Chapter 11

After a twenty-minute subway ride, Dusty found herself standing outside the building where Goldstone Financiers were lo- cated. Looking up at the immense skyscraper made Dusty feel dwarfed beside it. All around her smartly dressed people power-walked to their own place of work. Everyone seemed busy, moving with purpose, with somewhere to go.

Dusty stood with her Chanel bag over her shoulder, wearing black trousers, a white shirt and a grey blazer, an outfit that Ashley had helped pick out for her, insisting that it screamed professionalism. Now, Dusty wasn't so sure. She felt sick with nerves at the thought of entering the building, riding the elevator up to the thirty-first floor, and starting her new job.

Taking a deep breath, Dusty fell in step with a group of commuters heading into the building. She tried to appear confident and collected even though inside she felt as though she were falling to pieces with nerves.

"Hi, I'm Dusty-Rose Black." Dusty approached the reception desk. Upon stepping out on the relevant floor, she'd seen the glass doors emblazoned with the company logo, beyond them a solid oak desk, behind which sat an immaculately dressed lady who looked to be in her early thirties. She regarded Dusty from behind designer glasses, a hands-free kit already attached to her ear, ready to take the incoming calls during the day.

"It's my first day," Dusty explained, hoping that the receptionist's icy demeanor might thaw upon hearing that, but she remained rigid and aloof.

"I'll tell Mr. Masterson that you're here," the receptionist said, referring to the man who had originally hired Dusty. Dusty thanked her and waited awkwardly in the space between the desk and the front doors. A dozen or so people entered as she stood there. They offered a courteous but abrupt greeting to the receptionist, who acknowledged them in a similar fashion, but they ignored Dusty completely. She felt invisible to them, which made her feel even more uncomfortable and nervous.

"Dusty, hi." Mr. Masterson appeared from the offices deeper inside the building. He was in his late thirties, with dark hair that flecked with grey, but it suited him, and he was wearing a navy suit and, more importantly, a smile. It was the first friendly face Dusty had seen all morning, and it was a welcome sight.

"Good morning, Mr. Masterson." She smiled politely.

"Call me Jeff," he said. "Shall I show you where you'll be working?"

"Yes, please." Dusty followed Jeff into the main office area. There were thirty or so cubicles set out in an open-plan space. Two of the adjoining walls were covered in doors that led to the offices of the senior members of staff, and the far wall had floor-to- ceiling windows, which offered amazing views of both the city and the skyscraper opposite. No one looked up as Dusty walked past, each already too engrossed in their own tasks for the day.

Finally, Jeff stopped at an empty cubicle that was close to an office door that had his name on it in smart, gold lettering.

"This is where you will be." He gestured to the cubicle. There was a wooden desk and a high-end swivel chair, a Mac computer currently turned off, a cordless phone and a number of empty filing trays. "Bathroom, printing facilities, and kitchen are all at the far end of that corridor." He pointed back down towards where the receptionist desk was located. Dusty nodded, trying to take it all in.

"I imagine you already have a fair idea of what is expected of you here." Jeff looked intently at Dusty as she nodded. "Basically, I'm in here. I'm your line manager. I will assign you cases to assess." The cases that Dusty would be assessing were life insurance claims. Dusty would be using her mathematical skills to assess what level of insurance they would require or what payout was necessary, depending upon the application. She had been told that all relevant training would be provided on the job.

"Okay." Dusty tried to sound enthused even though she was still terrified. "Any questions, I'll be right in here." Jeff gestured towards his office and then disappeared into it, leaving Dusty alone.

****

By Friday of her first week Dusty had grasped a basic understanding of what was required of her and how the office worked. She'd quickly learnt that she needed to bring a mug and cup to work for drinks, which she purchased Monday evening and brought in Tuesday morning.

With each passing day, a few more people introduced themselves to her. They were all a bit older than her, late twenties or early thirties. She'd yet to meet anyone else in the office the same age as her. The actual work involved was the easy part. Dealing with numbers and statistics came so easily to Dusty that she quickly picked up the skills needed for the job and was getting through assignments almost as quickly as Jeff could delegate them to her.

It meant that each night she left work on time, never needing to stay late, which earned her a few steely glares as she left the office promptly at half past four.

"So do you like it?" Ashley asked one evening during their Skype chat. Dusty was ready for bed, wearing flannel pajamas, as New York was already cooling, heading quickly towards a harsh winter, whereas Los Angeles was still bathed in sunlight. Ashley was phoning from beside her father's pool, wearing a bright green bikini.

"Yeah, it's an interesting job," Dusty said, pulling her duvet up over her and settling down.

"Sounds a bit number heavy to me," Ashley stated. "Are you in bed already?" She scrutinized the image on the iPad in her hands.

"Yeah, it's nine here," Dusty explained, knowing it was much earlier in the day where Ashley was.

"And you're going to bed? The night is still so young," Ashley cried, remembering the nights when they'd only just be leaving their sorority house at nine in the evening to head over to a party somewhere.

"I've got work early." Dusty sighed. One thing she'd learnt about Jeff Masterson was that he liked to start and end his days early, and Dusty was expected to be at the office when he was. So he enjoyed a bright and early start at Goldstone for seven AM., and Dusty had to follow suit. Although it did mean she would be back in her apartment by five, the early mornings were starting to take their toll on her.

"How lame." Ashley frowned. "At least you're enjoying it, though."

"Yeah."

"Hey, do you want to watch an episode of Revenge together?"

"Sure." Dusty smiled. The great thing about the iPad was that they could watch things at the same time and still talk together; it was the next best thing to experiencing something side by side. The iPad had really been a lifeline for Dusty. Even her mother had attempted to call her on it.