Chapter Seven

 Neil was waiting for her in front of HiYou Telecommunications with Ruby and for a change, Adira thought listlessly, he was on time.

Ruby greeted her with a wide smile, kissed Neil on the cheek, then headed in the other direction, promising to meet them for lunch or coffee, depending on how much time their research was going to take.

Once they were alone, Adira remained mum and they entered the office, heading straight for the receptionist. After a wait of fifteen minutes, and more silence, they were greeted by a woman in a pencil suit who showed them to the elevators that would take them to see the Marketing manager.

“We encourage college students to study our operations and consider joining our team,” The woman who introduced herself as Shelley, told them.

“Are you hiring?” Neil asked.

Shelley smiled, her eyes twinkling. “We have internship programs.”

Adira stared at her, wondering if her blue eyes were indeed blue. She had on so much make up, that it seemed likely that she was hiding her true eye color as well.

She doesn’t look like she’s a blonde either. Why do people wear such heavy makeup?

They were walking past the desks when she saw Ramon walking out of the security room, talking to one of the guards. Adira felt her heart almost stop and quickly turned her head away. She tried matching Neil’s pace so that she could hide behind him.

“Here you go,” Shelley said, pressing on the lift button. “It’s the third floor. Someone will meet you there and take you to see Mrs. Tarekson.”

“Thanks,” Adira mumbled at her as she walked away.

Neil ignored her and stared up to watch the lift numbers come down. Adira risked a look behind her and froze when she saw Ramon standing a few feet away from her, watching her.

He looked angry, but didn’t approach her as one of the security guards was talking to him. Ramon tapped on the guard’s shoulder, dismissing him, just as the elevator came down. She stepped in quickly and pressed the button to the third floor. Neil entered just before the doors could close.

“What’s the hurry?” Neil asked, agitated at almost having the lift doors close on him.

“The sooner we get over this, the sooner I can leave.” She hugged her notebook closer to her chest.

“I don’t want to spend any more time than I have to.” He grumbled.

When they reached the third floor, they were met with a man who shook their hands and led them down a passageway towards the offices.

“She’s waiting for you,” He told them.

Adira felt her phone buzz in her pocket and brought it out to see that it was Ramon calling her.

He probably wants to scream at me some more. Nope!

She cut the call and made sure her phone was still on vibration mode as she entered the office.

The woman, a petite woman dressed in a black business suit and silk white shirt,  beckoned to them.

“Hello,” she said with a big smile. “Welcome to HiYou Telecoms.”

At her gesture, Adira and Neil sat down and replied to her greeting.

“I am Danica Tarekson,” She said. “And I handle the marketing operations of this company.”

“I’m Adira and this is Neil,” Adira told her. “We are doing an assignment on how big companies conduct their marketing research and the effect it has on their sales.”

Danica looked to be in her twenties, but Adira noticed some white in her hair and wondered if she was older than she looked.

She picked up a gold pen and twisted it between fingers of both hands. “Yes, in recent years the Telecom business has become rather competitive with everyone vying for a big bite of the market. With people buying more and more smartphones, the demand for a better service has increased. Phones are not used for calls anymore.”

Adira nodded and opened her notebook. “Yeah. I use my phone a lot more for surfing the net than calling.”

“I still use mine to call people,” Neil said, smirking. “I have a lot of friends.”

Adira felt a pinch at his words and stared ahead, in an effort to ignore his cruel jibe.

Of course I don’t have any friends. He made sure I didn’t.

“According to our market research, most of our users are interested in data packages. The young generation is obsessed with the internet.”

Adira smiled at her and started to take down notes. Her phone buzzed again, but she ignored it. Her parents knew she would be here and weren’t going to disturb her. She had no friends and Neil was sitting right beside her. That left only one other person who had her number- Ramon.

“You mentioned you have internship programs?” Adira asked.

“Yes.” Danica smiled. “If you’re interested, you can apply. Which semester are you in?”

“I just started college.” Adira frowned.

“Oh, well you should take time get acclimated before you start looking.”

Neil smirked and Adira resisted the urge to step on his foot. “I’d still like to apply someday. I looked around and really liked the office. The employees look happy.”

“They should be,” Danica said, distractedly as she opened a file. “We have two hundred and fifty employees and we take care of all of them.”

“It does seem like a very friendly, yet professional atmosphere,” Adira said, wondering how to get to asking about Sibyl. Neil gave her an irritated glance, that she ignored. “My friend’s sister works here, I think.”

Danica looked up and raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yes, I’m not sure which department but she’s the one who recommended we do our project on HiYou.”

Neil looked at her as if he was shocked she had any friends at all. Then he looked at her in disbelief, obviously thinking she was lying.

“What’s her name?” Danica asked.

Adira’s phone buzzed again and this time she decided to take it out of her jeans and toss it into her bag so that she wouldn’t be distracted. She turned around and bent over to put her phone in the bag behind the chair, when she saw Ramon standing by the glass window and beckoning her.

Adira sighed.

What’s his problem?

She looked down at her phone and saw a message from him written in bold.

WE HAVE TO TALK. NOW!

Turning back to Danica, she smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, I have to use the washroom.”

“It will be on your left.” Danica pointed out.

Adira got up. “I’m so sorry.”

“No need to be,” Danica said. “In the meantime, I could fill out a questionnaire. You do have one?”

Neil looked at her with wide eyes while Adira kept her composure.

“Er..no. We decided to do a little interview with you rather than add a questionnaire to our report. Neil will continue.” Adira took her bag. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”

Neil made a grab for her wrist. “I don’t have any questions!” he whispered frantically.

Adira straightened and shrugged. “Make something up.” She pulled her wrist free.

Neil sighed and then grinned stupidly at Danica. Of course, he was expecting Adira would do all the hard work.

“So…” he began. “Have you worked here long? Broke right through the glass ceiling, did you?”

Adira turned around, shocked and saw Danica drop her friendly smile. Walking out, she groaned and turned sideways to see Ramon leaning against the wall.

“What are you doing here?” He demanded.

Adira started to answer, when he took her by the elbow and made her walk away from the desks and the other employees seated outside. He took her by the fire escape and crossed his arms.

“I have a project,” she said rudely.

“You shouldn’t be here.” Ramon looked all around him and lowered his tone. “You came here on purpose didn’t you? You found Sibyl used to work here. How…?” He narrowed his eyes. “Did you follow me?”

“I guess I’m getting better at it.” She smiled teasingly.

Ramon looked frustrated. “You need to leave. Now!”

“I’ll do no such things. I don’t need to take orders from you.” She started to go, but he stepped before her.

“You are putting yourself in a lot of trouble.”

“How?” She crossed her arms and looked up at him in defiance.

Ramon rubbed his forehead, then took another look around him. “Did you really think Sibyl used her real name? She was undercover. That is how I found her, because when I did a background check, I found the name she had been using didn’t match up to the profile she had submitted for review.”

Adira dropped her arms. “I’m trying to find my sister. I’m going to go to any lengths to find her. Instead of lying to me, we should be working together.”

“I don’t need your help,” Ramon said. “Look, I’ve got a handle on things. I’ll let you know of any new developments. Until then, stop playing an amateur sleuth and concentrate on your studies.”

“Nope.” Adira pouted. “I won’t rest until I find Sibyl. And why are you so nervous about me being here? Is there something you’re hiding? Is it someone in this office you suspect? Or maybe...you’re the one I should be suspecting. There is no proof that you and Sibyl are friends. Maybe you’re purposely trying to lead me astray.”

“Your accusation is ridiculous.” Ramon’s face had turned white with anger. “I don’t need to prove anything to you. Just leave from here.”

“I’ll do no such thing. Now, if you’ll excuse me...”

Ramon took her hand before she left. “She used your name.”

“What?”

“Sibyl used your name to enter the company. She was smart enough to use a living person’s name rather than a made up one.” Ramon let out a breath. “You both even look the same. “Except, when I did my research, I found that the real Adira Ravenson was living in a small town and was nowhere near thirty years old.”

“Oh.” Adira felt a twinge in her heart. Sibyl had used her name, hers...After all these years, she had thought of her.

“Now, do you see what a grave mistake you’ve made. You probably gave your name and don’t you think they would think it too much of a coincidence that they have come across two Adiras?”

“You should have been upfront in our first meeting itself.” she shrugged and pushed herself against the wall when a few employees walked by. She saw the woman take out her phone and ask her colleague to take out his.

“Maybe, I should have,” Ramon relented. “Anyway, I had no idea you were going to be so nosy or persistent...”

“They have the same phone,” Adira said, watching the man and woman in front of her who were laughing at something on their phone. She heard music and a screech which generated even more laughter.

Ramon looked at where she was looking. “The company provides us with that. It’s a perk.”

“Like the car and watch?” Adira looked at his wrist.

“The car,” Ramon said. “Not the watch. This is my grandfather’s gold watch that he presented me.”

Adira looked at the gold colored phones the woman was holding and frowned.

It looks like the same model that was sent to me. Didn’t the salesman say it was limited edition?

“Even you have it?” She asked. “The phone?”

Ramon took it out from his pocket. “This is the company’s phone. We have to use it. I do have a personal one. I called you from that number. Privacy reasons.”

“Uh-huh,” Adira said distractedly, suddenly feeling her heart pound loudly. “Sibyl had it too?”

“Every top level employee has it.” Ramon said. “The others are given a different version of it. Spiral-A partnered with us and in exchange offers the employees its latest models.”

Adira felt her heart drop in her stomach.

The phone...did someone send it to me? Did Sibyl?

“Are you alright?” Ramon asked.

Adira felt her breathing quicken. “I have to go.”

“Okay, but...”

“I’ll talk to you later.” She ran down the passageway and got into the lift just as the doors were about to close. As soon as she was downstairs, she ran out and looked for the mobile store.

“The charger!” she said, breathlessly.

The Mobile HotSpot salesman looked at her in surprise. “You’re back. Welcome...”

“I want the charger...for that...phone...for which I bought...that battery.” Adira leaned against the glass counter.

The salesman excused himself and went into the back room. After ten minutes, he returned with the charger. “You’re in luck. It’s the last one we have.”

“How much?”

The salesman told her and she paid him. “Keep the change,” she told him ad started to thrust the small packet in her bag.

“Actually, you owe me one more buck...”

Adira took out a coin from her purse and slammed it on the glass display and rushed out the door.

Adira ran home as fast as she could, feeling excitement build inside her, but also fear.

The phone. Someone sent it to me. Sibyl. A limited edition phone. Not everyone has it. But Sibyl did.

When she reached her apartment, she burst through her door and went straight to the box where she had tossed the phone in. Pulling away the wires for her charger and lamp, she plugged in the phone and held her breath when it began charging.

As the phone showed her one percent, Adira sat on the floor, cross-legged, waiting for when she could turn on her phone.