Chapter 2 Two Sides Of A Coin

"You know you don't have to work, right ? Also, If it's because of what Connor, that dumb ass, told you about growing up and finding a job, you know you don't have to listen to that knucklehead?" Annie, my roommate and best mate since diaper days urged me. She's always been a constant in my life since our childhood. She was the one who held my hands as I cried my eyes out after losing my mom at age thirteen to Cancer. My Dad already died three years after my birth, so losing my mom branded me with the tag known as 'an orphan.'

"I never liked that know-it-all anyway." Raine chipped in. She was plucking the hairs overgrown around her brows. As a makeup artist and a skin care consultant, she was particular about everything being perfect. Annie and I met her at one Creative workshop and we've been joined at the hips since then. Raine moved in here with us because she was saving for her own Make-up Studio and she needed to cut down her expenses, and rent was the first and major expense. She was the perfect balance to our dual friendship. Now, we were the trio who jokingly refer to ourselves as the 'Three Musketeers.'

"Guys, this is not because of Connor. Forgive me if this is rude, but right now, he is a blip in my past." I adjusted the collar of my white chiffon top and tugged at my skirt a bit down because I was worried that I'll look sultry, even though that was not my intent.

"But, a personal secretary might not..." Annie was saying when I indicated a stop hand sign.

"You guys should stop being negative and focus on the fact that I am going for a job interview today. I need you guys to wish me luck instead of bothering about insignificant things." I urged them. The truth was that as much as I tried to act brave, I was a bit intimidated about applying at Falcon's enterprise today. That's why I needed friends to assure me that I am not batshit crazy.

"Alright girl, sorry about the whole thing. You just shocked us by saying you are going for an interview this morning that you applied for yesterday." Annie said.

"Good luck V! I know that job is already as good as yours and you'll knock 'em all dead." Rainie said in a cheerleader fashion that had me breaking into a smile immediately. I could feel the pent up nerves ebb away slowly.

"Yes, you got this! Remember, you don't need the job. Rather, the job needs you and if they fail to see that, then it's their fault that someone as amazing as you didn't get the job." Annie hyped me up in such a way that I soon had red staining my cheeks.

"You guys definitely know how to make a girl special. Anyway, I'll be going right now. Don't want to get there late and show any form of unseriousness." With that said, I picked up my black handbag off the bed and bid them to goodbye.

When I got dropped off at the main office building, I took a deep breath and stared at the mesmerizing, yet intimidating building. I suddenly had the urge to get back inside the taxi and ask him to drive me back home. But because I wasn't a quitter, I stood rooted in the spot, and decided to see this all the way through.

"Hello, I am Candidate 444 applying for the position of Personal Assistant today." I said in a cheerily voice to the receptionist at the front desk. She looked up from the laptop, a landline phone off the hook and her lips twisted in what I interpreted as pity.

"Just get into that elevator at the far end of this hallway. Press 24 and it'll take you to the twenty-fourth floor where the interview is taking place." She said with a smile on her face. When I first saw her, she looked like she was going to be mean. I know it's me stereotyping a certain type of people, but whenever I see receptionist around the age twenty-five to twenty-eight as receptionist in big corporations, I actually assume that they are bitchy and most times I am always right on that front. Thank goodness this lady seemed like one of the few exceptions. I looked at her name tag and it read 'Lillian.' I ensured I had her name memorized in case I actually got a job here, I needed to know at least one person that seemed like a friendly face in order to survive.

"Thank you so much." I said.

"Goodluck! You'll certainly need it for that interview." She whispered to me and slid in a toffee from the complimentary sweet basket on her table.

I grinned and hurried to the elevator. I got in with two people and struggled not to tap my feet in anxiety. Didn't want them looking at me like I was a maniac.

When I got to the twenty-fourth floor, I was directed by that floor receptionist to the waiting area. As I sat down there, more people kept trooping in. The more I heard them practice, the more I became less confident. I overhead one lady say she went to language school just for this job. I realized how some people had been preparing for this opportunity all their lives and then there is me, that just applied on a whim yesterday. What was I even thinking? I was definitely not cut out for this job.

With that conviction, I stood up and made an attempt to leave when the office door opened and a lady came out and said, "Candidate 444, we'll have you now."

My eyes almost bugged out of the sockets. Should I answer or should I pretend I wasn't here even though I had a big Candidate 444 tagged on my chest that I was given by the floor's receptionist?

"Hey, aren't you the one?" My neighbor touched me lightly.Yes, way to state the obvious. I thought, eyeing her wearily.

"Are you coming in for the interview?" The lady asked, her gaze now directed at me. I could feel ten pairs of eyes on me, possibly thinking who was this weirdo?

I bobbed my head in reply, not trusting my speech.

When I got into the large office where three panel members were seated at the front with a single chair facing their's.

The two ladies were faced forward, while the guy, I could it was a guy from the physique of the other person, his swivel chair was backing me.

"Please, have a seat." The lady who walked me into the room directed me as she pointed at the seat.

I sat down and looked straight ahead.

When he finally turned his swivel chair, all the words in my mouth died a natural death.

Was the Universe trying to play a trick on me?

"Ermmmm... Hello." I stuttered my way through the sentence. This was so unlike me, I am usually the type of person that has the most to say, and to think that seeing the 'bar guy', yes, we are going to call him that seeing as I don't know his name is making me lost for words is rubbing me in some kind of way I don't find funny. My mom, of blessed memory, always said I talked 'a thousand per minute.'

"And she speaks. That is a start." The guy stated and went back to looking at my C.V. My confusion bubbles into a new emotion- anger. Who is he to pretend like he doesn't know me? Well, two can play this game. I am going to ace this interview so well, that they will have no choice to employ me and I plan to make him miserable enough for him to learn some manners, then I will quit.

"Sorry about that. I had a bit of a moment of confusion. Saw something shocking minutes ago, but I am good and ready to ace this interview." I mustered my 'air hostess' smile that I have been told elicits a smile from other people. The two interviewers smiled at me and nodded their head. The one amongst them I have come to know as Lydiv, smiled like she was indeed relieved I wasn't a mute. Who knows what the ogre of a boss would do to her if that was the case?

"Quite a rocky start for an interview you want to ace, if I must say." The guy chipped in, causing the smiles on the other interviewers faces to fall. They suddenly began looking at the papers at their front like it was the most interesting thing in the room.

I suddenly became more irritated, who does he think he is to talk to me like that? Is he Bill Gates? So, because he is possibly a Director, what gives him the right to talk to people like fleas? Forget about the job, I need to put him in his place.

"Ever heard the phrase, don't put the cart before the horse? I would think you'll know that since you seem like such an intellect." I replied snarkily to him, a saccharine smile fixed in place and my left eyebrow raised in challenge.

The guy gaped at me, and the other interviewers exchanged glances at each other, possibly shocked I spoke to him like that. Maybe he was used to having his way, he needs me in his life for a reality check.

"Well, Miss," He took a glance at the C.V and back at me again, "Violet Sanderson, let's get back the interview. Why do you think that you will be a good fit as a P.A for the company's CEO?"

"Well, for one, I am a very determined and goal-oriented person. Whenever I put my mind to things, I get it done. Also, I am a quick learner and also someone who is open to changes. I am quite vocal about things, and I feel like these are the qualities a good P. A should have."

"Yeah, I think we got the vocal part." The guy murmured under his breath, but to my hearing.

"I personally think that a lot of people think they want a docile person, but it gets boring when the person who follows you practically everywhere is just an empty barrel on legs. Do you think that the CEO of the company will want someone who cannot be a sounding board when he wants to make some hasty decisions on trips, I think not." I replied.

"You really do say everything on your mind, don't you?" The guy asked.

I shrugged, "Life's too short, keep it real always."

The guy looked at me for a full one minute, then he looked like he was trying to place my face, before the look disappeared. He turned to the other lady, "Róse, do you have anything you need to ask her before we dismiss her?"

Rose looked at her paper before looking up at me, "So, I can see here that you studied at a prestigious Art University. Tell me why you are not pursuing something related to your dream?"

I took a deep breath in and flashed a smile. I knew this question was part of the questions they might possibly ask, but I didn't know that I was going to feel a type of way, maybe sadness, it's just all confusing.

"So, on the contrary I am doing something with my art, you just haven't heard of me yet. While passion is good, sometimes it requires taking a step back, while waiting for some things to take their course. So, right now that's what I am doing. Trying to channel the pent up energy left from bothering about Art all these years, to another thing." I gave the answer closest to the truth. No need telling a bunch of interviewers I might never see again my life history.

"Seems fair, I definitely get what you mean." Róse said.

"So, one thing I love is your confidence and I can see in your C.V you also took a couple of courses in different fields which proves for a fact that you are as versatile as you say you are. You will be hearing from us before the end of the week." Lydiv inputted.

Genuinely, I wanted to ace this interview at the beginning until bossy blabber mouth, a maybe director, bar guy, got on my nerves. Now, I honestly had zero expectations regarding getting a positive feedback because all the attitude I showed; being overly confident, being somewhat rude to their maybe director, these things all made me seem like I was not going to be a good team player. I was sure Lydiv was just saying these things to be polite. The moment I'm out of this door, they'll be possibly shredding my C.V and I won't blame Lydiv and Róse, but, I sure will blame that cocky bar guy. He got me worked up in ways I haven't had someone crawl under my skin before.

"Ryan, I think that's all. If there is nothing else, can I call in the next interviewee?" Lydiv asked.

The bar guy whom I have come to now know Ryan, which by the name is a fitting name for a corky jerk paused his lips in thought, before he spoke, "Miss Violet Sanderson, it's been a pleasure and definitely an out of the box interview. Like Lydiv said, we'll get back to you before the end of the week. Have a pleasant day."

I stood up, directed my smile at the other two ladies, and started walking out of the room. Under my breath I mouthed, "And you have an unpleasant day."

"And Violet Sanderson?" Ryan called out my name when I got to the door and was about turning the door knob. Lydiv was right behind me, possibly to go call in the next candidate. I smoothened my expression and turned back to him, I noticed she too stopped in her tracks possibly wondering what he wanted to tell me after saying we were done with the interview.

"Yes?"

"I can still hear you." He mouthed and pointed at the little microphone on his ear, and the mouthpiece dangling on my blouse that I was given by Lydiv immediately I walked into the room for the interview. Only him still had a microphone in his ear and I just said something so obvious that he knew I was talking about it.

A smirk crept up his face as I felt myself becoming red all over.

I hurried out of the room completely mortified.

I was beyond screwed.

*****************

"I hate him. I hate him. I hate him." I said for the umpteenth time to my roommates since I came back from the interview. I remembered the smirk on his face and just feel like if I could wrangle his neck right now. He made me feel tiny by smirking and if I could have wiped that smirk off his cocky face, best believe me I would have.

"Violet, I am not a party pooper neither am I on the stop-the-hate-on-the-man train. But, it will be nice if we can know who you hate asides Connor, so we can all hate him together. Ain't I right, Annie?" Rainie turned to Annie who was in the Kitchen trying out a new recipe she learnt at culinary school so we could have it as dinner. She looked so serious as she folded the dumplings and I smiled, forgetting my anger at Ryan because I was just so proud of how close she has come to achieving her goals.

There was silence until she finished folding the last dumpling and plopped all of them into the point of boiling hot water, before she dusted her flour hands on her apron.

"I'm with Rainie on this. Let's know who you hate, so we can get on the internet, print pictures of him and throw darts on them. That way you can feel better."

Alright, so, remember the night I broke up with that douchebag Connor. You know I came back raving about some guy that I met at the bar that refused to tell me his name?" I asked.

"Yeah, we remember." Annie said.

"The one you called a hottie in five different languages?" Rainie asked, lifting her brows playfully earning a snicker from me.

"Yeah, that one. Anyway, turns out he works at Falcon Enterprises and he was part of the interviewers that interviewed me today."

"So this is love." Rainie sing song as she grabbed a clean spatula and started gyrating her hips around the living room.

I snorted, "Yeah, as if. Turns out he is a major A-hole and also corky. I wouldn't touch his nasty ass with a ten-foot pole. He was just so direct in his speech in a way that irked me. It was like he was a different person from the person I met at the bar, like that was his alter ego. Also, it annoyed me that despite him being a major pain, he was still so fine to look at! That is what I hate admitting." I groaned whilst banding my head lightly on the kitchen counter.

Rainie grabbed her laptop from her room and came back to the living room. Putting it on the center table, she sat on the rug and flexed her fingers while her system was booting

"Tell me his name now and I am going to help you find him."

"Ryan. That's all I know." I replied her.

She grinned and started typing, "That's more than enough dearie."

We all have that one friend that we think missed their calling to work in the CIA or FBI because of how good they are at finding someone. Raine was that person in our friendship group.

After minutes of searching, she turned the laptop in my direction, "Is he the one?"

Indeed, yes, he was the one. The arrogant human was wearing an Armani suit and had his hand on his jaw lightly. He looked so good, not like I was willingly going to admit that right now.

"Yes, he is." I replied.

She took the laptop back, concern evident on her face. After which she turned to me and said, "My dear, this is the CEO of Falcon Enterprises."

"What? That isn't possible. The CEO is Marcus Falcon, last I checked yesterday." I almost choked on my spit at her revelation. There was definitely no way what Rainie was saying is true.

"Yeah, that was yesterday. As of this morning, it was announced that his Son who has been away from the spotlight and under interim leadership training is now the new CEO of Falcon Enterprises. His name is Ryan Falcon."

Suddenly all the dots connected in my head. No wonder the receptionist wished me luck. No wonder the interviewers were treading on thin ice with him. A lot of insiders must have known he was the new CEO before the news broke out and knew what he is like. This right now is like my life is a bad soap opera and I am the lead character who dies halfway to the end of the movie. I remembered how I said he should have a miserable day and he heard it. Everything is indeed over and there is no point crying over split milk.

I chuckled for a long time with my friends looking at me like I had gone bonkers.

"Guys, let's go clubbing tonight. I need a stiff drink because one thing is of certain. There is no way on this green earth that I am getting that job."

After telling someone that was going to be my boss to have an unpleasant day, he must be bonkers to give me a job as his P.A.

**********************

My phone rang at a distance. I opened my eyes slowly, trying to get them adjusted to the harsh lightning in the living room. After clubbing last night, and taking a couple of shots too. The three of us stumbled back home and collapsed on the pull out couch. As I opened my eyes halfway, I noticed my friends sprawled in different positions on the couch.

I used my hands to feel on the couch for my phone and my fingers finally touched the cold object.

"Hello." I said immediately I picked up in my coarse voice for shouting over the music.

"I believe I am speaking with Violet Sanderson. I just called to tell you that you got the job as the P.A to the CEO of Falcon Enterprises and you are to begin effective from Monday." The cheerily voice said like that was the best thing she had to say today.

My brain booted for a minute before I finally understood what she just told me.

The first thing that popped out of my mouth was, "I'm sorry, but why would I get the job?"