The Facade

Chapter 5

It had been about a week since my meeting with Marlon. My boss, Mr. Lee, read over what I complied from my encounter with Brando. He was very disappointed to say the least. Standing there with a coffee mug in hand, you could tell that he wasn't happy at all.

"I've never seen you do such little work, Ms. Taylor." He looked at the short, typed up article. The words on the paper made him so uneasy, he began loosening his tie. "Usually you're so thorough."

He never was harsh when critiquing my work. Mr. Lee always gave me great insight, most of which I'd take into consideration. However this is one job I was not going to budge on.

"He made it impossible to get any work done! He was absolutely—" Before I could complain more about Marlon's behavior, Mr. Lee began reading my article out loud.

"I'd never met anyone more self involved than Mr. Brando. After entering his apartment, it was as if being sent to another world. One that had storms of garbage everyday, with obnoxiously roaring music." Mr. Lee read out, as if to make it clear and apparent everything that was wrong with it. Then, he rose his eyebrows and took a sip from his mug.

"And he obviously doesn't know how to treat women. Did you read the part about Lucy?" I asked with crossed arms.

"Yes, yes, Molly he called her." Mr. Lee nodded. "Suppose he'd just met her and forgot her name? By the way, can you turn on the
A/C, it's stifling in here!"

I walked over to the bulky air conditioner in the window and turned the knob. Then, I faced Mr. Lee once again. "He must've known her. She was naked! They're lovers!" I exclaimed. Mr. Lee gave me a grin, probably laughing at my naïve nature. Then, he sipped his coffee, a drink that didn't make sense in the current heat.

"Well." He tossed the newspaper over onto his desk. Then he leaned back on it, one arm crossed over his chest and the other holding his mug. "You'll go back tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? I have much better things to do tomorrow than go back there." I tensely frowned.

"Then you'll go back today." Mr. Lee insisted. I got silent, not wanting to make matters worse. "I asked you to go in there and get a story on an actor who may be a star. Not whether or not he keeps his apartment clean."

"He was the most unprofessional person I'd ever work with. He put on this act in his pajama, for goodness sake!" I said desperately.

"Listen kid, I know you're new. You will come across people you don't like interviewing. That's part of the business." He shrugged. I stood there quietly. "Are you invested in this business?"

"What?" I asked, it was strange he'd ask such a question. I was always a hard worker without a doubt. Him questioning my work ethic bothered me deeply.

"Are you invested in this paper?" Mr. Lee picked up the horrible article again. "Because this won't cut it."

"Of course." I insisted in a harsh voice. "This job is all I have."

"Then you'll see Brando again today." Mr. Lee stood up from leaning on the desk. "I'll call him up and see if he is available." He walked to the back of the desk, then swirled his finger around the rotary phone.

With every clucking twist of the phone dial, I prayed in my mind that there would be no answer.

"Hello, Marlon?" He said into the receiver. Darn it. Suddenly I began to pray that Marlon wouldn't be available that day. Or maybe he wasn't interested in having an interview at all. "Of course. Yes. It's a deal. Great."

Once Mr. Lee hung up the phone, I walked over to him frantically. "What did he say?"

"He said he wouldn't do another interview if it meant he'd be given a million bucks." Mr. Lee told me. I let out a sigh of relief, I wasn't going to be annoyed by Marlon that day.