Page 8 of Beni

Her father, half Italian and half African-American, grew up in the projects of the Bronx watching people struggle against injustice and oppression. He saw a need, busted his ass through his college years while donating what time he had left to his community, until passing the bar and becoming a defense attorney.

August was meant to succeed.

If anything was written in her stars, it was that.

Maybe that was why, at twenty-two, August already felt like her career had come to a complete standstill. The general rule of thumb for someone who wanted to move up in any company was to refuse to stay in the same position for more than two to three years.

Well …

She had been the assistant to the editor of Bared Brands magazine since she was eighteen. What had been a temp position as an intern for the editor turned into a part-time position while August worked her way through three years of college. And then, after graduating with her degree in business and journalism, her boss offered her a full-time position as her assistant with the promise of more.

She wanted to work on the magazine. On the editor’s team.

Somehow.

Just once, she wanted to see her name listed in the credits of a spread as part of Michelle Coss’s team. It didn’t seem to matter that, writing for the online publication, she had hit viral status at the age of twenty, or that she had clearly proven herself as a good writer capable of handling the workload on the team. All the gatekeepers at the company saw was her age on paper, and that she hadn’t put in her time, as they liked to say.

But that was her goal with the magazine, and the reason for her mistake of agreeing to move to full-time assistant for the editor. Because here it was, a whole year after continuing this job full-time, but several doing the job, and she still hadn’t gotten the chance to pitch an idea for a spread to the editor’s team.

You might, though.

Right.

Which brought her back to the current conversation she was having with her father while sitting at her desk. From her position, she could see the frosted-glass walls that made up her boss’s office, and the stylish gray and green, modern décor that covered the space where she did most of her office work for the magazine.

In all honesty, her boss was pretty good. Michelle didn’t mind if August took an extra half hour for lunch, or if she sat on her phone for an hour when she was supposed to be running errands. The job itself wasn’t bad. And there was nothing hard about the work—but that was also the problem. She wasn’t being creative, and she wasn’t challenged pushing papers, running errands around the city, or taking calls.

That’s not what she came here for.

She wanted in on the editor’s team.

Simple as that.

She was going to have her chance, though.

Finally.

“Are you all set for your trip?” her father, Cameron, asked.

August nodded, although he couldn’t see it. “Yeah, I just have to grab my bags at the door, and head out in the morning.”

Cameron made a noise under his breath before saying, “Be careful, hmm? Don’t let those TSA workers feel you up, and watch your step while you’re in Chicago. Can’t trust any—”

“I’ll be fine, Dad.”

God knew she had to speak up before her father could really get started. If there was anyone who knew how to have a good panic, it was her dad. Another time, and August might find it amusing and cute. Not today.

The trip to Chicago was more than just a vacation to her. It was the chance for her to finally make a move with her job here at Bared Brands.

“Have you figured out how you want to present your spread to the editor?”

August sighed. “Put me on the spot, why don’t you?”

A laugh answered her back.

That was all she got, though.

After an entire year of asking if she could present an article spread on the culture of a brand in communities or cities to her boss, the woman finally agreed to let August have a shot at it. She had written a few short articles for the online version of the magazine, but like a lot of internet publications, those were submitted without the expectancy of pay. The magazine depended on journalists, writers, and opinion sections to fill up their content spaces, drive traffic, wherein they proceeded to make money through ad revenue, and otherwise.