“Girl, you gotta get a new alarm clock!” the woman reported laughing.

Jesse Moore was one of Nia's closest friends in the office. She was a tall, lean brunette with thick curls from the 'Burbs'. She had made straight As in high school and nearly had a 4.0 all through college. Her parents and professors pushed and encouraged her to be a doctor or lawyer or anything that could keep them in old age, but she declined crying vehemently that 'Art holds her Heart'. She even made a poster for her office, stating that as her motto. They became friends after having to complete an assignment together in which they're were supposed to incorporate strawberries and kittens into an ad for Nautica. Needless to say, the craziness of those elements in a clothing campaign got them to start talking regularly even after the assignment was finished and a friendship was forged. It was her humor and forward thinking that kept Nia sane at Sohma graphics.

Recognizing the voice, Nia slumped back down in her chair. “Its not that. I don't get to sleep until the wee hours of the morning and lately not at all.. If I get a good night's rest, then everything would be fine...but our slave driver, won't cut me any slack. He loves seeing me sweat.” Reaching into her 'goodies drawer' she pulled out an Oats an Honey bar and proceeded to munch away. “I've got three major projects due at the end of next week,” she said between bites “and I'm no closer to being done than I was yesterday.”

“Well you are one of our best, Hon. Maybe he thinks you're being cocky, ya know, coming in here all late up because he needs you more than you need him.”

Nia looked at her face in the blackened screen of her desktop, her friend standing behind her.. The idea that she, who never felt cockiness, could be perceived as such by her hard ass of a boss, was frightening.

“That's that furthest thing from the truth.” Placing the bar on her desk she rolled her shoulders back and sighed. “And if that was the case, do you honestly think I'd still be working here? I'd have started my own graphic design company a long long long long time ago, you feel me?” she shrugged off the thought.

“I know you're not like that...and even if you were, you still wouldn't leave.” patting Nia's back she picked up the breakfast treat and popped off a meager piece.

“And why is that?” she twisted her lips. Staring at her thief of a friend.

“Because you're waiting on Mr. Hayama to fall in love with you,” MUNCH “Sweep you off your feet” CRUNCH “and take you to Japan with him where y'all can raise your cute little Afro wearing blasian babies.”

Nia shot a sideways glance at Jess who tried desperately to hold in her chuckles, crumbs falling down her shirt all the while.

“That's not it at all. I'm not in love with him” she whispered. “I just respect the way he runs this place and I want something of my own like this. I just need to catch a break here maybe move up in the ranks.”

“Pfffft, that's your subconscious saying you wanna stay here and play house with Mr. Hayama. And I know about that job offer from that other company, everyone knows.” Jess wiggled an eyebrow suggestively. “...they pay big bucks, no whammies, have great benefits, and there's even more men over there, men who want you just as much as you want them. No high brow-” she peeked outside of Nia's door for any eavesdroppers. “egotistical, self-centered he-men.”

“I like it here, Jess.”

“Earth to Nia...it ain't gonna happen, you and Mr. H. So, just think about it, will ya? Cause working for them could be the biggest thing that ever happens to you and me. You deserve recognition and the status and I deserve 15%.” she opened her arms wide. “You could move on up,” giggling, “to the east side and I could take a little piece of the pie.” she sing-songed.

“Enough with the 70s show references, Jess. Stop acting like a jive turkey.” she laughed as she let her eyes close while gently hitting her head against her keyboard. “I'll think about it. But right now, I've got to get back to sketching out these things for the my projects, m'kay?” she

“I can take a hint.” Jess sighed going back to her own station. “See you at lunch, Mrs. H.” she sang while strolling away.

“JESS!” Nia yelled to her as Jess nearly fell in the middle of the floor from laughing so hard. Jess calmed down and left the office, taking the Oat and Honey bar with a smile.

Nia pulled out her folder and sketch book, opening it to the latest page she'd been working on. A figure of a women in an elegant but simple white dress, knee length with intricate lacing at the neck and knees. There was also a man in a white shirt, black suspenders and dress pants stood facing each other with a mirror between then. The women looked suspiciously like her, although she would deny it vehemently, claiming that all her female sketches have Afros and full lips. And the male figure looked...well he looked like a certain hard ass boss that she knew, she changed the hair and made it short so as not to make it overly obvious.

As she stared at the sketch, she decided to change the positions of their arms; one at their side and the other touching the mirror; for the connection element . For some reason she couldn't get the arms right. Never could. Drawing arms had been the bane of her existence in childhood and it carried over into her present incarnation. His arm was too high or her arm was too thin. She crinkled her nose and inhaled deeply on the verge of sputtering a few expletives. She was about to take her ball point sharpie and 5 year old the hell out of the sketch, when her door opened.

“James, don't do it.” She froze hovering over the figures in the book. She turned her head slowly to see Mr. Hayama standing at the door way of her area, leaning coolly against the wall. His shoulder length hair covering his dark eyes slightly, like some moment from a serious drama she'd been watching, he seemed to be glazed over, in all his glory the minute details of his body enhanced to her as she sat dumbfounded.