3

Friday was finally here. It had been the longest three days for Lily. 

She was ready.

No she wasn't. 

But she didn't put too much thought into it. Another lie, she completely did.

She had taken a local bus, that was how much she could afford and while in the bus, someone had smeared her white gown with orange soda and that was when regretting her actions began. 

She had chosen the white shirt gown with the floral waist belt because it made her look 'rich.' It was expensive. 'Who sells clothes for a hundred dollars?' Mama Johnson had wondered.

But here she was anyway.

There was so much to do, and know. What type of questions would they ask her? She wondered as she stared at the building across from her.

Her thoughts were disrupted when a splash from a puddle stained her dress.

She shrieked in horror. The driver of the black range rover parked in front of her right away.

"Look what you've done!" She cried.

"I'm so sorry." He said in an apologetic tone.

"You ruined my dress "

"It was not my intention."

"I have to be at an interview!"

"Me too." He said, not taking his eyes off her gown.

What if he wanted to apply as Roman's partner as well? Lily wondered. But nothing in the ad had made mentions of Roman being gay in the first place.

"I'm running late but I'll repay you if I ever can." He assured her.

"But I-" she began with an argument, stopping at the sight of his bleeding knuckles which she had only noticed.

"Oh my goodness." She took his hands without regard for his privacy. "You're bleeding." She said as if it wasn't obvious.

He gently withdrew his hand from hers, scratching the back of his neck with his other hand. "Well this is awkward."

"I'm so, so sorry." She gasped, just realising how rude her action had been. "It was a reflex, I hope you are doing fine." She cleared her throat.

"I'm awfully sorry for ruining your dress but I'm running late for a meeting. If it's fate that we will meet again, I'll repay you." He said, getting into his car.

She watched in awe as he drove off. "What do I do now?" Lily looked around her. Every organisation surrounding her was gallant and tall, no roadside shop to stop at and ask for water.

Without thinking twice, Lily made her way to the building in front of her. It was a restaurant and she thought that surely they must have bathrooms.

Ten minutes of toilet paper cleansing later, she was out and ready for her interview. She was beyond late and it occurred to her that they might have invited more than one woman.

She crossed the street like a mother looking for a missing child and was welcomed by the Dalmians' security team.

*

Kim knew it wasn't James's fault but she kept pressuring him to honk the horn.

"I'm trying Kim, there was an accident earlier and the road is clearly blocked." He explained for the umpteenth time.

"Fuck, I can't keep doing this." She groaned, checking her phone one more time.

"What are you doing?" James narrowed his eyes at her when she got out of her seatbelt.

"Walking." She scoffed, taking a mirror out of her purse to see if her makeup still looked good. She had cut her hair to shoulder length and was in a red dress that accented her slim-curvy body.

She opened the car door and left him there, yelling for her to come back.

The wind certainly wasn't in a good mood either as it tossed her hair around her face as she made her way to the Dalmians, by foot.

*

The security check was wearing Lily out. For the last thirty minutes since her arrival, it had been from one post to the other. Lucky for her, the Air conditioned space made her comfortable and still allowed for her to admire how elegant it was here.

It looked like Christmas was here especially with the yellow light bulbs and the white marble floors.

"Miss Johnson?" A woman in a white shirt tucked into a red skirt called her. The ginger haired, tall worker had her hair in a neat ponytail and her name tag read 'Louise'. At first, Lily thought she had to go through another security line up.

"You can go in now." Louise informed, causing Lily's face to brighten up in relief.

"Come with me." Louise directed her.

*

Walking into the office, Lily's heart sank from the effects of intimidation. Four men dressed in grey, black suits were sitting on a desk, a floor to ceiling window was behind them and none of them looked excited to see her. If anything, they appeared to be disappointed.

"This is her?" One of them broke the awkward silence. She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her in that instant but nothing happened.

Louise interrupted with an alarming gasp, "sirs, there seems to be a problem." She had her hand on the earphone piece in her ear. "I just received word that another woman is here, claiming that she got the email."

The men exchanged looks until one of them spoke up. "Send her in."

That was when Lily focused on him with furrowed eyebrows. That voice...

She gasped in realisation, he had been the one who smeared her gown with mud earlier.

It was at that moment that she realised this man was none other than Roman Dalmain.