Chapter 4 Well, fuck me

I hardly slept all night. I kept waking up to check the alarm clock by my bedside; time was moving so slowly.

The mail said I had to be there by 9 am, but early is always a good look, so I planned on going there immediately after I drop Max at school.

7:08 am, the clock in the living room read as I packed Max's lunch. "Honey? Come on down, it's time for us to leave," I called out to Max from downstairs.

"I can't find my EpiPen," I heard him say with a shaky voice. I hurried up the stairs to find him sitting in a mess of his things. "Max, hey. Come here baby," I said softly, opening my arms at the door. He ran towards me, hugging my legs. "I'm sorry mommy, I can't remember where I put it."

"That's okay. I'll ask Aunt Rachel if you left it at her house and if you didn't, I'll just get you a new one," I assured, rubbing his back in a soothing motion. He nodded into my dress before pulling away.

"Now," I crouched down to his level. "Why don't we put on our big boy face and see what the day has for us." I used my fingers to move the hair strands away from his face.

-

"Bye Maxwell," I waved as a teacher came to get him from the car. I told myself that no matter how bad it got, I would make sure Max has the best education and so far, I was doing just that.

8:06 am. Everyone knew the Ross Building, so it was not going to be difficult to find, plus, it wasn't far from Max's school. I made a quick stop for coffee a couple of miles away from the building and at 8:20 am, I was speed walking back to my car so I could keep to my early arrival.

I stopped to adjust the silver belt I had paired with my dress and just as I made a turn, I didn't notice the tall figure stepping out of his car until it was too late. My coffee-filled cup collided with his crisp white shirt, staining it a deep brown.

My face twisted with horror as the coffee steeped through the material.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, mortified, as I quickly grabbed a handful of napkins from my bag.

Before I could even attempt to wipe away at the mess, the man's face darkened, and he stepped away. "Watch where you're going, don't be so clumsy! This shirt cost more than your entire wardrobe!"

This was the point where I should have walked off, but the tigress in me had awakened. My initial nervousness turned to defensiveness. "Hey, it was an accident! No need to be rude about it."

The man's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing. "Rude? You think you can just spill whatever the heck that was on me and then mouth off? You're lucky I'm not suing you for damages."

My anger flared. "Well, instead of investing in a better shirt, maybe you should consider a better attitude!" With a huff, I turned on my heel and strutted away, not noticing the man's stunned expression.

As I drove, my anger only grew. I couldn't believe the nerve of some people! Just because he was some rich jerk doesn't mean he has the right to talk down on people.

8:40 am. I was standing with my jaw almost touching the floor in the parking lot of the Ross Building. The magazines did not do justice to the magnificent structure standing before me. It looked over seven stories high, and the blue glass surrounding it was reflecting every ray of sunshine that bounced on it.

I gathered myself and entered the building. 4th floor, second wing, I chanted to myself as the elevator doors closed in front of my eyes. I looked at my reflection, smoothing down my dress and making sure the tight bun I had held my hair in was still secure.

I gulped when the doors opened back, the cold gust of air from the double-sided air conditioners welcoming me as I stepped out.

I walked towards the lady behind the large mahogany desk that was hard to miss. "Hi, good morning. I'm Elena, I have a meeting with Matilda by 9 am." I said with a polite smile.

She looked up at me, "good morning, take the door by your right. You'll see a sign that says wing B. There should be a girl seated there, you can take a seat and wait for Matilda to call you."

I did as I was told and at 9:20 am, another woman joined us just before a woman in her mid-thirties came out of a door that I hadn't noticed earlier. "I'm Matilda, sorry to have kept you waiting, let's get started."

"The three of you have been selected among the many applications we received. Mind you, this is not an easy job. I assure you that the pay is certainly worth the task at hand. In a minute, I would call each of you in to ask you some personal questions and then the CEO would decide which of you gets the job." She announced, clasping her hands together.

Did I seriously just spend over a thousand dollars to get a dress when the job wasn't even secured yet?!!

"I thought the job opening was for the secretary to the junior CEO?" The woman who had come in after me asked.

"It is, but seeing as he is currently out of the country, the CEO would make that decision in his stead," Matilda answered, sounding almost robot-like.

"The CEO would be here shortly," the lady behind the desk announced at the door before turning on her heel to leave.

"Oh!" She exclaimed shakily. "He's here already."

An oddly familiar scent filled the room, making me look up from my shoes. "Well fuck me," I muttered to myself.