Chapter 243
**Sara**
I jolted awake before my alarm, nerves already dancing in my stomach. First-day jitters. The clock read 6:15 AM - forty-five blessed minutes before I needed to be up. But sleep was a lost cause now.
The hot shower helped calm my racing thoughts. I hummed under the spray, working my favorite vanilla-scented shampoo through my hair. No way was I showing up to my first day at Westbridge Capital smelling anything less than perfect.
"Okay, Sara, get it together," I muttered, wrapping a fluffy towel around my body. My reflection stared back at me, cheeks flushed from the steam.
The real challenge lay spread across my bed - my carefully planned outfit for day one. I'd spent an embarrassing amount of time last night coordinating everything. My fingers traced over the silk blouse, smooth charcoal pencil skirt, and blazer that had cost more than I wanted to think about.
First things first - underwear. I pulled out my "power set" - a matching black lace bra and panty combo that always made me feel confident. The bra gave amazing support without any awkward lines showing through my blouse, and the panties were comfortable enough for a full day of sitting in meetings.
"At least if I completely bomb today, I'll be wearing nice underwear," I said to no one in particular, clasping the bra.
The silk blouse slid cool against my skin as I buttoned it up. The skirt hugged my curves without being too tight—professional but still feminine. I slipped on the blazer, checking my reflection one final time. It's not bad, Sara. It's not bad at all.
My phone buzzed on the dresser.
Tom: Good luck today. You've got this.
Tom's message made me smile.
Me: Thanks, Tom. Try not to miss me too much in class today.
Tom: Already do. Now go knock 'em dead.
I smiled at Tom's message, tucking my phone into my designer bag - another splurge I'd justified as a "new job necessity."
After one final mirror check and a swipe of lipstick, I grabbed my keys and headed out.
The morning air hit my face as I stepped onto the busy sidewalk.
The subway station loomed ahead, and I joined the crowd of suited professionals descending into the underground. My nose wrinkled at the familiar mix of body odor, coffee, and indefinable subway smell. Welcome to adult life, Sara.
I squeezed onto the packed train, wedging between a man in a rumpled suit and a woman aggressively applying mascara. The mascara woman jabbed her elbow into my ribs with each subway jolt, apparently determined to achieve perfect lashes or give me internal bleeding - whichever came first.
The subway screeched to a halt at my stop, and I joined the exodus of bodies flowing toward the exits.
As I emerged onto the street, the massive Westbridge Capital building towered above, its glass windows gleaming in the morning sun.
My heels clicked against the polished marble as I strode through the revolving doors, trying to channel my inner girlboss energy while silently praying I wouldn't trip.
"Good morning, welcome to Westbridge Capital." The receptionist flashed a perfect smile. "How may I help you?"
"Hi, I'm Sara Parker. It's my first day." I fumbled in my bag for my ID. "I'm supposed to meet with HR?"
"Of course! Let me call Jennifer from HR." She picked up her phone while I fidgeted with my blazer. "She'll be right down."
Moments later, a woman in her forties with kind eyes and a messy bun appeared. "Sara Parker! Welcome to Westbridge. I'm Jennifer from HR." She gestured for me to follow her. "Let's get you sorted with security passes and paperwork."
The next hour was a blur of signatures, policy documents, and seemingly endless forms. My hand started cramping as I initialed page after page of benefits packages, confidentiality agreements, and workplace guidelines.
Jennifer patiently walked me through each document, explaining the key points while I tried to absorb it all. The coffee she'd offered sat untouched on the corner of her desk, growing cold as I focused on not making any mistakes in this mountain of paperwork.
"And here's your desk!" Jennifer led me to an open workspace. "Amy, Hailey, and Mark will be your closest colleagues. They should be back from their morning meeting soon."
I settled into my ergonomic chair, arranging my belongings on the pristine desk. A sticky note on my monitor read, "Welcome, Sara Parker!" with a small doodle of what I assumed was meant to be a smiley face but looked more like a constipated emoji.
I tapped my fingers on the sleek desk surface, taking in my new workspace. The view wasn't half bad - I could see snippets of the city skyline between neighboring buildings.
"You must be Sara!" A cheerful voice startled me from my window-gazing. A petite blonde bounced over to my desk. "I'm Amy! I drew that welcome note - art isn't really my strong suit."
"Hey, Amy." I laughed, glancing at the deformed smiley face. "No worries, I appreciate the thought. Though I think your emoji might need some Pepto-Bismol."
"Oh god, it does look kind of sick, doesn't it?" She perched on the edge of my desk. "I should stick to spreadsheets. Fair warning - Mark's gonna dump a ton of those on you today. He's our resident Excel wizard."
"And don't forget resident coffee addict," another voice chimed in. A tall woman with curly red hair appeared, coffee cup in hand. "I'm Hailey. Welcome to the chaos."
"Thanks! I'm already feeling very welcomed, constipated emoji and all."
"Mark's running late again," Hailey rolled her eyes. "Probably got caught up arguing with the barista about foam ratios. He's very particular about his coffee."
Right on cue, a disheveled guy in his late twenties rushed in, clutching not one but two coffee cups. "Sorry, sorry! The new barista doesn't understand the difference between a dry cappuccino and a wet one. I had to explain-"
"Called it," Hailey whispered to me.
"Oh hey, new girl!" Mark's eyes lit up. "Want a cappuccino? I got an extra because they messed up the first one."
"Sure, thanks." I accepted the cup. "I'm Sara."
"Welcome aboard! Once you're settled, I've got some exciting pivot tables with your name on them."
Amy groaned. "Mark, let her breathe first. Not everyone shares your passionate love affair with Excel."
"Hey, pivot tables are sexy," Mark protested, straightening his slightly crooked tie.
"You need to get out more," Hailey patted his shoulder. "Like, way more."
I sipped the rejected cappuccino, watching their easy banter. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Sure, there'd be pivot tables in my future, but at least my coworkers seemed fun.
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