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Emilia
Emilia took a deep breath, got up, and headed to her boss’s office.
Her heart was pounding, even though she knew she was a model employee. The agency obviously needed her now more than ever. Surely, she wasn’t about to lose her job over some turn of phrase in that last call.
She stood outside Madam Bank’s office and took a deep breath, gathering herself.
“Emilia,” Varsha Bank cried out from inside. “Come in.”
Varsha was a Felynirsh. The species all had the slightest touch of empath abilities. She had probably sensed the flavor of Emilia’s mind outside her office, but hopefully not her ominous mood.
“Hello, Varsha,” Emilia said, entering.
“Oh, Emilia,” her employer crooned, gesturing to the floating chair opposite her desk. “I have something to share with you, but first I have to tell you that we had a monitor on that last call of yours. You’re a wizard, an absolute wizard.”
“Um, thanks,” Emilia said, sitting on the chair with a sense of relief.
“The reason I called you up here is that you have the highest satisfaction rating in the whole support center,” Varsha said proudly, running a hand through her inky mane. “You’re more than just an admin at a desk. You’re a valued employee and even Sir Aynx is aware of your level of service.”
Sir Aynx owned the agency. He preferred to be a hands-off owner, so Varsha did most of the work of an owner.
“He is giving you the Employee of the Month Award,” Varsha went on, her onyx eyes sparkling.
An award sounded good. Emilia instantly wondered if it came with a bonus.
“You’ll get a certificate, and two free lunch credits for any cafeteria in one of Sir Aynx’s buildings,” Varsha went on, smiling as if Emilia had just been elected ambassador of the Inner Rings.
So, no prize money. Emilia resisted the impulse to sigh, and smiled politely instead.
“Thank you so much,” she said.
She would keep saving. Maybe next year, or the year after she would have enough to enter the landscape design competition that might allow her to follow her dreams, which unsurprisingly did not include sitting at a desk and taking calls from nannies all day.
She pictured rows of neat xyritheea trees, heavy with fruit, surrounding an antique statue, a rose garden trained up a latticework wall beside a library, a cleansing garden on the banks of a river…
“You’re so happy about your award,” Varsha said, smiling at her benevolently and completely misreading why Emilia was feeling happy. “And you should be, you should take pride in your work.”
The hologram on her desk let out a jangle, as if someone had dropped a box of bells down the stairs.
“Oh, it’s Sir Anyx,” Varsha said, scurrying over and touching the pad, before lifting the receiver to her ear.
“Hello, Sir Anyx,” she said. “No, I have you on audio because one of our employees is here… No, no, she’s not in any kind of trouble… Oh. Oh, dear.”
Sir Anyx was obviously very worked up. Emilia could hear snippets from the other end of the call. A VIP needed a nanny immediately. It was of the utmost importance. There was something about the last one running off, and a son, and a shame on the agency if they couldn’t make things right.
“Sir Anyx,” Varsha broke in, when he finally paused for a breath. “Sir Anyx, I’m so sorry to tell you, we have no nannies left.”
Emilia could hear him echo that information back, in a horrified tone. Then the words: Find someone, someone responsible. Now.
Varsha suddenly turned to Emilia and studied her appraisingly, tilting her head slightly and biting her lip.
There was more angry chatter on the other end of the call, but to Emilia, the world had slowed down and Sir Anyx sounded like he was speaking from underwater.
Varsha couldn’t be thinking what Emilia thought she was thinking.
“I may have a solution,” Varsha said suddenly. “Send me his card and give me a few minutes, Sir Anyx… Yes, yes, she’s good. She’s an absolute wizard.”
Emilia watched Varsha replace the receiver without even saying good-bye, forgetting her usual deference to her employer.
