Mapaglarong Tadhana

"Where do you want to be in 5 years, Holly?"

The last panel interview for Talon Tech, run by Adam and Noah Talon, was going well and they gave me a softball question. This was one of those moments where everything seems to come together in life and just fall into place. I'd prepared for this question. The dream job was in my grasp. I smiled and sat up confidently at Mindy and Carter who had been two out of the three panelists I was supposed to interview for today.

"My goal in 5-years is to be the best..."

The heavy door opened loudly interrupting me mid-sentence. I was sitting with my back to it and had the pleasure of two potential colleagues conducting the interview even though I was supposed to meet my potential boss today.

The door slammed shut, I could hear some shuffling, and a booming male voice talking on his headphones that were almost too small to notice.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I heard Adam Talon, one of the two Talon brothers, for the first time. "No. Absolutely not. You do that and you are fired. Fired. Do you hear me? Good. Now go fix it."

Unlike his employees, Adam decided to take the seat right next to me, invading my personal space, even though we were in a large conference room and it clearly was set up for them to interview me as a panel.

"So what did I miss? Is she a good find or is my brother just trying yanking my chain?"

What a prick. I went to tell him off but of course like every good bad boy, he was gorgeous. We are talking tall, tan like he just came back from a week in Hawaii, straight light brown hair that looked almost Bohemian. Maybe Adam just got back from an island getaway because his hair was longer than most in corporate America and he even had a beard that looked a little unkempt. If he wasn't wearing a charcoal grey suit with what looked like brand new shiny black shoes, a white crisp collared shirt and a black tie, I'd say he didn't look the part. But when I went to say something his hazel eyes pierced through me and I forgot my own name. Let alone my answer to his colleagues most recent question.

"We were just finishing up when you walked in, sir." Mindy's voice sounded like she went from co-worker to sex kitten. She hadn't given me any vibes of being a rule breaker but I also hadn't seen this man before. He woke up my ovaries. Damn, was he wearing some sort of pheromone or musk cologne to turn women on?

"She was just going to answer." And men. Carter was totally flirting with me when we walked in but now his brown doe-eyes are on the man next to me.

Adam cocked his head as he looked at me right in the eyes. Having prolonged direct eye contact with those hazel eyes of his was intimidating.

The room went quiet. You could hear a pin drop.

What was the question again?

"Does she speak?" He jokingly whispered to his colleagues. The three of them giggled breaking me from his spell.

"Yes, she does. Fluent in two languages, which you would have known if you showed up to my interview on time." Take that pretty boy!

I'm usually quiet as a church mouse but so was Mindy a few minutes ago and now she's playing with her hair and showing off her cleavage making me wonder if this is an office or a brothel.

"Okay Ms..." 

Great. Adam Talon didn't even know my name. Good because he doesn't need to know it.

"Doesn't matter."

"Miss Doesn't Matter, are you related to none of your damn business?" He stood up when I did brushing up against me.

I wanted to say it's none of your damn business but he got me there.

"Mr. Talon?" He nodded. "I don't want to work for your company but thank you for the complimentary free cup of crappy coffee. I'm sure your hard working employees appreciate it." I packed my XL purse hard leather Dooney & Bourke handbag, pushing my notepad, pen and MacBook Pro quickly so I could walk out that stupid heavy, loud door.

I felt a hand grab my upper arm as I made a run for it. It was a big hand. Even through my blouse I could feel how large and hot his hands were.

"Wait. Woah. Hold on a second there Ms? What the hell is her name?!" He turned his head back to Mindy and Carter while I tried to tug out of his grip. Every tug he held me tighter. Snapping his fingers at the two people I thought I might end up eating lunch with when I started here, they had no idea.

"Ms. O'Neill. Ms. Holly O'Neill. May I leave now?"

"No, you may not but Mindy and Carter are dismissed." His eyes never left mine. "Now."

They gathered up their stuff and bolted towards the door. He definitely had a commanding voice, but I'm from West Orange New Jersey. The land of the loud, booming, gruff male voice. I worked in New York City at a well known technology company before ending up in Colorado Springs. The real estate was cheap and the jobs were plentiful. I couldn't afford a loft by myself and here I owned a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom house.

The heavy doors shut and I was stuck up against a six foot something, strong, mouth-wateringly handsome man.

"Excuse me?"

"Let me guess, New York right?" Adam's lip twitched up into a smug look that I wanted to slap off of his face. But he was right.

He let go of my arm after he slowly sat us back down in our chairs. I couldn't relax but he did. Just like every macho rich guy working in the city. I was told people were nicer out here but I guess the rest of the East Coast followed me here, or the other way around.

"New Jersey. But I worked in the city. Four years at Square before moving out here for the abundant opportunities." Why was I telling him this? 

"Impressive." I hated beards, especially ones that looked like they could some taming, but when Noah touched his, my eyes were glued to it. I licked my lips and just watched his hand stroke his Bohemian beard. "My eyes are up here sweetheart."

His voice had a Southern twang to it; he had accidently let his accent slipped out.

"Ha. Where are you from? 'Cause it sure ain't above the Mason Dixon line."

"Tennessee originally, Texas, and now Colorado. My accent slips sometimes. Rarely though." His eyes were squinted. He definitely didn't give me the usual male gaze lingering on my chest. Honestly his eyes never seemed to leave my own.

"When can you start?"

"What?" This guy cannot be serious right now.

"You got the job. When can you start? Monday work?" It's Friday.

"I just told you I'm not interested in the job." I snapped back.

"Hmm well let's see, you've gone through multiple hours of interviews, dressed up a bit more than office casual, and were interviewing for the position until I walked in, so I'd say you do want the job. You don't want me."

He seemed hurt. Maybe he was one of those people that had a need for people to constantly like them, but that didn't add up with the rest of what I'd learned from him.

"What causes your accent to slip up?" Now it was my turn to be smug.

Noah smiled like a cat caught eating a canary. "That's personal. Why won't you take the damn job Holly?"

"It's personal."

I got up and walked out. I didn't let the door hit my big booty on the way out.