow was raised and she ignored his outstretched palm.

"Quincy? That's too hard to say; it makes my lips do acrobatics. How about...Tie." She stated while analyzing his shirt, and finally shook his hovering hand.

Later, at the morning briefing,

"Everyone, this is, Quincy. But you can just call him Tie."

"Who?" asked John who was busy texting on his iphone.

"Tie!" shouted Sam, as she took his tie and waved it, thereby turning it into his nametag.

Floor 20.

The moniker followed him a year later with his promotion to data entry.

Carl is the data floor manager, who handles errors at the watercooler with trial balloons like 'Are you sure about line twenty of the Reynold account?'

Balloons that were not firmly grasped float up to Personnel on nineteen.

Tie had perfect attendance, and flawless performance. He had never formally met Carl, so that after several days of nods and 'gmornins', it had become too awkward for an introduction.

His seniority was in the middle of this group; the next promotion to analysis was at least six months away.

Floor 25 lit.

He was a kind, considerate employee; the first to help Kent during the tax-time deluge; did the work of two when Terry booked off, and covered for Jenn on Christmas Eve so she could go home early to her young family.

He spent a weekend to help John move, he babysat Sam's cat while she vacationed in Maui. His co-workers received marzipan cupcakes on their birthdays.

Floor 30 whisked by. Tie commenced biting his fingernails.

After work, he has a dinner reservation at the Michelin star Brooklyn Fare, where he will meet his girlfriend Renee shortly after picking up a .25 carat engagement ring. He did not make the reservation; it had been Renee's graduation gift from her parents a year ago. Since then, she had dropped many hints about how 'special' this dinner was going to be, and he was savvy enough to know what that meant in a four year relationship.

Floor 34 passed.

Tie's heart raced under a damp shirt.

His goal is a career on Wall Street.

He exercises his Degree in Economics by living efficiently between paycheques. Last month, he sacrificed a Hilfiger shirt sale to take Renee to the cinema. His current life savings is twelve cents. 

A light 'ding' announced his arrival as the letters PH illuminate.

The doors parted slowly, like a horror movie.

Tie took a deep breath and stepped out, unsure if he had arrived in Heaven, or Hell.

It would turn out to be both.