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I’m not a Beta. I’m an Omega.
Chapter 4
Penelope
Monday morning comes before I’m really ready for it. I spent the weekend cycling between feeling nervous and feeling excited, and I still don’t really know which one to land on.
On the one hand, it’s an amazing opportunity. Even if the job itself doesn’t work out long term, the paycheck for any amount of time will be helpful, and having Vantage Digital Systems on my resume will mean I don’t have to deal with the same kind of dismissiveness I got from Sienna if I interview at other companies.
On the other hand, it took me hours to get over the lightheaded feeling I got from being in a room with those three Alphas last week, and I don’t know if I can handle that Monday through Friday, nine to five.
But I come to the same conclusion I came to over and over again during the weekend. I owe it to myself to at least see where this could go. And after spending all that time hyping myself up and telling them all that I can do the job, it would look cowardly at best to back out now.
At seven in the morning, I stand in my bedroom mirror and frowning at my appearance.
The pipes are still clanking from my shower just a few minutes ago, and I can hear the slow drip of the ancient showerhead. It doesn’t matter how many times I try to tighten the faucet with the rusty wrench I found under the sink, it always drips.
But everything in this apartment is run down or falling apart. The building itself leans a little to one side, and the way the stairs creak on the way up to the third floor where I live, it’s a wonder it’s still standing.
There are cracks in the baseboards and along the top of the walls near the ceiling, and when it gets cold outside, there’s nothing that can be done to stop the persistent draft that sweeps through.
It’s definitely not the kind of place that anyone who works at Vantage would be caught dead living in, I’m sure, but I guess I’m the exception.
“And not just to that,” I mutter to myself, tugging on the sleeves of the cream colored blouse to make them come down over my wrists a bit more. It’s a smart outfit, the soft blouse with a pencil skirt that hugs my hips and thighs in a way that’s flattering but not provocative. I’m cautious of the way tight fitting things draw attention to my curves, but I refuse to dress in baggy, oversized clothes for my first day of work.
The peplum top and skirt are professional and even a bit stylish, but buying a new set of work clothes wiped out most of my remaining savings. Even with that, I only have enough outfits for about a week’s worth of work days, so I’m going to have to get creative with mixing and matching if I don’t want to give away just how badly I need this job.
I can’t imagine casual Fridays being a thing at Vantage, so I’m going to have to hope my first paycheck can stretch a bit to cover rent, new clothes, and most of all, my suppressants.
I check the time on my phone, and if I leave now, I can still run the bakery that I spotted down the street from the office to get a little something for breakfast. I wouldn’t usually spend money on something like that, probably having some value brand cereal and milk for breakfast instead, but it feels like the kind of day to splurge a little. For good luck.
With one last glance in the mirror, I take a deep breath and then grab my bag, ready to head out the door.
The bakery isn’t too crowded, and I manage to get through the line quickly. Finding a little table in the back, I sip my coffee and eat my Danish, savoring the flaky pastry and flavorful filling. It’s good, and clearly made with love, and I suppress a sigh at the memories being here brings up.
This place is a little more corporate than the bakery I ran for a short time, but the smells are the same, and the rich burst of berry jam and buttery pastry on my tongue just bring me right back to the kitchen in that bakery.
One day, I promise myself. One day I’m going to give it another chance. I have to. It’s a dream that stays with me, even though it failed once already. But that doesn’t mean it’s not achievable. I just need a better plan this time.
And more money.
But money requires this job, and doing the job means I need to get to the office. So I get up from the table and brush any lingering crumbs from my face before heading down the street for my first day at Vantage.
Just like when I arrived for my interview last week, the lobby of the office building is peaceful and bright. The wall of windows lets the morning sun stream in, and the security guard takes acursory look at my brand new ID badge when I flash it and then waves me on to the elevators.
It feels good to scan the badge and hit the button for the fifth floor, knowing I belong here now. Sort of. I’m not an outsider, like I was the first day I arrived.
The elevator dings, and I step out onto the fifth floor, heading down the hall for the admin offices.
Sienna is stepping out of her own office when I walk up, and she glances at me with disinterest for half a second, her gaze sliding over me like I’m not even important enough to look at.
“Good morning, Ms. Livingston,” I say to her with a polite smile. “I think you have some paperwork I need to fill out?”
“It’s already at your desk,” she snips back. “Which is where you should be by now.”
I bite back the urge to tell her that I’m actually fifteen minutes early and just keep smiling. “Sure, I’ll go there right now and start filling things out.”
Sienna just looks at me and then smirks. “You might want to put on a jacket or something first. If you have one.”