Page 19 of The Runaway Bride and the Billionaire

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.

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