Serendipity is for Suckers | h.s. *EDITING*

2 // ❀

Graham's smile and familiar face ease my nerves drastically and he nearly shouts, "Victoria Grey!" His arms are spread open wide with one hand holding a to-go cup of coffee and the other one clutching onto his phone.

"Ria," I remind him.

"I haven't seen you in like, what, ten years?!" he exclaims as he extends his hand out for me to shake. I return his gesture and he waves his hand for me to follow him through the brightly lit hallways of the office floor. We walk for a few short seconds before halting in front of a closed office door with a sign in the front reading Graham Andersen, Head of Management.

He and my aunt used to date before they broke off their relationship considering that they were business partners and wanted to keep their relations strictly professional. Graham wanted to leave Meila Management, once known as M&G Management, and give all business rights to my aunt but she refused to let him go and end things on a bad note. She ended up giving him the job of Head Project Manager and they've been working together ever since. During the holidays, they used to come visit our family in Hawaii, so that's how I know him personally. That was, of course, before they broke up.

Graham takes out a set of keys from his pockets and unlocks his door. He walks into the large room, leaving the door open for me to follow. He sets his coffee cup down on his desk, takes a seat on his large swivel chair, kicks his feet up on to his desk and rests his hands behind his head.

"So," he begins, "How's the family?"

"Mom's still as stern as ever and stepdad's still an absent asshole." Graham raises his eyebrows. "They're in the process of their divorce," I add impassively.

"Hmmm..." He rubs the slight greying stubble on his chin to show that he's in deep thought. "Anyways, I've read through your application and even though I didn't get a say in whether or not you were hired, I'm still very much impressed."

"Thanks!"

"Straight A's all throughout high school, varsity volleyball player, and you play the piano?" I never put piano playing down on my application. He's only bringing it up because of the few piano recitals of mine he's attended in my childhood.

"Yep!"

"So why exactly are you here then?" He kicks his legs off the table and leans forward to rest his elbows on the desk.

"What do you mean? My aunt gave-"

"Your aunt tries to avoid nepotism cases so there really is no doubt that you deserve to be here. But... you took one year in college as an undeclared major and then took a whole year off suddenly. You know, most interns here are pursuing business degrees or degrees in general." I'm not really sure if he meant that last part as a drag at me or not.

"I don't know... I-I guess I'm still trying to figure it all out," I answer honestly. We're interrupted by his desk phone ringing. He answers it and with a few rushed hums and "yeahs," he hangs up and stands from his chair.

"Come with me," I follow him out through the doors and just a few feet away across the hall is a small single cubicle office isolated away from everyone else. The desk and drawers are empty with the exception of a computer and a phone. "This will be your desk space for now. All of my emails will be sent to your computer and all of my calls will be directed to your phone first."

What the hell? Am I just going to be answering phone calls all day or some shit? Should I fetch him coffee and grab his lunch order while I'm at it?

"I know it's not an ideal job but you've gotta work your way through the program, ya know?" he says. I set my stuff onto my new, but dusty, wooden desktop before looking back up at him. His cellphone then rings again and he looks at it before shutting it off.