Rejected

She moved to the other end of the elevator as the unfathomably good-looking man entered, Their eyes met for a brief second as he intently gazed hers then he courtesied briefly—with a slight bow and she nodded in response, mouthing a good day ever so lightly. Her voice was nowhere to be found.

Still shocked from meeting someone who looked as perfect as he did, Maria stole glances from time to time as the elevator moved downwards. He was the most perfect person she had ever seen. He sighed repeatedly with his balled fists, like he was tired or frustrated—well he looked it. Maria had never seen a person who looked good even when he was unkempt.

His tie hung loosely around his crooked collar, they dangled with unequal tips at every slight movement. He heaved another sigh and Maria's knees felt weak. His sighs made her wonder what sounds he'd make if she laid clothless in between his legs and he pressed her against the bed, or a sofa, whatever he wanted, their hot bodies merging under a dim light of a warm bedroom. She nodded abruptly —cautious of the god she was in an elevator with but also trying to shake those thoughts away.

She shook her head like the thoughts were flies perching around it, reminding herself why she was here. A little fun won't hurt though and it was okay to be attracted to a person, she justified. 

      

"Sean? I can't seem to find Higgins, did he run off again," he said with his phone to his ear to the person on the receiving end. His deep voice filled Maria's ears and swallowed all of her thoughts—and the decency she had left. He paced the elevator, leaving only the corner Maria stood, clutching her purse tighter, untouched.

He pressed his lips together and his brows furrowed before he said again. "I left him at BEYOND's for the script reading, he's insistent on getting one by today or the Calvary's advertisement won't happen today."

Sean? Then Higgins. It had to be the two people she had just met, there wasn't such a perfect coincidence.

"I know but you manage him after all-" his sentence cut was by the person he spoke it, and then another sigh escaped his lips, this one of relief—very different from the ones from before.

"Thank you, I'd speak to Ann and meet her right now." He finalised. 

The elevator arrived at the ground floor and he rushed out, Maria followed—it took all her willpower not to ask for his contract information—heading to the counter where the receptionist was. He was there too, asking questions that were inaudible to Maria. 

"Hi, I'm Maria Gracia and I was asked to wait here by Mr Sean," she stated to the lady who wore a polite smile and ushered her to a seat a distance away from the counter.

"Miss Maria Gracia?" Someone called 

from behind and she turned. To her utmost surprise, it was the same person who she'd made the subject of her unholy thoughts. She felt her cheek go hot. 

"Hello, how may I help you?" She maintained as she outstretched her right hand for a shake.

He shook her and continued, "I'm Harry, Jones Jackson's manager. Mr Sean told me I'd find you here."

"Oh," Maria exclaimed as she put two and two together in her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, uh... I guess you must have a lot to ask me so, fire on," she said confidently with a small laugh. 

He smiled in response to her utterance. "Actually no, I trust Sean's intuition so let's just get on to work. Have you ever done anything like this before, Miss Gracia?"

"Maria, you can just call me Maria," she quickly responded. The first step to having a friendly relationship with someone you may or may not want to get down with is making them comfortable around you, which includes eradicating any form of barriers, hierarchy or work gaps. "No, I haven't. But I am pretty confident that I'd do a great job."

"Oh, that's beautiful," he smiled." Sometimes it's not how efficient or calculative you are. It's really just about pleasing the ones you work with."

  "Try me," she responded with a smirk and he chuckled.

"Come with me, Miss- Maria, I'd fill you in on the necessary information on our way, you're about to meet Jones Jackson, the great," he joked, making spectator's noise with his mouth. Maria thought that was cute.

Was everyone in the USA this friendly or she's just super, extraordinarily lucky?

She walked with him to the garage and watched him open his SUV with its remote control. She was about to get in when he jogged to the front seat and opened the door for her. 

More bewildered than appreciative, her wide open eyes just stared at him who had a smile plastered on his godly face.

"Sorry, a force of habit," he said. "I do this with almost everyone."

"Oh, thank you. So you do this for Mr Jones as a manager?"

He let out a short laugh. "Oh trust me, you'd be doing more than I am."

He got in and drove. The silence was stinging but the view didn't call for an objection. She enjoyed it, looking around at the places she had only seen from a screen. Now she was there—in person, feeling the cold wind on her face and breathing on the soil of the USA. It seemed like a dream—a dream come true.

"So Miss Gra- sorry, Maria, What do you like to do for fun?" He asked from the driver's seat.

For fun? Is this some sort of twisted interview thing or was he just trying to spring up a conversation? Maria thought and she chose to believe the latter.

"I like to watch movies and pig out on my free time." She watched the skin around his eyes wrinkle as his lips curved into a smile. "What about you?"

"Hm, I think I like to imagine what my life would be if I were a cat," he stated simply. Maria was amused.

 

  "Do you like cats?" She asked.

"I love every animal, except a few that seem like a potential threat and terrifies me. Ostriches, for example, they terrify me," he chuckled and Maria did the same. "But I've taken a liking to cats, they are so adorable."

"I'm terrified of all animals, they seem like they could switch up and choose to devour me anytime." 

"Now that's funny 'cause they actually could, but they don't. You just have to trust that." He responded, looking at her from the mirror.

 

"Hopefully, I'd do that. Where exactly are we headed? I'm new here and I like to take note of the places I've been," she asked politely.

 "Oh, you're new here? That's adorable, I could show you around if you want!" 

That was it for Maria, she was getting this man on her bed. 

He continued. "we're headed to BEYOND, the agency that manages Natasha... This is fifth and Ruby's."

 

     "Natasha? The Natasha?!" She exclaimed. 

"Yes, you'd meet her if she's available," he commented, clearly pleased.

 

"Oh, I'd love to," she blurted. This was the best thing that had ever happened in her entire life. Does this mean she could meet more of these celebrities if she took the job? Then that she shall. She would take this job and work her very best.

He pulled into the driveway after showing his card to the security officers, he parked and Maria got out immediately—because she didn't want him rushing to open the door for her, and excitedly—because she couldn't wait to meet Natasha. Oh, and her to-be Boss, she added in her mind.

 "Come with me," he walked to the swivelling door, and she followed with her mouth hanging open in front of the building. She stopped counting the storeys when her eyes won't go farther than the ninth, and it contained about twenty more, or more.

Exquisite couldn't well describe what the inside of the building looked like, her observation was cut short when she met the eyes of someone who waved in her direction. He had a face cap and a mask on, like the same person who had gotten into her cab unexpectedly the day before. The physique was the same.

He waved again, and even as confused as she was, she waved back. Her hands dropped after she saw Harry wave to the same person.

She bite her lower lips, regretting the stupid thing she had done.

Harry walked to the person and she did too.

"Hey, I didn't know you'd finish so early, how are you?" Harry asked the man who lowered his nose mask, then Maria realised it.

That mole, she knew she had seen it somewhere, the person who got into her cab was Jones Jackson and there he sat, at a distance away from her.

  "You!"

  "You!"

They blurted at the same time, leaving Harry confused to the core.

 "Have you guys met before?" Harry asked and Maria instantly regretted addressing him that way. It could have sounded rude, and termination in this contract was the only thing she wanted to avoid.

"No, it's nothing," Jackson quickly intercepted. "Who's she?" He turned to Harry now.

 "Meet Miss Maria Gracia, your new PA," Harry said.

"What?" Jackson's exclamation rippled through the quietness of their surroundings. "Not this one, I don't want her."