The black asphalt of the landing pad felt oddly out of place in the middle
of the Arizona desert. Soon the constant whirring of the helicopter's
blades, which Evelyn had become accustom to, suddenly stopped. A sleek
black building seemed to rise out of the taupe sands majestically. She
noticed the company's name on the side of the building, ITC. 'So this is
it. I'm here.' A sudden feeling of dread plummeted to the bottom of her
stomach. She was not at all pleased to be going back to Middle Earth. 'This
is for your dream. You promised yourself. You have to prove to mom, but
most of all yourself, you can do this.' This quieted some of her fears, but
unfortunately some was not all and the larger ones still remained.
"Well, come on. I'm a busy woman. I haven't got all day," Kramer said harshly.
"Then why did you come all the way to a boat off the coast of Greenland just to talk with me?!" She suddenly let all the rage she had been repressing about this woman out.
"Then let me correct myself. You're going to be a busy woman, and you haven't got all day."
"Fine," Evelyn said testily as she stepped out of the already opened door. She clutched her books as winds created by the helicopter blew her long hair about her face. She followed Kramer a short ways down a very long hallway to a small conference room. Evelyn assumed they must have entered through a back door since there was no lobby as far as she could tell. The two men who had sat sleepily in their chairs rose as she walked into the room. She assumed it was not for her, but rather Diane Kramer.
"Hello Ms. Combe. I'm Robert Doniger," said the more tense looking one.
"Hello. I'm Steven Gordon."
"Vedui." She greeted them in Elvish not really because she needed practice, but rather she had come to realize that they were doing something very big sending her there, and that made her feel like she ought to prove they had made the right choice. She hoped they had.
"Pardon?" Doniger said.
"It's Elven for Greetings."
"Oh, well that's good that you know how to speak that," he replied, "If you would actually use it," he said to himself. The sleep deprivation must have been getting to him because usually if Doniger didn't want you to hear something you wouldn't, but he slipped up. It was a subtle bit too loud, but just loud enough for Evelyn to catch it.
"Well, it looks like I am putting it to good use." Voices could be heard down the hall.
"I told you I didn't want that one! I wanted the other one. Now, please be a dear and go get me it. Now!" Someone came up behind Evelyn and gave a startled gasp. She didn't know if it was because of the even more stark contrast between her and Evelyn than with Kramer as far as dress goes, or if it was because someone was blocking her way. She appeared to not be used to that.
"Alright, I'm here. Daddy couldn't make it, but he'll be here while I'm away in this whole little world of yours. I hope the guys are as cute as they are in the movie," she said, totally oblivious to the ludicrousness of her statement. Evelyn couldn't help, but laugh. She tried to cover it up, but it was just too much and giggle escaped her lips.
"What so funny?"
"I hate to tell you this, but I doubt that the guys will be very interested in you. I mean you can't even speak their language. I know the words, but no one knows how those words are exactly pronounced so my accent is bad. I've spent my whole life since I was twelve on these books and I'll probably get laughed at by them because my pronunciation is awful."
"So what? I can speak Spanish or French or whatever," she said impatiently, but Evelyn caught her. She had noticed it the first time, but was just making sure that it wasn't just covering up nerves about the trip. She didn't quite feel at ease with the way she was speaking and acting.
"You can drop the act."
"What act?"
"The one you're doing right now. Just because you're nervous because you think that we'll assume you're some little rich girl from California doesn't mean you have to act like it. So what if you're insecure about yourself and whether you want to be here or if your reasons for going are legitimate. Maybe I am judging you and maybe I already have, but even so you should still be yourself. It's better than acting like some Malibu Barbie bitch who's oblivious to the world." Kramer smirked when she heard the phrase "Malibu Barbie." Evelyn was fed up with these people. She had dealt with Kramer all day and now Doniger. She didn't want to judge Gordon just because of his boss, so she couldn't tell if he was an ass or not. She wasn't a people person, and she was not going to put up with anymore crap from anyone. She was going to lay down that law with her right now.
They all stared at her in disbelief, especially "Malibu Barbie." Evelyn could tell by the look on her face that she had been right.
"I'm Margot Winston," she said quietly.
"Evelyn Combe, but just call me Evie. I'm not used to being called Evelyn," she said nonchalantly, but with a hint of friendliness to it. She had won, and she had figured she wouldn't have to deal with Margot again, hopefully.
"Well, come on. I'm a busy woman. I haven't got all day," Kramer said harshly.
"Then why did you come all the way to a boat off the coast of Greenland just to talk with me?!" She suddenly let all the rage she had been repressing about this woman out.
"Then let me correct myself. You're going to be a busy woman, and you haven't got all day."
"Fine," Evelyn said testily as she stepped out of the already opened door. She clutched her books as winds created by the helicopter blew her long hair about her face. She followed Kramer a short ways down a very long hallway to a small conference room. Evelyn assumed they must have entered through a back door since there was no lobby as far as she could tell. The two men who had sat sleepily in their chairs rose as she walked into the room. She assumed it was not for her, but rather Diane Kramer.
"Hello Ms. Combe. I'm Robert Doniger," said the more tense looking one.
"Hello. I'm Steven Gordon."
"Vedui." She greeted them in Elvish not really because she needed practice, but rather she had come to realize that they were doing something very big sending her there, and that made her feel like she ought to prove they had made the right choice. She hoped they had.
"Pardon?" Doniger said.
"It's Elven for Greetings."
"Oh, well that's good that you know how to speak that," he replied, "If you would actually use it," he said to himself. The sleep deprivation must have been getting to him because usually if Doniger didn't want you to hear something you wouldn't, but he slipped up. It was a subtle bit too loud, but just loud enough for Evelyn to catch it.
"Well, it looks like I am putting it to good use." Voices could be heard down the hall.
"I told you I didn't want that one! I wanted the other one. Now, please be a dear and go get me it. Now!" Someone came up behind Evelyn and gave a startled gasp. She didn't know if it was because of the even more stark contrast between her and Evelyn than with Kramer as far as dress goes, or if it was because someone was blocking her way. She appeared to not be used to that.
"Alright, I'm here. Daddy couldn't make it, but he'll be here while I'm away in this whole little world of yours. I hope the guys are as cute as they are in the movie," she said, totally oblivious to the ludicrousness of her statement. Evelyn couldn't help, but laugh. She tried to cover it up, but it was just too much and giggle escaped her lips.
"What so funny?"
"I hate to tell you this, but I doubt that the guys will be very interested in you. I mean you can't even speak their language. I know the words, but no one knows how those words are exactly pronounced so my accent is bad. I've spent my whole life since I was twelve on these books and I'll probably get laughed at by them because my pronunciation is awful."
"So what? I can speak Spanish or French or whatever," she said impatiently, but Evelyn caught her. She had noticed it the first time, but was just making sure that it wasn't just covering up nerves about the trip. She didn't quite feel at ease with the way she was speaking and acting.
"You can drop the act."
"What act?"
"The one you're doing right now. Just because you're nervous because you think that we'll assume you're some little rich girl from California doesn't mean you have to act like it. So what if you're insecure about yourself and whether you want to be here or if your reasons for going are legitimate. Maybe I am judging you and maybe I already have, but even so you should still be yourself. It's better than acting like some Malibu Barbie bitch who's oblivious to the world." Kramer smirked when she heard the phrase "Malibu Barbie." Evelyn was fed up with these people. She had dealt with Kramer all day and now Doniger. She didn't want to judge Gordon just because of his boss, so she couldn't tell if he was an ass or not. She wasn't a people person, and she was not going to put up with anymore crap from anyone. She was going to lay down that law with her right now.
They all stared at her in disbelief, especially "Malibu Barbie." Evelyn could tell by the look on her face that she had been right.
"I'm Margot Winston," she said quietly.
"Evelyn Combe, but just call me Evie. I'm not used to being called Evelyn," she said nonchalantly, but with a hint of friendliness to it. She had won, and she had figured she wouldn't have to deal with Margot again, hopefully.