Layout
-
"Dorothy Catalonia, staff writer," Dorothy said as she sighed, typing up her byline on the computer on her small cubicle. Another issue, another restaurant review, was it ever going to change for her? This was all she did for the past year that she has been working for the newspaper. She was overjoyed to receive a job as a staff writer for the Sanq Times less than a month after getting off of college, but Dorothy, being the great achiever that she was, yearned for more. She wanted something new, something exciting, something challenging. She believed she was worth more than just another restaurant critic. She believed she deserved it, graduating with honors, after all.
She sighed with annoyance again as she uploaded her restaurant review as a PDF file. Maybe if she talked to one of the editors, they could consider giving her something else. She did not plan on just writing restaurant reviews after four long and tiring years in college. She believed she worked harder for that. But then, she thought about how lucky she was. Working for the Sanq Times has always been her dream, even though writing reviews was what not she envisioned for herself. She was getting married to her boyfriend of five years, Edward Lyons, or Eddie, as she called him. She had her own flat, her own car, she paid for her own bills, and she was standing up on her own. Not to mention a large inheritance from her grandfather.
Even though she had all of that, she was lacking a certain something. She didn't know what was missing, but she just felt a void. Maybe it was the fact that she had no father or mother to guide her through her years of need, but she had Eddie by her side all the time. Sighing again, softer this time, she decided that she felt empty because of that. But these days, Eddie was barely home.
Dorothy stood up and glanced at her watch, realizing that it was nearly five o'clock, nearly time to go. She realized that she had so much to do today. The wedding was eleven months away, and that seemed too short, since she did nothing but flipped through bridal magazines since she met Eddie. She needed to find a dress, flowers, invitations, catering...the list was endless.
Eddie...the thought of him made her heart flutter. To Dorothy, Eddie was the perfect man. He had hazel eyes and light brown hair, and he was everything that Dorothy thought she could ever ask for and more. The minute she met him, she instantly knew that she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. She met him during her sophomore year through mutual friends at a party. She was only an aspiring journalist back then, and he was a law student. She knew she was going to be happy with him. She planned it that way, and Dorothy Catalonia's plans always went accordingly.
"Daydreaming again, Dorothy?"
Dorothy spun around and saw Relena, the copy editor, grinning at her. She had known Relena for a year now, and when they met, Relena was only a staff writer too, but she was promoted only a few months before because her family owned the newspaper and her brother was the editor-in-chief.
Dorothy couldn't help but smile. "You could say that, yes."
"When's the big day again?" Relena asked before taking a sip out of her mug.
"Eleven months...I don't even know where or how to start!"
"Do you have a dress yet?"
"I don't even have that. I guess I'm too busy wishing I could write something more important than another damned restaurant review. I feel so useless."
Relena gave her a comforting smile. "I had the same feeling, but when you stop wishing and waiting, it will come to you...at least you are getting married to the man of your dreams! The man of my dreams won't even say anything to me!" Relena was referring to Heero Yuy, another copy editor of the Times. Relena admitted to Dorothy that she had a crush on him nearly a year ago, and even then he barely said anything to her.
Dorothy could help but smile. "Still no luck with him, huh?"
Relena sighed, rolling her eyes. "No, no luck at all."
"Well, like you said if you stopped wishing and waiting, it will come to you. He'll come to his senses."
"I suppose," said Relena, not looking convinced, but she quickly changed the subject. "So do you need help finding a dress? I'm free tonight and I'd like to help you look rather than go home and clean my flat."
"Fran, my appointed maid-of-honor is currently out of town and she promised me she'd help me look, but I can't wait...we'll go then."
Relena's eyes brightened. "Great! I'll just clean up my cubicle a bit and grab my handbag."
Glancing at her computer, Dorothy frowned.
"What's wrong?" Relena asked with concern.
"Oh damn. Relena, do you think you could proofread my restaurant review tomorrow? I proofread it myself today, and I turned it in to the database so that the headline editors can write a headline for it, but I could have overlooked something."
"Sure, I'll look over it tomorrow."
---
"Quatre, do you think you can look over these for me? I really need to get home. I could hear the baby bawling from the other side of the line..." Duo began as he entered Quatre's office, holding a printed draft of his story.
Quatre Raberba Winner, one of the Opinions Editors for the Sanq Times sat on his office chair with his head rested on his folded arms and his feet relaxed on top of his desk. He looked at Duo as he stood before him. Duo dumped a manila folder on his desk and Quatre simply looked at it.
"You are suffering the joys of parenthood, huh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at Duo.
"Ha. You could say that. Say, when are you going to suffer the joys of parenthood, huh?" Duo asked, shakily running his hand down his unusual, braided hair.
Quatre chuckled.
"I'm not a marrying type of person. For me marriage is like saying goodbye to my free life and hello to being tied down."
Duo shot Quatre a perplexed look.
"But what about all those women you go out with?"
"Do you expect me to marry one of them?"
Duo bit his lip.
"You mean to say that you've never fallen in love with any of them?"
Quatre shrugged.
"No, besides they're having fun anyway, so why bother? None of them have brought it up anyway."
"Whatever you say, buddy. You'll meet someone. She'll prove you wrong and I'll stick my tongue at you."
"Consider it done. Have fun changing the diapers tonight," Quatre said as he picked up the folder. He refused to believe that Duo could predict such a thing. Him, fall in love? Ha! Love is so stupid. Wives nag and are so demanding and start arguments all the time, a man would be suicidal to get into a marriage. Quatre was smarter than that.
"Great! Thanks bud! I knew I could count on you."
Quatre gave his friend a wry smile.
"You know you can always count on me."
"Great! I'll see you tomorrow my friend!" Duo exclaimed as he turned to leave.
As Duo left, the editor-in-chief of the Sanq Times, Millardo Peacecraft entered Quatre's office and dumped a manila folder on his desk. Quatre stood from his desk.
"Quatre, I have an assignment for you," he said, his face impassive.
"I have the strangest notion that it's not for the Opinions department," he replied.
Millardo chuckled.
"You're right. It's not, but I believe that this will top your long list of accomplishments. You are the man for this job."
-----------------
Have any comments, suggestions, or death threats?
-
Email them to me!
-
Craziereggie392@aol.com