“Welcome to Cool Credit! How can I help you today?” A beautiful girl with long straight black hair and big brown eyes smiled at me.
“Hi, I’m Magnolia.”
“Hi, I’m Jane. How can I help you?”
“I’m Magnolia Allen.” My smile faltered a little bit. “Today is my first day.”
“Oh, oops.” She looked down at a sheaf of papers and blushed. “I totally knew that. Sorry. Today is only my second day.”
“Today is your second day?”
“Yeah.” She leaned forward and whispered, “It’s all a bit disorganized, to be honest. I’m not really sure what’s going on.”
“Oh ...” This wasn’t how I wanted to start my first day at a job. “Is Tate Howard around? Maybe I can speak to him.”
Jane frowned and pursed her lips as I said his name. I was curious what that was about but didn’t ask. I really didn’t need to hear anything bad right now. I’d been so excited yesterday, but now that I was here, I was getting a weird feeling about it.
“He’ll be out in a few minutes.” Jane stood up and walked around the desk. “I guess today is everyone’s first day.”
“But you started yesterday?”
“I got the start date wrong.” She shrugged. “So today I get to play the receptionist.”
“What exactly is the company?” I kept my voice low, hoping I didn’t sound like an idiot. I mean, who accepts a job without really knowing what the company does?
“I don’t really know. The office I went through didn’t have many details. Though I was told I was going to be in marketing.”
“I was told I was going to be a fashion blogger.” I looked around the office and frowned. “But I don’t really get the fashion vibe here.” I stared at the bare white and gray office and bit my lip. “Are the other rooms really bright and full of clothes?” I asked her hopefully.
Jane just grinned. “Nah, there’s nothing bright and cheerful around here.” She laughed. Her laugh was infectious and I joined in, even though I had no idea what we were laughing about. “This is going to be an adventure for both of us. We’re in the Twilight Zone now, Magnolia.”
“Yes, we are, Jane.”
“As they say in Mexico, al mal tiempo, buena cara.”
“What does that mean?” I asked her. “I’m afraid I don’t speak any Spanish.”
“To bad weather, we put on a good face.” She smiled. “Something like that. My abuela says it all the time. No matter how bad it turns out to be, at least we have a job.”
“Uh oh, you’re scaring me.” I smiled to let her know I was joking. Mostly. “Though I’m glad I’m starting with someone like you.” Jane, at least, seemed like someone I could be good friends with. At first, I’d been intimidated by her beauty, thinking she would be some sort of cold bitch, but she was actually cute, warm and funny. I knew we were going to get on well.
“I’m not the scary one. Wait until you meet, Tate.” She made a face.
My stomach twisted with nerves. She really wasn’t making our new boss sound like a nice guy.
“Is he not cool?”
“Let’s just say, if you offered me a million dollars to spend a week with him one on one, I’d say no.” She grimaced. “And I could really use a million dollars.”
“Oh, girl.” I laughed. “I’m even more nervous now.”
“Nervous about what?” A deep voice sounded from behind us and we both jumped before we turned around. A tall man with faded golden blond hair and bright blue eyes smirked at us. “Jane, I thought I told you to come and get me when the new employees arrived.”
“I was coming,” she protested. He just raised an eyebrow. Jane’s face flushed and she looked annoyed. I wasn’t sure what had gone on the day before, but they really didn’t seem to be getting along.
“Hi.” I offered my hand to Tate. “I’m Magnolia Allen, the new fashion blogger.”
“Fashion blogger?” He blinked and looked confused for a few seconds. “Oh, do you blog about fashion on the side?”
“On the side?” I was confused. “On the side of what?”
“On the side of your consumer credit code blogging.”
“Consumer credit code?” I stared at him blankly. What the hell was the consumer credit code?
“You know how to advise readers on PFDs and dispute letters, correct?”
I bit my lip. Was he speaking another language? I just stood there, not saying anything and I could see from the look on his face that it was dawning on him that I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Pay for delete letters to credit cards and collection agencies?” He sighed. “You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”
“No …” I mumbled, wondering if I was on the verge of getting fired already.
“I said this company was a secret, but I had no idea they would send me two worthless people,” he huffed and ran his hand through his hair. “So let me get this right, you know nothing about personal finance, the credit card industry, or collection agencies?”
“I know that it’s better to have a credit card with a low APR and rewards,” I offered hopefully. “Oh, and that it’s better to pay your balance off in full every month.”
“That’s the extent of your knowledge?”
“Yes.” I nodded.
“Are you even a writer?” He looked suspicious.
“Yes, I’ve been blogging for five years,” I said. “I thought this job was for fashion blogging. That’s what the employment agency said.” I stared at him accusingly. “I wouldn’t have applied to a job about banking.”
“Blogging on what sites?” He looked at his watch. “Any national—”
“No,” I said before he could finish. “I have my own blog. A personal blog.”
“A personal blog?”
“It’s called Dear World ...” My voice trailed off. How in the hell was I going to make my blog sound professional? I was hardly about to tell my new boss that I dished about hot sex, lack of sex, losing weight, how I knew I’d gained 20 pounds because my jeans wouldn’t make it past my thighs, my favorite top was so tight I couldn’t breathe, and the cute dress I’d gotten at J. Crew on sale now fit like a short top. Yeah, there was no way I was going to tell him that.
Jane suddenly spoke up. “Magnolia is what is known as an influencer,” she said.
“People listen to what she has to say, no matter what she has to say.”
If I could have hugged her right then and there, I would have.
“Is that right?” Tate’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at Jane. It seemed to me that his gaze rested on her lips a little longer than necessary, but before I could think about it, he looked back at me and continued. “So you’re saying that you can research and learn about the topics I need you to write about? And you can bring millennials to our app and website?”
“Absolutely,” I lied. I was as much an influencer as my parents’ dog, Duke, was. I had about twenty people that read my blog frequently, and I had less than a hundred followers on Instagram, but I wasn’t going to say that. “I love researching.” Only a half-lie. I did enjoy researching different makeups and clothes. “And I’ve been complimented on my writing.” By my fifth-grade teacher and my mom. “I think once I learn more about the company ...” I let my voice trail off. “It’s all been so secret.”
“Sorry, it’s all been very private.” He nodded. “That’s how it is in the startup world. Is this the first startup you’ve worked for?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “I’ve only been in San Francisco for about two months.”
“Where did you move from?” He glanced at his watch.
“New York City.”
“Hm, okay.” He nodded. “Jane, what’s going on with the other employees? Why is everyone else late? They were meant to be here ten minutes ago.”
“I don’t know, Mr. Howard,” she said sweetly. “If you’ll recall, I only started yesterday. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“I told you to call me Tate, Ms. Garcia.” He frowned. “Or is it Mrs. Garcia?”
“You can call me Jane,” she replied. Then she shocked me by adding, “And what’s my role to be, Mr. Howard? Receptionist, marketer, or private dancer for special occasions?”
My jaw dropped at her words and I made a mental note to ask her what that comment was all about.
“I told you that was a mistake, Jane.” Tate pressed his lips together and then mumbled something under his breath that I couldn’t quite understand, though I was pretty sure he said something about across his lap. The tension in the air was palpable, and I was debating just leaving and going home, but then I remembered Jagger. Going back and facing him would be worse than whatever mess I now found myself in.
I was about to ask a question to change the subject, when three women ran into the office, giggling and gasping.
“Sorry we’re late.” A girl with long red curly hair grinned at us all. “I’m Millie. And this is Birdy, and this is Olivia.” She pointed at a cute blonde woman first, who looked a little nervous, and a smiling, striking black woman who had on a t-shirt that said, “You’re welcome.” I wanted to ask welcome for what, but now didn’t seem like the right time.
“Hi, Millie. I’m Jane, and that’s Magnolia.”
“Hi, everyone.” I smiled as well and then looked over at Tate, who had a bemused expression on his face. It struck me that we were five women; had he only hired women?
“I’m glad that everyone has gotten to know each other.” Tate held up his watch. “But what time do you call this?”
“Shots time?” Millie laughed and then made a face. “Sorry, wrong place and time.” She gave me a small wink, and I grinned back at her, all of a sudden feeling my stomach settling. These girls were going to be fun. Maybe working here wouldn’t be so bad after all. Jane laughed, and Tate stared at us with pursed lips.
“You five are the best candidates that the employment office could find?” He raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “San Francisco really has come down in the world, hasn’t it?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jane said in a steely voice, and I cheered for her inwardly. This guy was a douche, wasn’t he?
“Nothing. Come on, ladies. Let’s head to the conference room.”
Tate strode off ahead of us. The five of us exchanged quick smiles and headed off behind him. As I walked into the conference room, I couldn’t help but think that between seeing Jagger and starting this job, today had been one of the craziest days of my life.