by Iona Rose
“Thank you.”
I start walking down the hallway she pointed to, and I’m relieved to see solid walls along here. The thought of having an interview in full view of the whole office really didn’t fill me with joy. As I walk, reminding myself to walk tall, which isn’t easy when you’re just over five feet tall, I wipe my sweaty palms down my skirt, pretending to smooth out the material.
I reach the end of the hallway and come to a door marked conference room D. I take a deep breath, exhale it out slowly, then I knock on the door.
“Come in,” a man’s voice calls through the door.
I put my game face on. I don’t want to go in there acting like this is my last option before I lose my house, which isn’t far from being true, but the last thing I want is for the interviewer to smell the desperation inside me. I have to act like I am made for the position and give off an air of confidence, even if I don’t really feel it.
I push the door open, slipping on my best corporate smile as I do it. The room is huge and is dominated by a long glass table that could comfortably seat twenty people. Only three people are in the room though. A woman and two men. They are all dressed in suits, as am I, and I start to feel a little more at home. This is my world. It has been since I left school and yes, there will be other candidates for this position, but that doesn’t mean I’m not the best match for the job. It seems my fake it until you make it attitude is really starting to pay off. Already I can see myself working here. I can see myself fitting right in.
The three people stand up as I step into the room as I move towards the table and extend my hand.
The woman reaches out and shakes my hand first. “Sally Atkins, assistant HR manager,” she says with a clipped smile.
“Elena Woods,” I smile back.
I repeat the process with the man in the middle who is David Malone, the HR manager, and Aaron Grey, an assistant HR.
“Take a seat, Elena. By the way, we’re all on a first name basis here,” David says.
The three of them sit together on one side of the table and I sit down opposite David, so I am central to the three of them. I’m outnumbered, but I swallow down my nerves and square my shoulders. There is a glass of water in front of my seat and I pick it up and take a sip. My mouth is dry as a desert.
“Your resume is impressive,” David begins.
“Thank you,” I reply.
David gives me a slight nod and continues, “So you have a degree in business studies from abroad,” he’s reading from my resume.
“Yes, I was sent to study in England. It was a good, enriching experience.”
He looks up. “And you have plenty of experience of working as a personal assistant in this industry, but the start-up you worked for most recently went bust, didn’t it?”
I nod.
“Why do you think that was?”
I decide again to go with honesty. If I try and sugar coat my answer, it could make it look like I don’t see what’s right in front of me. “Well, the CEO was rather short sighted. At first, he loved the company, and he was excited to expand their offerings, but as the market got tougher, that excitement just sort of fizzled out of him. It’s my belief that he got scared and rather than developing any new ideas, he coasted it out on the dying one until it was no longer viable.”
“Right,” Aaron says as he makes a note on his pad.
I’m not sure if that’s the answer he was looking for, but he asked for my opinion and he got it. If this job needs someone quiet who won’t speak up, then it’s definitely not the position for me.
“So why Wave?” Sally asks.
“I took a chance on a start up in my last job and this time, I’m looking for a position within a company that is a leader in the industry.”
Sally and David look a little bored. Maybe that answer wasn’t as genius as I thought it was. What can I say to pull this back a little? My brain scrambled to make it better. I could try a little humor. “And let’s be real here. The benefits are pretty good,” I quip with a smile.
None of them return my smile.
I cringe internally and take another sip of water, trying to ignore the panic welling up inside of me. Get it together, Elena I tell myself.
“Why do you think you’ll be a good fit here, Elena?” Sally asks.
This is my moment. I launch into a long speech about my past experience and how I can use it in this role. They still don’t look impressed and it started to be pretty clear I’m not getting this job, but I plough on, trying to land on the one bit of experience that sets me apart from the other candidates.
When I finish, Sally smiles.
I’m not fooled by the smile. She’s going for the kill and I know it. “That’s very impressive Elena and I’m not doubting for a second that you’ll be very good at this job. But your answer didn’t really answer the question you were asked. I don't want to know why you think you can do the job. What I want to know is why you, Elena Woods, think you will work well within the existing infrastructure at Wave.”
My throat is dry and scratchy. All four of us know I’m not getting this job, but I’m not a quitter. Never have been, never will be. But people talk. I’m not giving up until the fat lady sings. I take a deep breath.
“Take your time, Elena. We’re not trying to catch you out, we’re just trying to establish who will be the best fit for our team,” Aaron says gently.
I flash him a grateful smile. “I’m good at my job,” I say. “And I’m adaptable, so I can fit into the way any company works. I have no intention of causing any sort of drama. I like to keep myself focused on the job.”
“Thank you, Elena,” David says. “Moving on. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?”
At least that’s something I can respond to in the way I hope they’re looking for.“I see myself here, David,” I say, sounding more confident than I feel.
“I’m just going to cut to the chase here,” Sally says. “And please don’t think I’m being rude, but I get the impression you have sent out multiple resumes in the hope that one sticks somewhere. You clearly haven’t done any research on the company or how we work. And that’s a concern for me.”
Full marks to her for accurately seizing the situation.
I clear my throat. “I’ll be honest. I have applied to more than one company, but that doesn’t mean I’m not damned good at what I do, and it for sure doesn’t mean that I can’t do this job. It wasn’t a case of sending out resumes everywhere and hoping one sticks. It’s a case of finding companies I like and would want to work for and keeping my options open.”
“So if we were to give you this job, how could we be sure that six months down the line, you might not get another offer and leave us in the lurch?” Sally probes.
“Can you ever be one hundred percent sure that won’t happen with any employee?” I reply. “I am a good bet to stick around. You can see from my resume that I took a little time in the beginning of my career to find the area I enjoy working in. And once I did, I stuck with it. I have no intention of leaving within a couple of months. As I said earlier, I see myself working here in five years’ time.”
The three of them look at each other again. They’re not even bothering to make notes anymore, and I know in my heart that I’ve blown this interview. The worst part is knowing I would do a damned good job if I am given the chance.
“Thank you for coming in today and at such short notice, Ms. Woods,” David finishes.
I know for sure now I’ve blown it. We’re back to Ms. Woods. And he hasn’t even asked me if I have any questions for him. That’s a bad sign. I debate asking a question, but what’s the point? Even if I came up with a question so insightful it blew them all away, it’s almost certainly too late to change their minds about giving me the job.
“You’ll hear from me by the end of the day if your application is successful,” Aaron adds, standing up.
I nod my thanks and stand with him, then shake his hand politely. As I turn to l
eave, the door opens, and a man walks in. I stare at the man and try not to show the disbelief and shock inside me. It cannot be. No way. Not him. He’s all grown up, but I can never ever forget those gorgeous, cruel eyes.
Ashton Winston.
Chapter Four
Elena
Ashton was always handsome and that hasn’t changed one bit. If anything, he’s only gotten more delicious. He takes a few more steps and towers over me. I imagine he must be at least six feet two or three. His dark brown hair is cut in a casual, almost messy style that looks as if he just rolled out of bed, or has been in an open-top sports car. His brown eyes are as beautiful as they ever were, but there is absolutely no recognition in them.
He smiles, showing me two rows of perfect Hollywood teeth. “Would you mind sitting back down for a moment please Ms. Woods?” His eyes sparkle.
I sit down heavily, glad to be off my shaky legs. Seeing Ashton has totally thrown me. I had no idea he worked here. If I would have known, then I most likely wouldn’t have applied for a job here and I’m actually relieved now, since I won’t be getting this job.
Ashton is still as gorgeous as ever, but one thing about his appearance has changed. He’s no longer the poor kid in the hand-me-downs. The suit he’s wearing is clearly expensive and he has an air of authority about him in this room. The three HR managers are all silent now, waiting for Ashton to speak. And that’s when it all clicks into place. Ashton changed his name. Ashton Winston became Ashton Miller. My school bully is now the millionaire CEO of Wave.
Fuck. Why is he in here? Has he come to have one last dig at me? To make me cry like he used to in school one last time? Surely not. Even if he recognizes me, which is unlikely at best, he’s not going to do that at his own company. Maybe he couldn’t resist the chance to gloat after my appalling interview? Did he put the interviewers up to being such hard asses just to embarrass me? But I realize that one is a stretch of my imagination. I’m just being paranoid. I’ve had tougher interviews than this one before.
“Is there a problem, Ashton?” David asks. He sounds cautious and looks as thrown as I feel.
Ashton smiles and takes a seat at the head of the conference table. He sits with the relaxed movements of someone who owns everyone and everything in the room. “Not at all,” he says. “I just have a few questions for Ms. Woods.”
“Ok,” David says, trying to act as casual as Ashton but failing miserably. His slightly flushed face gives him away.
The way the three interviewers exchange looks again, tells me this isn’t normal procedure. It’s surprising them as much as it is me. Great. So Ashton does recognize me, and he’s here to humiliate me again, just like he did that day in the cafeteria at Franklin School on what was pretty much the worst day of my life.
From pretty much the first time I saw Ashton I had a major crush on him, but it was obvious to me it would never happen. We were from different worlds. People thought I was a spoilt, stuck up rich brat, but in fact, I was just an incredibly shy girl. I covered my crippling shyness by being aloof. Ashton, on the other hand, the most popular boy in school, a rebel and a show-off extrovert, with his own gang of rabid followers who looked up to him as if he was a god. Boys like that didn’t date quiet mice like me. They didn’t even know we existed. I had to make do with watching him from afar while pretending like I hadn’t noticed how hot he was.
He didn’t know I existed and I pretended like I didn’t know he existed. That should have worked, right? It did – until it didn’t. On that fateful day in the cafeteria when it all changed. I was sitting with Lottie, who had quickly become my best friend at Franklin School, and a couple of other girls, when Ashton and his group of followers sat down at the table behind us.
I couldn’t help but listen as they talked. They were talking about a big math assignment we had. Ashton boasted that he was almost done with his, and it would easily be ready for Friday. I knew it had to be in on Wednesday. I don’t know how or why, but my desire not to let him get in trouble overcame my natural shyness. Even though my stomach was in knots and my palms were sweaty, I turned around and called his name.
He whirled his god-like head and looked at me.
He was so beautiful I almost fainted. “The assignment has to be in on Wednesday,” I croaked out.
Instead of thanking me for saving him from being late with the assignment like I had expected him to, he rolled his eyes at me. “Ah, the teacher’s sheep dog wants to corral all the sheep into the pen. News flash. I’m not a sheep. I’m a wolf,” he growled.
His friends laughed.
I felt myself blush. I then tried to explain which of course, only made the situation worse. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I don’t care one way or the other really, just that you said you were almost done, and I didn’t want you to lose marks by being late with it. That’s all.” I turned back to him then. I was shaking. The only time I had stepped out of my comfort zone and I had failed so spectacularly.
My friends told me to just ignore him, reassuring me I had tried to help and if he didn’t want my help then screw him. I was hurt and sad, but I thought that would be the end of it. I had spoken to my dream boy and he’d cruelly taunted me. Surely, that was enough pain for one day. But I was wrong again. That wasn’t the end of it. It was far from the end of it.
“You know what that was about, don’t you?” Ashton said loudly from behind me. “Teacher’s sheep dog is terrified someone will upset her precious Mr. Duncan.”
Mr. Duncan was our math teacher. And it seemed I was his pet in this little game.
“Yeah, teacher’s pet has to make sure everyone follows the rules,” one of Ashton’s friends agreed with a sycophantic laugh.
“Give the girl a break,” Ashton said.
My heart skipped a beat. Had he realized I was trying to help him? Was he going to defend me?
“It’s not that. Woods is probably getting wood from Dusty Duncan.”
I thought I would just die on the spot when not only his group burst into laughter, but the kids at the other tables around us began to giggle and snicker. I realized then, that he knew I existed, he even knew my name, but for some reason he disliked me and he had just found a way to cement my humiliation. He had managed to seed the lie that I had a crush on my math teacher, who for the record was ancient, wore a tweed jacket with elbow patches, and sometimes smelled like he hadn’t bathed for days.
My friends tried to convince me to ignore him, even going so far as to say he was only acting like that because he liked me and he wanted to get my attention. Well, I knew that was just bullshit. If he liked me, he wouldn’t have humiliated me like that. It became clear to anyone with eyes he already had my attention. He didn’t have to be an asshole too.
The rumor that I had a thing for Mr. Duncan spread quickly through the school, and I spent the rest of my time there being thought of as the girl with a crush on a crusty old man who was old enough to be my grandfather. It was hell. But that wasn’t even the worst part of it. The worst part of it was that was only the beginning. After that day, every time I saw Ashton he came up with some new way to humiliate me.
My crush slowly turned to hate and I avoided Ashton as much as I could. It was hard though. He might have been mean and a bully, but he was clever, and he was in a lot of the same classes as I was. I just felt glad when school was over as we went to different colleges and never saw each other again.
Until now.
It’s like history repeating itself. Of course, Ashton should appear at one of my most humiliating moments. He’s probably going to start a rumor that I have a thing for David Malone or something.
I am still staring at Ashton. I can’t help it. As much as I hate him, I can’t help reacting to the strong, animal-like attraction of the man. I find myself pressing my thighs together to try and stop the tingling feeling in my clit. Pressing my thighs together only intensifies the feeling, and I relax my muscles a little, trying not to gasp.
“Ms. Woods,” Ashton s
ays, pulling me right back into the moment. “I’m Ashton Miller, CEO of Wave. If you get the job, you’ll be working closely with me, so I’d just like to weigh in if that’s okay with you?”
His warm and charming smile tells me he doesn’t remember me. I nod mutely. I can answer his questions, then get the hell out of here and never see him again. I can do this. I can.
“At what point did you realize the last company you worked for was going to go under?” he asks.
“About eight or nine months before it did,” I reply, my voice strangely steady even though I was dying inside.
“Interesting,” he says. “Did you make your opinion known to your CEO?”
“I gave him the facts. More than once. He chose to disregard them. That’s probably the point I should have left, but despite his reluctance to take any of the advice given to him, I didn’t want to bail when the company needed me the most.”
“You start on Monday, eight am. Don’t be late,” Ashton announces.
I open my mouth and then close it again—sure I’ve misunderstood.
“Mr. Miller, we still have other candidates to see, and...” David trails off.
“And what?” Ashton says.
David gives me an apologetic look. “And there are other candidates we’re considering from earlier interviews.”
He says other but I still hear what he means. He means better.
“The personal assistant’s job isn’t that hard,” Ashton explains smoothly. “It needs someone organized and flexible and with experience in the tech sector. Every applicant who has got this far in the process has that in abundance. What I’m looking for is loyalty. Ms. Woods has shown she was loyal to her old firm and I see no reason to think she wouldn’t show the same loyalty to my firm.”
“Got it. I’ll get on that right away,” David says.
“Thank you,” Ashton says crisply. “Elena, do you have any questions for me?”
I sat and watched the exchange between Ashton and David while I tried to process the incredible scene unfolding in front of me. I don’t want to work for a guy who used to bully me. Definitely not the way he came in here and took over the whole process. He is still that same asshole who likes to belittle people and humiliate them, but I can’t afford to turn this job down. I can’t take a risk on something else coming up. Especially not something with the salary and benefits I can get here. “No, I don’t have any questions,” I reply slowly.
