Into the lion's den

The visit at the tailor seems an eternity ago when John finally closes in on Edgerton Solutions Inc.. The tower ahead of him defines the cities skyline and had lead him here whenever he raised his head walking through downtown. It’s a monster. made of glass and steel, modern architecture at its worst. But he didn’t come here to enjoy the scenery, cause despite its run of the mill exterior, this skyscraper houses one of the countries biggest … consulting firms? To be honest, John never fully understood what they do. They did public relations and marketing for some well-known corporations on the one hand, but they also had ties to regional energy providers and infrastructural services on the other hand. What kind of marketing does a company doing railway construction need? “Our tunnels are now 7% rounder than the competition! And that’s a guarantee as solid as our tracks *wink*”? And while looking it up, there was also that rumor about a deal with the pentagon in ’09. So there was that…

But the salary they lured their applicants with was mighty fine. For an internship that is. Some of Johns old contacts had to do internships for the “valuable lessons learned” and weren’t getting paid at all. That in addition to an department he had honest interest in, was a huge catch to him. And to get it, he already made sure to look the part. If that isn’t an impressive look for a young man applying to his first internship, he doesn’t know what would be. Now he only has to act the part as well. He puts on a relaxed and confident smile and walks through the front door.

Only to have his expression nearly shattered. The glass doors had reflected the midday sun and he couldn’t get a thorough look on the interior. Else he would have been prepared for the obscene amount of marble used on the statue in the foyers middle. The whole room was dominated by a colossal statue of a man, maybe in his early thirties, with open arms inviting you into the hall. Even through the depicted suit, a well-muscled body can be made out. Together with the smirking mouth, the statue might have said “Come in”, but the subtext screamed “Come and see what I build. Impressive, isn’t it?”. Of course John knew this man. Thomas Edgerton was probably the best known man in town. That man was a legend around here and a role model for John. He came from nothing and was now the richest and most influential man far and wide.

After dealing with the shock about that manifestation of self-love, John marches through to the secretary at the front desk. The mousy brunette checked the appointments and a short exchange later he enters the elevator and rides up to Level 56, Human Resources. The elevator has an attached scanner, some of the levels are probably restricted to authorized personnel. John rarely has time to think about that, let alone appreciate the soothingly cliché elevator music, when a woman enters.

She’s a vison in black. A strict pant-suit conceals her womanly features and her ponytail restricts a golden mane. Her whole demeanor is constructed to let everyone know from 10 miles away, that she’s not to mess with. Johns instincts advise him to either run for his life or fight her in a contest of sexual prowess. Those two being equally strong, lead to him doing nothing at all. For now he just stands guard at the back of the elevator and tried to get a thorough, yet subtle look at her. She carries with her a duffle bag and upon closer inspection, her skin seems to shine. She probably took a break from work and trained a little. Does the complex have an internal gym? And how does someone look this composed right after a workout?

The lioness beside him never truly looks at him. She entered, pressed her button and never fully turned in his direction afterwards…. Which could also be a good thing, right? If his new clothes and the self-image he projects make him fit right in here, that’s a plus isn’t it? He tries to convince himself it is. But in the end, he doesn’t want to fit into the herd, he wants to set himself apart.

The first step to that would be actually getting a job, so John has to get this right. Shin up, eyes ahead. You got this. At level 56 John leaves the elevator, passing the stranger beside him. She doesn’t move an inch and must be riding further to the top. Well, that isn’t a surprise at all. John looks ahead and easily finds conference room his interview is to be held in. In it two people already await him. I am on time, if not a little early, right?

The two people waiting for him are a middle aged caucasian man, hopefully his new supervisor, he was expecting him, and an asian lady, probably someone from HR and certainly someone he was not expecting. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.