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xp_logs2007-04-05 02:15 pm
x-polarisstar.livejournal.com) wrote in xp_logs2007-04-05 02:15 pm
40 Days (in the Desert): 2pm -- Evolution
Reunions are special times.
She needed to check her lipstick. And fix her hair. And figure out how to make the tiny, frighteningly efficient receptionist stop looking at her like she was considering how best to carve Lorna up for a roast. Lorna remained seated in the hushed lobby and fiddled with her bracelet, taking small glances at the clock. She'd seen butchers with less cold calculation. She'd been waiting for 20 minutes, ten longer than she'd expected. Eleven now as the clocked ticked to 2:15. It wasn't that she was surprised that Zala had kept her waiting. It was just that she'd expected a little less indifference from it.
There hadn't been a ring but the woman at the desk picked up her phone anyway, speaking a couple soft words in Spanish before hanging up again and looking at Lorna. "Down the hall to the right. Arturo will meet you." The smile she gave Lorna was no more warm than anything else in the stark white and glass building. "Good luck."
The woman Lorna encountered after her trek through the halls was seated at a polished modern desk. She was leaning back casually in her chair while inspecting a file held in front of her. When she saw the green-haired woman Zala broke into a warm smile. "Ah, come in, come in. This is so strange, I kept expecting you to look like like the last time I saw you!"
"A lot has changed in twenty years." Lorna crossed the office quickly, trying to make her curious glances unobtrusive. "I was expecting someone who looked like the pictures in the yearbooks. It's good to meet you." Because Zala hadn't stood, Lorna offered her a hand instead of going for a hug then held out a small gift wrapped box, "I hope you don't mind but I got you a little something."
Zala accepted the gift graciously, "Oh Lorna, you didn't have to," and then graciously opened the box. Upon seeing what was inside, Zala's smile didn't waver. "It's a charm bracelet, how sweet, Lorna really!" She set it back in the box and pushed it to one side of the desk. "Have a seat, dear, can I get you anything? Mineral water? Soda?"
"Sparkling water, if you have it?" Lorna said, nervously perching on the sleekly designed chair. It was impossible to sit in comfortably and Lorna wondered if that was intentional. "So...thanks for taking a few minutes. I was actually surprised when I got the call back from your assistant...Paul?"
"Paolo," Zala corrected, and then leaned over to press a button her intercom. "Arturo? Yes, two sparkling waters if you please," she looked up at Lorna, "Would you like some ice? Arturo, bring two glasses with ice please as well." She let go of the button without waiting for an affirmation and sat back in her chair. "Well, there were some cancellations and I figured I might as well see if I couldn't meet my baby sister."
"Right, yes. Paolo, sorry." Lorna didn't like ice in her mineral water but she figured it was more polite to just go with it. "This is a nice office. What is it you do exactly? I didn't recognize the company name and, I have to admit, I didn't understand the corporate website at all. All those business words just flew right over my head. I guess that's what I get for studying rocks instead of business."
Zala waved a hand dismissively as Arturo entered, carrying two bottles and two glasses of ice. He set one bottle and one glass down in front of Lorna and then walked around the desk to set one in front of Zala. "Well, you get straight to the point, don't you? Thank you Arturo, yes, our company." She tapped one french manicured fingernail on the desk as Arturo left as quickly as he came. "See, Lorna, when I inherited this company from my husband it wasn't exactly the most . . .legal of things, if you get my drift. For the last several years I've been trying to drag the company above the table, but old habits die hard." She shrugged and twisted the top of her mineral water off.
It sounded like an opening. It felt like a trap. Lorna smiled and wished that she'd brought Sofia along. "I...heard a little about that, actually." In the files, it said that Josiah Delgado had died in a car accident, an actual accident by all accounts, not an 'accident'. Zala had survived the same, apparently without much injury. "It's impressive. You were quite young when you took over, weren't you?"
The older woman shrugged. "Yes, well, it was what Josiah wanted, and I couldn't let his other shareholders tear apart everything he'd worked for." For an instant, there was the barest flicker of sadness in her eyes. But it was gone before it could even register. "But times change, Lorna, people change. This company needs to prepare for the future, and going legit will seal it's longevity."
Oh yeah. Trap. "By legit, you mean getting out of selling weapons to petty warlords?" Lorna said softly. It was silly to dance around this when she was quite certain that's exactly where Zala was leading.
Zala's smile grew wider. "See, I knew I was right about you! You're smart, and ethical. That's what I need, someone with ideals, ethics. People around here have been doing things wrong for so long that they couldn't even begin to tell you anything about morals." Here Zala leaned closer to Lorna. "We need you Lorna, I need you. We're family."
Lorna leaned back. She couldn't help it. Of all the things she'd thought Zala might say to explain away her involvement, she never expected that her sister would be... "are you offering me a job? I just told you that I don't know anything about business. Why would you do that?"
"Sweetie, you think I knew anything about business when Josiah first took me under his wing? He taught me everything he knew, I never set foot in a business school, and I think I've done all right for myself." Her smile turned impish. "But yes, the long and the short of it is I am offering you a job here. Ethical advisor."
"Zala, I'm a geophysics major. Look, I appreciate the offer and I'm glad to hear that you're trying to get all this above board but..." Lorna spread her hands helplessly, "I just came here to meet you. I've never even thought about something like this."
"Now, I know that something like this can be overwhelming. I'm sorry, I do do that sometimes," Zala smiled ruefully. "But please, at least think about it. When I first took over, I was so young, so inexperienced. Sometimes you have to do questionable things in order to achieve your goals. I was not happy about compromising my morals," Zala held up a hand, "but some days I honestly didn't have a choice. Now I find myself sliding into the grey more and more. I could really use someone like you, and it's hard for me to find trustworthy people around here."
Lorna shook her head, "No, I think...I don't think this is a good idea." She stood up. "I should go, I've taken up a lot of your time already." This was so weird. How had she gone from looking for a missing family member to being offered a job by a weapons dealer. And no matter what Zala said, that's exactly what she was.
Zala stood up as well, coming around the desk to take Lorna's hands in her own. "I understand, I really do. Please, take you time, think on it a little more. This company needs change, and I believe you would work very well for us. I'm rarely wrong on these things. However," she turned back to the desk and handed Lorna a folder. "This is just a little bit of what we can offer. We have a car waiting to take you back to your hotel, and do you like Opera? Because I have tickets here to a simply splendid performance of Carmen tonight. On me."
Almost as if on cue, Arturo returned, a pair of car keys in his hand. He raised his eyebrows and gestured for Lorna to follow.
Lorna took a slow breath then nodded, "Thank you, Zala. That's very generous." It was easier to follow Arturo out again than wait for a response that Lorna sensed wouldn't be forthcoming anyway. In the hallway, she looked up at the tall man, raised an eyebrow at him. "I know my way out, thanks." The faster she could get out of here, the better. She had...a lot to think about.
She needed to check her lipstick. And fix her hair. And figure out how to make the tiny, frighteningly efficient receptionist stop looking at her like she was considering how best to carve Lorna up for a roast. Lorna remained seated in the hushed lobby and fiddled with her bracelet, taking small glances at the clock. She'd seen butchers with less cold calculation. She'd been waiting for 20 minutes, ten longer than she'd expected. Eleven now as the clocked ticked to 2:15. It wasn't that she was surprised that Zala had kept her waiting. It was just that she'd expected a little less indifference from it.
There hadn't been a ring but the woman at the desk picked up her phone anyway, speaking a couple soft words in Spanish before hanging up again and looking at Lorna. "Down the hall to the right. Arturo will meet you." The smile she gave Lorna was no more warm than anything else in the stark white and glass building. "Good luck."
The woman Lorna encountered after her trek through the halls was seated at a polished modern desk. She was leaning back casually in her chair while inspecting a file held in front of her. When she saw the green-haired woman Zala broke into a warm smile. "Ah, come in, come in. This is so strange, I kept expecting you to look like like the last time I saw you!"
"A lot has changed in twenty years." Lorna crossed the office quickly, trying to make her curious glances unobtrusive. "I was expecting someone who looked like the pictures in the yearbooks. It's good to meet you." Because Zala hadn't stood, Lorna offered her a hand instead of going for a hug then held out a small gift wrapped box, "I hope you don't mind but I got you a little something."
Zala accepted the gift graciously, "Oh Lorna, you didn't have to," and then graciously opened the box. Upon seeing what was inside, Zala's smile didn't waver. "It's a charm bracelet, how sweet, Lorna really!" She set it back in the box and pushed it to one side of the desk. "Have a seat, dear, can I get you anything? Mineral water? Soda?"
"Sparkling water, if you have it?" Lorna said, nervously perching on the sleekly designed chair. It was impossible to sit in comfortably and Lorna wondered if that was intentional. "So...thanks for taking a few minutes. I was actually surprised when I got the call back from your assistant...Paul?"
"Paolo," Zala corrected, and then leaned over to press a button her intercom. "Arturo? Yes, two sparkling waters if you please," she looked up at Lorna, "Would you like some ice? Arturo, bring two glasses with ice please as well." She let go of the button without waiting for an affirmation and sat back in her chair. "Well, there were some cancellations and I figured I might as well see if I couldn't meet my baby sister."
"Right, yes. Paolo, sorry." Lorna didn't like ice in her mineral water but she figured it was more polite to just go with it. "This is a nice office. What is it you do exactly? I didn't recognize the company name and, I have to admit, I didn't understand the corporate website at all. All those business words just flew right over my head. I guess that's what I get for studying rocks instead of business."
Zala waved a hand dismissively as Arturo entered, carrying two bottles and two glasses of ice. He set one bottle and one glass down in front of Lorna and then walked around the desk to set one in front of Zala. "Well, you get straight to the point, don't you? Thank you Arturo, yes, our company." She tapped one french manicured fingernail on the desk as Arturo left as quickly as he came. "See, Lorna, when I inherited this company from my husband it wasn't exactly the most . . .legal of things, if you get my drift. For the last several years I've been trying to drag the company above the table, but old habits die hard." She shrugged and twisted the top of her mineral water off.
It sounded like an opening. It felt like a trap. Lorna smiled and wished that she'd brought Sofia along. "I...heard a little about that, actually." In the files, it said that Josiah Delgado had died in a car accident, an actual accident by all accounts, not an 'accident'. Zala had survived the same, apparently without much injury. "It's impressive. You were quite young when you took over, weren't you?"
The older woman shrugged. "Yes, well, it was what Josiah wanted, and I couldn't let his other shareholders tear apart everything he'd worked for." For an instant, there was the barest flicker of sadness in her eyes. But it was gone before it could even register. "But times change, Lorna, people change. This company needs to prepare for the future, and going legit will seal it's longevity."
Oh yeah. Trap. "By legit, you mean getting out of selling weapons to petty warlords?" Lorna said softly. It was silly to dance around this when she was quite certain that's exactly where Zala was leading.
Zala's smile grew wider. "See, I knew I was right about you! You're smart, and ethical. That's what I need, someone with ideals, ethics. People around here have been doing things wrong for so long that they couldn't even begin to tell you anything about morals." Here Zala leaned closer to Lorna. "We need you Lorna, I need you. We're family."
Lorna leaned back. She couldn't help it. Of all the things she'd thought Zala might say to explain away her involvement, she never expected that her sister would be... "are you offering me a job? I just told you that I don't know anything about business. Why would you do that?"
"Sweetie, you think I knew anything about business when Josiah first took me under his wing? He taught me everything he knew, I never set foot in a business school, and I think I've done all right for myself." Her smile turned impish. "But yes, the long and the short of it is I am offering you a job here. Ethical advisor."
"Zala, I'm a geophysics major. Look, I appreciate the offer and I'm glad to hear that you're trying to get all this above board but..." Lorna spread her hands helplessly, "I just came here to meet you. I've never even thought about something like this."
"Now, I know that something like this can be overwhelming. I'm sorry, I do do that sometimes," Zala smiled ruefully. "But please, at least think about it. When I first took over, I was so young, so inexperienced. Sometimes you have to do questionable things in order to achieve your goals. I was not happy about compromising my morals," Zala held up a hand, "but some days I honestly didn't have a choice. Now I find myself sliding into the grey more and more. I could really use someone like you, and it's hard for me to find trustworthy people around here."
Lorna shook her head, "No, I think...I don't think this is a good idea." She stood up. "I should go, I've taken up a lot of your time already." This was so weird. How had she gone from looking for a missing family member to being offered a job by a weapons dealer. And no matter what Zala said, that's exactly what she was.
Zala stood up as well, coming around the desk to take Lorna's hands in her own. "I understand, I really do. Please, take you time, think on it a little more. This company needs change, and I believe you would work very well for us. I'm rarely wrong on these things. However," she turned back to the desk and handed Lorna a folder. "This is just a little bit of what we can offer. We have a car waiting to take you back to your hotel, and do you like Opera? Because I have tickets here to a simply splendid performance of Carmen tonight. On me."
Almost as if on cue, Arturo returned, a pair of car keys in his hand. He raised his eyebrows and gestured for Lorna to follow.
Lorna took a slow breath then nodded, "Thank you, Zala. That's very generous." It was easier to follow Arturo out again than wait for a response that Lorna sensed wouldn't be forthcoming anyway. In the hallway, she looked up at the tall man, raised an eyebrow at him. "I know my way out, thanks." The faster she could get out of here, the better. She had...a lot to think about.