Misha followed her boss, nervously, five steps behind.
Thankfully, it didn't take too long for the elevator to function again. A quick call with the security office over the interphone sorted that out. Misha also learned something new - that the HR was on the 18th floor. So she got that one right after all.
But it was no time to feel proud and gloat. Mr. Thorne only said two words ever since the elevator stopped - 'Follow me.'
After that, he didn't even look at her. After the series of sins she committed this morning she knew that she would get in trouble. But to be actually led to the HR office by the CEO himself in person? The young lady was not the one to get trapped in the cycle of doom and gloom, but this time things might really turn out badly.
Everyone got up to greet James Thorne as he entered the floor, with a rather round baldy man smiling particularly hard to escort the CEO to a meeting room.
"Mr. Thorne, what can I do for you?"
After a short exchange of formal greetings - which consisted of only single word answers from the boss to the questions of the enthusiastic HR manager - they sat at a modest round table. James and the manager, whose name Misha learned to be Harry Dunn, sat facing each other, while Misha sat between them.
The nervous girl wanted to look at her toes, as she often did in moments like this, but the round table got in the way and there was nothing to gain comfort from.
"I want to hire this girl as a full-time employee."
Misha's head jerked up. Her eyes flared wide, jaws dropped, shoulders flinched. Harry the Friendly paused for a moment, then bobbed his head up and down like a happy puppy. There was something adorable about him, Misha thought, as she often does - noticing irrelevant details.
"Excellent choice, Mr. Thorne. I will organize it immediately."
"And I want her to be assigned to my office."
Another pause, followed by another round of head bobbing.
"Of course, of course."
The young intern, who will soon become a full-time employee, was trembling inside with joy and fear.
'Is this really happening? What did I do to deserve this? But… Didn't I just like - seriously piss him off three times already today?'
There was a growing suspicion in her heart, but the flowerbed of happiness was spreading with such a vigor that the weed of negativity quickly got buried under.
"Thank you Harry. Please brief her about the work." With that short command, the CEO stood up and left the room.
There was about ten seconds of silence after the door closed, then suddenly, Harry jumped up from his seat.
"Congratulations, Ms. Seo!"
The tension and nervousness in Misha finally made way for an extreme joy and a sense of pride.
"Hell yeah!"
The excited full-employee also jumped up from her seat, which seemed to startle Harry somewhat, but he kept his infectious smile and offered her a high-five, which she gladly accepted.
"You must have made some seriously good impressions. This has never happened before."
"Seriously?!"
"Yes! It's already rare enough for an intern to get a full-time contract, let alone only after a week!"
"Seriously?!"
"And Mr. Thorne never takes an interest in junior workers like this - how did you even get to meet him in the first place?"
"Seriously?!"
"…"
It was only then Misha realized that she must have looked like a total idiot clenching her fists in front of her chest and kept repeating the same words.
"I'm sorry."
"No worries. Your excitement is understandable."
After clearing his throat, Harry asked one more time.
"How did you get a chance to talk to Mr. Thorne?"
"I… brought him a coffee."
"Excuse me?"
"Isn't that like, er, tradition here? For every new worker to bring coffee to Mr. Thorne?"
Harry blinked once. Harry blinked twice.
"Listen, Ms. Seo."
"Yes, sir."
"If you want to work here for a long time - and why wouldn't anyone? - I have one modest advice, if I may."
"Oh, thank you. I'd really appreciate any tips and tricks."
"We don't do tricks here."
"Sorry, that just came out."
The apology was accepted quickly.
"Listen, you will be working at Mr. Thorne's office. It is a big, but very tight team."
"Right."
"Just always keep in mind that you are working for Mr. Thorne, not your seniors."
"I don't quite understand," the newly hired girl was a little puzzled.
"You will see. Just be careful and protect yourself."
She still didn't fully understand but decided not to ask any further.
After a few more minutes of condensed briefings, Misha headed toward the elevator carrying a bunch of folders and books precariously balanced in a big stack. She was growing anxious with each step though - 'my hands are full. How am I going to press the buttons?'
She remembered all the problems with buttons she had not so long ago, and started to worry that if she let the folders down to press the buttons, she may not be able to pick them up again in time before the doors close when she arrives at the floor. Then she'd have to put the folders down again to press the open button, and when she picks up the books again the doors would be closing again. This was going to become an infinite loop of pressing the open button and picking up the folders from the floor.
So when she saw the elevator door was open, she didn't hesitate to make a run for it. It seemed that some kind soul inside saw her though and kept the door open for her.
"Thank you so much," Misha expressed in between her heavy breaths, to someone she could not see with the folders blocking her view.
"No problem, which floor are you going to?" a man's voice, gentle and kind.
"30th floor please. Thank you."
The man said nothing. The doors closed and the elevator started to move.
"Do you work at Mr. Thorne's office?" The voice asked not so long after.
"Yes! Starting today."
"Wow. I haven't heard about anyone new joining."
"Wait- do you also work there?"
"Yes, I do. Pleased to meet you."
With that, the man took half the pile off Misha's stack. She could finally see his face - his brown hair fell ever so slightly into his eyes, and he had an easy smile that made him appear younger than he probably was.
"Me too. My name is Misha Seo."
"Nice to meet you too. My name is Micky."
Misha couldn't make sense of what cosmic force was at work here, but her disastrous Monday was starting to get better and better.