I get the sense of calm from him right away, and I don’t want to be caught snooping where I don’t belong, so I say, “Ah, sure. That would be great.”
“Sorry, I never introduced myself. My name is Mason, and I work here. My office is just next door.” He laughs, and I feel the tension in my back slowly dissipate.
I smile and release the breath I was holding. “Nice to meet you. My name is Gracie.”
He nods with a warm smile, and I stand and leave the office, taking my bag with me.
“The breakroom’s here. The boardroom there. Bathroom there.” He points out every room as we stroll along the floor. “I’m right next door if you need help, but I’m sure Nora will be around soon to get you situated.”
“I’m good for now, but I’ll be sure to ask. Thanks for the tour; it would have taken me a long time to figure out where everything was otherwise.”
“Anytime. I better get back to my office. I have an early design meeting with a client.”
I nod and watch Mason turn to leave before I return to my office. Sitting back down, I’m still a little unsure of what to do, but I don’t wait long before Nora walks in.
“Hi, Gracie. Nora.”
I stand abruptly and smile. “Hi, Nora.”
“It’s lovely to meet you in person. Have you just arrived?”
“Yes, just a couple of minutes ago.”
She nods. “Okay, well, I’ll give you a tour.” She turns to leave, but my stomach does a little flip, and I say, “Um. Mason already did.”
“Wonderful. You will work with Mason closely, so I’m glad you two have already met. So, I guess let’s run through some work.”
I nod excitedly. Yes, I need to do something. Sitting here looking at books and a computer I don’t understand isn’t helping.
“I won’t have you working on projects by yourself, so don’t worry. It will be a slow process.”
“I’m happy with anything you decide.”
“After Mason’s meeting, I have allocated him time to show you this new project. It will be a good one to start, as we don’t get too many, but they require teamwork. I think when you start at a new company, that’s always number one to get right.”
I nod. I wonder how many people will work on this project and what that means for me…and what’s this teamwork?
My head pounds from overthinking. Again.
I need to stop.
Lack of sleep and food, mixed with stress, is a recipe for an incoming bed-ridden migraine.
Nora’s phone rings, and she smiles and grabs it to read the name. “I’m sorry, I must get this. I’ll be back in a couple of hours, but if you hit the button on the phone, it is a direct line to me. Please use it if Mason isn’t around. I want you to settle in. I know moving is intimidating, as I’ve done it, but look at me now. It was the best thing I’ve ever done, and I haven’t regretted it.”
A warm smile spreads on my face. This is exactly what I want to hear. “Thank you, Nora, I appreciate it. To be honest, I’ve been a bit nervous, but I’m doing this for me, and I need to remember that. My career will further myself.”
“Exactly.” Her phone rings again. “Persistent, aren’t they?” She smiles. “You’ve got this. I’ll speak to you later.”
I wave and take a seat, and just as I do, she turns and shuffles over to me. My brows pinch, wondering what she is doing.
“I forgot this. Here, read this while you wait for Mason. He will be in soon.”
I nod and watch her leave, admiring her navy suit and stilettos and her bouncy red hair. The girl-boss attitude is giving me major Ava vibes, and I already know that we will get along famously.
An hour later, I’m flicking through the building paperwork that Nora gave me. I’m trying to understand it all, but a lot of it is going over my head. There is just way too much here.
And on top of that, it’s more involved than anything I could read about online.