starlight

riley greene, 29. don't you see the starlight? don't you dream impossible things?

[riley-greene]

janegxrdner‌:

“I don’t know if I can even remember what I was like when I was eighteen… I think I wanted a nose ring at one point,” Jane chuckled, shaking her head as she threw a piece of banana bread into her mouth. “Glad I didn’t go through with it either.” It wasn’t that Jane was old enough to forget what she was like when she was eighteen, but she did feel as though her life began when she hit her twenties. More than likely it was because she wanted to grow up and catch up to the rest of her family, who were all in their twenties by the time she was fifteen.

A sincere laugh came out of Jane at Riley’s next statement, and as if she suddenly became aware of her laughter, she quickly covered her mouth by taking a sip of her drink to stifle her giggling. Still she nodded in agreement, smiling from behind her glass, “Oh I know exactly what you’re talking about.” Currently, Jane was enjoying Riley’s sense of humour. The young woman seemed quick to make a joke, when in contrast, Jane often found herself surrounded by people who tended to be much more serious. Perhaps she gave off the vibe that she didn’t like to joke around. “Although, I do miss my younger taste buds’ ability to drink any old shit that was passed around. These days I’m a lot more selective with my wine.”

“That makes sense,” Jane nodded in response. “What made you interested in journalism in the first place?”

Though Riley didn’t say anything, she couldn’t help but think that she couldn’t picture Jane being eighteen either. Despite what she had seen earlier, the woman seemed so put together - maybe professional was the right word? - that even picturing her with a nose ring felt off. That might not have been the most fair assessment, however, when a laugh from Jane almost startled her. Riley couldn’t help but grin as Jane was covering her mouth, confused why Jane would want to hide. She looked beautiful when she laughed. She was beautiful in general; a little scary, but beautiful. Something in her just made her want to make her laugh again.

“Oh, I haven’t gotten to that stage yet. I’m still willing to drink pretty much any wine that comes my way. It all just tastes the same to me,” she shrugged, taking another sip of her coffee. “None of it tastes good, per say, but it all gets the job done, and I think that’s the point. Wine is the least offensive of any of it, though,” she continued, hoping she didn’t come off like she had a drinking problem or something. 

Her question made her shrug again, taking another sip of her coffee as she thought about how to answer. “Well, I guess I’ve always been a little bit of a control freak. I like having facts, and I like being the one to distribute the facts. I like to write, but I like having the facts. I like current events, I like politics, it’s just always something I’ve wanted to talk about and like to discuss,” she explained, trying not to gush. Especially not at a job interview for a different job. ”Does anyone in your family work in anything similar to this? Like writing or something? Or are you, like, a trailblazer?” 

[riley-greene]

text → Jane Gardner

[riley-greene]

janegxrdner‌:

Jane: I believe you. So, what happened to you tonight then?

Jane: Your sister and I. We used to go gay clubbing when we were in college together. It was fun, I think I preferred it to be honest. Though my clubbing days are far behind me now.

Riley: tonight’s the tequila. i neeeveer drink it but somehow i found myself taking ANOTHER shot and now i remember why i never drink tequila :) 

Riley: i feel like i have even more questions now. why didnt iknow this? i feel like this should have come up

Riley: your clubbing days dont HAVE to be far behind you

[riley-greene]

text → Jane Gardner

[riley-greene]

janegxrdner‌:

Jane: No harm done. Though now I know what you get up to in your free time.

Jane: No, I couldn’t. I have too much work to do.

Jane: P.s. In regards to what you were texting your friend, it wouldn’t be completely out of the ordinary to catch me at a gay bar.

Riley: im usually so much less sloppy i promise. like SOO much less

Riley: right right for sure totally get that work done!!! have a goid nigth

Riley: what what. 

Riley: u cant ps something like that ?? elaborate

Riley: i mean you dont have to. i totallyr espect your privacy. its the tequila!

[riley-greene]

text → Jane Gardner

[riley-greene]

janegxrdner‌:

Jane: Coming out? I’m at the office, what are you talking about? Did we organize some sort of night out?

Jane: You don’t sound too good. I think I would’ve remembered if you invited me to a gay bar, unless you actually planned on meeting me somewhere else afterwards.

RIley: oooohhhhhh fuck 

Riley: i definitely texted the wrong number. hi jane! i fucked up. j is VRRY close to h on my keyboard and i have had SO much tequila and meant to text someone else. fuck. so sorry!

Riley: unless you were wanting to come out? i mean whatevr. again i am SO sorry

[riley-greene]

text → Jane Gardner

Riley: when are you coming ouuuuttttt?? :( 

Riley: you have to come out SOON i’n getting too drubk i almst went up to some random lady to say hi because she looks like my boss but then i realized she jsut had brown hair and i’m at a gay bar LOL 

[bisexualgorgeous]

i made up on my mind, i’m better off bein’ alone

[waller-bridge]

Brie Larson photographed by Rosemarie Yang at Gardens By The Bay and Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, Singapore

[riley-greene]

janegxrdner‌:

“Oh yes, I love it. Well, I knew I would, once I changed career paths,” Jane replied easily when asked if she liked publishing. “It combines everything I’m good at. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.” While the divorce was being finalized, Jane buried herself in her work, more so than usual. It was easy to be consumed by it; reading proposals, organizing interviews, meeting deadlines, there was a lot to do and Jane was grateful for it. That way she didn’t have time to actually confront herself, and what she was doing with her life. “Speaking of which, I’d love for you to get me in contact with someone from your family’s publishing company. Argos wants to expand their line, and connections are always important.” Unsurprisingly, getting straight into business was not unusual for Jane.

“Mmm,” Jane hummed in agreement, briefly raising her eyebrows as she took another sip of her coffee. “Alcohol yes, that, and all other manner of sins,” she smirked, while placing her glass back down. She was half-joking; it was often hard to tell when Jane was playing around, but she was glad that Riley had laughed when she called herself insane. She had after all, been joking. “So what happened with your journalism degree?” She asked, curious to get to know more of her new assistant.

At Jane’s enthusiasm for her job, Riley smiled, both slightly endeared by it and slightly jealous. "That’s great. It’s always great to figure out what you want to do a little later. I mean, there’s so much pressure to pick a major right out of high school and I don’t like half the stuff I did when I was eighteen,” Riley nodded, a small joking smile at her lips. “I mean, I still have my Katy Perry CD from 2008, but I’m still glad my parents said no when I wanted to dye my hair pink. It’s a give and take.” Though she nodded at the request for Riley to make the connection for Jane, she was already sure she would have to be reminded again. While she had always been responsible for the most part, she pretty much zoned out any time her parents spoke about business with her. Bringing it up to them sounded less likely. 

Jane’s comment solicited another laugh out of Riley, nodding in agreement. “Totally. I used to think the sneaking around part was the fun part of drinking when I was younger, but it turns out buying a bottle of wine at Trader Joe’s and not having to share it amongst your twelve friends is so much better. In that sense, adulthood is a blast,” she agreed, still laughing softly. It seemed easy enough to talk to Jane, which was nice, even if she was sure they wouldn’t ever really have a friendly relationship. They’d have their nice coffee, get to know each other, then start business as usual. Friendly but not friends. The questioning of her journalism degree nearly made her flinch, but instead she just shrugged. “Oh, I did some freelance work for a while right out of college, and did some writing that way. But, you know, no one really tells you all the things you can do with a degree in journalism. Now I’m sort of exploring, I guess.” It was the easiest way to say nothing came of her journalism degree, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit defeat.

[riley-greene]

janegxrdner‌:

“You’re welcome. Honestly, I don’t really get the whole interview process. All the women and men who apply are virtually the same, and they always say the same things. You can’t really know anyone until you get to work with them, so what’s the point?” Jane shrugged, thinking she should explain why she’d been so quick to hire Riley, after she saw the surprise in the young woman’s face. “Also, you’ve worked in publishing before, so, you had that going for you.”

Jane smiled at Riley’s question, glad that she was asking some of her own. “No, not at all,” she replied. “I initially enrolled in an Ancient History degree, but I realized towards the end, I’m not really cut out for writing research papers – much better at reading them.” Before she could continue, her drink arrived and Jane paused to thank the waitress, as well as take an indulgent sip of her coffee.

“There’s no alcohol in this by the way,” Jane said quickly, as she put down her glass. “I mean, there is, but it’s not a cocktail, or anything like the Irish Coffees you get in bars or clubs. You know, it’s just a shot,” she added, while holding up her hand and making a gap between her thumb and forefinger. “I’m not an alcoholic is what I’m trying to say. Based on what I’ve ordered, and the phone call you walked in on, I don’t need you thinking I’m completely insane.”

Riley had no idea how to respond to Jane’s comment that everyone who applied for her position were the same. Mainly, it was just her pride that felt a bit bruised due to this. Of course, her interview answers and application probably wasn’t anything special, but she liked to feel special. Who could blame her?

“Oh, cool. That’s definitely a skill in and of itself. I know plenty of people who hate reading academic writing,” she smiled, just trying to make some conversation. She definitely was interested in the answer, there was just the added awkwardness of having coffee with her boss that made her feel a little subdued.”You must have ended up liking publishing if you’re still here, though, right?” Riley desired nothing less than getting stuck in this job, and while it seemed as if Jane must like it, it really made her feel nervous that she too had started out wanting something else. 

Though Jane seemed serious, Riley couldn’t help but laugh. “You really don’t have to worry, I wasn’t even thinking about it. I mean, I assumed you weren’t going to get plastered over coffee, but if you do no judgement,” she replied, her tone joking as she waved her hand around. “I really wasn’t thinking anything like that. The phone call sounded pretty stressful, I wouldn’t blame you for having a drink. That’s the best part about being an adult, right? Getting alcohol is so much more direct,” she added. 

[briedaily]

brycescarlett @brielarson x @celine

[waller-bridge]

#mood

[riley-greene]

janegxrdner‌:

“Teacher’s pet, huh?” Jane laughed, in response. She liked that Riley sounded a little cocky, it was amusing, and not in a condescending way. “Starbucks is a little too sweet for my liking.”

Entering the car, Jane thought nothing of how cheap it looked. “Don’t get too excited,” she smiled softly, appreciating Riley’s enthusiasm. Jane then led them to a little cafe a few blocks away, and they ordered their drinks before taking a seat by the window, while waiting for their drinks to be brought out. Jane had ordered an Irish Coffee, and briefly commented that the reason she came here was because it was one of the only places she knew where she could order one. Regardless of what she had said earlier, Jane paid for her own coffee, - as well as a slice of banana bread - certainly not going to go through with making the poor girl pay for her, when she’d only gone in for a job interview. 

“Listen, about what I said earlier. I was only joking. You’ve already got the job. And the reason I’m telling you this now, is because I’d rather you didn’t suck up to me while we get to know each other. I can’t stand it when people aren’t straight with me,” she stated, while her hands picked at her banana bread. She wished her husband had been straight with her, then she wouldn’t have wasted so much of her life with him.

After ordering just a small, black coffee, Riley sat with Jane at their table by the window. Honestly, she was slightly more nervous about having this coffee with Jane than she had been about the interview. At least for the interview, she had a fairly good idea of what would be asked and where the conversation would lead, but ironically in this more casual setting it felt as though there was more pressure. 

At the news that Riley had already gotten the job, her eyebrows raised in surprise. If she were alone she would celebrate, mainly because it felt good to win, but in front of Jane she felt a bit more subdued. “Oh. Wow, thank you. I appreciate you telling me before I tried to suck up too much,” she replied, settling on ending her statement with a joke to avoid dwelling on the news for too long and making the situation weird. “Noted, though. I don’t think you’ll really have to worry about me not being straight with you. I’m an open book, and a fairly blunt open book at that,” she assured her, knowing both that she was lying and the irony in her lie as well as the idea of ‘being straight’ in general. 

“So, did you always know you wanted to work in publishing?” Riley asked, glancing at Jane from over the top of her mug as she took a sip from her coffee. 

[riley-greene]

janegxrdner‌:

Jane smirked, amused by the young woman’s eager response to getting her a drink. Jane knew she was probably exploiting her a little, but it wouldn’t be entirely exploitative if Jane gave her the job in the end, and Jane was well on her way to doing just that. “Mmm, a bit of both,” Jane teased, humming as if she was still considering. “Well alright then, let’s go,” she said suddenly, pushing herself up from her desk and moving to the corner of the room to grab her coat. 

“If I work with anyone, I prefer to know who it is that I’m working with. So if coffee goes well, I guess you’ve got the job,” she shrugged, walking over to the door. She was definitely using this interview as an excuse to get out of the office. “There’s a specific place I like getting my coffee from. You drive, and I’ll show you the way,” she opened the door, looking back at her to see what she would do. Of course there was certainly no obligation for Riley to go anywhere with her, and it was possible that this interview could end right here, but Jane had a good feeling she wouldn’t say no.

It took a moment for Riley to register that Jane was serious not only about Riley getting the coffee, but also planning to tag along. However, this all seemed like a good sign, and she didn’t want to mess up now. “Right, let’s. Sounds good,” she nodded, standing as well, reaching into her bag for her keys. 

Following behind Jane, Riley couldn’t help but smile again at the ultimatum given to her. “Well, that sounds promising. Not to brag, but I was frequently described as ‘a pleasure to have in class’,” she replied with joking confidence. Although, she was fairly confident that she was going to end up getting this position. She knew she just needed to make sure her confidence didn’t turn into cockiness that would cost her the job. “Perfect. I love when I get to have coffee with someone whose favorite coffee place isn’t Starbucks.”

Riley was slightly embarrassed of her car - it was an old, cheap, used car that she bought when she moved back to town. Regardless, it was more normal to just say nothing about it than it was to apologize, so she led Jane to the car with just small talk. “Alright, lead the way. I’m excited to try this place out.”

[riley-greene]

janegxrdner‌:

“Fair enough,” Jane shrugged, not yet entirely convinced by what Riley was saying, but not blaming her for not telling the truth either. Or maybe, Riley was actually telling her the truth, since Jane wouldn’t know how it felt to work for her family. She certainly couldn’t imagine going working for her brother in his bakery. It would’ve been a nightmare watching him chat up all the women that entered. At the thought, she shook her head and opened the draw under her desk again. This time she killed her cigarette in an ash tray that she hid there.

Jane hadn’t always been a smoker. She’d smoked on and off throughout her teens, more as a social thing, but picked it up again halfway through her marriage, when things were turning sour. She liked to think she only did it when she was stressed, although it was steadily becoming a daily habit. “Alright, I believe you…” Jane nodded, appreciating the young woman’s tenacity. “So what would happen if I asked you to get me a coffee now?” Jane asked, knowing it was an unconventional question/demand. In all truth, Jane was just about ready to give her the job, if only because she was sick of conducting interviews. Or at the very least, because her face reminded her of someone.

Every small gesture of validation was really affirming for Riley, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. This woman wasn’t even her boss, not yet anyway, and yet she already felt almost an instinctive need to impress her. Maybe it was the fact that she was older and in charge, and Riley had a strong desire to get validation from authority figures since she got her first ‘good work!’ comment on a spelling test in elementary school. Or, maybe it was the fact that there was something so familiar about her. Like she’d met her before. But plenty of people looked like other people, so it could easily mean nothing. 

Jane’s question caught her off guard, but Riley tried not to stumble. It seemed like a good sign. A sign that could mean she got the job. “I’d say that I’m parked at a meter, so it would be a win-win. You’d get your coffee and I wouldn’t have to get my car towed,” her voice remained serious, but her tone was slightly joking. Her expression turned serious again quickly though, as she considered that a job still hadn’t really been offered to her. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself or anything, but does this mean that I got the job? Or have I just exposed myself as a sucker who’s quick to go and get coffee for anyone who asks?”

[sofiacarsonsource]

…the perfect choice for Vogue’s internship.

[riley-greene]

janegxrdner‌:

“You don’t want your skills downplayed, and yet you applied for a personal assistant job?” Jane raised an eyebrow, finding it ironic that the young woman said she wanted to set her sights a little higher, only to apply to be an assistant. “You do know what this job will require you to do, yes?” Of course, Riley could have been saying all of these things merely for the sake of the interview. If so, Jane certainly wasn’t judging. You said what you had to, to get a job, and it was certainly a very well-crafted response. The problem was Jane hated insincerity, which is why she hated conducting job interviews, almost as much as people hated doing them. It was a pain, having to ask bullshit questions like why do you want this job, only to get bullshit responses that didn’t include the obvious answer; money. 

Insincerity was also the reason why she didn’t say anything when Riley had offered her sympathy earlier. Again, Riley was probably just saying that for the sake of the interview. Not that anything Riley was doing, was personally annoying Jane. The woman was behaving fine, Jane was merely being a cynic.

After briefly glancing at her resume, without touching it, Jane leaned back in her chair. “You can be honest with me, are you interested in publishing at all?”

Riley couldn’t help but smile a bit at Jane’s questioning, knowing that it was a valid line of reasoning. But then again, it came back to her writing. An assistant job wasn’t too time consuming, which gave her more time to focus on her actual career goals. But it would be pretty stupid to tell her, ‘oh I want this job to try and get another job’ now wouldn’t it? Much smarter to just continue and bullshit her way through this with all the professional speak she could think of. Something that hopefully sounded almost impressive. “Oh, I know,” she agreed, nodding. “But everyone starts somewhere, right? The way I see it, being an assistant is definitely much better than having an unpaid internship, so I’ve already got some upward mobility.” She couldn’t deny this part was pretty true. At the very least, it was money. Her bills would get paid. That was all she needed as of right now.

The next question, however, confused her. Was she trying to mess with her? It didn’t seem like telling someone they had no interest in the job she was applying for would be the best way to get that job. If it was a test it seemed almost too easy. “Of course I am. That’s why I’m here,” she replied matter-of-factly. “I know it would be easier for me to be working in publishing if I just got a job working for my family, but I’m here because I want to work here. And I’ve got a knack for getting the phone, and experience picking up coffee,” she explained, her tone growing a bit lighter at the end of her explanation.

[cowboyhudsons]