Chapter 3 Boiling Point

• EMMA’s POV :
• - - - - - Three Months Ago - - - - -
• “You’re gonna do great,” Elliott said as he took my shaking hands.
• “You got this, E,” Tristan gave me a reassuring smile.
• Elliott, Tristan, and I were standing in front of the massive structure that was the Hudson Yards in New York City. It was a very special day today, I was having my first ever job interview in the famous New York Magazine.
• I was absolutely over the moon when I got the call for an interview. Sophie, Tristan, Elliott, and I were having dinner together at a restaurant when I got the news. They were excited for me too. So much so, that Tristan offered to drive me to the city for the interview. Sophie had a meeting with her professor today, so she couldn’t come. But she promised that she would be waiting at home with pizza and champagne. We were gonna celebrate this moment no matter what, because whatever happens, at least I got to tell people that I was getting interviewed by David Haskell, one of the greatest editors of all time.
• This was pretty much my dream job. If I ace this interview, I could be the next editorial assistant to David Haskell or to the other great editors that worked in the magazine. I would be living in New York City right after graduation, working at one of the greatest publishing companies in the world. I mean, what else could be better than that?
• “Oh God, I’m so nervous, I think I’m gonna hurl,” I was taking deep breaths and trying my best not to hyperventilate.
• “Just go in there and be yourself. You don’t have to worry about anything,” Elliott said.
• “Yeah, they’ll be crazy not to hire someone like you,” Tristan agreed.
• I still didn’t feel ready, but there was no more time to waste. I nodded at them, took another deep breath, and curled my hands into fists. With confidence as strong as the croissant I ate this morning, I turned to my heels and climbed the stairs towards the entrance.
• “Here goes nothing,” I mumbled to myself.
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• Walking into the grand lobby of the building, I suddenly felt so self-aware that my heels were too loud. Slowly, I made my way to the receptionist and told her I was here for the interview. She directed me to the waiting room area and told me to wait there. There were several other people waiting alongside me. There was a guy who kept twitching and fixing his glasses every ten seconds. And there was a girl with a severe case of the hiccups.
• I waited for about twenty minutes before they finally called me in and said David Haskell was ready to see me. I saw a glimpse of the room where the interview was taking place and I gulped instinctively. I saw David Haskell sitting there, alongside two other people who I assumed were other senior editors in the magazine.
• “No matter what happens, I’m here for the experience,” I repeated the sentence like a mantra as I stood up. “I’m proud of you even for just going in here and trying,”
• The lady that escorted me into the room probably thought I was weird, talking to myself like this. Excuse me, but I had never been so nervous in my life before. This interview was gonna determine my future for the next, I don’t know how many years. And with that thought in mind, I took a deep breath and stepped into David Haskell’s office.
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• “So? How’d it go?”
• Elliott and Tristan’s faces were full of questions and expectations as they saw me walking out of the building. They were waiting on my every move as I stepped down the long stairs slowly and carefully. I wore my extremely tall high heels today, as I wanted to make a good impression. If I walked too fast, however, I might just do the opposite.
• “It went… kind of great!” I told them. I couldn’t stop the smile forming on my face. “I was so scared and intimidated at first, but David Haskell is such a great person. He’s down to earth and he listens, you know?”
• “I’m glad it went well, love. I knew you could it,” Elliott pulled me into his chest as soon as I was an arm’s length away from him. He kissed me on the cheek and smiled brightly.
• “You were in there for a while, what did you guys talk about?” Tristan asked.
• Tristan’s dream was also to work for a newspaper or a magazine. He preferred something heavier on the journalistic side than the New York Magazine, though. New York Magazine heavily emphasized on lifestyle, culture, politics, and the world of arts in New York City. He preferred something more like The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal.
• “First, I had to wait about twenty minutes for David Haskell to finish his other interviews. There was this guy that kept twitching and this girl with the hiccups, but anyway, I went in after them and we did the typical introductory stuff like where you’re from, et cetera, et cetera. Then he asked me about my school, the dean of my department which happened to be great friends with him, and then we talked about my year in Paris. He took a look at m resume again, saw some of my portfolio, and then he asked me if I was willing to relocate to the city. He never actually said the words ‘you’re hired’, but I still think that was a good indication,”
• “Wow, that sure does,” Tristan nodded approvingly.
• “He said someone will be in touch within the week to let me know further details,” I continued.
• “Further details? Dude, that pretty much means you’re in,” Tristan said matter-of-factly.
• “Oh, I don’t know, T. I don’t wanna get my hopes up, but I sure hope so!” I yelped with my fingers crossed and my eyes closed.
• This was totally a great opportunity for me, or for anyone, really. To be able to start working right away after college and in a place like the New York Magazine, this must be a dream.
• “This is great news, right? We should celebrate,” Elliott said.
• “Yeah, what do you have in mind?” I asked him.
• “Well, we have a couple of hours to kill, maybe we can start with some lunch?”
• “Oh, I know a great sushi place not too far from here,” Tristan said.
• “Sounds good to me. Come on, I’m starving. I haven’t eaten all day because I was afraid I’d hurl,” I said and motioned for Tristan to lead the way.
• “Ew, TMI,” Tristan rolled his eyes. “By the way, you’re paying for lunch, E. You’re gonna be a paid salary woman now,”
• The thought of being a salary woman brought a smile to my face. I could just picture it; me in my high heels and silk blazer, walking up those flights of stairs every morning with a cup of Starbucks coffee in my hand, going into work. Look out New York, here comes Emma!
• “Fine. Get whatever you want, lunch is on me boys!” I exclaimed.
• “Yes!” Tristan put his hands up in excitement.
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• - - - - - To Be Continued - - - - -