Bio
The Devil Works at a Magazine
The minute I stepped into the office, I knew I’d end up calling this place home. The magazine looked and felt just like all the fashion magazine offices I’d read about in books with blond girls on the cover since I was 12. But this one was real!
I’d managed to book an interview with the Editor in Chief to maybe become her assistant. I knew nothing about assisting and my previous working experience included babysitting only, but THE BOSS didn’t speak a word of English and was looking for a very young “bilingual and discreet” girl who could do anything from organizing her next vacation in Thailand to translating an interview or booking her hotels for Paris Fashion Week.
While I was waiting for the Editor in Chief to show up and let me in her massive all-windows corner office, a grumpy but extremely handsome fashion director was complaining to his team that the models’ knees were “thick as an elephant’s -- please, get these out of my sight!” The beauty department girls were pushing carts full of luxurious perfumes, expensive makeup, and face creams my mother would’ve happily given an arm for. “These are for the ruffle! There’s three more in the back," a short brunette shouted out to everyone.
“Is this a dream?” I thought.
I heard heels clicking in the hallway. Everyone stopped doing what they were doing. Fear in their eyes. The Editor in Chief’s presence meant panic. She walked in with huge sunglasses and an even bigger latte, followed by her driver, who sheepishly carried her two Vuitton bags. She went straight to her office without even acknowledging the existence of other people and closed the door behind her. Everyone breathed.
I was terrified. Her other assistant, a guy who helped her write speeches and essays and (more than anything) provided emotional support, tried to reassure me before I walked in. He gave me tips about the things she liked and the things she couldn’t stand, shared with me the reason the previous assistant was fired (apparently an issue with body odor), and told me what I should say to make her pick me. He ended up becoming one of my best friends for life. It’s easy to bond when you’re working for the devil.