Falling for the Unexpected

Chapter Three: The Interview ✔️

After thirty minutes, Jessica was back with the results. "So how was it?" Audrey asked in curiosity.

"Not at all surprised. It was simple and effortless," Jessica boasted with annoyance plastered on her face. "I don't know why people were so stressing about it."

"Why? What'd he ask?" Audrey questioned, furrowing her brows.

"Nonsense questions. Impertinent questions that don't even relate to our status here in the company. "Rehiring," she said gesturing her hands.

"Easy for you to say!" Audrey quarreled. "You're good at talking and communicating."

"Trust me, Audrey," Jessica defended. "It's so easy! Just be yourself and you'll be alright. Alright?"

In the evening, Audrey was practicing on how to act for her interview. She stood in front of the mirror and showed facial expressions, pretending to speak to Jacob. She held her hand out pretending to shake his hands.

"Hello, Mr. Harris, nice to meet you," She said. "No that's not good!"

"Welcome to Harris & Co... Wait I don't own the company." she thought.

"Umm... Oh how about... Hi Mr. Harris nice to finally see you. Wait I sound too desperate."

She practiced all night and couldn't make up her mind about what to say, how to act and what to do. She finally figured out to trust Jessica's words. It would be easy. Just be yourself and have confidence. Let time handle the flow of things.

The next day, Audrey woke up early. Just in time, traffic wasn't so hectic. She was the first to arrive and had the chance to help the custodians and cleaners to unlock the doors and tidy the place up. In no second, the many nervous workers who were up to have their interviews arrived.

"Wow! I'm I dreaming or is this really real? Audrey you arrive earlier than me. It's a miracle!" Jessica teased.

"Oh shut up!" Audrey barked.

"And what a sophisticate look! Heels and a blazer! You look better than ever. You must really want to impress him" Jessica joked.

"Ugh no! And I don't want to get fired. You must look presentable of course." Audrey protested.

"Good luck with that, Audrey."

In the afternoon, the remaining last names with the letters U to Z were set to go. Audrey sat in her desk, anxious, playing scenarios in her head. She chewed gum, endlessly and hoped everything will go well. Jessica wasn't in the designers room due to a meeting for those who had their interviews already. Few minutes later, the next interviewee was up.

"Audrey Ward please report to the CEO's office," a woman's voice announced through the intercom.

Jacob's office was in the highest floor of the building. Unlike the designers' floor which was on the tenth floor, Jacob was on the twentieth floor of the building. There were very limited people on this floor. Audrey only spotted two women seated across from one another, taking phone calls.

Audrey approached the one ending her last phone call. "Okay, sir, I'll let Mr. Harris know," the woman said in an assuring tone. "Have a nice day!"

When she was done, Audrey tried to mutter a word, but it couldn't come out. "I-I-"

"Walk through that long hall and you'll see his office," Lexie the one who recently finished taking the phone call informed her.

"Thanks!" Audrey said, feeling some sort of shame.

"Good luck!" shouted the other woman -Sandra- from across. "He's a tough one." The two women began to giggle and bickered about some sort of new fashion trends that were being evolved.