A pestering call

The year-end is often hectic for the workers, engaging with various events and gatherings, rushing to meet the deadlines so that each can spend their pleasant holidays with their families. And such like that, KeyLine Publication is getting ready for its most anticipated book signing event, which will debut their star writer, Lillian Grey, who goes by the pen name, Gill. The exposing of her identity let her be one of the must-attend in the guest list, and Shane wouldn't take no for an answer. He solely ordered Lillian to get ready for her first public appearance.

To make this event a greater success, Shane chose Library Hotel at 299 Madison Avenue, located close to both Grand Central Station and a walkable distance from New York Public library, thus making it a perfect scene for booklovers to convene comfortably. He let Chief Editor, Norman, be in charge of renovating the celebrated reading room in the hotel to transform to a suitable space with complimentary that fits both authors and their readers.

Norman spent his time working with the hotel management crew to decorating the place that pleases their requirements. He let his team of editors take care of their authors, who would be participating in this grand ensemble. Back at the head office, people from all respective departments worked collectively together, putting all their efforts into this project.

**was another lively day at KeyLine Publication, and Giselle sat in her desk, staring into her phone confusedly. Her dazed frontier ignored a colleague who approached.

"Giselle!" the woman shook after seeing Giselle frozen.

"Are you okay? Don't tell me that working for Jayce finally sucked your soul away!"

Shaken to find a visitor, Giselle assured that she was doing great and only got temporarily dazed from a distraction.

The woman handed out final samples from the design team, who created a poster that displays the movie adaption of Jayce's book. The designers worked with the film crew to get inspiration for the banner. Giselle needs to finalize one out of these refined samples by consulting with her author. She looked into the options and let the woman go. Placing it on her desk, she returned to stare at her phone again.

***

Lunch arrived, and a few dispersed to a deserving break from the hustle while Giselle couldn't. For all those minutes she dragged to staring her phone, came back to bite her in her tummy, and she rushed to the design team to give the chosen banner. To her luck, one guy remained in his desk to receive Giselle in her rescue. Giving him all the updates, Giselle finally exhaled in relief. Returning to her seat, another fellow editor informed Giselle about her phone going crazy while she was away.

Startled at once, Giselle thanks the guy who informed to grab her belongings and exits the place hurriedly. She looked at the phone to see the specific someone's name displayed on the notification screen. It is the very same person who kept disturbing her from the morning.

Without giving another chance for Giselle to catch her breath, the phone buzzed again.

Giselle is now thoroughly infuriated at this person. She could no longer keep calm about it, angrily choosing to answer the call.

"What do you want, Lillian?" Giselle raged immediately.

Lillian conveyed her purpose to keep calling Giselle as she had already sent a text, explaining what was that she sought. To pursue her request, she kept pestering Giselle steadily all morning along.

"I heard from Jenna that it is your lunch break," Lillian appealed hysterically.

Giselle wasn't able to decline or ignore her because Lillian never gave an opening for rejections. Her tone and her words were ideally in sync to persuade Giselle. She seems to be aware of the lunch break and informed Giselle about another soul she kept arrested in this venture.

"Jenna is already waiting in the reception area. You two find each other and meet me at-"

Lillian announced the place she wants the two to arrive as fast as they could and ended the call without welcoming any objections.

Giselle stood in the hallway as she watched people busily moving and reflected on her own. Nonetheless, soon adjusting to the unexpected invitation of Lillian's, Giselle chose to go along. After all, underneath all that irritation or hesitance, Giselle liked that Lillian approached her. She went down to find Jenna, who is also in the same weary state from getting toyed by her author. Giselle hid her inner smile to attend Jenna. They exchanged dry glances with grumbling hunger before leaving together to the said location.

***

Giselle and Jenna arrived in a hurry to the spot Lillian had mentioned and found themselves standing outside a clothing shop. Wondering why the place Jenna led the way to open the glass door to find Lillian await for their presence.

"Welcome my dears-" she greeted boisterously.

"Did you have a hard time finding this place?"

Lillian's casual greeting further infuriated the two editors, who rushed to her request. They even ignored getting lunch despite the inevitable hunger. The short break to consume a healthy meal supposed to give them an ample amount of energy to work through the rest of the day for an upcoming event. Both their authors being famous and are attending the signing event, doubled the workload for their editors. Here stood one of that sloppy author without any care in the world, freely calling the people whose time is running out by fulfilling responsibilities.

"What are you doing here, Ms. Grey?" Jenna inquired from her familiarity while Giselle grumpily stood next to her, saving her breath for later.

Lillian saw them act clueless. Even after sending multiple text messages, clearly explaining to both of her plans for lunch, the two ladies stood dumbstruck. Nevertheless, she ignored to apprehend their state of mind during this stage, struggling from organizing a big event.

"Well, Giselle here is going to choose an outfit for me for the event while Jenna, you be the witness to this event, just in case if Giselle wants me to wear anything raunchy. You tell her-" Lillian explained to find her two guests' faces ruling with menace. She jokingly paused to chuckle her way out of getting choked.

Jenna sighed from the stupidity while Lillian continued to explain.

"I don't want to choose any dresses because of their intricate designs and sheer uncomfortable- wearing a plain dress is plain boring. I'm thinking of some shirt and trousers, maybe in a mix and match color-"

Lillian rambled finally to settle on power-suits.

"Pantsuits! They are great and comfortable," she yelled in great enthusiasm.

Jenna cried inside.

"Let's do this, Ms. Giselle," she added with much regret.

"I don't think Ms. Grey leaves us an option to decline her 'supposed request,' would she?" Jenna indirectly aimed with a snarky comment at Lillian Grey, who warned that the two wouldn't take a step outside the shop unless Giselle chooses an outfit for her.