The Promotion

Three Years Later

Monday morning in an office that overlooked almost the entire capital. With a secretary, a smokin little brunette, standing next to her ready for her schedule for the day, and the best cappuccino sold in the corporate area sitting over the edge of her desk.

Crescent hoped that was the case, but it wasn't!

The truth was she had been working like a dog for the last two years just to get her proposals to the executive desk. She doesn't have a secretary, not even an office for her, and certainly cannot afford to buy the best cappuccino in town because these days, where her pockets are really tight, being frugal is the key.

She was the assignment editor slash talent of Median Telecommunications, one of the many media networks in the busy capital. However, it seemed that no matter how excellent her proposals were, it always went straight to the trash bin and the only bonus she got from the sweats she let loose for the past years was to be considered as the next television announcer in the news segment. One of their senior talents resigned and the company had every one of their long-time talents apply for the position. Crescent was one of them.

Right then, Mr. Burchman, a man of forties with wizened desiccated hair and a goatee that matched it called for Crescent and Davina Chu, the two last remaining candidates for the vacant spot. He was the Director in their department and was about to give the two women in front of him something- one with good news and the other a heartbreak.

"Well Davina you have it," He smiled at her as he extended an envelope to her face. Pretty sure what's in there was the contract for the news segment. "Congratulations,"

"Thank you Director B!" She acted surprised at Crescent's disgust. Everyone in their department knew how strong Davina's backing in the executive was apart from the fact that she's the kind of woman who comes to office with her parlor maintained blond hair, high heels, and super short skirts. Davina was just the department's muse with a pretty nice rack that she was so proud of.

"I'm sorry Crescent," Mr. Burchman's voice didn't even show some empathy. "But there will be more openings in the future, I'll make sure to give you the highest recommendation,"

"Oh please Director B, I'd rather have your recommendations on my proposals," Crescent rolled her eyes to her boss.

"You don't roll an eye on your boss Crescent," He chided and cued Davina to leave the office. The girl did so, never missing to sway her hips gracefully as she cast Crescent a wink of mockery.

Crescent refused to be annoyed with her. Crossed armed, she moved closer to her boss's table ready to give him a bad day, "Did you or did you not open my proposals to the executive board?"

Crescent and her boss had a very complicated relationship. It was based on give and take, excluding all formalities and probably respect. For Crescent, respect is earned so she won't spare her boss some of it until he learns competency. However, no matter how bad the management was in their company, she painstakingly wastes her time and talent all for the sake of experience and probably some huge break that could land her into some decent company in the future. This was her first real job fresh from college and she sacrificed her comfort zone, flew abroad, and migrated to this strange country just to follow her dreams. Her first goal was to have her own television documentary but it seemed that Median Telecom didn't have plans of giving her that soon.

For Mr. Burchman, Crescent was one of the best in his department. This probably was the same reason why he was so careful not to get her into hosting or reporting because she does best behind the scenes and the executives think the same way. She's the walking brain in their little department and the reason why he does not mind her big mouth and the rolling of eyes from time to time was because she always delivers such quality work.

"I did. You know that I did," He assured her. Even when Crescent won't tell him, he would willingly support her proposals because they were all good and excellent. What Crescent didn't know was that Median Telecommunications is on the verge of bankruptcy and they were not capable of taking risks on new ventures because obviously, they lack some funding for it.

"The idea of having an art segment for kids is really something Miss Garza but you know these are not the kind of things people would talk about these days." Mr. Burchman added and comically raised his hands in the air, "The executives need something...sensational!"

"Don't ever mention the master thief again," Crescent already knew where this conversation was going. The executive board had been pressuring them, specifically her, for the last year and a half to pursue one of Crescent's ambitious proposals she named, "Finding the Master Thief". This was the proposal that landed her on an internship abroad and eventually led her to Median Telecommunications. But this for her was just a school project she made to get through the finals of senior year. She never expected that her famewhore professor would add it up in her resume and send it to all companies abroad.

However, the young innocent fresh graduated Crescent was so thrilled to get an internship abroad so she took the risk only to regret it afterward. Median Telecommunications was so generous with her when she was still an intern so she immediately grabbed their offer for regular employment after graduation and signed for a five-year minimum employment contract. As soon as she signed that, everything good she thought about Media Telcom fell apart and here she was two years later, working day and night relying on only half of the salary and benefits she had when she was an intern.

"Well it is what it is," Mr. Burchman leaned back on his leather seat, "Imagine the attention and rating we'll get if you release such a documentary,"

"So we go for sensational now rather than responsibility?" She raised a brow at it. Two years of working at such a company made Crescent realize that people in Median Telecom lack a sense of responsibility toward their audience and what they were all after was fame. She can't blame them though, business is business and she was just too naive to think that there might be something good in showbusiness.

"That project is beyond possible. All of you know that!" She replied hysterically.