Off Limits, Brother's Best Friend Chapter 103

Chapter 103: My Mind Is Stuck On Him

Brianna

The room was filled with about ten people and that included us interns. They discussed fresh ideas and tweaked some old ones. These pitches were fun to listen to and I learned a lot about what Janet does and does not find much interest in. She hums when she isn't impressed and she folds her fingers in front of her when she is. The room is a nice spectrum of people of all sizes, shapes and colour. It was a well rounded perspective for the magazine, one person who identifies as they pitched the idea of ambiguous fashion for the non binary's of the industry. Someone added how James's style is good about blending the social norms of male and female fashion with his latest magazine photoshoots of him in dresses and pearls and things.

Some people feel the idea is overdone, others feel we can put a fresh perspective on it. I wasn't encouraged to speak, seeing as I have no experience here but I did listen very closely to everything. Silently, I did form some of my own opinions, this is going to be so much fun to listen to every week. The more I watched everyone at work, the more I itched to be a part of it. My tongue started moving before I gave it permission to and suddenly I was saying out loud.

“I know I am just a silly intern but I had an idea.” The whole room paused and shifted in my direction. I blushed profusely but held strong.

I wasn't even sitting at the table, I was in a chair behind Janet in the corner. She didn't yell at me for the interruption, she simply turned slowly in her chair until we could see each other and I swallowed hard.

“There is a new film coming out with Genevieve Nnaji and it is called Brave Heart Of Chanel. It is about the origins of the company, well, I was thinking we could look back at the company's most iconic looks…umm maybe.” I shrugged like an idiot at the end of my pitch because my nerves beat my enthusiasm to participate. Janet folded her fingers in front of her.

“Liza, write that down.” That was what all she said before turning back in her seat and looking pointedly at the next pe at the table she must have expected to speak.

What just happened there? Did she just like my idea? I didn't dare speak up again but I did feel some eyes lingering on me from around the room. I wondered what the people were thinking aside from Lucy, I haven't really gotten an opportunity to mingle with anyone. They are all very busy and it is sort of a tight knit circle already. I am some silly intern, I think I need to pay my due first. When the meeting was over, Janet dropped a list in front of Lucy and myself.

“Do all of these by the end of the day.” She said and I could see how people said she isn't friendly. She is more serious during work hours, though oftentimes when we are alone, she is so enigmatic. It only intrigues me more about her.

When everyone walked out of the meeting room, the two of us stayed to clean everything up.

“You have some guts to speak at a meeting within your first day, I almost choked on my own breath hearing you say your pitch.” Lucy laughed and I fidgeted in place.

“Umm, does that mean she is pissed that I did that? I just had an idea and suddenly my mouth was moving. Have you ever given a pitch? How long have you worked here?” I started inquiring about the girl.

Her style is quite funky, I couldn't pin it down just yet with only this one outfit. By her personality so far, I can almost tell how she will always look, that probably sounds crazy to someone who doesn't understand the lifestyle I am in but sometimes it is almost a tangible thing. A person doesn't only wear clothes on their body, they accessories with their expressions, their aura and other external factors and you as a person can be one of your best accessories. Lucy is animated, box shoulders and is in a lot of silver fabric right now.

“I have never spoken up, I am too afraid to have worked here for three years. But Janet Alinco can be really intimidating.” She replied.

She asked how I met the woman and when I explained, she seemed shocked. The same way Elizabeth and Callan were shocked.

“Hey, if she likes you then you will go a long way here. She used to have a favourite intern who is now one of her best writers. She took the girl to every event and show, she excelled much faster than her peers for being favoured that way.” She almost sounded frustrated recounting this.

“Hey, just put yourself out there a little bit and you could be next. Is that what you want to do? Write for this section?” I asked her and she nodded. I rolled the last of the chairs.

“What do you want?” she asked, I just smiled for a second.

“I used obsessed with Floral and you would think I would want to write a column, right? But no, I want to be stylist for vogue and then become a designer one day in the future. I actually know how to make clothes already and I draw by own designs. I also love keeping up with fashion trends and pulling looks, so I know this section of the magazine will be good for me and I plan to learn more.” I told her.

“Wow, you know all that already? You seem young.” She studied my face.

“I am twenty-two but I started drawing when I was a preteen. I went to school for other stuff and had a job as a seamstress, so it all sort of came together.” I shrugged.

“Well, it sounds awesome, maybe you will be a good influence on me to speak up, get myself noticed for the next writing position that opens up here.” She held her chin up proudly.

“Sounds good to me.” I smiled, following her out of the meeting room.

There is always a buzzing that consistently moves through this fashion department. It isn't a quiet place, people on computers or telephones, people coming in and out of their wardrobe room and carrying things here and there. There are things tacked to the walls, like you would see in Elizabeth's office. There are tasks to constantly be completed, not all of it is meant to be done in the building either. I have come to learn that I will be getting a lot of exercise between this job and Elizabeth's. Errands, tasks, chores and grunt work. All in the name of fashion of course.

****

Jane and I decided to go to dinner with our little group of girlfriends we have made here in London. They are the good time girls, six of us. Aside from Jane and myself, there is also a blonde girl whose father is a politician. She has got a large monroe type of beauty mark above her lip, I would label her the craziest of the group, always doing silly things like running thr our gatherings topless or something ridiculous like that. She  makes me laugh, all of them are fun to be with. There are the ones who have taken us out all over London, taught us what little of their language we know now and who Jane spends time with when I am swamped at work. We do fun lunches, sit in the grass at the park beside the city tower and we definitely call them when we feel like going out on the town at night, which is what we were doing today. After a week of long work, I just want to unwind with these girls.

Our location is an upscale nightlife venue with edgy interior, a champagne menu and rooftop garden with a city view. The decor is somewhere between a traditional night club and a fantasy land. Beautiful shimmering gold by day but with added neou rainbow lighting at night. They have a mirrored ceiling which is probably why the place feels like it is glowing, reflective. They have comfortable booths intimate enough to hold a conversation, on the other side is more of an open floor that isn't exactly a dance floor but sort of becomes one after hours. Upstairs at the rooftop garden, they have bushes trimmed into walls to break up the space and it is really good.

We went up there first to have a drink and chat amongst us. I was in a simple slip dress tonight but some of them were all out. It always catches the attention of men. I can't say I am really interested in finding a London man to have a fling with while I am here. My mind is always stuck on damn Callan Harold.