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He gives me a feline smile. “Are things the way they should be if you’re going to keep kissing me?”
Chapter 3
March 25th
Rafael
When Monday morning finally rolls around, the hangover courtesy of my housewarming party Saturday night has finally subsided. I made a promise to myself Sunday morning that I would never drink like that again. What got into me? Angie and I are almost never like that. College us? Yes. All day. But I know for a fact we’re both more like two or three drinks a week kind of people.
I still can’t believe I almost kissed her. Will I ever admit that I leaned in first? No. But I will forever tease her that she tried to kiss me. The vulnerability is easier to ignore that way. Plus, I love teasing her.
Right as I park my car in the lot, a notification pops up that Angie has just posted a new song to one of our many shared playlists with the caption Have a great first day! Popping in an ear bud, I listen to Let’s Go by Trick Daddy, Lil Jon, and Twista.
How does she always know the right song for the moment? She’s a witch. A musical witch.
I glance around at the other cars in the lot and don’t see anyone, so I let myself succumb to the banger and pretend I’m performing on stage—and by doing so, I hype myself up. Blood rushes through my body as my SUV rocks in tandem with my driver’s-seat dancing.
I’m fucking ready.
“Good morning,” Cora smiles, greeting me as I walk into the lobby of Define Architectural Group. I was here once before for a formal interview with Cora (the CEO and senior architect), Jay (Director of Human Resources and her boyfriend), as well as Dayo (Director of Interior Design). In all the years I’ve known Cora, never once have I been in a room with her in such a professional manner. It feels like we are still the wild and reckless freshman masquerading as adults with important jobs; when in reality, that’s exactly what we are. All three of us—including Angie—have been dedicated to succeeding in our respective fields. But just like when I get together with my rugby teammates, I naturally default to being goofy with those two.
“Good morning,” I say, extending my hand to her like a moron.
“Oh. So formal,” she smiles, and shakes my hand.
“That was weird.”
“Yeah,” she winces. “Let's never do that again. Alright, follow me and I’ll show you to your office where IT will get you all set up.”
She hands me my badge and we scan it against the receiver on the wall to enter into the office area. Walking past the cubicles, some folks are settling in for the day while others are in the kitchen area pouring coffee. Noticing their more casual office attire, I feel a little overdressed. Cora’s wearing jeans and a light blue oxford shirt.
Clearing my throat I ask, “What’s the dress code here?”
“Oh, whatever you like. It’s mostly office casual but some people wear business formal. I have to visit a construction site this afternoon, or else I would be a little dressier. Jay is usually wearing a suit too, so don’t worry.”
We approach an office with floor to ceiling glass walls. It’s a good size with a large wooden corner desk and a seating area with fancy red armchairs. I take a mental note to start learning about furniture and design because those are probably special. Now that I look around more, the entire office space is special. Everything from the carpeting to light fixtures to the exposed brick walls around the perimeter all lend to a high-end vibe. It certainly represents an architectural firm taking notice of its historical Philadelphia roots and marrying that with a modern-day style.
“Oh good, he’s here,” Jay says, walking into the office with me and Cora, while another man trails in behind him. She wasn’t kidding. Jay’s wearing a dark green three-piece suit. So I’m not the dressiest person in the office afterall. Might need to step my game up if this is what he wears on a regular basis.
The other man is scruffy-looking and wearing all black and Jay introduces him. “Rafael, this is Stuart, our IT specialist. He’s gonna get you set up, and then I’ll be back in an hour to take you to the morning meeting where we’ll introduce you to the whole Director-level team. Then my colleague Courtney and I will go over all the benefits information with you. Sound good?”
I set my bag down on the desk and smile. “Sounds good.”
After Stuart helps me set up my laptop and mobile phone, I attend the morning meeting and am introduced to several department heads. Define has over two hundred employees, so this isn’t some small mom-n-pop shop, even though Cora’s late father did start this company.
By the time Courtney and Jay go through their whole spiel and I’ve enrolled in my health and financial benefits, it’s nearly noon.
“Okay, one last thing, Rafael,” Courtney says. “Did you want to list your address as the one you're living at now or the other property?”
I told her about the huge fixer-upper on Chester Ave in Philly that my brother Joaquín and I are renovating. Well, that I’m financing and he’s leading. With the apartment building we sold in DC, we’ve decided to renovate historic homes here. Some will stay single-family, like the one we’re fixing up now, and some will turn into multi-family estates. I plan to split my time between two places, so it’s a valid question from her.
“The townhouse I’m in now on Pierce Street will be fine. I’ll let you know when I move into the other property.”
“That works,” she says, closing her laptop and flipping her long blonde hair behind her shoulder. “Welcome to the team, Rafael!”
“Ready for lunch?” Cora asks, rapping lightly on the doorframe as Courtney leaves. “It’s kind of a first day tradition for me to take out new hires.”
“Yeah sure,” I say, standing up and buttoning my navy blue suit jacket.
