by Jolie Day
“Thanks,” Avery called after him as she sat back down on the bed and reached for her burger. One bite in, she was groaning in ecstasy. Maybe the cheeseburger wasn’t so overpriced after all. The fries were pretty great, too.
Halfway through her meal, Avery glanced down at the bed where the paper with all the website names sat next to her and she reached for it, plucking it up between her thumb and forefinger, bringing it up to her eyes. All four websites had ridiculous sounding names, but Ernie had sworn by them, so it couldn’t hurt to try just one of them.
Avery typed the first one into the search bar on her phone and waited for the webpage to load as she munched on her fries and sipped her Coke. What was the worst that could possibly happen?
Chapter Four
Avery’s hands brushed nervously down the front of her dress as she stood before the full-length mirror in her hotel room. She’d been shopping the previous afternoon after receiving several calls from prospective companies looking to set up an interview with her. It seemed that Ernie had been right about internet job searches. She’d spent only an hour in the computer room of the hotel the same day he’d given her the list of websites, but had come up with a list of nearly a hundred more companies in need of entry-level workers.
After sending out a carefully crafted resume to several potential employers, as well as a myriad of personalized cover letters, Avery had received half a dozen calls the next day and every one of them had asked her to come down to their HR offices for an immediate interview. She scheduled them all within a course of four hours, only writing down the times and addresses to figure out later. In the end, it would cost a lot of money on the subway and in taxis, but at least she had a real shot of landing something in the city. Most of the positions were entry-level (at least three were for Assistant positions) but they all offered competitive salaries at a first-glance, so she supposed it might be nice. Even if she had to find roommates at some point.
She wondered what kind of people she might end up living with if things went well.
Avery had used nearly half of her caramel mocha money in a cheap boutique just a few blocks away that had a pretty wide variety of clothing. She’d only had to look for a couple of minutes before she found a suitable—and affordable—black dress in the Woman’s section and a pair of matching ballet flats that were marked half-off. She had been ready to just buy those when she saw a rack of sweaters and cardigans to the side, one particular red one catching her eye on the way to the dressing room. On a whim, Avery grabbed it and paired it with the rest of her outfit, smiling at her reflection as she spun around on the spot.
She looked good. Better than that, she looked professional. She’d never looked professional before. At each of her jobs, the only real requirement was that her hair was up in a ponytail and she didn’t show up naked. That was it. No loose hairs or nudity. But if she was able to land any of these entry-level positions, she knew she’d be held to a much higher standard and that fact both frightened and exhilarated her. She was finally about to become a real-life, working, professional as hell adult.
She made a note to learn how to do her taxes. Or maybe splurge and get herself an accountant.
The employee who’d helped to ring her up (whose name was either Vicki or Nicki, Avery couldn’t remember which) had cooed over her purchases and congratulated her on making such smart purchases. Apparently, it was the last day of their annual summer sale and everything in the store would double in price in just a few hours. Even Avery had to pat herself on the back for her impeccable timing (though part of her had to wonder if the saleswoman was actually being serious about the sale thing or if it was just some kind of enticement to get Avery to buy more stuff).
As she’d made her way back to the hotel, Avery felt lighter, somehow; like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She knew that she shouldn’t get her hopes up (“Never count your chickens before they hatch,” Daddy had always said. Avery hadn’t understood as a child, since they didn’t even raise chickens) but it was hard not to. After all, in two weeks of living in the center of Manhattan, she hadn’t even had the hint of a job offer, but now she had six! Six interviews scattered around this city that she’d only ever dreamed of when she was living in the farmlands of Greenfield, Illinois. Six interviews that could lead her on six different paths to success beyond her wildest dreams. Six interviews that could…go entirely wrong.
*****
Avery was only a few doors down from her hotel when she had her first anxiety attack—of the day. She’d had them before and while they made her steps falter a little bit, she was able to breathe through the initial panic and keep walking, taking it one step at a time as she focused her breathing. In for four seconds; hold for seven; out for ten. Over and over again, until the panic subsided and she was able to focus on something other than the icy fingers of fear that gripped her heart in her chest.
“Good morning, Miss James!” Abe called to her. “Been shopping?”
Avery offered him a friendly (albeit shaky) smile and held up her bags. “Yep,” she said. “I have some job interviews lined up tomorrow so I thought I’d get something a little more professional. I can’t exactly show up in a pair of dirty farming boots and jeans, can I?”
“No you cannot,” Abe chuckled. “I say this as somebody who has done exactly that. It did not go well and look at me now.”
“Aw, Abe,” Avery cooed. “You’ve got a pretty good gig right here, don’t you? I mean, you’re one of the most pleasant doormen I’ve ever met.”
“And just how many doormen have you met, Miss James?” Avery stayed silent and he chuckled. “That’s what I thought. Thanks, though; you’re a sweet one. That’s refreshing when you live in a city full of people too busy to so much as smile, let alone make pleasant conversation the way you do.”
“You don’t get nearly enough credit for your own kindness and intelligence, Abe,” she said, smiling affectionately at the big man.
“Tell me about it,” Abe sighed, but he was smiling. “Have a good afternoon, Miss James. Good luck on your interviews. I hope you get yourself a good job and stick around New York for a long while.”
“You and me, both, Abe,” Avery said, before saying her farewells and heading up to her room.
Avery spun around in front of the mirror and sighed, looking at herself from one side, then the other, before turning to look at herself over the shoulder. The dress that had seemed perfect just yesterday now felt…off, somehow. Or maybe that was just Avery. The excitement had turned the butterflies in her stomach back into caterpillars that seemed to be crawling up her throat and making it harder and harder to breathe. She found herself sitting down on the edge of the bed and placing her head between her knees, forcing the air in and out of her lungs. She gave herself until the count of 20 to stand back up.
One, two, three…
What are you doing? the voice inside her head hissed. Get up! Be an adult! This is what adults do! They get up and they get jobs! They go to important interviews!
Nine, ten, eleven…
Maybe you’ll be able to get a flight out in the morning. This time it was a different voice, one that sounded remarkably like her father. Or maybe even tonight. You’ll be back home before sundown if you hurry!
Avery reached blindly for her phone.
Fourteen…fifteen…sixteen…
No! Stop that! You are stronger than this. If you go back home, you’ll just regret the chances you never took! You’ve worked your whole life for this; don’t give up on it now.
Avery dropped the phone.
Eighteen…nineteen…
Twenty.
Standing straight up, Avery marched back to the mirror and looked her reflection straight in the eye. “You can do this,” she whispered, her voice slightly hoarse and her throat very dry. “This is what you studied for. This is what you’ve worked for, all your life. You deserve this.”
She nodded at herself as she brushed down th
e dress and turned once more. The bottom of the dress flared a bit, but the hemline was decent and showed off Avery’s long legs quite nicely, rather than bring attention to her waistline. She looked good, but she couldn’t help the flutter in her stomach. Nerves.
Avery padded across the room and dug around in the pockets of her suitcase for a few moments, before coming out with a stretchy, red ponytail holder. She combed her fingers through her hair and gathered the auburn locks, allowing half of her hair to stay down as she gathered the rest and tied it high up on the back of her head, leaving the bun a little messy, but still fashionable as she dropped her hands. Avery smiled at her reflection and turned her head, using her peripheral vision to see it from the side. She smirked. It looked nice; professional.
It looked like Avery James, career woman. And, somehow, that made all the difference.
*****
“Thank you,” Avery said, as she left the fourth HR Manager’s office in the last two hours. The gray-haired man behind the desk barely acknowledged her; his attention was already drawn back to the pile of resumes that sat upon his desk. Avery let out a sigh as she closed the door behind him and made her way down the hall to the elevator. She offered the secretary a half-hearted smile and got a sympathetic one in return.
Yeah, she definitely didn’t get that job.
Avery couldn’t really say she was surprised. The gray-haired man had been expecting a younger man—perhaps some earlier version of himself—and had even expressed confusion when she introduced herself as Avery James.
“Oh,” he’d say, in lieu of the usual ‘hello’, “I thought your name was James Avery. My mistake.” He’d stared at her for a long moment, as if he expected her to just stand and leave, though he said nothing that seemed to dismiss her. After some time had passed, he simply sighed and rattled off some basic questions: What was her level of experience? Where did she attend school? And so on. Avery answered them the best she could, trying to make herself sound more impressive than she could already tell he found her, but the man hardly seemed to be listening. She realized, after less than ten minutes, that the only reason she’d even landed this interview was because he’d assumed that she was a man. It didn’t matter what her qualifications were anymore. He wanted a gentleman to do the job and that was not her.
So she stopped trying. Her answers became more generic and soon the interview ended and she thanked him for his time and consideration, before making a hasty exit. He just grunted in return and she could almost swear she saw him toss her resume right in the trash as she turned her back on him. She didn’t think even he could be that heartless, though.
Could he?
It didn’t matter, Avery decided as she boarded the elevator. She wouldn’t be working here, anyway. Even if he offered her a job, she wasn’t about to work somewhere she was both unwanted and unappreciated. No, thank you. She’d be alright elsewhere. Her first three interviews had gone on well enough and she hoped to hear back by the end of the day, as promised. If not, she still had the two other interviews to get to; both were uptown and in walking distance of each other, which was purely a stroke of luck. Avery prayed that it meant something good was coming her way.
Harper Images was next. It was a tech company that focused on the next generation of “smart” TV’s. It was relatively new—only about five years old—but Avery had heard good things about it while in school.
The woman she’d spoken to—Kara Nichols—had seemed sweet and impressed with her resume. They’d had a nice chat before setting a time for their interview and Avery was left feeling hopeful.
At least until she walked into the waiting room of Harper Images to see a dozen other twentysomethings in sweaters and professional-looking dresses. Each of the other applicants only spared her short glances when she walked in and took her seat.
Avery, instead, turned her attention down to the folder that carried the two remaining copies of her resume. She opened it up and allowed her eyes to scan over the words on the page for probably the millionth time.
It was a good resume; after all, it had impressed one of the owners of a major tech corporation so that had to count for something. All of her previous experience was beefed up with SAT-esque words (some containing more than three syllables) and her education at Northwestern was sure to gain brownie points with whomever would be interviewing her today.
“I think you’ll like him,” she’d said to Avery. “He’s very sweet and incredibly charming; he’ll make you feel right at home, I’m sure.”
Avery hoped that she was right about that. She’d heard some things about the siblings that ran the company in her research online. Mostly, it was positive, but the youngest son—who’d been able to keep his face out of the papers, by some miracle—was rumored to be nicknamed “The Wolf”. She didn’t know what that meant, but it sounded dangerous.
When she heard a door click open and voices floating out and around the waiting room, Avery looked up towards the now-open door and felt her jaw hit the floor.
A young, tiny, blonde, thin, attractive woman stood, with her back to the rest of the room, a lock of princess-fine hair twirling around her finger as she giggled at whatever her companion was saying as he leaned against the doorjamb, his impressive figure filling the majority of the doorframe. But even with the young woman obstructing part of her view of the man, Avery instantly recognized him as the charming playboy that had bought her a caramel mocha just two days prior.
She nearly stood up, right then and there. Nearly walked straight to the door, down the hall, and all the way to her next interview, where she would be no less than an hour early. And she would have gladly arrived that embarrassingly early to her next interview if it meant avoiding…
“Mr. Harper,” the secretary—red-haired, curvy, with cat-eye glasses and a striped blouse—said, popping gum like she was some kind of caricature or animated movie character. “You have more people waiting for you, sir. And you have an appointment at one.” It was a gentle reminder, but Avery didn’t miss the look she was throwing the blonde.
Joel Harper sighed and offered the young woman a charming smile, before straightening up. “She’s right,” he said. “I really should get back to work. You should expect to hear from us before the week is up. Thank you, Tiffany; it’s been a pleasure.” He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips while Tiffany giggled and Avery gagged. “Until next time.”
As she walked away, Avery watched the flush spread across the girl’s cheeks, reaching down into the neckline of her blouse. She was truly and utterly charmed.
“Who’s next?” Joel asked his secretary.
The redhead pulled out a clipboard and ran one well-manicured nail down the page. “Avery James,” she said, then looked up, her eyes scanning the room. “Avery James?” she repeated. “Is there an Avery James here?”
For a long moment, Avery considered just staying silent and still. If they thought she was late or a no-show, maybe they’d just skip right over her and she could slip out while Joel was in another interview. It was risky—especially if he happened to glance over and recognize her—but doable.
What are you doing? It was that sensible, annoying as hell voice in her head again. This is your shot! This is what you’ve been waiting for! You’re about to throw it all away because of a guy you don’t like? How childish and immature are you?!?
Very, Avery thought, grumpily. But she stood and raised her hand.
“Right here,” she said, before the secretary could say her name again.
“You got hearing problems or something?” the redhead asked.
“No Ma’am,” Avery sighed. “Sorry.”
“No skin off my bones,” she said. “Just follow Mr. Harper inside to conduct your interview. Joel,” she turned back to him, “play nice.”
“Always, Edith.” But he wasn’t looking at his secretary any longer; his eyes were trained on Avery.
And they looked positively ravenous.
&
nbsp; Chapter Five
The room was silent, the air between their bodies charged with something that Avery couldn’t quite put her finger on. It made her hair stand on end and she wasn’t certain if she was meant to enjoy it. She tried her best not to, keeping her back straight as a rod in the seat Joel Harper had pulled out for her.
Like a gentleman, she had thought, sarcastically, as she sat primly in the seat. At least she had thanked him, forcing her voice to sound sweet and genuine.
“My pleasure,” Joel had practically purred in response. Or had she been imagining it? There was an equal chance of both, in her mind. But she didn’t have such a pleasant opinion of him coming into this interview in the first place, so she wasn’t really the best judge, was she?
Now, his piercing blue eyes seemed to bore into her. They were calm, but had some kind of mischievous spark to them at the very same time. There was something daring in those blue depths and Avery found herself almost hypnotized by them, a small lump forming in her throat that made it difficult to breathe as her heart seemed to stumble. She shook her head and opened her mouth.
“Did you know my name before you—”
“Did you know this was my company when you—”
They both started and stopped talking at the exact same time. Joel nodded at her and motioned with his hand for Avery to precede him. She paused for a second longer, before accepting the invite and clearing her throat.
“Did you know my name?” she asked. “When I applied for this job, did you recognize the name?”
“I’m not the one that typically looks at applications,” Joel replied. “My sister runs HR. I fill in where necessary.”
“So you had no idea who I was when she told you to interview me?” Avery asked.
