Chapter Fifteen

"How do you do it, and makie it seem effortless?" Rilo Kiley
I started work the next morning, dragging my ass up to the office, despite its distinct wish to remain in bed til noon.
The office was as cool as I imagined, and Yuki gave me a tour. She had false eyelashes on, which were covered in miniature diamonds. It wasn’t exactly office wear, and it made my pencil skirt and heels look out of place.
“And here is your desk!” She pointed to a small desk next to Leo’s and I put my laptop down.
“Leo, I’m stealing Baby Jane to help with a fashion layout.” Yuki announced.
She pulled me father forcibly to her office, which was a mish-mash of clothes, and accessories, resembling the mess we made in Marie’s closet.
“Ok, so what I need you to do is pick out all the jewelery for our June issue.”
“Really?” I was surprised.
“Girl, we are low budget, I need so much help we can’t afford.”
I laughed.
“The inspiration is florals mixed with patterns for a cool, fresh spring-type look. Here’s the box, and pin the pieces when you’re done to the outfits here.” She gestured to a rack with an assortment of hangers. I picked one off the rack and held it up. It was exactly the kind of outfit I loved about See You Next Tuesday. There were pieces from high end and low end stores, and it just looked like something I wanted to wear. It was a striped, voluminous skirt topped with a floral vest and a ribbed tank top. I went to the box of jewelry as Yuki watched. I picked out a thick silver chain and a striped ribbon bracelet the color of the floral pattern.
“Oh, genius.” Yuki clapped. “Oh, now we need some tough shoes to match that necklace, and edge it up. Oh you’re good. I’m going to go to a layout meeting, I’ll be back. Just keep going.” She gave me a thumbs up. I was beginning to like everyone’s enthusiasm here. It was refreshing, a change from all my cynical friends.
I worked slowly, second guessing myself, but I eventually got into the swing of things. I kept checking Yuki’s notes on the outfits, and the feeling they were going for. I began to enjoy myself. It was a nice cause and effect task, as opposed to studying for exams. It was an immediate completion of a task I was actually good at.
Leo and I got lunch at a café during our break.
“So how’s your morning going?” She took a large bite of sandwich.
“Great. Yuki is so cool.”
She swallowed.
“Oh yeah, she’s a trip. She’s the dopest fashion editor we’ve ever had. But this afternoon, I’m going to need you to interview this actor guy on the phone. He’s just got this part in a small indie film, or whatever.”
“What?” I asked, incredulous.
“Well, I need to finish my editorial about animal testing, so I don’t have time.” She shrugged, “Just take notes and I’ll write ‘em up later. But you’ll get a mention, don’t worry. You’ll get credit. I admit, we procrastinate! You’re our lifesaver today.” she laughed.
“Okay.” I suddenly lost my appetite, and my earlier success was forgotten.

“So..uhm, when did you want to be an actor?” I knew it was a lame question. He rattled off some answer I knew he gave to all magazines, sounding bored. I suddenly blurted out a random question.
“What do you like on pancakes?” I cringed.
He laughed, actually laughed.
“Whipped cream and blueberries.” He answered. I was relieved he didn’t hang up, and I continued.
“Favorite letter in cursive?”
“Oh, lower case x.”
“Mine is upper case L.” I responded.
“Oh that’s a good one!” He sounded at ease now.
“Best kind of beer?”
“Stella.”
“Nice, I approve. Now, type of girl you like best?”
“Girls who ask me what kind of pancakes I like.”
“Oh shut up.” I blushed.
“I’m serious. If you are half as cute as your interview questions, I’ll fall in love.”
I realized this was still being recorded.
“Oh god, my whole office is going to listen to this tape, thanks!”
“Meet me for dinner tonight.”
“You are persistent for a guy who has no idea what I look like.”
“And you’re funny.”
“Where are we going?” I consented.
“Coyote. It’s a vegetarian place on the Lower East Side.”
“Oh, by the way, favorite restaurant?”
“Uh, Coyote.”
I laughed.
“Ok, what time?”
“Eight thirty. Do you know what I look like?”
“I have your head shot in front of me.”
“Oh god. I hate that picture. I look like a goon.”
“Yeah, you do.”
“Ok, I’ll see you then. Is that enough for an interview?”
“I’ll continue it tonight, maybe.”

Leo listened to the tape, laughing.
“You little minx! This is priceless!”
“You can’t publish that!” I giggled.
“Oh no, we have to! My date with Steven Doyle. Hey we make the other interns test beauty products, you can test boys. We should make this a recurring feature, like a Sex in the City for the hipster girl.”
“Oh, no. I don’t want my embarrassing lack of second dates published!”
“But you’re such a catch. If you were gay… I’m kidding, but you’re so cute.”
Yuki poked her head in.
“What’s up, ladies?”
“Baby Jane here has a date with her interviewee, Steven Doyle.”
“Ow ow!” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Well you did an awesome job with the accessories today. Thanks!” she waved as she left.
“You are such a hit already! I’m so glad you’re my protégée!” Leo clapped her hands.
I felt a glow that I hadn’t felt in months. But instead of it being from Andrew, or my friends, it was from my own success.

I walked up to the restaurant, and saw him at an outdoor table. He was wearing a beanie and had a scruffy beard that he didn’t have in his clean cut head shot. He had these great almond shaped eyes, because he was half Korean, which I knew because I had Wikipedia’d him earlier. He wasn’t conventionally attractive, but he was a great character actor, and had acted small roles in a few well-received indies.
I liked the idea that he had no idea what I looked like; it gave me some time to observe him. He stubbed his cigarette out, and looked nervous, glancing around. He looked at me, and locked eyes with me. He smiled, and when I walked toward him, he broke out into a grin.
“You’re not Jane.”
“I’m pretty sure I am. At least today.” I joked.
“I always was a good judge of phone voice.”
“Oh shut up.” I blushed again, “Now this is strictly business.” I took out a notebook.
“And here I thought I had a date with a cute girl.”
“I bet you say that to all your interviewers.”
I stopped taking notes halfway through the meal, as I was enjoying myself. But he wasn’t Andrew. Our conversation was light and insubstantial, but fun. There was none of the intensity I felt when I first met Andrew, but maybe that was a good thing. I tried to push Andrew out of my thoughts, and focus on Steven, but it was hard.
“Do you want to go to this dive I know?” he said when we stood up after dinner.
“Let me call my friends and let them know, but yes.”
I called Viv and told her to pass the message to Marie, in our little phone chain.
As we walked, I knew he was getting up the courage to take my hand, which I found sweet. I didn’t make the first move, though. We walked into the bar, and Steven nodded to the bartender, who poured him two Stellas. There were pool tables, and I immediately challenged him. My grandparents had a pool table in the basement that I learned on, during the grown-ups cocktail hour, with my older cousins. I was adept and he was actually challenged. He took losing to a girl well, and we got another drink, on me. He finally took my hand, looking me in the eye to make sure it was okay. He walked me to the corner, and we hugged good-bye.
“I had a lot of fun.” I said, sincerely.
“Can I see you again?” His forehead was scrunched up, questioning.
“Yes of course.” I wrote my number on his arm, and kissed him on the cheek.
In the cab ride home, I slumped in the back seat, and thought about Andrew.