It seems that all Employee #0008719612 does these days is go to meetings. Meetings about memos. Meetings to plan meetings. Meetings about meetings. It's all very tedious, especially when these meetings force Employee #0008719612 to wake at an ungodly hour when it's dark and raining.
Employee #0008719612's morning commute on the Pelham line involves a sacred ritual of applying makeup haphazardly while balancing a cup of coffee on her lap. If she gets a seat, that is. If not, Employee #0008719612 applies rouge with one hand and no mirror while the other hand holds the rail. It was that kind of morning. Employee #0008719612 was about to gouge her eyes out with a mascara wand when she ran into another Employee, Employee #123. Employee #123 was impeccably dressed, swathed in a paisley shawl and camel-colored cashmere. Employee #0008719612 had mascara on her cheek.
Employee #0008719612: You look pretty.
Employee #123: Thank you. I'm exhausted. I didn't get any sleep last night.
Employee #0008719612: Well, you look bright as a penny. In fact, you always look that way.
Employee #123: Really? I'm good at faking it, I guess.
Employee #0008719612: Are you going to this meeting?
Employee #123: UGH. Yes. I wish I could skip it.
Employee #0008719612: That's funny, every time I look at you in meetings, you are nodding vigorously and taking notes. I can barely keep my eyes open.
Employee #123: Faking it.
Employee #0008719612: Wow.
Employee #123: Those meetings make me suicidal.
Employee #0008719612: Wow.
Employee #123: I'm glad no one can tell. I guess I'm good at faking it.
Though Employee #0008719612 had faked almost every moment of her professional life, she was shocked to learn that other people rely on fakery to get through their days at work. Employee #0008719612 values authenticity and strives to be honest with herself. She wondered if all the faking would make her believe what she says. She was slightly unnerved, however, when her boss said that she was the ultimate shape-shifter, transforming seamlessly to suit vastly different situations. Was that a compliment? Employee #0008719612 was not entirely sure if being infinitely mutable was such a good thing. Shouldn't she be herself at every moment?
Discuss amongst yourselves.
Photos by Mario Testino via foto decadent.
