28AN:
AN1
Oh my god, HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN?! Two years? Yeah... something like that. So. I'm back. For good. Or a long time, at least. I hope. xD
Anyway, I want to thank everyone, who has commented on this story so far. Whoever read it back before my long absence knows, that this was meant to be a one-shot. Several of these guys asked for a continuation though, and when I started writing again and read some of those comments again, I felt sort of inspired. I hope, the upcoming chapters will please everyone. Be warned, however: while the original one-shot appeared in the 'humour' category, this will actually end up somewhat angsty - that's what you get for asking for more (^_^;)
Anyway, without further ado, I give you the very slightly made-over chapter one, followed by a brand new chapter two!
[EDIT 2020 ]
AN2
A realistic outlook for this story:
It's Feb 2020 now and I'm finally continuing this story. After such a huge gap you might wonder what the future of this fic holds and whether it's something worth getting invested in. Now here is the thing… I'm restarting this fic mostly as writing practice. I would very, VERY much like to finish it, but I can't promise weekly updates and, ultimately, I can't *promise * its completion either. I will really try though as it is a story and topic matter close to my heart. (If it comforts you: the outline is finished, minus some minor details.)
Beyond that, my greatest ambition is to actually write and (probably independently) publish an original novel… or three novels rather - it's a trilogy. Anyway, wish me luck with it all (^_^;)
Happy reading, everyone!
xxx MLE :)
Chapter One
Glinda swallowed hard as she stepped through the revolving door and into the marble and gold-plated foyer of TMB. The hand holding the strap of her purse tightened, freshly manicured, cotton candy pink nails digging into the soft leather. This place was way out of her league. She'd been aware of this when she'd sent in her application. She had not expected a reply, let alone an invitation to an interview. Not really. Yet despite all odds, her phone had rung only two days later, and a young voice with a posh accent had informed her that Mister Tenmeadows was expecting to see her first thing on Wednesday. Initially, Glinda had only managed to nod, but a concerned 'hello?' from the other end of the line had quickly reminded her that she would have to give some sort of verbal confirmation. She'd stuttered a few words of understanding and hung up as soon as possible. After that, she'd collapsed onto her couch, lying immobile for what had seemed like hours.
She'd tried to convince herself that it was her CV that had impressed the manager of the biggest bank in Gillikin, but she suspected that she probably owed the appointment to the charming photo she had attached to her letter – which was an achievement in its own right, of course, yet she much preferred being acknowledged for what was inside her head. But nothing of that mattered now. She was here, and she had to take this chance. If it was her looks that had gotten her this far, so be it. Surely, she would have plenty of opportunities to convince her co-workers and her boss of her competence once she had managed to secure this job.
Glinda nodded to herself. A small gesture of self-encouragement. She quickly scanned the floor and found an information counter next to the lift area. Her chin high and a confident, but sweet smile on her lips, she approached the uniformed lady behind the glass desk.
"Good morning," she said in her most pleasant tone of voice. "My name is Upland, and I have an appointment with Mister Tenmeadows."
The young woman returned her smile with a sharp look. Glinda almost felt like she was giving her a critical once-over. A hint of insecurity crept its way back into her head, and her lips twitched for a moment. The woman mercifully decided to do her job and checked her computer.
"Take the third lift up to the sixth floor and let the receptionist know that you have arrived. She will inform you as soon as Mister Tenmeadows is ready to see you."
She didn't even look up from her screen. Glinda thanked her a little too stiffly and turned away. Waiting for the lift, she released a little sigh.
Upon her arrival on the sixth floor, a cleaner pointed her in the direction of the reception, which was located in front of an unexpectedly cosy-looking waiting room.
"Mister Tenmeadows is still in a meeting," the brunette replied to Glinda's introduction and offered her a coffee.
Surprised, Glinda accepted the hot beverage and took a seat. Over the rim of her paper cup, she watched the woman busily typing away on her keyboard. At least she had been more welcoming than the bimbo downstairs.
After a few minutes, her stomach began to churn. The waiting seemingly had stirred up her nerves again and at a second thought, adding caffeine to the mix might not have been the best of ideas. She distracted herself by watching the people rushing through the hall outside the room. She couldn't help but notice, that the majority of the employees appeared to be attractive, young women. Ridiculously attractive, young women. This could hardly be a coincidence. Very suspicious.
"Miss Upland?"
Glinda's head snapped up.
"Mister Tenmeadows is waiting for you in his office."
The blonde blinked, and the receptionist laughed lightly. "Top floor, the room to the right. You can't miss it."
Nodding and smiling nervously, Glinda made her way back to the lifts.
She heard quick footsteps coming up behind her, and only seconds later, something collided hard with her shoulder. Outraged, she wanted to call out to the rude person pushing past her, but all that left her mouth was a high-pitched squeak. She stopped to stare at her hand holding the cup of coffee. Dark drops were running down the cup and her hand, dripping to the floor. The cleaner who had been so helpful earlier, discontinued his work on one of the huge windows to glare at her.
Glinda's head flushed red; out of embarrassment at first, then out of anger. "Excuse me, Miss!"
The tall, raven-haired woman by the lift panel slowly turned and the colour of Glinda's face turned from vivid scarlet to ashen white. It wasn't the condescending look the woman cast her, nor did Glinda notice the catastrophic colour clash between her striped, aubergine suit and her red heels. What really left her speechless, was the green discolouration of the woman's skin. All Glinda could do was to wonder, what tragic accident could possibly have caused this terrible defect.
The green woman rolled her eyes, and Glinda pulled herself together. She somehow guessed, that the poor thing must have seen this kind of reaction many times before. Awkwardly, she lowered her gaze, which then once again fell on her coffee-coated hand. And her blouse. While she had been staring at the strange woman, the liquid had begun soaking through the white fabric.
"Oh no!" she cried out in alarm, and the woman who was responsible for the disaster stepped closer.
"Oh. I apologise," she said in an apathetic sort of tone. "I didn't see you there."
Glinda pressed her lips together and clenched her free hand to a tight ball. Yes, she certainly was on the shorter side as far as height was concerned, but tall people claiming they didn't see her, were the absolute height of insolence. She was about to open her mouth and give vent to her frustration, when the green woman unceremoniously shoved a tissue towards her.
"You're here for an interview?"
Dumbfounded, Glinda took the tissue and bobbed her head.
"There's a bathroom on the tenth floor. You could try washing out the stain there."
Glinda knew, that there wasn't enough time for that, but luckily, she'd come prepared. Dangling off her arm was a black paper bag. Inside, was a silky shirt that she'd packed for later - her second interview of the day. Surely, slipping into the bathroom for a quick change wouldn't take too long. The ding of the lift sounded, and the doors opened. Too preoccupied with her recovery plans, Glinda didn't even bother complaining to the green woman and simply followed her into the lift.
Glinda's eyes were glued to the small display as the numbers changed from level to level. When two men entered the lift on level eight just to get to the next floor, an annoyed huff escaped Glinda's lips before she could hold it back. Out of the corners of her eyes, she could see the other woman arch a slim eyebrow. She wondered when she would get off, eager to get rid of the awkward feeling she had around her.
The doors closed, and Glinda's attention returned to the display. The number was just about to roll over, when the lift suddenly stuttered to an ungentle halt. Losing her balance, Glinda stumbled and almost fell. A firm hand grabbed her upper arm and pulled her up. Her heart nearly stopped; the rush of adrenaline made her cheeks blush. She released a long breath and looked up into dark, brown eyes.
"You're okay, blondie?"
For a moment there, Glinda had felt almost drawn to those deep, admittedly beautiful eyes, even forgetting all about the green skin surrounding them. But the little nickname the other woman had bestowed on her immediately snapped her out of it.
"Th-thanks. I'm… I'm fine," she mumbled, slightly affronted, yet trying not to let it show.
Averting her eyes, she staggered to her feet and tugged her skirt and shirt back in place. She wasn't quite sure why, since she was headed for the bathroom anyway. Looking back up, she spotted the number ten on the display and released a breath of relief. Suddenly, she realised the doors weren't opening.
"What? What's happening?" she almost squeaked as she walked up to the doors to lightly tap them with her palm.
In her corner, the green woman leaned against the mirror, folding her arms.
"The lift is stuck. Happens every now and then. This is an old building and the lifts haven't been replaced in a while. Some shit about them being antique and all that."
As an architecture minor, Glinda had immediately noticed the period design of the lifts; however, seeing as the TMB was in no financial troubles, she had expected them to be modern replicas. Now, knowing that this was not the case, her stomach knotted at the thought of two hundred years old, rusty wires pulling the weight of at least half a ton.
"Don't worry, blondie, Avaric will be notified about the lift. He won't hold it against you when you're late for the interview."
The interview! Desperate, Glinda tried the doors one more time. Her eyes briefly flicked to her impeccable fingernails, before she wedged her dainty hand between the two wooden boards.
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," the cool voice from the corner came again. "If we didn't stop exactly at the tenth floor, you could plummet all the way down to the underground car park."
Alarmed, Glinda took a few steps back.
"If you're so used to this… How long does it usually take until someone comes to fix it?"
The green woman shrugged her shoulders.
"This old thing needs a specialist. If he's not in the building, it might take him like forty minutes or so to come in from his workshop."
Glinda moved further back, until her back met the wall.
"Oh no, oh no! This can't be happening! First the coffee, then this! Why me? Why today?"
"Bad karma?" the other woman offered.
Glinda shot back a glare. If one of the two of them had some sort of bad karma, it would be her, she thought. But she didn't say it. After all, she still wanted the job, and if that mean, green thing were to say anything to her colleagues later…
To distract her thoughts from the myriad of insults popping into her head, she checked her watch. How long had it been already? Time always felt slow when one was held up somewhere, but she guessed it couldn't have been longer than five minutes.
Time ticked by at an excruciating pace. The only noise in the lift was the impatient tapping of Glinda's foot. The woman in the corner wasn't saying or doing much, and Glinda didn't feel like making small talk either. After stealing a few sneaky looks, she had decided, that the green wasn't too bad once one got over the initial shock. But that didn't take away from the woman's rude disposition. Then again, Glinda wondered whether she was simply somewhat socially awkward. But should that count as an excuse?
Twenty minutes later, Glinda had an epiphany. As soon as she was freed from the lift, she would have to rush to her appointment. There would be no opportunity to change in between. But since she had nothing better to do now, it would probably be for the best, if she used the time and fixed her little problem with the stained blouse. She shot the other woman a shy glance. Oz, this would be awkward.
It took her another three minutes of fiddling with her paper bag, until she found the courage to go through with her plan. She took out the shirt and draped it over the railing on the wall of the lift. She turned around and unbuttoned the first few buttons of her blouse before pulling it over her head. As she did so, her gaze met the mirror – and those dark brown eyes belonging to a certain green woman. She looked away, feeling the heat of embarrassment rising. Usually, she didn't mind changing in front of others when she went to the public pool or to the fitness studio. But this was different. The entire situation was wrong. This green woman was wrong. Something about her made Glinda feel uneasy and unsettled. She couldn't point her finger at it. She quickly grabbed her silky shirt, slipped her arms through the sleeves and buttoned it up in record time.
A tug here and a pick there, and she was presentable again. When she hesitantly shuffled back around, the other woman was staring blankly at the doors, twisting her long hair around her left forefinger. Glinda watched how it uncoiled and fell back down, just as straight and sleek as it had been before. The green woman picked another strand and repeated the process. For some odd reason, Glinda couldn't take her eyes off her. She even was about to comment on it, when a loud banging against the doors interrupted her train of thought.
"Hello? Is someone in there?"
The blonde whirled around and threw herself against the wooden doors. "Yes! There's two of us! Please get us out of here!"
Glinda heard something that might have been the muffled sound of two male voices; then, the man that had spoken before warned her: "Step back from the doors, Miss. I'm going to open them now."
Relieved, Glinda did as she was told.
When the doors finally opened, Glinda stepped outside with a happy bounce in her steps. She stopped in front of the technician and thanked him profusely. The green woman strode past them without a single word of thanks to the man or even a brief 'Good luck' to Glinda. Glinda shook her head and watched her catching the next lift. She, on the other hand, had had enough of lifts for now and took the stairs. From the tenth floor, it was only three more levels.
When she arrived on the top floor of the building, she realised that the maze of corridors from the other levels had disappeared. Instead, there were two simple choices: to the left, a sign indicated that the seemingly empty office belonged to various secretaries and coordinators; the right sign read in bold capital letters 'AVARIC TENMEADOWS.' Glinda drew a nervous breath and rung the tiny bell next to the glass door. Upon hearing the melodic sound, the manager's secretary looked up from her files and pressed the release button.
Glinda was immediately rushed into the adjoining office, but the room turned out to be empty. The blonde took a double take and cast an almost panicky look at the secretary.
"Just take a seat," the woman murmured, before she went back to her work.
Ever so slowly, Glinda let the strap of her purse slip off her shoulder, placing her handbag and the paper bag on the floor. She lowered herself into the huge leather armchair in front of the polished quoxwood desk, just as hesitantly. In fact, her bottom had barely touched the soft leather, when the door on the other side of the room burst open, and a tall, blond man, followed by two women, entered. "Good morning," he said enthusiastically.
Glinda jumped to her feet and was about to reply, when she realised that she had already met the skinny, green woman, who took the seat to Mister Tenmeadows' right.
"Yes, I know," Mister Tenmeadows chuckled. "She looks like a walking, talking green bean, but she's harmless."
She nodded slowly, and Mister Tenmeadows extended his hand towards her.
"Miss Glinda Upland, I suppose? You are applying for the position of financial analyst?"
"Yes," Glinda replied after a brief pause. She forced her lips to curl into a small smile and took the manager's hand.
"May I introduce Shenshen Minkos, Head of Accounting and Elphaba Thropp, my HR manager."
After they had overcome the initial bump in the road, the interview went smoothly, but Glinda simply couldn't shake the feeling, that Mister Tenmeadows wasn't quite warming up to her. He was polite and even made a few jokes, but the chemistry somehow didn't seem right. Miss Minkos was quiet throughout most of the conversation, as was Miss Thropp, but every now and then, Glinda risked a brief glance at the green woman, and whenever she did so, it seemed like Miss Thropp was studying her very carefully, with her lips slightly pursed and her eyes narrowed. Of course, it was to be expected that the human resource manager would size up any potential new addition to the team critically, but somehow that look in those brown eyes was a little too intense for the blonde's liking.
Altogether, the meeting couldn't have lasted longer than twenty minutes, but to Glinda it had felt like eternity. Once everything had been discussed, Mister Tenmeadows excused himself and disappeared into the other room, together with his staff. When he reappeared, he was alone and the look on his face immediately caused Glinda's heart to clench.
"Miss Upland," he began and already knowing what he was about to say, Glinda wanted nothing more than get out of her chair and leave right there and then. "I appreciate that you took the time to come by today. Your CV and your references are very impressive, but I'm afraid, we are looking for someone with a little more experience. This is not your fault, of course. Given that you finished university merely four years ago, your resume is outstanding. Perhaps, you could try again in a few years."
Glinda thanked him for his time, and the two shook hands. She left the office with her head held high, but as soon as she stepped into the lift to make her way back downstairs, her shoulders slumped. She chided herself for taking this rejection so seriously. After all, this had been a hopeless attempt from the very beginning. She should consider herself lucky that she had gotten this far. She took out her phone. Her mum had sent her seven new texts. 'Didn't get it,' was her simple reply.
On the eleventh floor, the doors opened. Together with a man, that was either an extremely short Gillikinese or a rather tall Munchkin, Elphaba Thropp entered the lift, and Glinda stiffened immediately. She tried to avoid meeting the other woman's eyes, but couldn't help but risk another glance.
The Thropp woman caught her gaze.
"I think I owe you a cup of coffee," she said in a weird, almost demanding tone. Glinda blinked. "I mean, since it was sort of my fault that the other one spilt."
"True," Glinda answered, not knowing what in Oz had come over her. "I suppose that sounds fair."
Elphaba led her out of the building and to a small coffee shop across the street. They ordered their coffees, and Elphaba insisted on sharing a slice of chocolate cake.
"This stuff is better than the crap at the office anyway," the green woman noted, while contently sipping her unsweetened, black beverage.
Glinda smiled shyly.
"It is. And the cake is absolutely divine. So, thanks."
"I'm sorry you didn't get the job," said Elphaba as she stabbed the cake with her fork to break off a piece. "You know, that was actually my fault, too."
Glinda almost knocked over her cup.
"W-what?"
"I told Avaric your boobs were fake."
Suddenly, it felt like someone had dropped a bomb in the middle of the small café, and everything and everyone had fallen silent in mortified anticipation. When Glinda finally found her voice, it wasn't cooperating as well as it usually did, and her stammered words were barely above a whisper.
"Y-you… Wha-? Why?" She looked away, almost as though she were looking for an escape route. Unable to flee, she looked up to the green woman again, meeting her surprisingly soft eyes. "Why in Oz would you do such a thing and what-"
"It was a trick," Elphaba interrupted her. "The Coffee. Avaric makes me do this every single time he interviews cute, young girls. There are cameras in the lifts, and he likes to inspect the goods first before he hires." She grimaced slightly, throwing Glinda an apologetic look. "He's a sick bastard," she said matter-of-factly.
The shorter girl on the opposite end of the table was lost for words. This all sounded too ridiculous to be true and yet, this was not the first time she had heard such a story.
"Anyway," Elphaba continued tentatively, "I figured this wouldn't be the safest environment for you to work in. Pfannee and Shenshen don't seem to mind at all – I think, they actually appreciate the opportunities he offers them in return for… certain kinds of favours." She looked directly into Glinda's eyes and tilted her head. "You on the other hand; I don't think you'd make it far here."
Glinda didn't know what to feel. Part of her was appreciative, for Elphaba was probably quite right in her judgement. But what gave this presumptuous woman the right to decide such matters for her? She was old enough and her own person. She didn't need a complete stranger to mollycoddle her.
"So, you saved me?" she huffed indignantly. "Oh, how valiant of you." Shaking her head in disbelief, she pushed her cup of coffee aside and made to grab her bags. "Thanks for your thoughtfulness, Miss Thropp," she continued pointedly while sorting out the tangle of straps and handles, "But I can take care of myself. I don't need-"
Wordlessly, Elphaba had placed an intricate, black ring with three black roses on the table. Glinda's hand released the bags, and she eased back into her chair, staring at the tiny object.
"I think you lost this in the lift," the other woman said after a couple of awkwardly silent seconds.
Glinda didn't look up.
"You… you know what this is," she concluded after considering what Elphaba had done, and why she had used the ring in this very moment. A thought occurred to her and her eyes jumped to Elphaba's right hand to inspect it, half expecting to find a similar ring. But there was none. She looked up, puzzled.
"I know this sort of stuff because of my brother. He sleeps around a lot to hide it, that idiot, but underneath that shallow façade, he's ace as fuck."
Glinda nodded her understanding. Hesitantly, she reached for the ring and slipped it onto her right middle finger.
"Well… thank you… Although I'm not sure if I appreciate your intervening."
"You will," Elphaba replied in the most confident manner she had shown up until then. "As soon as you found a better job."
The two women finished their cake and drinks in silence. Only when they had nothing else left to do except for waiting for the waitress to bring the bill, Glinda spoke again.
"Why do you even work for that guy, if this Avaric is such a dick?"
Elphaba snorted a laugh.
"What do you think, how many job offers a green girl gets? I'm only here because his father owed my great grandfather a favour. And I'm sick of working in warehouses and restaurant kitchens. True, he is a despicable piece of shit and he indulges in taunting me every other day… But this is the first job in my life that sort of allows me to make use of my capabilities."
"And you made it your mission to help poor, unsuspecting damsels in distress, who were foolish enough to apply for a job there," Glinda pointed out.
Elphaba grinned.
"Not exactly. So far, most girls didn't seem to be in need of any saving. As sad as it is, there are people, who are actually made for this kind of environment. And I've never come across any other applicants who were ace before."
Chewing her lip and twisting the ring on her finger, the short blonde mulled over how to deal with Elphaba's slightly patronising attitude. She didn't really fault her. In a way, she found it almost cute how concerned this woman was about someone she didn't even know. In the end, she decided to let it go and instead try and turn the tables on the conversation.
"And what are you?" she asked, a challenging smirk on her lips. "A lesbian? Bi?"
Although it was a daringly personal question, her opposite merely cocked an eyebrow.
"Well, you don't strike me as a het."
Glinda put her elbows on the table and cradled her head in her hands, patiently waiting for an answer.
"Why is that?" Elphaba finally gave in and asked. "Because that would be too normal for a green person?"
Glinda's face fell and she let her hands drop.
"No," she replied, exasperated. "Miss Thropp, do you attribute everything in your life to the colour of your skin?" She sighed. "No… I… It was just a guess."
A tram passed close to the window and Glinda used it as an excuse to avert her eyes for a moment. Once it was out of sight, she returned her attention back to her company, blushing as she did so.
"Who knows… maybe I sort of want you to be gay."
Elphaba frowned, then huffed.
"I don't do labels."
Clearly not satisfied with that answer, Glinda pouted.
"If you're trying to ask what sex I'm interested in, I suppose you could say I have no preference."
Glinda's eyes lit up, and a cocky grin appeared on her lips, because she saw her suspicions confirmed.
"In short, you're pan!"
"I'm a woman of limited options," Elphaba shrugged. "I might as well take whatever opportunity presents itself."
Giggling sillily, Glinda struggled to speak.
"This isn't really your reason, is it?"
"No. Do you have a reason for not being interested in anyone at all?"
The giggling stopped abruptly. The blonde collected herself and cleared her throat.
"Well, but I am," she corrected her, playing with her ring again. "Just not really in a sexual way."
Coincidentally, she noticed the time on her wrist watch.
"Oh shit!" she exclaimed and jumped up, hurriedly collecting her things. "Shit! Shit!"
"What's wrong?" Elphaba asked, worriedly.
"My next interview is in twenty!"
"Where?"
"305 Ozma Street." Glinda had finally managed to sort out her bags and was ready to say goodbye to the green woman.
"Forget it, blondie. You won't make it."
Glinda's nostrils flared. She hated how confusing Elphaba Thropp was. She was insolent and infuriating. But on the other hand… she somehow enjoyed her company.
"Of course, I will," she shot back, flippantly tossing her curly hair over her shoulder.
"Not in those heels, you won't."
"You watch me, greenie!"
Elphaba's straight, thin lips twitched into a smirk. Glinda replied with a wide grin that was meant to simultaneously say 'thanks,' 'nice meeting you' and 'goodbye' and turned towards the exit.
However, following an inexplicable impulse, she turned on her heels and rushed back to the table where Elphaba was just about to settle the bill.
"Pen. Notepad," she said as she placed each item on the tabletop, right in front of a confused Elphaba. "Write down your number," she clarified curtly.
"What?"
"Write down your number," Glinda reiterated, impatiently. "I want to see you again."
Elphaba looked up to her, eyes wide. She began to write, obviously still uncertain about what was actually happening. She pushed the paper and the pen back in the direction of their owner.
"And I thought, I did a rather good job at turning you off," she half-grumbled under her breath.
Glinda smiled timidly as she tossed everything into her purse. "Well, maybe I'm grasping at straws here, but as a woman of limited options…"
Laughing, Elphaba watched her as she turned around for a second time, this time actually leaving the coffee shop. Glinda felt a strange rush as the blood pumped hot through her veins; then, her stomach dropped. No five meters away from the café, she pulled the notepad out of her bag with a shaking hand and double-checked the number. It appeared legit, and she released a deep breath of relief. Once people knew she was asexual, they came up with all sorts of tricks to get rid of her. But Elphaba seemed fine. Right now, she was terribly broke, but once she got a job and her first paycheck, she'd definitely invite her for lunch.
Nearby, the clockwork of the Time Dragon Tower chimed. Fifteen more minutes. She had to hurry now, or otherwise Elphaba would end up being right.
AN1
I'm sorry Avaric! I know I promised not to be mean to you anymore, but who else could take on this role if not you?! xD
AN2:
In case you were wondering... aces (asexuals) sometimes wear a black ring on their right hand so that other aces recognise them.
