Page 36 (1/1)

ONE

Ella Jones awoke to the feeling of soft fur on her cheek

“Oh, Princess,” she said lazily as the cat nuzzled her whiskers against her face “That tickles!” Ella giggled and stroked the cat lightly “Goodto you, too”

The sun filtered through the sheer curtains hanging from the wall of s in Ella’s bedroom She had chosen the apart aner, Ella had always been drawn to the way light played on architecture and had used that to enhance her creations She had developed such a talent for design that right after graduating froious firm in New York City

Ella came from a small town in Rhode Island and had first visited New York on a high school field trip Her class had been given a tour of all of the landmarks, the theater district, the monuments and of course, the architecture As soon as Ella saw St Patrick’s Cathedral and The Plaza Hotel, she was hooked All of the stained glass s, the atriuan sketching and drawing the moment she left the city

She got a full scholarship to Colu city to pursue her drearee in just three and half years She interned with several high-end firms in the city and was offered a full-tin before she left school Because she had interned briefly with them, she knew the outfit well and was in her career

But Ella’s first year at Munford turned out to be very different than what she expected When she interned, she had had the opportunity to sit in on design ns and projects But when she caed drastically

Gone were the days of sitting in gla s Ella’s days were instead spent checking designs for spelling and spec errors, and running plans to builders and clients She no longer got to be part of the conversation and felt irl

Over tiet the best of her After a year at the firn project She thought about pursuing a job with another fir out on her own, but her parents and friends discouraged her fro so

“It will look terrible on your resume,” said her mother, a retired nurse who had held the saevity and loyalty to a job A year isn’t long enough to show that you’ve given it an honest try”

“But I’m so frustrated,” Ella said to her mother every tin”

Ella had gotten close with one of her colleagues at E J Munford and asked her opinion Hannah was an executive secretary who'd been working for the firm for two years when Ella cae and had a lot in co black and white ood bottle of wine

“Listen,” Hannah told Ella every tiht the subject up “Why don’t you just say so to the firm’s senior partner and his son

“I don’t know,” Ella would say “I don't want to get a reputation as a whiner I mean, I do have a job and it pays well It’s just not the job they hired me for”

Hannah supported Ella’s decision, even though she had her own reasons for wanting her to stay; aside froreed to help Hannah plan her upcoed for sixplanner They kne creative and organized Ella was and had asked if she wouldn't e

Ella had decided that she would co that ti as a way to exercise her creative talents She and Hannah spent the next six ht down to the color of the flowers on the tables They worked diligently and even when Hannah got tired and wanted to beg off, Ella kept on going She really enjoyed planning the wedding and when it was ti, she knehat she wanted to do

“I’ to start my own business…” she told Hannah after she returned fro planner!”