CHAPTER THREE: Stimulant

Selene's POV

I sneak out to a corner and call up Sonnia to come meet me quickly as I try my best not to panick. You won't believe who I just saw now, it's the rude jerk from the café and it turns out that he's the boss! What do you mean by he's the boss, Sonnia asks confused. I mean he's the Elias Vermontary, the CEO of Vermontary Enterprise, I whisper in fear. Oh my God Sel what have you done… Sonnia stares at me as though I had grown an extra nose, you'll have to find a way to fix this. How do I do that I'm confused and scared, I never in my life or my next thought that he'll be my boss or that I'll ever see him again, I reply with a quivering voice. Do you think he'll recognize me? Well, I guess we're yet to find out, your going to be called in ten minutes get your act together and good luck. I stand there watching her stride off hopelessly unsure whether I still want to go ahead with the interview.

As the clock ticked closer to the scheduled time, fear and anxiety surged through every fiber of my being as I sat at the reception area, hearing the faint murmur of conversations behind the closed door each sound a reminder of what I am yet to face. The silence in the room seemed to amplify my heartbeat as my mind raced through possible questions and my rehearsed answers, despite my thorough preparation a sliver of doubt crept in whispering what ifs and uncertainties.

As the receptionist finally call my name, I take a deep breath rising from my seat as i smoothed the fabric of my skirt and straightened my posture, channeling all my preparation and resolve into a single confident step forward ready for whatever that's yet to come. 

I enter the conference room right behind the secretary trying as much as possible to look confident. The air was crisp with a faint scent of coffee and as I drew closer, that familiar masculine scent hit me. Shit! he's here, I swear internally. “Good morning, Miss Agraval” he rises to greet me with a smile on his face and a firm handshake as he dismisses his secretary. “Please have a seat.” 

“Thank you,” I reply my voice steady and clear as i settle into the chair opposite him placing my portfolio on the table in front of me feeling seemingly glad he doesn't recognize me. Thank you for coming in today. I've reviewed your application and I'm impressed with your background. I'll like to start off by hearing a bit more about your experience with corporate litigation. 

I nod, changing my expression to seem more attentive. “Certainly. In my previous role at Jackson & co, I managed so many high profile corporate litigation cases, including a landmark case involving intellectual property disputes. I worked closely with clients to develop case strategies and even represented them in court, where we successfully secured favourable outcomes in eighty-five percent of our cases.” That's impressive, he replies slowly, can you work me through a particularly challenging case and how you approached it? The room is starting to get more comfortable and I relax more as I begin to answer him. As the interview progressed, he probed further into my technical skills, ethical standards and future aspirations which I answered as best as I could. Finally, he says leaning back slightly, folding his hands in front of him. Why do you think I should hire you amongst every other person here for the position? I hadn't seen this question coming and wasn't so sure how to answer him. This was my moment of truth, my answer would either make or mare me. 

“I do know you've asked a lot of candidates this question and you've gotten the regular replies but I won't tell you like every other person how my skills align with your company needs or my relevant experiences, passion and dedication or even my adaptability, learning attitude, teamwork and client relations skills. I've learnt a lot about your company and firm but so has everyone else. One thing though is that I wouldn't make a promise that I can't keep, I didn't come from much and I don't have much to go back to either so this job is all i got. A person could give everything and do anything to keep the one thing they have and that's what I bring to the table, the attitude of knowing that I have nothing to go back to.”

He stands up slowly strolling towards me, his footsteps barely making a sound on the plush carpet while staring so intensely at me. “Do I know you? he asks, his tone calm yet demanding. He leans forward placing his hands on the armrest, gently parting my legs with his and sliding in between, his proximity sending a shiver down my spine and flutters in my stomach. I look up meeting his gaze. There's a smouldering intensity in his eyes that makes my heart race as I swallow hard taking in his scent while trying to maintain my composure. “I don't think we've met sir” I reply him the air between us thick with tension, unsure if I made the right decision pretending to not know him. He leans in further our faces just a breath away from each other as he stares more intently at me. I could feel the heat emanating from his body, the scent of his cologne which i have subconsciously grown addicted to, intoxicating my senses. His hand finds it's way to my face slowly tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear his touch electrifying me as I try to gasp for air. His lips slightly touches my temple as his breath warm against my ear. “So you don't remember me feisty kitty or you're just not being honest with me.” I froze.