New Plan, New Man

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from the book i-Land – A double Irish and a Dutch – Chapter 3 – Escape to Cork

Avoka goes for a coffee while Harry gets his hair done. She gets an SMS from Hunt, who once again, suggests to her about how much he would like to be with her at the same place now. Avoka already knows it’s just one of those Saturdays where he seems to have nothing better to do than sending SMS but never means it. She takes a picture of her coffee and some delicious chocolate biscuits and posts it over with the message, “Yes, look what you’re missing.” He sends back a kiss picture and replies, “Oh, how much I would love that now.” Avoka is sure he is either sitting somewhere alone and is bored or he is sitting with some other woman and is bored while sending those pics. They continue the SMS communication with what they would like to do each other when they were together, now exchanging kissing pics and commenting. Avoka feels like playing Ken and Barbie with a guy and must laugh about this kind of communication. Finally, she tells him that she needs to go now; that she is meeting up with Harry, who has offered her a job for doing the PR and Social Media Campaigns for his new E-Roller. Hunt writes back, “Seriously? That means what, you’re leaving your current job again? A multi-guru company against a start up?” Avoka replies, “Yes. The current job is just a matter of time; they already asked me to sign such an assignment paper, similar, to the Fruit of the Loom thing that when I don’t fulfil the test results with their given percentage, they keep the rights to take consequences.” Hunt replies, “Oh, not again, but well, I understand.  Yes, you’re right, whatever you do I’m with you.” Avoka replies, “Oh, thank you, you are always so understanding.” Hunt replies, “You’re really brave, I wish you good luck. You seem to have a good time in Cork, enjoy your night out.” Avoka replies with a smile, kiss and thumb up and the message “Have a fabulous Saturday night, too.” Avoka leaves the cafe and picks up Harry from the hair-dresser, who has a nice, fresh cut now. Avoka comments, “Looking good, ready to move on?” Harry says, “Oh, thank you, yes, that hair had to go; it’s like what they say about women when they cut their hair leaving some past behind.” Avoka answers, “Yes, exactly!” Harry throws in, “We still have some time till the party starts at the Electric tonight. We could go to my place and try to contact the Dutch guy in Amsterdam who does the production and design part on the E-roller and we can discuss the next steps on how to promote it; what do you think, Avoka?” Avoka replies, “Yes, that’s a great idea, let’s go.” They walk over to Harry’s house. His daughter is preparing some late kind of brunch for her and her boyfriend. With a grinning smile, she says “Hello, you must be Avoka, right?” Avoka replies, “Yes, and you are Tally, right?” She nods, answering, “Yes, nice to meet you. I heard about you, Harry told me about your great team leader and the team at the Fruit of the Loom and how stupid they must be not to use your skills.” Harry puts in, “Yes, actually I’m the lucky one who gets the advantage of it now; she will do the PR and social media campaigns for our E-roller. That’s why we are here now; we want to contact Jarome and discuss things.” Tally says, “Wow, that’s great, you said yes? He was so hoping for it. Saying you are really tough, exactly the kind of person he needs for the job.” Avoka smiles, “Oh, thank you, yes it will be a tough job, but I will do my best. It’s a great roller and I think it deserves some cool ideas to be promoted, doesn’t it?” Tally says, “Yes, that’s true.” They start a Google Hangout with Jarome, who luckily is at home and start talking through some ideas. Jarome is excited and really likes the suggestions that Avoka makes and they talk for another hour and agree to meet up next month to work out things more in detail and get to know each other in person. It’s a really productive afternoon and at seven p.m. Harry and Avoka call a cab to drive over to the Electric bar, where they have a great party for the night including some Jazz singers and Top-DJ’s. Tally explains they will join later but that she also has another party to go to.

 

In the city, a demonstration against water charges is running. So far, the water in Ireland was free but the government wants to make a change starting with the new year. The main road is blocked and as they shortly start a march which probably walks toward the direction of the roads close to the Electric bar, Harry and Avoka decide to get off the cab and walk the last bit to the bar. They still have time to take the walk through the city. The demonstration guys are loud holding their speech. Harry laughs. “Yes, this is Ireland; here the people still go out on the street and fight for their rights.” At the side, they see some of the Fruit of the Loom guys sneaking along the wall, showing no interest at all in the street’s activity. Harry smiles. “This is really two worlds clashing in this small town–our guys at this hyper-tech company and the original Irish crowd. I love that contrast.” Avoka agrees, “Yes, and at my new company I also have two worlds clashing, the American Internet guru and the Indian Customer Service, yeah! I still don’t get it that this multi-guru outsources at such a company. I wonder how they even meet the goals, as from the work I see I can’t believe it.” Harry replies, “Yes that’s a good question, but this I even wonder about the Fruit of the Loom. But they kind of manipulate things. I lately saw one guy who had left his menu set on the wrong menu point ‘available’ throughout the whole night and they simply put it on someone else on the phone support. If they work it that way, who knows about the real figures? Also, they use such old software you wouldn’t believe that the number one company on technology uses the software from the last decade on their own services.” Avoka says, “So true, but I’m so glad that we finally made this deal and I can work the communication part in your company.” Harry says, “Yes, I’m excited, too.” They pass by on one of the stores that sell the latest gadget from the Fruit of the Loom company. Avoka says, “Oh, Peter bought this one, of course, with the extra they provide the employees with.” Harry replies, “Yes, I was thinking about it, too. But still I don’t know when I see all the problems that come with it.” Avoka agrees, “Yes, I didn’t buy it either, even though they gave $300 extra on it, this couldn’t make me buy one.” They both laugh.

Arriving at the Electric, some people are sitting already outside along the canal, while the sun is slowly going down behind the hill. It’s a beautiful atmosphere and Avoka takes some pictures and immediately posts them on Facebook. Avoka and Harry enter the Electric, going straight to the bar ordering some drinks and a food plate, then walking over to the tables at the window with the view of the water and the sunset. A DJ is already on the turntables playing a cool mix between chill out, lounge and soul music. The evening can start, ready to party.

An hour later the party is in full swing, the crowed is dancing, Avoka is sitting near the window looking at the river. She is thinking about Ian. When, was he coming back to Ireland? There appears the vibrating sound from her phone and yes, it is Ian. He has sent a message asking if she was enjoying the Cork weekend and if her ex-colleague was behaving. Avoka replied, “Yes, of course. Now we are even doing business together.” Ian replies, “Sure, that’s a reason.” He adds a tweak emotion icon and asks if she will be in Dublin for the upcoming weekend. With the next text message, he adds, “I really would love to meet you; I miss you somehow.” He writes he’ll be back in Dublin on Wednesday. She is crazy for meeting him and agrees to a date at the weekend. Ian also writes that he did not like the game they played at her at her current job and that he also had an idea. He had talked with his team manager from the Rugby game, who had suggested that they needed some good PR. His manager sounded really interested and he asked to meet to discuss some ideas with her. Avoka was all ears, of course, and she agreed.

She was staring at the river and dreaming how great it would be to have her own PR company here and just quit that job at the guru company. She already had an idea how to find some synergies between the e-roller and the Rugby team that had the potential to make it a fabulous campaign. She was smiling in the air, then grabbing the martini and emptying the glass. Another message arrived from Hunt! “Wishing a great Saturday night and sending a big kiss.” Avoka recorded some music the DJ was playing–some jazzy lyrics, “What nature brings” by Nekta–and sent it to Hunt with a golden Burberry Kiss and the lines ‘Enjoy the Weekend!’ She knew he would party with some other woman who he probably had worked with during the week, any customer or colleague, and roll in the sheets, sharing his fantasies with any woman for the weekend, and by Sunday afternoon he would have left her. Then, sitting in a cafe all by himself, he would text something to Avoka but never come to meet her. Once she had wished to meet him and she was so excited and had loved this idea. But now all she thought was whatever.

She always had written those messages with the thrill to meet him. But finally realizing this would never happen, she had lost this appetite and actually she did not want to be one of those women for a weekend and on the other side, she wouldn’t want a man to share with other women.  And for just friends, the whole Whatsapp chat was much too sexual. So finally, it had turned into this Whatsapp fantasy she never wanted to be. But did it matter? Not really. Of course, it was sad somehow; they could have been real, good friends–there was something they had in common. He was the first guy she had felt to be on the same wave-length with; they really had the same taste in many things and the same views. He was someone she had always felt understood her. Had he felt the same way about her? She did not know what really had been his intention. If it was just sexual like with all those other women, he could have had it but he never went for it. If it was just friends, then why did it get so sexual? And when it was nothing then why was it so intense and went on 24/7 and for almost a year now? She couldn’t really figure out what it was about. Once he was ghosting, and after months he suddenly had replied for advent wishes and again ghosting. Was this accidental or what was it? She had not recognized his number right away and wrote thanks, wondering who was sending the message, then she had seen the profile pic and replied in an additional line, ‘Ah, it’s you’ but then haven’t heard from him again – ghosting once more. She did not understand this phenomenon on him. On that last one should she ask again? But he had started the conversation and then did not reply. He had done that before. Was it just one of his “sitting-alone-in-the-cafe-moments” or was there something that he missed? Like for her, it was once him; but not now anymore. What was it really that caused this ghosting? Another woman, person, complex–what was the real issue behind that? Was it this “He’s just not that into you” thing; would she ever find out? But it was always him who would suddenly come back. Maybe she was living in a ghoster’s paradise and she should just let it go – he should haunt someone else. She always had enjoyed all those Whatsapp and phone conversations and you could see it in her eyes in every picture she posted how it had made her shine but she wanted someone real, now, someone to meet in real life like Ian and not talking to a ghost. Maybe someone loved the idea of her but couldn’t handle her reality.

New Beginnings – part 03

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The following day university started again, and in the afternoon, she had her first day at her new job at the prestigious event agency. The receptionist opened the door for her, and she got introduced to the team. Two girls, both around their early thirties, one from South London, the other with an Eastern block country accent. The head of digital was not in, as on most days he would delight with his absence. Last but not least, Pippa was introduced to the digital director’s assistant, who, on the other hand, would shine even brighter with his presence. He would be the one Pippa would work closest with, to her delight, which she already knew the moment he shook her hand with such a soft, arrogant, dismissive handshake.

“Welcome Pippa, we are already expecting you. I got lots of projects already waiting for you. Show us how you will delight us here.” Toby, the assistant, pointed to his desk. “Well, you might want to have a seat.”

Pippa could only feel how her stomach acid rushed up and she swallowed it down. Yes, this was exactly what she was looking for; working with the asshole assistant.

“Thank you, Toby.“ She smiled. “Nice to meet you, I am so excited.”

Pippa took a seat, and Toby started explaining his role, since when he was in the company and what important work he was doing, which prestigious clients he worked with and that Pippa’s forerunner had been from the Netherlands and had returned to his study, and he wasn’t really sure if Pippa had what it takes to talk with his important clients.

“But we will see, I have several projects in mind you could work with and then we will see where you fit best,” Toby suggested. Pippa agreed in a friendly manner and repeated.

“Yes, well, let’s see what fits best.” She was impressed by what an asshole this guy was, how someone his age could talk with such arrogance, and she wondered what else he could do besides talk nonsense. It seemed like as more asshole the people to work with, the better the pay. Pippa had forgotten about the idea of simply looking for another job because it was difficult to find one that fit the hours and paid well. Otherwise, she would need to ask her father to support her with her living costs which she wanted to avoid under all circumstances. She was so glad not to need to ask him to support her, despite the fact that, of course, he would pay her lots of extras that made life damn comfortable and allowed her to live in such an area. She would rather have to find a way to get along with this assistant director. Toby kept talking himself into heaven. In between, he was looking at Pippa.

 “You are in the third year of your design studies, aren’t you?”

“Yes, and in programming as well.” with her proud voice.

“Very good. I need your help with this then.” Toby nodded. “We are working with a designer and programmer who are specialized in this, and I need a list of all those activities and the payments.” Can you work with Excel?”

Wow, what an eloquent question! Pippa was stunned, sitting on her chair, trying to fake her politeness with a smile.

 “Excel? What is this?” she asks jokingly.

“Well, we do a lot of calculations; what did you study?” Toby was asking with his missing sense of humor.

“I was just joking, it is like asking a drawing student if he knows a pencil, isn’t it?” Pippa replies.

 “Like a pencil?” Toby repeated. He was lacking the link to Pippa’s comparison, and she thought, let it be.

 “Well, yes, I am quite familiar with Excel, Toby. I work daily with the program, for calculations, forecasts, budget calculations, and things like that.” Pippa explained and couldn’t hide her lack of excitement about calculations.

“Good, we will see.” Toby replied. “But entering some data shouldn’t be too difficult, I guess.” He commented. “Well,  I have a meeting now. You will come tomorrow afternoon. Here is what you can start with; you will sit at the side of Rebecca at the reception, and she will show you the computer.” Toby finished.

Pippa couldn’t believe her luck with this new job. This was going to be like working in hell. She said goodbye and left the office, texting Tess: “Ready for a drink? Meet me at Kay’s Bar!”

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Between the years

Pippa arrived at her Belgrave apartment. She knocked at her neighbour’s door. Tess, her neighbour, opened the door.

“Oh, Pippa, Merry Christmas, you are back, that’s great!” Tess looked at Pippa but she did not seem very happy.

“Hey, how are you? Would you like to come over for a chat and a glass of wine?” Pippa asks.

“Oh, yes, or maybe two, you won’t believe what happened. Ryan and I broke up.” Tess tells upset.

“Oh, no, seriously? Come over, you got to tell me, what happened!”

Two hours later, Pippa and Tess are sitting on Pippa’s sofa. An empty bottle of wine and a pizza box with one slice are on the table.

“Yes, who is Ryan anyway!” Tess rustles, now shamelessness. Tess had told the whole story of how Ryan cheated on her throughout their three-year relationship, which also explained why he did not show much interest in Tess’s effort to get a child.

After she had lost her six-month pregnancy in a car accident when she was on a summer holiday with Ryan. He had often found reasons why he would not make it for the weekend. He always had an excuse for having no time. Now she had found out the real reason. Another woman was actually lying in Tess’s bed when she returned earlier from her Christmas break, which she had spent with her mother in Madrid. Tess was devastated because she was nearing the end of her 30s and had invested so much hope in this relationship, but she was clearly just a comfort zone for this guy in a popular city, making the guy’s lifestyle easy. So the best she could do now was to forget about Ryan, he was just not the man for a relationship or family planning.

Tess and Pippa were now spinning alternate scenarios about a 39-year-old single female who wanted a child but couldn’t find a man on the sphere. They were running through plans from “Made in Mallorca” which was a clinic specializing on fertilization, to going back to her ex-boyfriend, who would just wait for her to come back, which would be the next drama as there was a reason why she had left him. The night ended with the idea that Tess would throw herself back into the dating market. The two were scrolling through the internet for the best dating site options in town, creating a new profile on one of the most popular dating apps. Just an hour later, the first hearts were flying in, and Tess had arranged two dates for the forthcoming week.

While Pippa was looking for some extra income and had applied for some online design jobs, she had closed the deal for two projects for an event agency and would be busy for the days up to New Year’s Eve with some designs.

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Part III – On a new day, 10 o’clock

Chapter II Sisley’s first day at Cargo City South from the book Airways – I’m not in Hollywood

Sisley walks out of her office to get some coffee water and walks into Treasure who is just arriving walking down the corridor towards Sisley with the JPS lead phrase. ”I’m not in Hollywood!” he stops.

“Good morning Sweetheart, and is your boss in today?” he asks.

“No, he called in yesterday letting me know that he will be off another week,” Sisley replies. “Oh, he must have some serious thing.” Treasure jokes.

“I have no info about what exactly he has, he didn’t say much,” Sisley explains.

“We go for lunch at one o’clock do you want to join us?” Treasure asks.

“Oh, yes that’s great.” Sisley accepts the invitation to join the others.

At eleven o’clock Andy, the so-called PIMP (performance improvement management person) passes by with the JPS lead phrase. ”I’m not in Hollywood!”.

Andy opens the door to the big room where he has a small office at the side.

Sisley keeps preparing the daily report as well as the weekly and monthly reports, does all the mail and files it all in folders. Everything is neatly prepared on Riveri’s table. Sisley is sitting satisfied on her desk, the door opens. Anita and her boss from the temp agency Ms. Bacon are standing at the door.

Anita in a very polite, kind voice to Ms Bacon but looking at Sisley who sits on the chic table in the meanwhile spacious looking room like she would love to kill her. “Here sits Sisley!” Anita explains to Ms Bacon in her sweetest voice while Ms. Bacon is grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“Oh, Sisley, I wanted to see if everything is okay. Is your boss Riveri in?” Ms. Bacon asks.

“Hello Ms. Bacon, no he is off for another week,” Sisley replies. “I have something in this envelope for him, so I will leave it on his table.” Ms Bacon suggests.

“Sure.” Sisley points towards Riveri’s office.

Ms. Bacon walks straight into Riveri’s office. Ms. Bacon walks into Riveri’s office, seeing everything nice and neat prepared. “Oh, Sisley, this looks good on the table, everything so well prepared.” Ms Bacon is astonished than leaving Riveri’s office returning to Sisley.

“And here as discussed, I have some more timesheet templates and the signed holiday form for your upcoming day off for your exams. I wish you a charming day.” Ms Bacon sweet talks towards Sisley.

“Many thanks Ms. Bacon. Have a nice day.” Sisley replies cold. She’s looking in the air thinking out loud. “What the hell was this?”

Sisley walks over to Riveri’s office to sort the envelope, brought by Ms. Bacon. The envelope includes new application profiles. Sisley can see the letters shining through the envelope.

While staring at the envelope Powel comes in. “Oh, is this the envelope from Ms. Bacon?” Powel asks looking at the sorted paperwork “Hm, you’re busy Sisley a hard-working girl.”

Sisley nods with her head.

“Yes, Riveri called me to bring him this envelope. Tonight, I meet him I will pass by his house, he lives just around the corner.” Powell is grabbing the envelope and leaves the office. Talking out loud while leaving the office: ”Well, oh yes Riveri will be very happy about that envelop.”

Sisley stares in the air and has no understanding of why people act in such a silly way. The phone rings a friend is calling in asking how things go at work. Sisley laughs out loud. “Oh, you have the perfect timing Jen!” Sisley says. “This Bacon, my temp boss just came in, accompanied with the personnel girl, bringing in new assistant profiles, I could see the profiles shining through the envelops she had in her hands. A minute after this Powell came in picking up the envelope saying Riveri would be very happy about the envelope’s content,” and explains the situation.

“Oh, no, what a world-class heel!” Jen bursts out.

“What kind of game should this be? If they don’t want me to work here, why don’t they just say it? I wouldn’t miss that job for a second, I could use my time better for my study, instead of sitting here, doing the reports that all end up in the bin. Till this guy comes back they are older than yesterday’s paper and useless.” Sisley shouts into the phone.

“Then use your time better and do your study while you are there. You are most of the time alone there anyway.” Jen laughs into the phone.” And you can make use of the old reports covering up your books for such unannounced visits from your boss or other friends of yours from the personnel department.” They both laugh out loud.

“Yes, Jen you are so right, I should use my time here exactly like you suggest. You make a great Time Manager by the way. I will call you tonight, and we discuss the real issue you were calling for,“ Sisley suggests.

“Yes, sweety, that’s a good idea, it will be a little longer story, I call you around eight tonight. Bye.” Jen replies. “Bye Sweety.” Sisley puts the phone down.

*

Two weeks have passed. Monday morning Sisley comes to her office. Riveri is already in, she walks over to her table starting the computer. While her boss Riveri is on the phone shouting into the phone: “Brothel! The first was like monastery the second was good!”

Sisley looks up thinking loud and whispering in the air. “Did he just say a brothel, like a brothel? That’s where he went to? Oh, no, yes a man like Riveri with a total size of 1, 53 m might have the need for this.” Riveri puts down the phone.

Powel comes into the room “And Riveri, that envelop from last week, was something in for you?” Riveri coming out of his office.

“No, nothing just bullshit. We better leave it like it is. The reports look good so far.” Riveri turned to the cupboard and opened the door. “Look here, now this looks well, I found that contract I was looking for. So, let’s go over to your office and have a chat.”

Sisley walks over to Treasure’s office. “Treasure, Riveri is in today. Do you know what he said? He was standing at the phone when I came in and he was shouting into the receiver. In the brothel. The first was monastery the second was good. Is this any special JPS wording for something like a code? Or is it really what it means?” Sisley asks ironically.

Mirjeta the Admin also in Treasures office comes over to Sisley. “Oh, no, but yes, I can imagine that! And he also got a new thirtysomething-year-old girlfriend, someone told me lately.” Mirjeta explains.

“It’s no secret code for something that we use here.” Treasure replies. “Really? Those were the first words you heard from him this morning? After two weeks of “no show”, seriously? Treasure questions again.

“Yes, that‘s all I heard from him since the introduction two weeks ago,” Sisley reassures.

“Nice welcome line, unbelievable! Well, I’m not in Hollywood but this almost sounds like it.” Treasure shakes his head and can’t hide the grin on his face.

“Yes, be happy the days he’s not in, he can be a real asshole. I had to do something for him lately and he so damn stressed me, it was such a nightmare!” Mirjeta suggests to Sisley.

“Well, so that can be really funny. First, he talks about my starting time that was agreed, next, he obviously tried to get someone else, I had the pleasure of handing over the envelope with the applications to Powell, and now, he seems to be happy with the work and he turns out to be a real pain in the ass. Yes, I’m so damn lucky to have gotten that job! Sisley is astonished.

“Yes, the last two weeks he wasn’t in were probably your best time here. Take my advice, enjoy the days he is not coming in,” Mirjeta repeats.

*

Monday morning, Armani, a Manager working on the Export side walking the corridor coming towards Sisley’s office. Sisley can already smell him, on the amount of his perfume and hear him saying “I’m not in Hollywood.” Armani swings in a singing line walking through Sisley’s open door.

“Morning Sisley and is Riveri in? He got the best coffee on this floor he got this Senseo and offered us last week to use his machine, do you want a coffee, too?” Armani asks, politely.

“Morning Armani, Riveri is not in yet, but yes let’s have a coffee.”
The phone starts ringing, Sisley picks up the receiver and hears on the other side of the line her lovely boss Riveri: “Morning Sisley the report this morning was good, I will come in later in the afternoon. Can you manage everything so far?” Riveri asks.

“Yes, no problem, Armani is here for a coffee, anything else?” Sisley asks.

“No, everything’s okay so far, I already had our conf call, his abbreviation for the daily conference call, this morning. Tom will come in next week Tuesday so we will see. Bye.” Riveri replies.

”Alright, actually how comes he’s called Tom when his name is Michael Roberts?” Sisley quickly asks.

“This is an American company and he’s the boss, they are all called Tom. Riveri provides his totally senseless explanation on nicknames, but anyway, Sisley just goes on with it.“ Ah, okay, bye.” Sisley replies.

Sisley is happy once that lunch is over and she’s back at her desk. Her boss’s door is open and no one’s in the office. She just relaxes and reads some stuff on the intranet. Thirty minutes later the company’s CEO, Tom who usually has his office in Munich comes in. “Hi Sisley, do you know where De Rick got his office, I need to meet him?” Tom asks.

“De Rick? Who is this? I can look it up in the phone book, oh, there it is he’s sitting on the fourth floor.” Sisley finds out.

“Yes, but where? I could not find his room.” Tom repeats his question. “Sisley grabs the phone and just rings De Ricks number.

“De Rick, Hello?” De Rick answers the phone.
“Hi De Rick, it’s Sisley, Tom wants to see you and can’t find your office, where exactly is your office? I pass him on to you so you can give him direction.” Sisley suggests.

Tom listens, then puts down the phone. “Thank you, Sisley, he’s originally supposed to have his office in the big hall downstairs, but now I know he got the office next to the reception, many thanks for your help.” Tom thanks, Sisley and walks out of the office.

Tom leaves the office. Sisley spends the rest of the afternoon working on some budget tables. At around four shortly before Sisley wants to leave, the IT guy Ernie comes in, with a newly setup terminal for Sisley and a coffee cup in the other hand. “Ah, Tom was here today, and I heard he liked your new office settings, he told De Rick, so you really were lucky I thought he would eat your head for taking the heads office table. Are you leaving now?” Ernie asks Sisley and who is smiling with her bright victory smile and answering with a big, yes!

“Okay, then I install your newly set up computer so you have a faster system and I get the synching for Riveri’s diary working, so you can manage his appointments, without he would not have a life.” Ernie comments.

The next day Sisley comes in early in the morning gets the RECAP reports ready and goes for a break downstairs to the reception. The receptionist joins her in having a cigarette near the stairs. “Oh, yesterday was the big boss in the house, that’s why they all were in, even your boss was in and they were all dressed up.” The receptionist tells Sisley.

“Yes, I know he came to Riveri’s office they had a meeting.” Sisley laughs.

“Oh, you’ve met him too? They are all very scared of him.” The receptionist asks while releasing some smoke and looking up.

“Yes, but he was actually really friendly, I don’t get what they all have about him,” Sisley replies.

Both girls go back to the receptionist desk. Ernies’s office is close to the Receptionist’s desk the first office after passing the glass door. Sisley quickly wants to say thank’s to Ernie for the newly set up PC that runs so much faster now. She opens the door the room is half dark as the sun-blind is lowered down and to Sisley’s surprise her boss Riveri is sitting next to Ernie both are heavily involved in playing the computer game “Companies of Heroes”.

“YES, I shot him!” Riveri is screaming with his eyes starring at the PC suddenly raising his arms.

“Yes, the man hit him, you got him” Ernie is bursting out.

Sisley standing with an open mouth stumbling. “Hi, Riveri, you’re in? Tom had already called in this morning, he wanted to talk to you and I’ve told him you’re in a meeting.” Sisley looks at both.

”Hm, yes, I’m here since nine am, Ernie had to fix something on my laptop, what does this Tom want, he’s fucking getting on my nerves, I had a two-hour talk with him yesterday, so this is my therapy, I’ll be up in the office after lunch.” Riveri justifies himself.

“Well, I’ll be there, too,” Sisley replies and is closing the door turning to the Receptionist desk while shaking her head. “What was this? He’s sitting here, since three hours playing Company Heroes?” Sisley looking at the Receptionist and rolling her eyes.

“Seriously, or are you kidding me?” the receptionist asks.

“Yes, seriously, they are sitting in there playing Company Heroes!” Sisley pauses and then asks in an ironical tone of voice. “Why not?” Both girls laugh.

A guy passes by walking straight into the office on the right next to the reception. “Hey!” he stumbles. “Oh, this is De Rick, Tom was here yesterday and had talked to him, too.” The receptionist gets serious.

“Ah, this is De Rick, yes, I know Tom had asked me where he got his office, So, he had found him.” Sisley nods. The two go for having another fag in the stairways.

At three o’clock Sisley’s sitting at her PC working on some monthly reports, comparing costs. Ernie steps in “I’m not in Hollywood!” Repeating Andy’s favourite line who was just passing by the corridor.

“Aren’t you, really? Sisley asks. “I don’t think so, but here are running rumours like Hollywood affairs. You’ve been seen with De Rick, HR reported” Ernie slacks in energetically with a sarcastically smile.

“Really?” Sisley asks. “Yes, he had something going on with that import girl do you know that?” Ernie asks.

“Who, the girl I went to lunch with last week? She told she had something with a guy who then bought a house with his girlfriend in Belgium, so that was him?” Sisley asks surprised.

“Yes, that was him!” Ernie replies. ”Well, so are they still together?” Sisley asks.

“Who, he and his girlfriend or the import girl? I’ve seen the import girl going into his office just now when I came up here, and they don’t have any business to do.” Ernie reports from his observations. Sisley can’t bear a smile as she knows about the guy’s reputation. “Okay, come on let’s get this calendar sync fixed, Riveri asked already ten times for it,” Sisley suggests trying to change the topic before Ernie moves on to questions about her and the guy’s affair.

“Yeah, your boss can’t live without his calendar appointments!” Ernie states.

“Yeah, they are so very important. Especially the repeating Anna appointments on Monday nights, so don’t mess up the entries!” with her ironically voice Sisley instructs what Ernie should do.

“Oh, the Anna appointment, yes, very important!” Ernie thought more of them as a repeating mistake.

“Okay, I leave you alone here with the sync, I’m going down for a cigarette.” Sisley walked out of the office and down to the reception.

De Rick’s office door is open, and his boss Peter is just walking out the door inviting Sisley. “Oh, Sisley come in, come in, De Ricks loves to see you in his office.” Peter, De Ricks boss emphasized Sisley to enter de Rick’s office for having a fag. De Ricks sitting with his brightest smile. “Yes, yes come in, Sisley sit down, you can always smoke in my office.”

On the side next to the wall in De Ricks office is a big flip chart positioned with a picture of his son. Sisley looks at the picture. “That’s my son, he’s two years old now. Oh, my girlfriend just tries to get the second one, she got eggs still left from the first fertilization in the doctor’s fridge, so she said she will try it, but I’m always so scared about it if everything is going right.”

Sisley is standing there with big eyes thinking ‘okay”. “Oh, but the one on the flip chart really looks like it worked out well. There is always a little risk, isn’t it, no matter which way you make it?” Sisley suggests.

“Yes, that’s true, you’re right.” De Rick replies and is then offering a coffee to Sisley. “And you are very busy this week? I have seen you’re working on the reports, Tom presented them to me. I also have something to do for him but I’m lazy, I don’t want to do it. I’m going to work on this later, when does he need all this?” de Rick asks.

“On Friday, I think.”

The import girl Judith passed by looking into De Ricks room. “Oh, this girl, she is so jealous, now she’s checking out why you are sitting here. She already came in earlier, asking why we were at lunch, she was here for a half-hour, and now she keeps on looking into the office.” De Rick informs Sisley about the import girl.

“Why should she be jealous?” Sisley asks. Another girl from the import Group comes in asking for a cigarette, Sisley walks towards her offering her one.

“Hi Sarah, here take one of mine, I got to go anyway.” Sisley held her cigarette pack to Sarah.

“Oh, thanks,” Sarah replies and grabs a cigarette.

“You’re welcome. I got to go de Rick, you let me know?” Sisley asks and gives a sharp look to de Rick.

“Aw, Sisley’s splendid. Our employees are snoring from our temp assistants, na, na.” de Rick comments Sisley’s gesture. With a bright smile on his face and a tweaking eyeshot pretending Sisley came for a business-related reason.

“Yes, I will call you, you will get an answer to your question for Riveri.” He shouts after Sisley who is already half out of the door.

An hour later Sisley returns to her office, walking along the corridor. From the distance she’s seeing three guys standing in front of her office: her boss Riveri, Ernie, the IT guy and Powel, Riveri’s colleague the ex-director who had been degraded the year before.

Sisley can see how they are heavily gesticulating and then she hears loudly the words in a very deep dark voice like Darth Vader: “And I’m your father” Riveri shouts.

Sisley comes closer, the three playing swords fighting with laser swords on the company’s corridor. Sisley passes looking at Riveri “Did you call Tom? He asked you to call back.” She asks.

“Yes, I called him, issue is already sorted.” With his short straight replies that Riveri fires back,

Sisley knows immediately that this is exactly what he did not do. He is just lying about it. Sisley walks into her office, she can’t hide her smile, shaking her head again, the three guys stop, gaze at Sisley but then continue their sword fighting session, while the phone rings. Sisley picks up the phone. “Oh, hi Tom, how are you?” Sisley asks quietly chilled but still politely.

“Fine, and you?” Tom asks. “Just returning from my lunch break” Sisley answers.

“Ah, thank you for the reports from this morning, they look good.” Tom compliments. This followed by his voice turning into his well none tone of anger. “But I’m trying to get Riveri on the phone, where is he? It is already afternoon, he should be in by now!” Tom shouts out while getting louder at the end.

Sisley continues in her smiling friendly voice. “Oh, yes he is in a meeting with Powel, they are discussing some customs strategy. Let me see I will get him on the phone for you.” Sisley puts the phone aside. Walking out of her office closes the door then in a sharp voice shouting. “Riveri! Tom is on the phone, he’s trying to catch you all day, get in now, talk to him!” Sisley demands. Riveri interrupts his sword fighting and steps into his office, clears his throat then takes on his boss’ call.”

Sisley keeps checking some emails. A half-hour later her boss comes out of his office standing right next to Sisley’s table. “I sometimes lie.” Riveri remarks.

“Oh, really? Well!” Sisley asks in an ironic voice.

“Ehm, yeah. “He confirms. “Oh, you’ve done the reports already. Tom told me he wants to be copied in as well, so you can send them directly to him. And we’ve got some Activ8 to do maybe you can schedule the project and arrange all meetings with the Managers. This is Tom’s baby so it’s priority number one.” He emphasizes the importance of the project.

“Okay, I will schedule it, no problem.” Sisley shoots back.

A few minutes later Powel comes in walking over to the window observing the street commenting on people. “Oh that, one! She made a fuss last year, you won’t believe Sisley. She was married to a Muslim guy and was wearing a bandana and was demanding to have a prayer room here, to do her five-times-prayers a day. She’s crazy, now it seems like she has calmed down again.”

Sisley walks over to Powel and stares out of the window to see who Powel is talking about. They both watched Judith, the girl from the day before Sisley was at lunch with, crossing the road from the cafeteria towards the main building. Andy walks down the corridor passing Sisley’s open door. “I’m not in Hollywood”, good morning you guys enjoying street life view?” He asks. “Must be pretty exciting with that prominence of a Cargo airport we have here.” He comments.

“Really she asked for a prayer room? I went to lunch with her yesterday, she told me she was three times married but she must have gotten divorced now. She’s actually, really nice.” Sisley states.

“She seems nice at first sight and looks normal but be aware,” Powell warns.

An hour later, Sisley ends a phone call and puts the phone down. Riveri’s door opens Simone, the company’s lawyer comes out. “Okay, Riveri, then we go for lunch at one?” she asks Riveri who agrees and she leaves the office. Riveri steps out, closes Sisley’s door then turns towards Sisley and starts shouting: “If you have nothing to do, then at least pretend as if you have something to do!” He stares at Sisley who looks up wondering if he still got his mind.

“Pretending?” She asks in an ironic way. “Why don’t you have something real to do? If I need to pretend, I rather go home, I got better things to do, I have no time for pretending, I soon got examens. Sisley keeps her calm.

“Oh, okay sorry, this was silly, but you know she’s talking to the HR girls, but anyway you’re right this was silly, sorry.” Riveri keeps apologizing.

Want to read the whole story? Grab your copy “Airways – I’m not in Hollywood”

The Agency – a new start

Chapter I from the book Airways – I’m not in Hollywood

Sisley arrives at the logistic company Airways one of the largest international logistic companies world-wide where she is supposed to have a job interview. After registering with the receptionist at the 4th floor she carries on, going up to the 5th floor where the Manager Riveri who she has the job interview with has his office.

The door is half-open, she enters the room and to her surprise, the office is empty, no Riveri. First, she waits while standing in the empty room.

After a short while, she decides to go back, asking the Receptionist to help her out. The Receptionist tries to call the Manager and leaves a message on the Managers cell phone that a candidate is waiting for a job interview.

Sisley goes up again to the office: no Riveri at first, when suddenly from underneath the table a head appears, Riveri the Export Manager. He takes a seat on his chair then looks at Sisley “Hello?” The guy is asking like he’d been sitting on his chair for the last thirty minutes.

Sisley was astonished “Riveri? I’ve already been here thirty minutes ago, I’m Sisley from the temp firm. We had an interview scheduled for ten am.

 Riveri fully confident: “Didn’t you see me? I was here all the time.”

Sisley, while rolling her eyes: “Oh, no, somehow I must have missed you, but didn’t you hear me? I said Hello when I came in here thirty minutes ago?”

Riveri harrumphs and then starts: “Hm, no. But anyway, you see how busy I am here. Things sometimes go like this, somehow chaotic, so this is why I need someone for organizing this office. We have some projects running there are priorities to be set. I need to be able to rely on this person that does this job here. Of course, you have to be a decent, trustworthy person. Most of what we do is top secret. Can you deal with such an environment?”

Sisley fakes an understanding smile: “Of course, I have worked in a busy environment before. That’s not new to me. That’s probably why the agency suggested me for that role.”

Riveri is nodding with his head, convinced. “Yes, it seems to me as you could handle this job. The position is based on twenty-five hours a week. I need you to be here daily, five hours, five days a week. Your starting time can be flexible adjust to your study as you like.” He blubs out. “Sounds great, that suits perfectly.”

Sisley agrees in a friendly tone. “Okay, then you could start Monday. I will confirm with the agency. As already said, some days might be as busy as today, so don’t wonder if you come in the morning finding me under the table.” Riveri jokes

“Yes, sure, just like today, or maybe I find you here in the morning sleeping on the table for exhaustion.” Sisley laughs.

“Yes, that could easily happen, too. I see you understand our business.” Riveri stands up and moves towards Sisley for a handshake.

“Right. Thank you very much Riveri, I’m looking forward to starting on Monday.” Sisley confirms. “Yes, see you on Monday, have a charming afternoon.”

Riveri re-confirms while opening the office door. “Goodbye, Riveri, for you, too.” Sisley walks out of the office.

Sisley walks along the corridor, taking the stairs down back to the fourth floor returning the visitor pass at the reception desk. “Did you find Riveri? How was the interview?” The Receptionist is asking and smiles at Sisley.

“Yes, I found him. He appeared suddenly from underneath the desk. It seems like the guy desperately needs someone to organize his office. This lucky person will be me. I’m going to start on Monday.” Sisley answers, and at the same time, she feels a kind of release.

Sisley returns to the job agency where she is presently supposed to work for Ms. Bacon until she gets her first client contract. Ms. Bacon does not believe Sisley to have the job as the confirmation Email has not arrived in her inbox, yet. “Oh, Sisley, nice to see you how did the interview went on?” Ms Bacon asks.

 “Well, good so far we agreed that I start on Monday. It’s actually for 25 hours which I agreed to because that perfectly fits my study.” Sisley happily reports. ”Oh, that’s fantastic! We can change your contract hours for the deployment with this customer from full-time to part-time. I get the paperwork ready, and all you need to do is to sign it.” The consultant replies.

“Yes, and as agreed, please add the unpaid holidays for my quarterly examen dates as well as we already discussed,” Sisley adds. In the afternoon, Sisley signs the written additions on the contract and then leaves the agency.

*

Two days later, on a Thursday Sisley is already at the job agency working on a job for Ms. Bacon who arrives after ten. Ms. Bacon first checks her E-Mails then she turns to Sisley. ”Hm, Sisley I still haven’t received any confirmation E-Mail from Mr. Riveri about your deployment. I sent an E-Mail to the personnel department our contact here at the airport, asking about more details, but they say they don’t know anything about. Are you sure you agreed to start on Monday?” Ms. Bacon asks with an ironic underlying tone.

Sisley is looking up surprised. “Yes, that’s what we agreed to. As far as I know, the paperwork goes through the Munich personnel department and not Frankfurt. That’s what he said. Maybe, it’s a good idea to contact the company’s personnel department in Munich who is responsible for the deployment and deals with the contract details?” Sisley asks slightly cynically.

“Yes! They finally have sent the confirmation E-Mails directly from Munich and I even could make them sign for the higher rate, I just received the fax confirmation.” Ms. Bacon bursts out happily.
Changing her voice into a strict tone of voice towards Sisley. “Sisley, you will start on Monday as discussed.” Ms. Bacon demands.

Sisley sitting in front of her computer rolling her eyes and mumbling. “Did she think I made that up?” Shouting in a friendly faking voice towards Ms. Bacon’s office. ”Great, I’m so lucky, looking forward to Monday!”

5-0 AND KEYS

Chapter IV from the book Blossom Hill

At 6 pm, Mia opened the door to her house at Lordship Road. Standing in the corridor, checking the mail, she met one of the Russian girls, Versa. She was studying at St. Martins and Mia asked if they should meet this week to talk about the fashion store and some design ideas. They both agreed on a day and time and Versa went upstairs. Mia turned around when another of the Russian girls, Slatka, who came out of Mia’s apartment, loosened her hand from the door and walked upstairs, without saying a word. Mia rolled her eyes while opening her apartment door, then walked straight to the kitchen. Bo was sitting on the sofa.

“I just met Versa. We are going to meet next week for some design ideas for the fashion store. Have you had time, Bo, for the business plan yet? It would be great if we have the concept by the end of the week.”

“Oh, who is Versa, do I know her?” Bo asked.

“Versa? Of course, you know her, she studies at St. Martins. She lives upstairs.”

“Oh, one of the Russian girls, I don’t know them. I met only one, once, but I saw her only for five minutes talking about the electricity here, some time ago, when we had just moved in. That’s the only time I ever talked to one of them.”

Mia is stunned. Wasn’t it Slatka who had just come out of their apartment door not five minutes ago and he tells this story! He was so unbelievable, so unconvincing like something couldn’t be any other way than how he told it. “Oh, really? You only talked once to them, a long time ago. Well, if you say so.” She hadn’t the nerve to challenge him. This wasn’t a good time anyway, and considering last night she shouldn’t fuss about it. Bo was not interested where she was the night before.

She walked over to the bedroom and sorted some stuff from the huge wooden cupboard. She loved this cupboard; it looked so grandiose. She emptied some of the small shelves filled with keys. She took out the cupboard keys, her second car keys and home key and then tested the rest to see if any would fit in the apartment doors. “What about this key here, Bo? It doesn’t fit anywhere, is it one of yours or can it go?”

“No, that’s not mine, throw it away!”

Mia kept on tidying the bedroom, finally taking out the trash. She met Aisha, the Egyptian girl, who was also studying at St. Martins fashion design. Aisha was frustrated; everything was so complicated with their family. They didn’t even like her studying and of course living with her boyfriend—not being married was the greatest sin for her family but they would never agree to a wedding.

Mia explained her situation, that hers wasn’t the perfect relationship either, that lately it had become nothing more than a sideshow. Aisha thought they were the perfect couple and everything was so harmonised. So now, it opened her eyes. It was all far from bliss and they both had to play some kind of hiding game, for some stupid reason. Both laughed. “Shall we go out for a drink tonight? I’ll ask Bo and you ask your sweetie? We can go to the Highbury Hill tonight and have some dinner?”

“Great, idea, let’s go for it. Shall we ask the girls upstairs, too?”

“Yeah, why not, maybe this will refresh Bo’s memory about who visited him in his flat this afternoon.”

Eight o´clock and they are sitting at a table in the Highbury Hill. A huge mixed plate arrives; it looks delicious. Aisha and her boyfriend are amazed and half the girls from the upper flat-share have joined the two couples, including Versa but not Slatka, the girl from the afternoon. Mia does not miss her and Bo pretends not to care either. He keeps his attention on a football match showing on the wall, an English-German match and he can’t help himself as this is an extraordinary game for the English team where the scores are already 3-0 for England and he starts commenting. “Oh, maybe I should look out for some British girl, Germany seems to lose points.”

“Well, if you want to make it up on a one-off, so go for it. I couldn’t care less,” Mia jokes. But she feels another moment that makes her realize that the only reason he was in this relationship was for status rather than anything to do with her. She grabs another gin and tonic that lets her forget Bo’s un-charming comments and she moves on with having fun. With a final score of 5-0 for England, which hasn’t happened before, this becomes Bo’s favourite phrase for the evening. It reminds Mia where their relationship status is and she needs to keep reminding herself to forget about it and enjoy the night anyway. At one o’clock they are back home at their apartment. Mia is ready for bed.

“Oh, I forgot something in the car, I’ll be back in a minute,” Bo shouts, half out of the door.

Mia waits. Ten minutes later, wondering what is taking him so long, she puts on some shoes and walks out. To her surprise, Bo is not at the car but standing at the bin digging in the trash.

“What the hell are you doing there?”

“Oh, nothing, I just lost something,” Bo replies.

“You lost something? Something in the bin?” It dawns on her and a grin appears on her face. She immediately imagines it must be the key that she had thrown away earlier that day while tidying up the flat; this must have been a key belonging to one of his other girls. “Shall, I get a flashlight for you, honey, you think that will help? If you are looking for the key, it is in the white bag,” she says sarcastically.

“Oh, no thanks, it is not the key, I’ve told you I don’t know this key and you can throw it away. Why would I look for a fucking key that has no use for me.” His phone rings and Bo shouts into it. “Yes, I’ll get you the fucking key. I’ll bring it tomorrow.”

Mia turns around and is already on her way back to bed, wondering what else to expect. The next morning, she opens the drawer of her bedroom cupboard to grab her car keys and the key bunch she had thrown in the bin the day before is there again. Bo is still sleeping. She just shakes her head, thinking, Don’t you think I know half of the shit you do already. She moves on, knowing that this relationship won’t last; it was over long ago. Now it amounts to only what material benefit there was for them both. There was no way to speak it out. He would never confess anything and would just play the way of the super couple, always denying everything.

Message from Hunt – part II

from the Book i-Land – A double Irish and a Dutch

The next morning Avoka is having her breakfast early and takes a stroll on the beach.  Some guys dressed in security uniforms are walking the beach as well. Avoka is not really, sure, as at first sight she doesn’t know if it’s more for safety or more scary – will he say hello or is it a terrorist who points his gun in your face. But he friendly greets her. So she is recording some sound of the ocean and draws a big heart and Hunt in the sand and a good morning in big letters above the heart. She takes a picture and sends it as a Whatsapp message to Hunt, including the sound of the waves and the ocean wishing a wonderful morning. Then she starts her first yoga class. A guy who had previously worked for this club as global fitness instructor joins her yoga, as well as a couple from the professional tennis player group who are amazed by Avoka’s course. Also, the sponsor of the professional tennis player group joins Avoka’s Pilates course and comes to every Pilates class she teaches and they are impressed how good it does and which positive impact it has on their body, especially on their back and shoulders, which had felt like being tortured during last week’s tennis match.

In the afternoon Avoka comes back to her room wondering why she hasn’t received any message from Hunt. The phone rings. It’s her team leader asking for a talk with him and the club Manager. Avoka walks over to the Club Manager’s office. Tommy the Club Manager starts talking, “Yes, Lui asks me to support him as it is about your hours and some issues you also talked with Switzerland and Marcus about, as I’ve heard.” Avoka agrees and listens. Tommy suggests reducing her hours but wants to keep her on an employee contract. He particularly doesn’t want to agree to a freelance contract. In addition, he wants Avoka to serve the salad and do a wellness-night weekly, in total with a cut off of two hundred euros. To Avoka this doesn’t really sound like a good offer when she compares it to the amount, of hours as a freelance trainer in Germany. For her it’s clear she’s not going to stay because she doesn’t see any reason from the financial side at all. This whole job takes a totally, different direction from teaching fitness courses and dancing shows to serving salad, drinks and sauna infusions. But for now, she agrees to reduce the hours and do the salad thing. Lui keeps on talking that otherwise this would be a guest trainer contract, who would not get any money but free accommodation. And he doesn’t seem to understand that Avoka normally gets paid a higher hourly rate. But she gives up trying to explain. Both of the guys, Lui and the Club Manager himself, have started in this Club as amateurs and obviously never had an apprenticeship or any other education. Avoka suggests, that she would prefer, to leave. Tommy nods and then asks, “Could you stay till we find someone?” Knowing that she has only 7-days period of notice and she can go at almost any time, she agrees.

Walking back to her room she now has a message from Hunt. Disappointed every time she sends him some romantic message or writes something with real thought, there’s not much coming back, especially not at the weekend when he goes out clubbing. And she knows he must have been with someone else this morning that’s why he didn’t reply.

She remembered last week when he had started a chat and it got really hot. He had asked for a photo of her in her Casino look and replied how he loves woman wearing a bow. Avoka had sent a picture with a big kiss showing her in a white blouse, bow and black vest. He replied, “Oh, this is sexy, you look so cute, you make me hot.” Avoka replied, “Wow, this turns you on?” Hunt confessed, “Yes, I won’t deny it. Are you in your room or is your boss sneaking around?” Avoka replied, “I’m back in my room. And you, still in the bar or home sweet home?” Hunt writes, “Home sweet home, I’m already in my bed. But how could I sleep now?” Avoka asks, “Why, what’s wrong?” Hunt writes, “What’s wrong? You are asking me what’s wrong? My blood pressure goes up when you send me pictures like that.” Avoka replies, “Oh, shall I be sorry, or can I help you somehow?” Hunt sends back a big smile and a “Maybe? How about that?” And he posts some pics with a couple where the woman is biting into a man’s chest. Avoka replies, “So what do you want me to do? I’m here with my lips on your chest. Where do you have your hands?” Hunt replies, “You know where I want you to go with your lips farther down. And I have my hands on your neck.” Avoka replies, “Oh, yes I can feel this and your hands, too; you’re teasing my nipples and get me wet.” Hunt sends another picture with a couple undressed and a woman’s wet pussy. Avoka starts searching on the Internet for a picture with a pose; surprised that there is really for every pose a picture to find, she sends back a woman on a blow job. Hunt writes back, “Oh, baby, you get me so wild, I really put my hands on, feel free to do that, too.” Avoka replies, “Do you mind if I use a little technology?” Hunt replies, “Go for it. You should feel a relief” then he sends some picture of a man who takes the woman from behind. The pictures are now more porn and this goes on for hours.

They had done such games before. But Avoka had clearly stated she would not do this if the situation wasn’t like that and if he hadn’t suggested they take the next step. She had met Hunt at her father’s cousin’s wedding. That time she had just got the job with this IT giant, Fruit of the Loom in Ireland, and she had proudly reported that she would move to Ireland in about a week. Hunt had replied, “Oh, then you really hit it well, don’t you?” Avoka agreed, not knowing at this time that this kind of job was anything else than a “hit” or maybe a “hit” but not in a positive way. They had exchanged contacts on Facebook.  At the wedding, they had had many sweet surprises for the wedding couple. One of the surprises was for every guest to write a postcard and bind it on a red heart balloon filled with gas. All balloons were then let go, all at once. Avoka had written a quote “love will always find its way” on the card for her balloon and had let it go together with all others. She had taken a picture of the red heart balloon sky that she had posted on her facebook page and which Hunt immediately had liked. He also had posted on her wall a Paul Coelho quote, “It’s okay to think you’re right but not to think that your way is the only one.”

They now were in constant contact since Avoka had come back from a Lanzarote holiday and had written on her Facebook wall “If the sun will fit into my suitcase?” Hunt had commented, “Did you also think about the over-weight?” Avoka loved his way of someone who was on one site really grounded but could also totally lose his mind into fantasy. Since that moment, they had written daily on Whatsapp sharing kisses, good morning and good night messages and sometimes talked on the phone. But so far, they had never met apart from this one afternoon at the wedding. In the beginning, he had made every effort to meet her. This was right after she had moved to Ireland. He had called because one of those texts got confusing on a message where he had enthused about coming over for an Ireland trip would be nice. And Avoka had replied, “You’re welcome but not without your no contact,” which was her mistake as he took it as a double denying which would be a yes. But she actually, did not mean yes. So, he had called her on the phone, “Oh, you are a stupid cow; what you wrote means yes…”

But now they had this daily communication and they had talked about it that Avoka was not into that one-night stand thing but rather looking for a real relationship and was more interested in getting to know him and taking it slowly to see if there would be a basis. Hunt had agreed, and said, that he was in a difficult situation at the moment as his father had recently died of cancer and had said, “Just give us more time, but we should take it a step further.” So, whatever he had meant, Avoka took it as he was interested to get to know each other. She also had asked him before, if he was interested. But so far, he had not made any more effort to visit her in Ireland. Once the topic came up he had said it was so far away and the prices for flights were so high, there was no direct flight, only with a stop in London. So, he found a thousand excuses not to come over but the communication between the two went on and sometimes they had those plays, even though Avoka had clearly said, “I don’t want to be a Whatsapp fantasy.” He had replied that he understands this and that’s not what it was. On one occasion, he had chatted her up on Whatsapp and then didn’t reply. On Avoka’s question he replied this typical phrase, “I’ll text you later.” This was then two days later, and again he texted with kisses and ‘good morning angel.’ He explained he had met someone in the coffee who he hadn’t seen for a while and they went dancing. Avoka knew what “dancing” meant to him. And at one point he wrote he does not want a relationship. But the texting went on and the communication was almost like a couple would talk, the pictures accordingly. Also, the short times Avoka had spent in Germany between her move from Ireland to Tunisia he had avoided meeting her. But Avoka was so busy in that week, as her father had a heart operation and was in the hospital, that she didn’t give it much thought. But now here it felt the same again and Avoka did not really understand what it was about. When he was seeing all those other women, why this 24-hour Whatsapp chat, talking like a married couple at all? And he knew what Avoka was talking about. The day she had quit her “Ireland brand number one tech customer support job” she had posted on Facebook a picture of a woman looking at the ocean and on the back of the woman’s vest was written, 1. Buy a ticket, 2 Quit your job, 3. Fall in love, 4. Never come back. He had copied the picture and ticked points 1-3 and on point 4 “falling in love” he had written “in process”. So, what a was it about? Avoka was really, disappointed as she had imagined that they might meet here in Tunisia or maybe a weekend in London. But he never took a chance, whereas this texting continued.

Avoka received an email from the agency who contacted her for that new job in Ireland with that leader in Internet marketing. She had made it to the next round. So, the guy from the agency was asking for dates for the next Google hangout. She arranged some interviews also with another company who was interested and then went to the daily morning meeting. She was scheduled for a safety course and made a note in her calendar on her smartphone. The team leader got upset and shouted, “All phones in your pockets; in my meeting are no phones allowed.” Avoka kept scheduling her safety course, explaining that that’s her calendar where she makes notes. The team leader shouted back, “Either you put the phone away or you go out.” Avoka stood up, saying, “What a kindergarten!” then left the building. She thought what was this? How old fashioned was this? She didn’t use the phone for playing or making phone calls; this was like her pen and paper. She did her courses well; so far, many clients were praising her courses. The tennis player sponsor was always in her Pilates course and was swearing how good his back felt since he did the course. Another member agreed and most days the courses were full. So why did this guy have to act so stressful?

She moved on through the day teaching classes. After the last class Avoka closed the room then looked at her phone. A Whatsapp message from the team-leader asked if she could come to his office after the class. Avoka wondered so now it was okay to use a phone when he used it as communication tool? She walked over and Lui together with the resort trainee presented to her a piece of paper, a written warning, and asked her to sign. He complained that she was constantly using her smartphone. Avoka thought she was in the wrong movie, thinking of the Dirty Dancing scene where the big boss tells Neil, “Come, I’ll show you how to fire a staff member.” She explained again why she uses the phone and that she finds it funny that she agreed to stay here till they find another trainer and now he comes up with a discipline warning letter. He had nothing to say to this and Avoka said, “Well, then I quit now, within my seven-days probation period.”

She went back to the room and wrote the contract termination. First thing in the morning she walked over to the Club Manager’s office and handed over her resignation letter. She really had enough. She came here for teaching classes and all her participants were very pleased; many of them had given great feedback and explicitly written they enjoyed in particular Yoga and Pilates with Avoka. But everyone else had a problem with it. The Club-Manager signed the contract termination and had to arrange the flight back to Germany and asked her to go over and also inform the team-leader. Avoka went over, giving a copy of the termination letter to the team-leader who was in one of his meetings, who immediately took out his phone to take a photograph for sending the letter copy to the Swiss headquarters. One of the guys who had been in the meeting the day before when it was announced so loudly that phones were not allowed in the public area nor that meeting laughed, shaking his head about how naturally he took his phone to take a photograph but denied others using a phone for common tasks like a calendar entry. This really was a joke or more the need of the small man to make himself feel important.

Avoka went over to the pool bar where she met the girl from the teen animation; she had quit as well. The management had told her it would be her responsibility when the kids drink. She said for her it was impossible to watch over 20 kids, ages 14 to 18, at night time between 12 pm and five in the morning and no one had told her this before. She was quite upset and had scheduled her return flight herself. As she lived in Switzerland the company would only cover the flights for the return to Germany. She also complained that it was bothering that they had to attend the disco at night and she was tired of explaining that she did not want to sleep with those over sixty year olds, as this question came up almost every night. The same as Avoka, she wondered about the niveau of that holiday resort as she also knew this as one of the better establishments but she found the kind of “flirt” was more the kind of really low establishments. It was more like the “higher” the guest niveau the less their inhibition threshold.

Avoka had another appointment at the club manager’s office and when she came in she heard him saying to his assistant, “Where is this lawsuit for sexual harassment? If this lies open around here this would be a catastrophe.” She was just shaking her head; of course, that fit perfectly into the picture from what some animation girls from the kids’ club had said before. She was just happy when he confirmed her return flight.

Avoka had her last team meeting where Lui announced that she would leave “going back to the real world” and then brought up the usual thank you hymn. Moodi, a guy from the Tunisian animation team, came over and took her in his arms, saying, “Stay as you are; you’re amazing.” Anita on the other side was flashing her happiest face and saying things like what a great day this was when Avoka leaves, making noise like she was almost getting an orgasm. Lui looked at her, wondering. “How can this make you so happy?” and shaking his head, then saying, “Girls!” The other evening presenter, Kay, also put his arms around Avoka, asking, “Oh, you can’t do this to me, leaving me here alone” and wishing Avoka a good return flight. He was also in talks with the Club Manager to leave, as he did not like the whole job in the club.

Early Saturday morning Avoka was on her way to the airport and she couldn’t wait to be gone. Sitting in the bus she looked at the rising sun, a natural wonder in North Africa that always impressed her. She loved the light; somehow it had such a different luminosity, intense hues, and reflected nature in such contrast. She always had loved that about the African sun. But she knew this was probably the last time for a very long time she would see the African sun. She took a picture and wrote “Colors bleed through the sky into my skin – Memories someday.”

She sent the picture with the quote to Hunt, waiting for a reply. Two hours later she already had checked in, ready to board the plane. She took a last look at the phone–still no message from Hunt. Left with a feeling of disappointment, she entered the aircraft. Silently she had hoped that she might meet Hunt this time, while she would be in Germany, and she knew, that this wouldn’t be long, maybe for one or two weeks. She already had the next interview on Monday morning with this Internet giant. At seven o’clock she was finally at home or better said at her father’s house, who wasn’t at home. He had recovered very well from his heart OP and was off on the weekend so she had the house for herself. At around ten the pinging sound on her phone appeared, a message from Hunt: “Welcome back.” And with the next pinging sound wishing a goodnight and a kiss. Avoka’s question why he replied so late and not in the morning he answered with a quick “I thought you had no Wi-Fi connection.”