“Thank you, Ralph.” She hurried up the curb and entered the building. For a brief moment, she felt like she actually belonged there. She passed by the desk and waved to them as she whizzed by. She could still see the looks on their face as they in her direction.
When she got to her office, she sat down behind her desk. She put her briefcase down and grabbed a piece of copy paper to keep her coffee cup from leaving a stain on the desk. She opened her briefcase and pulled out the stack of resumes. She looked through them and started to put together two piles, one for the ayes and one for the nays. By the bottom of the stacks, she was set to have twenty men and women come in for their first interview.
She grabbed those resumes and carried them out of their office. She was hurrying down the hallway and didn’t see the guy coming around from the other side, until it was too late. She bumped into him and his coffee spilled on his shirt. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said.
He looked down at his white shirt. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you coming.”
He looked up at her. Instant annoyance filled his face. “That’s plain to see,” he said. “Watch where you’re going? Do you need lights flashing yellow for you to know to slow down?” His sarcasm was hard to take.
“I’m sorry. Is there something I can do to help you out?”
He glared in her direction. “You’ve done plenty.” He stormed past her and she stood for a moment. She looked down at the resumes. She had saved most of them, but there were a few that had stains on them. She brushed them off and shrugged. Day two wasn’t going much better.
She slowed her steps to a quick trot and made her way to Sylvia’s desk. Sylvia looked up. “Hello, Ms. Nolan. What can I do for you?” she asked.
“Please ... none of this Ms. Nolan. Aria will be just fine. I have these resumes. Will you please call them and see if they can come in this afternoon for an interview?”
“I can, but as a reminder, you do have a meeting with Francisco Jackson this afternoon at two.”
“I do?” Aria asked. “How do I find that information out?”
“It’s on your computer. I’ll stop by your office in a bit and show you where to find it. You can meet with these applicants after three or before two. The meeting shouldn’t take more than an hour.”
“Okay. That works. Thanks Sylvia.” She smiled and turned around. Her mind went back to the man she had run into, spilling his coffee. He was so angry with her, but she couldn’t really blame him. When she got back to the office, she closed her door behind her. She wanted a little bit of privacy to get on with her morning.
She sat down behind her desk and looked at her computer. She felt like a fish out of water, staring at her black screen. She wasn’t usually so computer illiterate, but it seemed to her that she didn’t have a clue how to turn the computer on.
She looked around the computer and finally found a button and sat back. A screen came on, but it asked for her log in information. She heaved a sigh. She didn’t know any of that. She turned to her phone and picked it up. She gawked at it. Sylvia’s name and extension were on a piece of paper by the phone. She knew Sylvia was busy calling people, but she needed to find out how to get into the computer, at least. She dialed up the number.
It rang and rang and then finally went to a voicemail. She groaned and hung up. She waited a minute and the phone started ringing. She quickly picked it up when she saw Sylvia’s name. “You rang?” she asked.
Aria sighed with relief. “Yeah. I don’t know what my login information is. I guess I need help.”
“Give me just a minute and I’ll be right there.” She disconnected the call and Aria hung up the phone. It wasn’t even two minutes before Sylvia came into the office. She had a piece of paper in her hands. “I have your login info and I’ll show you how to access your computer.”
“Terrific.” She walked around the desk and put the paper in front of Aria. Aria entered it into the computer and the computer program started up. After it went through its warmup exercises, she pointed out the calendar.
“You’ll find all the important meetings and schedules listed for you. This also houses your emails and your email address is right there.” She pointed it out and Aria tried to keep up. “I’ve gotten through to two men from your list. They are scheduled right here, so right before you have your meeting with Mr. Jackson.” She stepped back. “Any other questions?”
Aria shook her head. “I don’t think so. At least not yet. Thank you.”
“Anytime,” Sylvia said. She left the office and Aria went back to her schedule and grabbed a piece of paper to write down the times she needed to remember. She put her pen down and stared at the computer screen. It was suddenly so real. She was a professional who’d built a strong career. But all the signals were there that his job was going to be a tough one.
Chapter 20
The first two interviews of the day came before her meeting. She was disappointed by them and once each actor left, she was questioning if there was any talent in New York. It’s only two men you interviewed. There’s plenty of time to find good talent. She jotted down some notes on the actors and put her things away. It was time to go meet the hot new writer-producer that Hollywood was gushing about, Francisco Jackson.
She pulled up the schedule on her computer and saw that the meeting was in Conference Room A. She grabbed her pen and pad of paper and left her office. She tried to play out what she would say to him so that she sounded strong and in control.
When she arrived, she knocked.
“Come on in,” a man’s voice called out.
She entered and there was only one person seated at a table. He heart sank the moment she got a good look at him. “You must be Aria Nolan,” he said coldly.
“I am and ... you’re Francisco?” She saw that he was wearing a new shirt, so it was likely that his other one was sent out for dry cleaning. “First off, I want to apologize,” she said. “I’m not usually so clumsy.”
He held up his hand. “We’ll forget about it for now. We’re here to discuss casting. I know that you have already seen a couple guys and done interviews with them.” She nodded and moved over to the chair across from him. “What are your thoughts?”
“If I’m honest, neither one came across as having the right acting chops for the roles.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why do you say that?”
“Well, I wouldn’t picture either one as tough police detective types,” she answered. “They really couldn’t pull it off from their readings. I have several other candidates and I think that I’ll have better luck with those.”
“OK. As you say,” he said. “I want you to know that I am not one to mess around or mix words. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say. And you have until the end of this week to gather the people for the first auditions. I know you’re interviewing currently but I hope that you plan on having them read through some lines, as well.”
“Of course,” she said. She took notes. She had to frantically write things down and she was concerned that the end of the week wouldn’t give her time to find enough callbacks.
At the end of the hour, he asked her if she had any questions.
She looked over her copious notes, her head was spinning. “I don’t think so,” she said. “I’ll be sure to stay late tonight to audition as many people as I can. I’ll have you a list come Friday.”
“Fine. If you do as I say, you will find this to be a nice gig. If we have any issues, you’ll be sure to know it.” Fair enough, she thought to herself. She was about to leave the conference room when she realized that she had left her notebook on the table. She turned around and found him writing something down. She tried to sneak to the table and grab the notebook without being caught, but his voice interrupted that thought. “You’re not starting off so well, Ms. Nolan. I suggest that you try to get your act together.” He never looked up from his writing and she frowned in his direction.
She turned around and left the conference room.
Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest and she couldn’t stop it. She went back to her office and sat down at her desk. Her next interview was with a young woman and Aria had to put a smile on her face and hope that she didn’t look fake. At three o’clock sharp, her phone rang and it was Sylvia. “Ms. Copper is here. May I send her in?” she asked.
“You may,” Aria stated. She hung up the phone and fumbled through the stack of headshots to find the one she needed. She looked up when there was a knock at the door. She stood up from her chair. “Welcome. Have a seat, we’ll begin.” She sat down, looking nervous. “Tell me a little something about yourself. You’re background, experience.” She poised her pen and waited for the response but her mind wasn’t in it like she needed it to be. She had to snap herself out of it before everything blew up in her face.
DEVON PUT ARIA’S SURPRISE on hold. He didn’t know when she would be home and he couldn’t keep everything at a standstill for three months. They had ended their conversation in a way that didn’t please him. Yet, he still believed that when it came down to it, Aria would come back to him. And she’d do as he wanted.
He picked up his phone and dialed Jessica’s extension.
“Is the meeting with Regina Galloway confirmed?” he asked.
“It is. She’ll meet you at The Palace at six o’clock.”
He hung up the phone and got up from his desk. He was meeting with Regina because Tim was under the weather and he needed to go over the plans. She had been somewhat involved, so she was the next best thing. If he left now, he’d just about make it on time.
In his car, he looked at his phone to see if he had missed any calls. His ego wouldn’t allow him to be the one to call her, but he did want to know how her second day at work went and he wondered what Aria was feeling about how their conversation ended.
He started the car and backed out of the parking spot, driving the short distance to the restaurant. At the restaurant he spotted Regina at a table not too far from the door.
“Hello, Regina.” He kissed her on the cheek and then they sat down.
“Oh, shoot,” she said.
“Shoot?”
She nodded. “I was hoping you brought your wife along. How is Aria doing?”
He smiled. “She’s out of town actually. She’s working on a TV show in New York City.”
Her eyes got big. “Wow. That’s major. Good for her. Do tell her I am happy for her and hopefully one day soon we can all get together.”
He smiled. “I will and how’s Tim doing? I’m sorry he isn’t feeling well.”
She rolled her eyes. “He’ll be fine. He just went fishing in the rain. I told him not to do something stupid like that, but men. They never listen.” She closed her mouth and started to laugh. “I’m sorry. I’m sure Aria would know what I’m talking about.”
“Yeah. Probably. What do you say that we get our food ordered? I just have a few things to go over with you, so you can take it back to Tim. It shouldn’t take long.”
She was agreeable to that and as much as Devon didn’t want to think about Aria, he found his mind going back to her.
ARIA WAS ALSO THINKING about him. She didn’t get back to the hotel until nearly ten o’clock New York time. She was exhausted and ready to crash but she also needed to do some serious thinking. She wanted to talk to someone and Devon that immediately came to mind.
She swallowed her pride and pulled her phone out of her purse, then sat on her bed and dialed up Devon’s number. It rang.
Devon pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw her number. They had just finished their meal and had started discussing business, so he put his phone down. “Don’t you want to answer that?” she asked. She looked at the phone and could see it was Aria’s name across the caller ID.
He shook his head. “I’ll call her back later.” The truth was that he didn’t want to answer it in front of Regina. She would clearly not be able to understand the conversation. He reached down to push to ignore the phone and looked up. “Now, where were we?”
The call connected but he didn’t say hello. She opened her mouth to say something, when she heard the woman’s voice. She couldn’t make out the words, but she could definitely tell that there was a woman there. She strained to hear what she said, but then Devon spoke. As she listened, she heard laughter and her heart fell. He was already out on a date. She was sure of that. What she didn’t know was why he answered the phone. Was it to humiliate her? She quickly disconnected the call and tossed her phone to the side. She didn’t want to be humiliated any more when it came to Devon. She just might have to forget him.
As she sat there, though, deep in thought. She had to talk to someone that could calm her nerves and someone that would hear her out about Devon. She dialed Tyler’s number. He answered right away.
“Hey, baby girl,” he said. “I was just thinking about you.”
She was taken back by that and she leaned against her pillow on the bed. “You were? Why?”
“Well, it seems like forever and a day ago since we’ve chatted. What’s new? Are you and Devon still hot and heavy?” At the mention of Devon’s name, she wanted to throw her phone across the room.
“Do not mention his name,” she said.
“Uh oh ... what happened?”
She wasn’t planning on venting the entire conversation about Devon but she did have things to say. She had to get it out or she would burst. “I had to come to New York for business,” she started.
“Whew ... New York. Hope that’s working out for you,” he said.
“Yeah well ... we’ll leave that conversation for a little later. Anyway, I came to New York City. I guess you could say I knew I needed a break from Devon.”
There was an awkward pause. She wasn’t about to tell him why she needed that break, but he was quick to ask. “Why’d you need a break?”
She thought on it, trying to figure out the best answer she could give. “Well, they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder and I wanted to prove that theory. Devon has been great and all. The problem is that I feel that I love the guy.”
“Oh my gosh ... that’s a problem?” he asked. She could hear the squeal and had to pull her phone from her ear.
“It’s a problem if he doesn’t feel the same way. I guess I wanted to test the theory and this trip to New York came at the perfect time. The problem is, though, that things haven’t been going so well. I’ve talked to Devon once since getting here and we had a fight.”
“A fight? About what?” he asked.
“Well, it wasn’t actually a fight, I suppose. Things just seemed awkward. He basically said he’s glad that I came here and that this was the best for both of us. It was like he was glad I left him. I could be here for three months and he was glad.”
“Three months? You told him that?”
“I did because that’s the truth,” she said. Aria didn’t know why Tyler seemed so appalled by that notion.
“Well, honey, maybe he was just trying not to sound too desperate. I mean, he’s supposed to be a strong man and all and maybe he doesn’t know how to show you that he doesn’t want you to stay away.”
Aria hadn’t considered that. It was a possibility but instead he was driving her way. “Even if that’s the case, then tell me why he’s already moving on with another woman?” she asked.
“What? How do you know this?” he asked.
“I called him, and I think he tried to ignore my call. Instead, he answered it. I heard him talking and laughing with another woman. It’s plain as day to me that he’s moving on without me. If he feels that way, then we’re just not right for each other. End of story.”
There was a lengthy pause. She looked at the phone to make sure she hadn’t dropped the call and then held it back up to her ear as he started to talk. “So, you know this woman he was laughing with was someone he has romantic interest in?”
“Why else would he have wanted to ignore my call?” she asked.
“Well, perhaps because
he didn’t want things to get awkward between you two again. Or, maybe he was with a client and couldn’t take the call. There are truly a million reasons why he didn’t answer the phone and the fact that it was a woman he was with doesn’t exactly mean he’s moved on. When did you get to New York?” he asked.
“Yesterday,” she mumbled.
He laughed. “And you think he’d move on that fast?” he asked.
She shrugged and then spoke. “I don’t know. If he doesn’t feel for me like I feel for him then maybe he’d go back to his old ways.” She took in a deep breath and released it. “I trust him, Ty, maybe that’s my downfall.”
“I think you’re worrying too much about it,” he said. “He’ll probably call you tonight and explain everything. Just hear him out.”
Aria considered that. He was right. She should hear him out. She didn’t know the whole story. “Fine,” she said.
“Now ... tell me about your trip thus far,” he said.
She groaned. That was a nightmare in itself and she had to only hope things would get better. She told him everything.
DEVON CAME HOME THAT night with intentions of calling Aria but by the time he got home he had changed his mind. She needed to know that he didn’t appreciate she was going to just stay away for three months without even considering his thoughts on the matter.
If they were in a relationship, then it was only right that she would take him into account. He went to bed that night without even bothering to look at his phone. It was all for the best. He was sure of that.
Aria was disappointed that Tyler wasn’t right. She had hoped that Devon would call and explain why he had to ignore her call. However, the call didn’t come that night, or the night after that. By the third day of not hearing from him and after she had been there for a week, she realized that maybe he wouldn’t call after all.
When I Dream of You: A Valentine's Day Romance Page 21
