Chapter One
Tessa
I was at my desk, typing furiously at my computer, unconscious of the time or the hunger pangs in my stomach—when I got the call.
I’d been racing against time, trying to complete the report by six. I hadn’t eaten all day, barely left my desk, even to go to the water cooler. I needed to finish the report by six or I knew I was going to have a hard time keeping this job.
My position was one of the most coveted jobs in the advertisement industry in the city. I was only twenty-four, which meant that there were hundreds of people better qualified than me and with way more experience. I had been in this position for a mere two months, so I was easily disposable. If I didn’t impress my team leaders on a daily basis, constantly, then they wouldn’t miss a heartbeat to replace me with someone else.
The phone on my desk rang, startling me out of the sort of daze I’d gone into while typing.
I picked up the receiver and blinked rapidly, trying to hover back down to Earth again.
“Hello?” I said. I wasn’t sure who could be calling me on this line. Everyone from my team was working close to me, so they wouldn’t need to call on the phone.
“Tessa Munro?” I heard a voice on the other end. It was a woman’s voice; she sounded sophisticated, with a smooth British accent.
“Yes?”
“Hello, Tessa. I’m Michelle Non, calling from Soar Ad Agency,” she continued.
I nearly knocked myself out of my chair when I heard her say that. Soar Ad Agency? The people who were responsible for the latest UNICEF campaigns which had won several awards just this year.
“Y…yes…” was all I could manage.
“I apologize for ringing you like this, at your workplace, but I wasn’t able to find a personal contact number for you,” Michelle said.
I hunched down over my desk, covering my mouth with a hand—if anyone was watching me, they would easily know I was trying to hide something. I had never been a natural at covert operations.
“No, it’s fine, absolutely fine. How can I help you, Ms. Non?” I said, whispering.
“I’m ringing on behalf of the agency, of course. I’m the head of recruitment, and we would like to bring you in for a quick chat,” she said.
My heart was racing in my chest. This was insane. Had Soar Agency really headhunted me into coming to work for them? They wanted to recruit me to their team? How did they even find out about me? It was a dream come true.
“Of course, any time. I’ll be happy to,” I said, fumbling and trying to keep my cheeks from flushing.
There was a laugh in Michelle’s voice as she spoke now.
“Great, we’re in the process of setting up offices in Chicago at the moment. You’ll find our address on our website. Can I expect to see you there tomorrow at five?”
I was nodding my head already, even though she couldn’t see me.
“Yes, great, of course, I’ll be there. Thank you!”
We said our quick formal goodbyes and then she ended the call. I couldn’t believe any of this had just happened. I looked around at the people working and saw that nobody had noticed anything.
I gripped the edges of my desk to steady myself. This felt too unreal.
Soar Agency was a British organization that had taken the advertisement world by storm in the past seven years. They were the brand I always aspired to work with. They did the kind of work I was passionate about.
Not only did they have high profile commercial clients like big names in the food and drink industry, and fashion and luxury brands—but they also worked with non-profit organizations and for charitable causes, for free. My personal favorite was the campaign they had created for ‘Save the Oceans’ the year before. It had done brilliantly well to raise awareness all around the world.
I couldn’t believe that they had gotten in touch with me—me! I was still struggling to make a name for myself. I’d been skipping between agencies for the past three years since I graduated college; trying to grasp a firm footing for myself in the industry.
I’d worked on a few national ad campaigns, but not in a major way—not in a way that would get me noticed by an agency like Soar.
I sat at my desk twiddling my thumbs, trying to settle myself. In one day, I could be an employee at Soar. Granted, the interview went well.
I was expecting it to be tough. I was going to have to bring my A Game on. I couldn’t wait to get out of this place, rush back to my apartment and prepare for the interview. I couldn’t wait to see if this opportunity would work for me—if I could bag this opportunity of a lifetime.
I had a smile on my face and I was chewing my lip as I tried to focus. I was daydreaming already…thinking about a little desk at the Soar Agency offices, working with a team of some of the greatest creative minds in the world! This was my chance to change my life. To really do something with all the years of hard work I had put into this career.
I’d taken a leap of faith by embarking on a journey in this highly competitive industry, but maybe now…if I got this job, all those sleepless nights would be worth it.
“Tessa! Where’s the report? It’s ten past six!”
My team leader Jack’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He was standing over my desk, glaring at me from behind his thick glasses.
“Give me five minutes, Jack,” I said to him, but I was still smiling. I couldn’t get that nagging feeling out of my soul that my world was about to alter. I couldn’t wait.