Page 41 of The Veil

I lurched to the back of my desk and sat down, rolling my chair underneath as I rocked back. “I think it's safe to say that you've already made a big impression on me.”

She shifted in her seat, starting to blush once again as she watched her lap.

“Isabelle.”

Her gaze met mine as she composed herself.

“Shall we continue the interview?”

“Yes,” she rasped, clearing her throat.

“Very well then,” I confirmed. “Tell me why you applied for a job with my company.” I looked her in the eyes, waiting for a reply but she blankly stared at me.

I saw him speaking but I could not hear a word he was saying. I went blank. You know the feeling you get right before you pass out when you start to get tunnel vision?Then you lose your hearing? That is what was happening to me and suddenly…

Nothing. It went black.

“Isabelle?” I heard the muffled sound of my name.

I began to blink my eyes, but everything around was blurry. I moved my head back and forth but could not focus on anything. What happened? A figure started to appear over me. I felt like I had been kicked in the head by a horse. It felt like several minutes passed before I saw his face start to come into focus.

Oh no. Abort! Abort! This is not a drill.I passed out during my job interview!

9 First Date

Wishing the floor would sink in, swallowing me whole, I wanted to be anywhere other than right here. Why did I let this happen? I laid there for what seemed like an eternity contemplating playing dead for the next ten years. I could also sprint out of his office and never look back. Or there was option three, just sitting up fast, sayingGotchaand wink at him as if I played a big joke on him.

Instead, I took a few deep breaths, praying he would not laugh at me until I died of embarrassment. I felt my cheeks heating, knowing I was probably flushed as I averted my gaze to the floor. My entire body then became hot. I knew I would never recover from this level of mental anguish. The reality of fainting in front of a gorgeous man that I had a date with, hit me. He also turned out to be the owner of the company I was interviewing with. It was nothing short of mortifying.

Sitting on the floor next to me, he handed me a bottle of water, untwisting the cap as he handed it to me. I sat up slowly, attempting not to make any sudden movements. Still a bit dizzy, I braced myself before I focused my vision on the bottle. Taking a sip, I wondered how long I had been unconscious.

“Um, h-how long was I out?”

A look of concern spread across his face. He furrowed his brow, sighing. “Four days.”

I choked on the water then gasped, “What?!”

Throwing his head back, he roared with laughter. “I am just joking, bella.”

“Bella?” I mused.

He smirked, “It’sbeautifulin Italian, but is sometimes used as expressions. I’ll teach you one day.”

Abashed, my cheeks felt hot once again.

He tenderly patted my thigh as he stood. Holding his hand out to assist me, I took hold of it. He pulled me up to my feet, but I lost my footing. My unbalanced body leaned into him causing him to wrap his arms around me. We were both frozen, gazing into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. He cleared his throat, inhaling deeply.

“We should maybe postpone this interview,” he contested, peeling himself away. Rapidly, he lurched to his desk. He smoothed his suit before he sat, opening his laptop, inspecting it. I shamefully sat back in the chair that I just fell out of.

Taking a deep breath, he rolled his eyes at whatever he discovered on the screen. “One moment.”

Intensely, he glared at his computer, slowly tapping his fingers on his desk. I nodded as I glanced down at my watch to see just how long I was really passed out. Maybe ten minutes which is not as bad as I thought.Much better than four days. I snickered to myself, but it did not mean that I had healed from my humiliation.

Picking up his cell phone, he pressed a button before placing it to his ear. He paused momentarily before speaking Italian. My heart fluttered as I closed my eyes trying not to pass out again.Breathe Isabelle. I found his accent incredibly attractive. Maybe too attractive. When I finally opened my eyes, he was smirking at me as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the call. I averted my gaze to my lap, fidgeting with my fingers inelegantly, waiting for him to finish his call.

“Isabelle,” he whispered, still on his call.

I slowly met his gaze.Removing the phone from his ear for a moment, he asked, “Do you want to get out of here a little early?”

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