"I'd better turn the lights on," I muttered to the empty room. "Otherwise, I might fall asleep without realising it."
Maybe it was anxiety that woke me up, but I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep again without risking my entire future. Therefore, I started to prepare myself—literally.
"Ugh—how was it that this goes?" I frowned at my reflection, poking at a stray blemish. "Was it the foundation first? Wait, what am I even doing? I should wash my face first!"
Not really sure of what to do with the makeup I'd barely touched during my days of university, getting ready for my first day of work already felt like a massive hassle. For a long time, I didn't use makeup because I had no real desire to, which is exactly why I'd forgotten how to apply it properly. I did know more or less where things went and, since I'm more of a tomboy, I usually opted for a more natural look. I thought I would mess up the moment I forgot I had to wash my face before doing anything else, but thankfully, only the eyeliner proved to be an actual hardship.
Sophie had spent hours drilling the basics into me last night, and since I'm starting a proper office job, the least I can do is look awake and alive with a bit of product.
"Alright, that looks nice."
After surpassing the makeup level and feeling quite satisfied, I had to decide what to wear from the clothes Sophie had lent me. That step took me an absolute age, and by the time I was finished dressing up, there was only an hour left for me to grab some breakfast and catch the bus.
I had to style my hair for the first time after cutting it short. Using the extensions Sophie gave me, I made it look longer, fluffier, and wavier, since I couldn't really do much more about it. Getting used to the extra weight on my head will take a while.
"Huff—okay, I'm done."
Standing in front of the full-length mirror, I gave myself a quick check. Wearing a soft primrose yellow blouse with a high white neck underneath since it was still chilly out, my upper body looked classy. It wasn't enough to give off a "don't talk to me" kind of vibe, and paired with the skinny jeans and the belt Sophie had suggested, I looked quite like the young working adult full of hopes that I—well, that I'm not, but desperately want to be.
"I look truly nice."
Even though I felt weird after wearing oversized hoodies for so long, I was quite satisfied with my looks.
"Good, Layna! You do have it in you!" I gave myself a double thumbs up in the mirror before running downstairs to eat breakfast.
Things went smoothly from then on. Mum and Dad were mild in their lovey-doveyness for a change. Maybe they did it on purpose so I wouldn't get annoyed so early in the morning, which I truly appreciate since I wasn't really relaxed enough to take their public displays of affection with my usual trained patience.
I was nervous, of course, but I safely made it to the tall, imposing building in the business zone of the city. I arrived right on time to see my future's big name and get blinded by the sheer scale of it.
"It's good I brought my sunglasses." I adjusted the frames on my nose. The name was too big not to appreciate, especially for a publicist.
Oslic Media. The more I look at it, the more I wonder if I'm lucky or not. This is really a great opportunity I've stumbled upon.
This company is one of the many branches Oslic Corp has around the country, and even abroad, it is recognised with a stellar reputation. If I'm honest, I am incredibly lucky to land my first job here. But that also makes me unlucky in a way. I have no recognitions besides my degree, and it's obviously going to be a difficult place to work since its standards are on a worldwide level.
"Oh, sh*t. Now I'm more nervous." I felt a cold bead of sweat prickle at my hairline. I'll trip over my own feet at this rate.
Alright. Let's ace it. This is all so I can go back to my bed without feeling like a failure and then be able to buy myself a well-deserved bottle of champagne without scamming nice gay men ever again!
Gripping my bag's handles, I pumped myself up to finally cross the entrance.
Luxurious, minimalistic—the interior design was exactly what one would expect from a massive corporation. The air felt crisp and new as soon as I crossed the revolving door. If I hadn't been so focused on timing my steps well, I probably would have ended up dizzy.
The email said I should ask at the counter for further instructions on the floor I'm supposed to go to and who I need to talk to.
Hence, I did exactly as the email instructed.
"Uhm, hello. Good morning."
"Yes, good morning. How may I help you, miss?"
"Uh—I am a new employee in the Advertising team. The name is Layna Burry. May I ask you to tell me where it is that I should meet my team manager? The email said I should ask at the counter."
"Oh, sure! Let me just check the system to see if you're registered so we can give you your ID card. After that, I will tell you more details."
"Thank you very much. Umh—"
Trying to read the lady's name pinned on her vest, I peeked without success since her long hair covered the plaque. I failed miserably at being discreet about it.
"My! I am so sorry, my hair always gets in the way!" She laughed, the sound bright and infectious. "I am Jessica Davies. Nice to meet you, Layna."
Offering her hand from behind the counter, Jessica smiled after showing off the name tag I couldn't read. I smiled back at her and shook her hand, feeling my confidence grow as I noticed how nice the people working here seemed to be.
"Nice to meet you, Jessica. Your hair is very pretty, so if I were you, I would also let it get in the way all it wants!" I said, joking a bit since I wanted to return her kindness.
"I know, right?" Jessica beamed, her eyes crinkling. "I'll tell you the truth, my hair is my pride, so I kind of do it on purpose!"
"Oh, that's clever!" I grinned, leaning against the polished marble. "It's so long and healthy, definitely something to be proud of."
"I know, right?" Jessica smiled widely and lifted her shoulder in a playful, mischievous gesture that made her bright curls bounce.
Her personality was cheery, and her long, wavy carrot-coloured hair suited her style perfectly. She didn't take long to give me the ID card since it was already printed, but she still needed to go through some paperwork to make my onboarding with my credentials and personal device official.
"Here you go, Layna. Use this ID to go past the mechanic gates. You will see the elevators immediately to your right. Take whichever arrives first and go to the 18th floor. I've sent notice that you've arrived, so if it's not your manager, at least a co-worker will welcome you and show you around."
"Okay, thank you, Jessica. You were a great help. Have a nice day."
"You too, Layna! Good luck on your first day at Oslic Media! Tell me later how it went!"
I waved at her as I left. Beeping my new card on the gates, I took the elevator, which thankfully wasn't packed with people and put on my strain glasses.
As Jessica said, someone was there to receive me on the 18th floor. His name was Ethan, and apparently, he was the assistant to the team manager. Since I'm just starting my career, he gave me a thorough tour of the floor and showed me where my cubicle was located. Simple tasks were going to be given to me for now, since they said they wanted to test the new employee's capabilities across different competencies during the first few weeks. I find that awesome, since I want to learn a bit of everything in the field if I'm able to.