My mobile rang, well more like screeched out one of those pre-recorded sounds that you choose from a list it comes with. I had chosen the screeching sound as my ‘wake up call’. I always contemplated changing the sound each day, but it helped get me out my bed, dressed and out the door. 

It was nice being the senior editor. One perk was subsidized travel. With the subsidy, I bought myself a second hand car. I smiled as the ‘chirp chirp’ signalled the alarm. It was nice to have these tiny luxuries. I would be able to endure hours of traffic knowing that the car I was in had aircon and belonged to me. 

Another perk was having an assistant. Even though I did the heavy lifting, by reading all the material being distributed, having someone else to do tiny errands saved on my time and energy.

“She waiting”.

As I strolled through the elevators, lugging around my semi suitcase filled with manuscripts and other miscellaneous papers, my red jacket and my thick child-bearing hips, I was greeted by Keira with an urgent update. She was efficient even though her speech skills were in need of tiny tweaks. 

“She is waiting’.

“Sorry. She is waiting”.

I knew who ‘she’ is and I wasnt really looking forward to speaking with ‘her’. ‘She’, is our best selling author. The one I signed five years ago, and who gave the company it’s big break. Nicky Oh. Yes, just like Jackie O. I rubbed my temples, warding off the migraine that was soon to be filling its space.

“Thanks K”.

It was like any other morning: coffee, traffic, and dragons waiting in my office. Only one exception, the dragon was represented by a black nail polished, pony tail wearing, spaghetti strap maxi floral dress with two slits found on each side, Diva, carrying a cup filled with rum and coffee. She usually did that, and was always her very own mixture.

“Hi Nicky Oh. I hope I didnt have you waiting for too long?”

“M, you know I dont care about time, but I care about my books and their time.”

We double kissed, or cheek to cheek pecked, twice.

“I know, but didnt we schedule your dragons to be published next month?”

I sat at my desk, gestured with my hand for her to sit, opened my desk planner and started searching for her name.

“M, my dragons are excited. They feel it’s time they should be freed. What is a few days before your plans? You know I don’t like these plans you have. I become anxious when I wait.”

In all of my five years dealing with her, each year she became more dramatic than the last.

“This is the last book hun, people wont mind waiting. Plus, you are launching it with a bang. We are having real dragons at the launch, remember?”

This last bit of information was exactly what she wanted to hear. I saw her eyes sparkle and she sat up in her chair to really listen to what more I had to say