“Come on,” Sherry says as she motions toward the door. “We have a lot to do this morning.” I follow behind her, with Lisette behind me. Sherry starts talking about the city, the station, and how we’re a big family, which I didn’t have in North Dakota. Every time we run into someone, we stop, and chat and they tell me how happy they are that I’ve joined the team. After we stop in human resources to get my ID badge, Sherry tells me I’ll join Leon for lunch. Once she’s gone, Lisette shows me to my dressing room.
“Whoa.” It’s all I can mutter when I step inside.
“Is something wrong?” she asks.
Slowly, I shake my head. “Absolutely not. At the other station, I had a closet, and I had to make my own vanity, which I brought with me, just in case.”
Lisette laughs as she moves about the room. “Anything you need, you let me know, and I’ll take care of it.” She turns on the light to the bathroom. My bathroom. It’s not huge by any means, and neither is my dressing room, but the bathroom has a stand-up shower and a toilet, of course. My dressing room has a love seat, which pulls out to a bed, according to Lisette.
“The sheets are fresh, as are the towels in the bathroom. We have a laundry service that picks up on Friday if you want to use it or bring things from home. This afternoon, you’ll meet with a rep from Meyers to go over your wardrobe.”
“My wardrobe?”
She nods. “Meyers is a fashion company. They ‘dress’ people,” she says, using finger quotes. “The station provides your clothes.”
My throat tightens. “I’m sorry, what?”
Lisette looks at me like I have two, maybe three heads. Honestly, I feel like multiples are resting on my shoulders right now. Clearly, I misunderstood.
“Did Leon not go over the benefits? No, I’m sure he didn’t. He never does,” she answers her own question. “One of the benefits, aside from the standard sick time, vacation time, etc., is clothing. We want our team to look their very best, and in this day and age of social media, people are quick to point out when an outfit is worn more than once. Leon hates it when his crew is the butt of jokes. This is where Meyers comes in. They work with all the stores and designers to provide the news team with the latest fashion and trends. You wear it on air, we post where someone can buy the outfit, and the store or designer gets credit during the broadcast. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
“Wow, I’m. . . well at a loss for words.”
She places her hand on my forearm and gives it a little squeeze. “I like you,” she says. “You’re going to fit in perfectly.” Lisette takes me to a small conference room on the top floor of our office building, which apparently used to be apartments until the station bought it. People are milling around and eating lunch from the buffet set up against the wall. Leon hollers my name, and everyone turns to look at me. It’s not awkward at all. I’m sure my cheeks are flaming red right now.
“Autumn, this is Selena Rich and Arthur Brentwood, the evening and late-night anchors.” Lisette points to the people whose faces I’ve studied for the past two weeks. “Over there, the guy stuffing his face is Aiden Marchetti. He does sports. This here,” she says as she pulls a guy toward her, “is Marvin Adams. He will be your main cameraman. If you ever feel lost up there, you look for him.”
“Got it.”
Leon finally comes over and welcomes me. He puts his arm around me, resting his hand on my shoulder. “Everyone,” he says, getting their attention. “Meet Autumn LaRosa. She comes to us from Dickinson, North Dakota, after graduating from Northwestern with a degree in broadcast journalism and meteorology.”
“Great, she’s coming for my job,” Arthur says, much to everyone’s delight. “Welcome,” he adds.
“She’s traded in the snow for the rain,” another person says; someone I haven’t met yet.
“Thank you,” I tell the group. “I’m happy to be here, to learn about this great city, and become a part of the community.”
“When’s your first on-air date?” Selena asks.
“Tomorrow,” Leon says, which is a shock to me. I thought I’d have a few days to acclimate and learn the ropes.
“Wow, Leon. Just throwing her to the wolves, huh?” Selena quips. I’m with her though, what the hell is he thinking?
“Well, I guess I better cancel my hair appointment for tomorrow,” I say jokingly. Good thing I didn’t have one booked. I suppose things could be worse. I could attempt to do the traffic in a city I know absolutely nothing about. At least, with the weather, it’s pretty easy to tell people when it might rain. Being a meteorologist is literally the only job where you can be wrong and never get fired.