Lessons In Being A Flapper (6 page)

When his lips met mine it was like an explosion of fireworks. He kissed me so gently that I almost didn’t even feel him there at first
. It was the perfect kiss to end a perfect night. After he had pulled away and said that he had wanted to do that since he met me (!!) we both just stood there smiling -- well, he smiled, I probably had a goofy grin on my face -- until he made the move to go.

“Goodnight, Autumn,” he said, ruffling my hair before turning and walking down the path. “And stop worrying! You’ll do fine…I have faith in you!”
I waved and then unlocked my door, knowing full well that I would now be up all night analyzing that kiss and what it meant for the future.

M
onday morning came before I knew it and though I got (very) little sleep, I felt revitalized and excited for my first day of gainful employment.

I had picked out my outfit last night from the generous amount of clothing that Marisol had bought me and felt as though I looked exactly like I should look for a job at a fashion magazine.

After I fed Clara, I walked her over to Marisol’s house where my little confidante would be spending the day while I worked. I was sure that she and Marisol would have fun together and knew she was in safe hands.

“Well, don’t you look fantabulous! Turn around, let me see the whole picture,” Marisol said as I went to knock on the door. I did as was asked and spun around a little theatrically – even taking a bow once I’d come back to face the old lady again.

“Ha! Now you’re starting to look more and more like a proper Flapper. You don’t have to live in the 20’s or wear dresses with fringe to be a Flapper, my love. To be a true Flapper, you have to have character and you, my dear girl, have it.”

I asked Marisol what exactly the characteristics for a Flapper were and while I knew full well that some people saw the word as derogatory – used to describe women who just didn’t give a shit about anything – it also meant something else, I learned.

“Well, yes, a Flapper could be seen as a woman who wasn’t abiding by the law. She was frivolous, a bit wild and felt free to do as she pleased. If you told her not to smoke, she’d smoke. The same goes for drinking and playing hooky with men. Anything that wasn’t acceptable in society was something a Flapper would do,” Marisol said. “However, I think of you in a different sense of the word today. You’re like a young bird flapping its wings while learning to fly – a true Flapper you see!”

I pondered this comment as Marisol pushed me out the door because I was going to be late. I jumped on a cable car and realized that she was right. I didn’t have to necessarily go back to the Roaring Twenties to be
happy; I could bring some of the characteristics of that time into my present day life. Incorporating them would be fun and make me feel as though I was living in my favorite time period without actually dying and being brought back to life during that era. That would
definitely
not be fun.

Man, Marisol was one smart cookie!

E
ntering the
San Francisco Fashion and Flare
offices was like entering a parallel universe. The entryway was unbelievably gorgeous with gold trim around the doors and huge glass windows everywhere you turned. The furniture was modern with a bit of a retro twist and consisted of some funky couches in neon pink, green and yellow. I absolutely loved it already.

I walked down the
long hall with my heels clip-clapping loudly on the hard tile floors as I walked. I finally reached the reception desk where I stated my name and was given a name badge by a plump woman in her late forties. Already one perception I had was shattered. I assumed that every woman working in the building would look like Sophie: Tall, slim and dripping with diamonds. So far, I hadn’t seen one Sophie clone, which was good since one of her was more than enough to deal with.

Once I reached the 22
nd
floor where I would be working from now on, I realized that I really didn’t like heights. I could only hope that I wasn’t about to hurl all over my brand new dress or even worse – all over Sophie’s Chanel suit.

“Autumn, glad to see you here bright and early,” she said to me as she extended her hand. “We’ll have a staff meeting in about an hour to introduce you to everyone but until then I think it would be best if my assistant, Lena, showed you around.”

With that, Sophie was gone; all business and no indication that she knew me outside of work. I wondered if that was a hint that I should act as if I didn’t know her either and should address her as Sophia not Sophie while in the building.

“Sorry about her, she’s like that sometimes with the new recruits but she’s really nice underneath it all, I swear!” said a perky blonde girl who looked like she was going to pass out if she didn’t eat something soon. She was as thin as a Popsicle stick a
nd looked frazzled.

“It
s no problem. I understand she has to maintain a certain level of authority,” I replied. “By the way, I’m Autumn. And you are?”

“Oh, right. I’m
Lena – it’s short for Selena -- and I’m
so
happy to meet you! You look like you might not bite my head off if I forget to copy down the daily specials from The Green Gator every day for you!”

I had never been to The Green Gator but I heard it was one of the more posh
delis in San Fran and I didn’t want to blow my cover already. Like Bayani said, I needed to put my confident and authoritative side forward.

“So, you’re office is right over here. It’s one of the best in the building and I’m sure you’ll find it more than pleasant. I’m not sure how you got such a great job but I’m sure you’re more than qualified and have worked tirelessly for years so you deserve it. Totally. Yes, totally,” Lena said, with what seemed like a hint of jealousy. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince herself or me that I deserved the job but either way I now took her earlier comment about the lunch menu as a test. Good thing I didn’t respond!

“Thanks, Lena. I’ll just put my stuff down and make it a little more “mine” while I wait for the staff meeting. You’re a star for showing me around!”

I stepped into my office and was pleased to see that it was painted in a light gold with orchids
on the desk and on my bookcase. I loved orchids so it was pretty fantastic to see them here.

I ran my finger along the glass window overlooking the Bay and was just about to look for a wastepaper
basket to throw up in when I heard a knock at the door.

“Oh my God! Are you Ok? You look positively awful!” Sophie said as she rushed to my side.  I guess being bent over near a window in an expensive Dior dress while surrounded by orchids isn’t my best look.

“I’m fine. Just looking for my…glasses. Yes, my glasses. I seem to have dropped them somewhere here…”

“I didn’t know you wore glasses but I can help you find them if you want. Can you not see without them?” Sophie said as she peeked under my desk and behind potted plants.

I could see perfectly fine, damn it. I could see so well that it looked like my first day on the job was going to be my last because I had already lied to my boss! I was such a flake sometimes, seriously. What was I thinking saying I lost my glasses? I might as well have said I had lost my glass eye! Either one would have had the same effect.

Well, Ok. Maybe the glass eye would have had a little more impact.

I should have gone with that.

“I don’t see them, Autumn, But no worries, we’ll replace them. Just write down the type and prescription and I’ll have Lena get you a new pair before lunc
h.”

Oh crap
. Should I just tell her now?

“Did you drop these?” Lena said, as she appeared at my doorway holding a pair of very fab vintage glasses that I had never seen before in my life.

“Er, yes. I was just looking for them…thank you, Lena. Um, may I ask, well, where did you find them? It’s just they’re so precious to me and I thought they were gone forever…” Cough. Cough. Lie. Lie.

Maybe I shouldn’t have been a writer. Maybe I should have been a lawyer instead. Then I could lie all I want and not feel guilty about it.

“I found them right outside your door. I figured you’d dropped them on your way in and would be looking for them. Those orchids are divine, by the way. Whoever sent them has immaculate taste!”

“Yes, thanks, Lena. That will be all,” Sophie said, in a tone that meant
Shut-Up-And-Get-Out-Of-Here-Now-You-Skinny-Bitch.

“Anyway, Autumn, let me tell you a little about your job since we got so little time to talk the other day at my granny’s. Basically you’ll be the head of the department that scours vintage clothes
for features. They’re very fashionable now you know. The long skirts, pill box hats, frilly dresses and overall boyish looks are so chic. All those pieces and more are coming back in style and I want you to cover it for us. You’ll have a small team – a few of who are out of town researching this week – but it will mainly be down to you to come up with innovative articles for each issue.” I was beyond thrilled with my job description! It just sounded too perfect to be true!

After Sophie explained a few more formalities about my new totally amazing job she was off
, heading for a business lunch at Mr. Chow, but not before leaving me with a rather insulting comment.

“Autumn, darling, I think we should get you a makeover. Not that you’re not pretty. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I just think you could do with a new hairstyle and some make-up tutorials. I’
ll get our stylist on it right away,” she said and then she was gone, leaving me staring after her open mouthed and wondering what my fun job really would be like if I couldn’t even be myself.

Next on the agenda was the staff meeting, which I really
wasn’t looking forward to. I’m not someone who likes to be in the spotlight so the idea of me being critiqued by multiple people at once was petrifying. Lena came to get me at 9:55 on the dot to make sure I was in conference room 18 (how many conference rooms did this place have?!) on time.

“Are you nervous?” Lena asked me before telling me that even if I was nervous I better not show it or Sophie would have me out on the sidewalk on my butt in a matter of minutes.

Very reassuring, Lena, Thanks. God, I couldn’t tell if this girl was my friend or foe. She obviously baited me with the lunch question and then saved me when I was looking for my missing glasses (though I still didn’t know how she knew I was looking for my glasses in the first place) and now she was telling me how to act in the meeting. It was all very confusing. She was either saving my ass or she wasn’t. I hadn’t quite figured out which end she was on yet.

Walking into the conference room, I made sure to stand tall and
exude confidence. It seemed to be working until I realized just how many people were in the room. I was expecting many twenty or thirty people but was greeted by more than fifty faces – some stone cold and lacking emotion, others curious and warm.  It was a bit much to take in so I was really grateful when Sophie stepped in and introduced me.

“Everyone, this is Autumn, who will be the new head of the vintage features department. Autumn comes with very high praise and I am sure she is the person we have been looking for to fill the void within this company. Please ask her any questions you may have after her speech.”
Speech? What speech? Oh dear. Apparently, I was expected to give a welcoming speech to my new co-workers and I had nothing, absolutely nothing.

“Well, hi,” I began unsurely. “I’m Autumn, though you probably already know that. I’ve been writing since I was little and my mom got me a penpal in another state. I found at that point that it was my calling and eventually began my career in writing…and well, here I am!”
I said, complete with a very unattractive wave of my flabby arms.

God, that was awful. I must have sounded like the most idiotic prat to ever enter this office.

Luckily, most people were nice about my horrible speech and gave me a break by asking questions that required short and sweet answers. And then it was over and Sophie said I could leave for the day. I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one but I was more than ready to go home.

I decided not to stop at Marisol’s on the way back to my place as I didn’t want her to think I was a complete failure – and surely she’d already have information on my early departure.
Instead, I got off the cable car and walked home reflecting on my day.

“Miss Autumn! I glad to see you!” Esteban said, jolting me from my quiet reflection. “You have package. Nice man was here earlier to bring this but he had to go so I say I give to you. Nice man, very nice man.”
I was hoping that he was talking about Bayani but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I took the package, which was wrapped so delicately in a pretty floral paper, and went into my house. I threw my cardigan on the sofa and changed into my comfy tracksuit. You could change my look for going out but when I was home, I wanted nothing more than to be in my most comfortable clothes. When I finally sat down, I knew that the package had to be from Bayani. It wasn’t like I had many “very nice” men stopping by to deliver presents.

Opening the package, I found a small box and an envelope with a letter inside. I decided to open the letter first and the box second.