Duplicity [h.s]

05

"Chavem Silver, pleasure to meet you." A hand extended out to me from a tall man in a rich grey suit with a gold tie. He smiled down at me with his professionally whitened teeth, a silver tooth in the right side. He looked to be in his forties, a good mature looking man.

"Hi, Aven Brooks." I shook his hand softly, smiling.

"Will you come along with me please." He lets go and invitingly welcomes me to his big office behind tall glass doors. I nodded and stood up, tucking my hair behind my ear and clenching my portfolio.

I followed him on the whole marble floor, listening to his dress shoes echo through the building. He was a dapper man, seeming like he had his whole world in order. He had dark slicked back hair, a sharp profile.

He held the door for me as I walked into his large office that overlooked the city in the background. His black modern desk in the middle accompanied by a comfy leather chair. The room was pearly white.

"Please have a seat. Can I get you some water?" He asks politely, my mind still distracted on how beautiful his office was.

"Sh–sure, thank you." I nodded to the simple question as he walked over to his stainless steel fridge at the far end. It was was near a marble counter top and a black leather couch.

"Sparkling or spring?" He asked to my surprise.

"Oh, spring please." I answered while going over to take a seat in front of his clean intimidating desk. I sat my portfolio on my lap, my fingers tapping the soft plastic shell. My eyes peered around the room, my legs crossed. He had large professional photos hung up in frames all around his office, most being quite breathtaking. There were photos taken on top of mountains, some taken in the city, some just simple portraits of strangers. I really wanted to meet these photographers.

Chavem's arm suddenly reached over my shoulder from behind and held out a crystal glass of water with light ice. He had three different rings on his fingers. I smiled softly and gently grasped the cup from his grip before he walked around to his side of the the desk to sit.

"So," he sits in his empowering chair with his one glass of water, his looked sparkling. "Galen told me about you, she says you could have what it takes to attend her school but you need more experience first." He sips his glass as I was too nervous to sip from mine in a moment like this.

"It's such an honour to be referred to from the chair person of an Ivy League university." I start off with my gratitude.

"Galen and I go way back. I take her words seriously, there's no way I couldn't oblige." He nods.

"It's just been a dream to attend that school, so if experience is what it takes, I'm considered lucky." I smile while still holding the glass in my sweaty hand.

"Well, lets we what we're working with before I can make any promises." He looks down at my black portfolio on my lap, my whole world inside of it. I nodded and shakily grabbed the flimsy plastic book to hand it to him. I think he sensed my nervousness because he grinned a bit.

"Don't be nervous, I'm sure it's great." He eases while hold the book on his grip.

I felt a little more relaxed at his words before he leaned back in his chair and propped his black designer dress shoes up on his desk, opening my portfolio. Oh god I couldn't look at him as he looks at it.

Now I sipped the water, it tasted rich.

I don't really know how water tastes rich, but this was the only way I could describe it. It tastes better then the water from my tap I shove my mouth under in the morning.