Chapter 3—Nature of Job

              Still four hours until her meeting with Roy that evening. She called her assistant and asked if there was anything for her while she was out. Nothing, the assistant said. And what about the rest of my afternoon, she asked again. Still nothing. She was free for the rest of day except for her meeting with Roy later. It was Friday already. Time flies, she thought.

              She called Rhonda. It rang until the line went dead. Well, gym it is then. There was a gym near Roy’s building that she was a member of. She turned back and parked at the same building in the same spot next to the elevators. From the gym, she could walk to where she was meeting Roy.

              Only a few people were trying to keep healthy today. The gym was vast and empty. It was a nice walk toward the cardio section. Her long legs helped her climb onto the bike with little effort. She set it up for twenty minutes.

              As she pedaled the stationary bike, she recalled the promotion she got a year ago; from the Boss' executive assistant to a VP. Now she realized the exhilaration of being an independent business manager was accompanied by a feeling of loss, akin to entering adulthood and leaving the patronage of loving parents. She didn't need to be by her boss all the time now, she was on her own, on the road alone, moving from meeting to meeting, visiting clients under her care.

              A man stepped onto the bike next to her and tried to strike a conversation. She smiled and pointed at the earbuds in her ears without trying to take them off. He seemed to mouth something like "I'm sorry". She smiled at him, and continued with her thoughts.

              Yes, why do I continue doing this alone? She mused, as several other VPs in her company who had the same role—with different clients—had all suggested she brought along one of her managers to assist her with meeting the clients.

              I can see if they think it's strange, not customary, but I can always call them to a meeting, can I not? Indeed, she could. She could call them to join her wherever and whenever she needed them, like what she did with Dungi that morning.

              Yet, she preferred to surf the streets alone, and pretended that her boss was still with her, as if her days of always being with him had never ended.

              "But you like your new role, don't you? C'mon, what's not to like? More pay, cool title," Rhonda said when she told her of the mixed feelings she had for the development in her life. Yes, and not only that, the company threw in new perks: a new car, club memberships, more vacation days—though the latter was not much of an incentive for her—she felt she had indulged in too much 'vacation' during her recent past. The salary wasn't up by much. She had already been paid highly even without the promotion. The Boss had used his privilege to pay her a high salary as his executive assistant—which amount didn't adhere to the company's HR standards.

              She sniffed something. She almost raised her hand to cover her nose when she realized it would be offensive. The man pedaling next to her, who had previously tried to initiate a small talk with her, was emitting some odor. Ew. She got off the bike and walked to the other side of the room. Leg press, let's do that. She started straining the muscles of her thighs and calves. From the distance, she saw the man on the bike was discreetly trying to look for her, but as she was behind him, he would have had to turn his whole body around to spot her. She was sure he knew better than to do that; it would have been too obvious, and he was not bad-looking, he had to have some pride.

              Her mind went back to the conversation she had with her friend.

              "Do you like it? Is it hard?" Rhonda asked.

              "Hard?" Gina whispered. She wasn't sure what her friend meant by hard when she told her of her boss.

              Rhonda rolled her eyes. "Your new role."

              “Oh, that." Gina's cheeks turned pink.

              She liked her new role, though it was not really new to her. She had been carrying the same responsibilities in her first two years on the job, but always as the direct extension of the Boss. He would always be with her, ready to catch her if she fell, but otherwise, let her carry the responsibilities as if she had already been in the position she was today.

              The title and all the weight it carried didn’t do much to boost her confidence at work. On the contrary, she felt she had to be less daring. She second-guessed herself more than she did in her first years, despite the unchanged nature of the job. Something was amiss. She just wasn’t sure what.

              The man finally spotted her and walked over to where the treadmills were. He got on the treadmill directly facing her. Cardio after cardio? Humph. Leave me alone, please. Or, maybe she should leave him alone. That she did. One last press, then she stood up and left for the shower. Feeling fresh and invigorated, she walked out of the gym with a glowing face.

              While walking toward the meeting point, Rhonda called.

              “You called me babe? I was in a meeting. Hey, the guys from work would like to take us out tonight and they asked me to bring you along. Can you?”

              “Oh, sorry Rhonda, I can’t. I’m still working,” she said.

              “Where are you?”

              “On my way to Prodallos.”

              “Hey! That ain’t work! You’re going to have fun. Cancel it. Go with us.”

              “This is work. I’m meeting a client … At a fun place!" she chuckled, "But still, meeting a client. So, it is work,” she continued, still chuckling. She could just imagine Rhonda grimacing; envying her position which enabled her to mix powerful business with serious fun.