9. Amelia
Chapter 9
Amelia
I didn’t know what made me agree to let Matteo drop me off. Maybe it was the fact that it was one of the nicest things he’d done for me in a while. Receiving kind gestures from Matteo made me feel like I had traveled back to a point in time when things were still beautiful between us.
Yesterday, when he carried me to my room, I also felt transported to the past. Knowing that he’d held me in his arms and placed me in bed filled me with a weird sense of warmth. I knew I shouldn’t be feeling this way. His kindness probably didn’t mean anything but I couldn’t help the way I felt.
I gave Eddie the address for my interview. Then I moved even further away from Matteo. I was worried about what would happen if I allowed myself to get too close to him. Even from this distance, he affected me in ways I couldn’t even dare to think about.
His irresistible scent wafted over to me and I felt my heart rate pick up. My eyes darted over to him. He seemed to be checking his emails on his phone. I took advantage of the fact that he wasn’t looking at me. I admired the way his suit molded to his body like it was tailored just for him. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. Matteo had enough money to hire some of the best tailors in the world.
I was still staring at him, still admiring the way his arms looked in his suit jacket. But when he turned to look at me, I turned away. I stared out the window and hoped he hadn’t noticed that I was ogling him.
Five years apart, and he still affected me like no time had passed. How was that possible?
“Do you feel prepared?” he asked.
His question was so unexpected that for a moment, I just stared at him. I knew he was asking about my interview but I didn’t understand why. I suppose he was asking more out of formality than out of concern. I tried not to let that bother me.
“Yes, but I still feel nervous.”
He offered me a small smile. “That’s normal.”
“I hope you’re right.”
After that, the car went silent again. I cursed whatever was causing the traffic because it meant I had to spend even more time in the car with Matteo. I couldn’t wait to get away from him and the effect he had on me.
I was also tired of being around this version of Matteo, the version that spoke to me as though there was never anything between us. It hurt me to see just how much he’d moved on.
When the car finally pulled into the driveway of the office building, I all but jumped out of the car. “Thank you!” I said as I got out.
I vaguely heard Matteo say “You’re welcome.” From the front door of the building, I watched his car drive off. I sighed and did my best not to focus on my complicated situation with Matteo. I was here for a job interview and I needed to focus on acing it.
I turned and stared up at the tall building. From what I’d been told, the company I was interviewing for worked on the sixth floor. I took the elevator up and smiled brightly when the doors opened. I imagined myself coming here every day. I imagined walking down these halls to a desk of my own.
“Hi there,” a woman said. “How may I help you?”
I walked over to her desk. “I have a job interview here this morning.”
She nodded and shifted her gaze to her computer. Then she looked back up at me. “You must be Amelia Pierson.”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Okay. Wait right here and I’ll let HR know you’re here,” she said.
I took a seat on one of the waiting chairs and watched as the woman placed a call. After a few moments, she gestured for me to come forward. “Walk down the hall and stop at the third door on the right. You should see ‘Human Resources’ on the door.”
“Thank you,” I said with a smile.
I did as she said and sure enough, there was a door with ‘Human Resources’ on it. I took a deep breath before knocking. And when I heard the words “come in,” I pushed the door open. An older woman sat at a desk, her head bent as she focused on the document in her hand.
She finally lifted her head and I offered her an awkward smile. She gave me a reassuring one in return. Then she gestured to the chair in front of her. “Please. Take a seat.”
“Thank you.” I walked forward and sat down. I’d never done a job interview before so I had no idea how this would go. Thankfully the woman’s polite demeanor made things easier.
She asked me questions and I did my best to answer them. At various intervals, she would scribble something in her notebook before asking the question. During those periods when her focus wasn’t on me, I looked around her office.
My gaze started on the dark green nameplate that sat on her desk. It read ‘Mrs. Lucy Blair.’ There was a picture frame beside the nameplate. It depicted a happy-looking family of three kids. I recognized the mother as the woman sitting in front of me. She looked younger so I assumed the picture was taken years ago.
I wondered how old her kids were now. I was lost in thought but Mrs. Blair called my attention back to her again. “What are your strengths?” she asked.
“I have impeccable organization and time management skills. I’m also great under pressure and I know how to work well in a team of two or fifty.”
She nodded, scribbled, and then lifted her head again. “What did you like most about your last position?”
I bit my lip because I didn’t know how to answer that question. How could I explain that I’d never had a real job even at twenty-seven? I took a moment to think about it. I considered lying but I didn’t want to start this journey with deceit. So instead, I opted for the truth.
“This would actually be my first job. If you hire me of course.”
“Hm.”
That was all she said in response. It was difficult to tell if she was pleased or annoyed by my answer. Since I had no way to confirm that, I decided not to think about it. I focused on answering the rest of her questions.
A few minutes later, the meeting ended. “Well, Miss Pierson. It was nice talking with you today. Your degree in Business Administration is quite impressive. It’s too bad you never got a chance to use it. I’ll be honest, your lack of experience is a bit of a problem.”
She paused and I held my breath as I waited for her to continue. “But I believe you’d be a great fit for this role.”
“Thank you so much. You’re not going to regret this,” I said, enthusiastically. Then it dawned on me that I didn’t actually know what the role was. My contact only told me there was a position at the company. He didn’t say what that position was. “Sorry, could I get a rundown of all my responsibilities?”
“Sure thing. As Mr. Arison’s assistant, you’ll be in charge of managing his phone calls, planning and scheduling meetings…
Mrs. Blair continued speaking but I couldn’t hear her. Being an assistant was not where I wanted to start my career. It was a great opportunity and one that I would have taken five years ago. But at this age, I needed a job with more potential for career growth.
If I was going to truly detach myself from my parents’ influence, then I needed something that would help me stand on my own two feet for a long time.
“Is that all right with you?” she asked.
“Yes, but would you mind giving me some time to think about it?”
I plan to attend the second interview. If I managed to secure a better position there then I would give Mrs. Blair a call and turn down her offer. Thankfully, she agreed to give me some time to think about it.
I waved goodbye to the woman at the front desk. Then I took the elevator to the ground floor. Once outside, I hailed a cab and told the driver the location of my interview. Thankfully the morning rush hour traffic had subsided. The road was still busy but not as much as it was in the morning.
The cab pulled up in front of a building. The sign on it told me I’d come to the right place. Phoenix Consulting was a renowned consulting firm in the city. I looked forward to working here because I knew it would be the perfect place to start my career. From here, I could climb the corporate ladder and achieve full independence.
I paid the taxi driver. I heard his car speed off as I walked into the building. They followed a similar process to what I experienced at the last company. I was directed to the Human Resources office and there, I was asked a series of questions. After about half an hour, the meeting ended.
I felt incredibly anxious when it did. I really wanted to work here and I was scared that I’d answered one of the questions wrong. My desire to get the job was amplified when they told me the available position was a strategy consultant role. That was a lot more in line with my business administration degree.
The HR manager spoke again after the room had been silent for over five minutes. “Before we can move forward, it’s important that you meet the CEO. He likes to meet all the potential employees before they get offered the job.”
I didn’t know whether to be excited or worried by that news. I walked behind the HR manager as he led me down the hall to an office with large doors. He knocked and we both waited for a response.
“Come in,” said a voice from inside.
When we walked inside, I was awed by how lovely the office was. Thanks to my mother’s influence, I had an unshakable love for interior design. I loved the way the items in the office came together to form a balanced and sophisticated style.
I was too busy admiring the room to realize who was in it. When I finally looked, I was too stunned to speak. There were two men in the room. One of them sat behind the table, letting me know that he was the CEO.
The other was Matteo.