How did I get this far?

The interview would take place in a meeting room.

There was a big squared table at the center with a file in front of each seat.

Since there wasn’t no names identifying seats, I picked a chair near the window as the other candidates were getting to their seats.

We would be interviewed by the CEO himself and three department directors, the ones needing employees. The positions at stake were management assistant, Marketing Coordinator, Sales assistant, financial advisor and engineering consultant.

They would put the people that applied for the same position in a group so they could analyze who had the better profile to do the job.

So, the interview with this group would be about the management assistant, the position I applied for.

The worst thing ever is when people with great backgrounds get to talk first.

The CEO, Dylan Montgomery, was sitting at one end of the table and instead of listening to candidates while they talked about their experience, he would just look out the window.

He should be the most interested in this meeting since the position we were getting interviewed for was for his department.

Whenever the candidates finished talking he would just ask

“Is there anything else you want to add?” With a predator stare.

That was getting the shit out of me.

When I got to talk he glared at me and a small side smile appeared. I knew I was doomed and worst of all, I knew he knew it!

My voice cracked the second I got to speak.

I cleared my throat and started telling my story and my little experience. I finished so fast that if they served us coffee, it wouldn’t be yet at the table by the time.

I was so embarrassed I wished the earth opened and swallowed me whole. Why did I think I could make it? That small talk about the worst thing that can happen if you try is hearing no it’s bullshit. You can get humiliated. You must know your place and I didn’t know mine, apparently. And it showed for everyone else to see.

A candidate guy, the only male who applied for that position, gave me a sneer laugh and shook his head.

Mr Montgomery glared at him briefly and said nothing. He didn’t ask me if there was something I wanted to add to my presentation. He just dismissed us.

“All of you can go. Lydia will give you further information while we ponder this. Have a nice day, ladies and gentleman”

As I walked past Mr Montgomery, I could feel his eyes burning the left side of my body, sending shivers all over it.

Lydia, the lady who got us to the meeting room, gave us the additional information how the selection process would be.

We would get a call from her by the end of the day to tell us if we succeed or not.

She warned us to be prepared for the call because she would only call once. If we didn’t pick up that would mean we were not really interested in getting the job.

On my way home I called Mikayla to share how things went. I wasn’t so confident I would get good news so I decided to kill my sadness with ice cream.

Although I wasn’t that confident I was glued to my phone waiting for the blessed call.

I didn’t get it, tho.

“I understand I was not the most qualified person in the room but she said she would call even if we didn’t succeed” I tell Mikayla while getting a huge spoon of ice cream into my mouth.

“Maybe she didn’t have time to do so?” Mikayla tried to soften my mood. “There were so many people in there, maybe she will call tomorrow… I don’t think she will reach everyone today, there were thirty candidates at least. It’s impossible to call all of them in one day”

“I hope you’re right. I really need a job soon or I’ll be homeless soon.”

The following two days I was done waiting for Lidya’s call. I started applying again for other jobs but didn’t get any replies.

It was Friday night and I was freaking out. How could I just move from my hometown without getting a job first? How could I really just on my savings when all I had left after Kevin was not enough to make a living for a month in a small town, let alone in a big city.

I was almost pulling my hair from my head when my phone rings. It was an unknown number.

As soon as I pick up, a familiar deep voice asked

“Am I talking to Elena Moore?”

“Y-Yes… who is it?”

“I’m Dylan Montgomery and I want to propose a deal”

“W-What?”

“I’ll be at Saint Mary Hotel tomorrow by 9am. We’ll discuss the matter in detail. Don’t be late. I hate waiting for too long”

I didn’t get the chance to process the information and the phone went mute.

That would be a long night since anxiety was chewing me inside out.