Chapter Two: The Perfect Job.

It was six in the morning and Enric was already up. Rubén was starting to stir, and his friend peeked through the door to wake him up.

"Hey, you, make yourself some breakfast to get some energy, lazybones," his friend said with a laugh.

Enric sat up and threw the blue pillow from the bed at his friend. Then he got up to close the door and picked the pillow up off the floor. He put on his gray suit, the one Soraya liked so much and that he liked to pair with a sky-blue polo that fit him snugly. He searched for the shirt and found it at the bottom of his suitcase, beneath the few clothes he owned. After that, Enric looked in the mirror and didn't like his bedhead. His straight, dark chocolate-colored hair was messily swept to one side.

After applying some gel and trying to style it with spikes, he realized he hadn't cut his hair since before Soraya passed away. He went to the bathroom to wash out the gel and dry his hair.

He thought he should get a haircut as soon as he could. Soraya used to tease him when it got longer than she thought attractive, and although he used to think she made him cut it too soon, this time it was too long even for his taste.

"Earth to Enric!" came a voice from the door.

Rubén needed to use the bathroom. Enric hadn't noticed before, but his friend wasn't styled either, and his short, choppy hair lacked the natural shine his dark blond hair usually had. When Enric came out, his friend stared at the thick fringe nearly covering his eyes with a mix of mockery and tenderness, then went into the bathroom to style his own hair.

They arrived together and entered a bit before eight in the morning. Enric had already noticed that the office building's facade was almost entirely mirrors that didn't allow a view inside, reflecting the buildings across the street and the sky above. There was no sign on the door, but there was a metal plate for placing a sign or plaque. The ground floor, instead of mirrors, was clad in reddish granite that contrasted with the lost dawn sky visible above.

The lobby was very spacious and had a tiny reception desk that looked more like an office desk. The receptionist was taking off her light mid-season jacket, and Enric approached her with the most gentlemanly intentions. The girl thanked him, glanced at Rubén with slight disdain, and the boys continued on to the elevator.

"Our offices are on the third floor," Rubén began giving his friend a tour of the building, "except for the three bosses who are on the first floor along with other section heads."

Enric's expression showed gratitude, though he didn't think that information would be useful. The elevator opened, they pressed the button marked three, and exited on the corresponding floor.

The six desks didn't fill the room. They were so spread out in the open space that they could have been rearranged easily even if there were twice as many. Rubén's boss arrived as soon as the young man sat down, and Enric stayed by his side since there was no desk available for him.

"You must be Enric Lloret Coll," he said. "I'm Aitor Beaumont Coello, but all my employees call me Don Aitor," he conveyed confidence, "because I don't like being addressed formally or by my last names," he cleared his throat. "But since I'm your direct supervisor, I do maintain a slight distance."

Don Aitor began giving instructions.

"If you wait a bit, they'll bring your desk. If you like, they can place it next to Rubén. I hope that won't distract you."

He looked around the room and raised his voice slightly.

"By the way, be punctual for the meeting we have today at one."

And just as he came, Don Aitor left the way he came, and Rubén then proceeded to show his friend around the company's facilities.

The building had only six floors, of which the second, third, and fourth housed the visible team of the company Rubén worked for. On the fifth floor, Enric was surprised by the office layout: large cubicles with divider panels reaching the ceiling. Only the hallways leading to the elevator and stairs allowed a glimpse of the windows to the outside because they had sunlight like all the hallways.

On the sixth and top floor, there was only a secretary's desk surrounded by similar panels to the floor below, with a few scattered doors and no sign of the reception getting any natural light.

After the tour, Enric checked the time. It was almost twelve-thirty, and soon they had to go down to the meeting room. When the time came, they were already on the first floor where the meeting room was located.

Don Aitor took his place at the head of the table and, after a brief throat-clearing to get everyone's attention, began his speech.

"Good morning! This Monday, Don Alfredo will no longer be working with us, and as a new hire to replace him, we've brought on Enric Lloret."

Enric stood up from his chair, smiled at Don Aitor, nodded slightly, and sat back down.

"And regarding Alfredo's position in the company, since his office is now vacant, you have six months to earn the promotion. Several factors and each person's capabilities will be considered. Once we've gathered all the results, the successor to Don Alfredo as script supervisor will be named. Until then, I will assume that role as the immediate superior."

The commotion was immediate. The looks exchanged were more than just competitive glances. Probably because some were already scheming and everyone wanted that office on the first floor. Everyone except Enric, as modest as he was unambitious.

Enric never thought about climbing the ranks. Soraya always criticized his lack of ambition. To her, he had always been undervalued at work, even exploited, she once said. However, he didn't see it that way, as his inventiveness would flourish at the slightest idea, and he believed that was innate in everyone, even if not everyone knew how to develop it.