Manhattan, NY: a place that stays alive 24/7 with wild parties, constant tourism, and theatre loving performances. For Jodi, the definition of Manhattan is a place of hard core business that only a journalist could understand. On West 14th street Jodi Whittaker, one of the top journalists of the New York Times, came out of the cab that she took from Long Island. With a Panera cappuccino in her hand and her Prada messenger bag over her shoulder, she was ready for handling the top story of the day. As she walked up the hallway, her long chocolate brown hair bounced effortlessly shaping her slender cheekbones.
By the time she got to her office on the 27th floor, she was instantly greeted with a pile of files. Some of them even needed to be turned in by this afternoon's lunch break. Jodi placed her bag to the side, getting to work immediately. Her fingers flew through the keyboard in attempt to finish the paperwork by 2pm at the latest, just before her break. As Jodi got up to get a cup of coffee from the already brewing pot in the corner of the room, she looked up at the calendar.
On there were numerous dates of events, interviews, and reminders on the side. Today's date, February 5th, was written on in bold letters, 'Mayor interview: 2:30pm'. "Great," Jodi said to herself, "another day of all work and no living..." She sipped some of her coffee, sitting back at the desk. "That could definitely make me a dead journalist."
At that moment, Bret Nolcom came into the office smiling as if he got the biggest promotion of his life. With his usual uniform of a newly pressed oxford shirt with rolled sleeves and tie completed by his khaki pants: he always did. "So how life at 'the top and the restless?" he looked at her with a joking twinkle in his eye, "You are the one with the BIG interview today."Jodi simply answered him by smiling, "The last time I checked, yes. And if you'll be so kind as to go back to your own BIG interview."
Bret sat in one of the chair across from her desk, "I have already turned in my story, all we need the next interview from your collection of 'The Best of Jodi Whittaker'." He sipped his coffee and watched Jodi type. She turned to him and tapped her newly manicured nails on her arm, "How about I give you a sneak peek of the nest episode of 'Cops'?" He got up instantly, "Yeah, well you have a good day now Ms. Whittaker. Have a great day!" he skipped off. Jodi shook her head as she got back to 'getting ahead'.
Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to hours. Soon it was around 2pm and Jodi was already packing up, giving herself mental beatings. There was still at least 15 more pieces of paperwork to be done, and she has been working ever since she came in this morning. Taking the paperwork with her, she locked up her office and went down to the entrance to hail a cab. After awhile or so, she managed to grab one from a flock of cars already heading out to lunch or a Broadway show at the Majestic Theatre.
As she arrived at City Hall, the place was busy with secretaries scurrying everywhere to get federal paperwork filed while security was watching anyone and anything. Jodi showed her press badge and checked into the security desk before heading to the mayor's office. She opened the massive brown oak door before heading inside, watching as the mayor was completing some business with one of his colleagues. After a minute or two, the man left the room and mayor went to his desk.
"Hello, Mr. Thomas. Jodi Whittaker of the Times." she shook his hand firmly. "Hello Ms. Whittaker, heard you were one of the top journalist in the business. Sit down please, I don't have much time but will answer as much as I can." He sat down behind his desk, his hands resting on top of one of his notebooks possibly used for speeches and such. Jodi out a notebook and pen, "Mr. Thomas, many of us have heard that there is a possibly that there is a huge economic leak with much of the construction changes within the NYC area. Some of it reaching up to $500,000 per project. Do you think the raising of taxes is worth it?" Mr. Thomas chuckled and smiled, "Well, there is a possiblity of having taxes go up sky high but once again, like the projects of '07, the construction is being completed swiftly with the best quality. Surely the raising of taxes is worth it. Course, we don't want to have a sink hole in the middle of 1st Ave. now do we?"
Jodi shook her head with a smile, going onto the next question. "What are some of the major projects that are in mind within the area of Manhattan?" "Within the Manhattan area there will be several. One of them will contain redoing the streets within the streets of 14th and Broadway around late March. In July there will be..." His voice started to drift off, her ears not getting the rest of what he said. With a lack of sleep for 4 days on the questions for this interview and descent food to fill her stomach, it was natural for the body to shut down.
Within the time she drifted off to sleep and now, Jodi had no idea what happened or where she was. She looked around and found herself laying on buttery leather of a convertible. As she lifted her body up slowly and got familiar of where she was, she saw that the driver was a possible bodyguard for the mayor. "Ah," the gruff voice came from behind the wheel, "You're up. We're almost to the Times headquarters as we speak." Jodi crossed her arms around her chest, keeping herself warm as she watched the infinite cars of Manhattan go by. Once the car parked in front of the Times, she opened the door and went inside before anyone might question on why she was getting out of a state car.
Jodi came through the elevator doors as if she was in a hurry, escaping to her office and shutting the door behind her. She just humiliated herself in front of one of the most important person of the city. And she was sure that there was no way she would keep her title of best journalist if she was going to simply slip up during her interviews. While she collected her thoughts on what just happened, Bret came in with a much different look he had from this morning: serious and stern. "Heard what happened at the interview. What the heck was going on? Don't tell me Mayor Thomas is THAT boring." Jodi shook her head, "No I just...goofed up." Like she thought something of this magnitude would happen to her. But, like her cousin Marie said, 'Never say never'. That could definitely describe the situation.
"Well, you're wanted in Curry's office. Good luck on that one." he left the room and went to his cubicle. Jodi got up and headed for his office. Curry was the bald and serious Editor-in-Chief, one of those who found a problem and could clear it in less than the problem took to arise. Slowly she opened the door and stepped inside, coming face to face with him instantly. "Ms. Whittaker, sit down." she did so and watched as he took the cigar out of his mouth. "Mayor Thomas called me about 15 minutes ago before you got back here. Told me of a certain...incident during your interview." Jodi looked up at him and nodded, "Yes, sir. All I can remember is my eyes drooping and his voice being drowned out of my earshot."
"What happened, Ms. Whittaker" he got up out of his chair and looked out of the 17th story window, "Is you fell asleep during one of the most important interviews of the month." Mr. Curry said, his voice gaining volume. "Now I know you are one of the Times best journalists and usually the people who gain the title of 'best' does not have those incidents happen." Jodi looked down at her still frozen hands, nodding her head knowingly.
He sighed heavily, thinking things over. When Jodi just came to the Times, he wasn't exactly sure how she would work out. After all she was young, inexperienced, and was freshly out of college. Her first story on the capturing of one of the biggest drug busts in history seemed promising and sent into the papers to test her journalism skills with the people. After a week or so, it was a classic hit. During the last few years he had given her the stories that no one thought would be even read. Somehow, since her first story, she had been a favorite of NYC.
Mr. Curry went back over to his seat, giving her a good look over before placing his hands on the desk. "Ms. Whittaker it is my opinion that you take an leave of absence until further notice." he took out a piece of paper and pen. "I shall assign Rob to your story on the murder in Central Park." Jodi sighed sadly and got up, relieved to at least to have been fired for her humiliation to the company. She opened the door and left his office, feeling as if she was taking the 'walk of shame' until she got to her office.
In less than 5 minutes, Jodi was going to the elevator with her messenger bag over her arm and grim expression on her face. As she went into the crowded elevator, she glanced up to see Bret smiling at her with comfort. With all the happiness with her, she smiled back. Almost the instant she back his smile, he walking down the row of cubicles away from her sight. Jodi sighed as she looked around the elevator and back down to her Versace shoes just as the elevator doors closed.