Chapter 5

Patricia sat nervously in front of the four interviewers, her gaze fixed on the floor, not daring to meet the eyes of the CEO, Marco Gabriel. She had never felt so doubtful of herself before; usually, she was confident and unafraid to look anyone in the eye. But in this case, it was different. She wasn't afraid of Marco, per se, but rather his decision. She feared that what she did in the restaurant would influence his decision not to employ her. She had her fingers crossed, hoping he would consider her with the certificates she presented to him. If only she hadn't spilled coffee on him, she would have sat confidently with no ounce of fear.

"Why the hell did he not send somebody?" she snorted silently, still hoping he would give her the job. It wasn't because she wanted to avoid going back to the agency; she didn't care about that anymore. But she had undergone extensive training, and she didn't want it to go to waste. Plus, she had had a childhood dream of being a secretary, just like her mom. It seemed like such a silly dream now, but she still hoped to make it a reality.

"Ahem!" Marco coughed, interrupting her thoughts. After going through her CV, he was genuinely impressed with what he saw. It seemed she was a brilliant girl - someone who had graduated with a 5.0 GPA from an elite university was not to be taken lightly. When he saw her in his company and then learned that she had come there for an interview, the thought of having her as his secretary immediately struck his mind.

But he wanted to be sure he wasn't making a mistake. That's why he badly wanted to do her interview. Now that he had seen her certificates, he was even more impressed with his initial assessment. No lady had caught his attention like this before; he felt drawn to her.

"I have gone through your CV, and you seem to meet our requirements," he told her with a professional tone. "But you look like someone who is clumsy and tardy," he added, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Patricia's heart sank as she realized he was referring to the coffee incident. She silently prayed he wouldn't use that to judge her.

"So why should the company employ you?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Immediately, her mind went down memory lane to when Chloe had trained her. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat.

Flashback begin

"Okay, let's try this again," Chloe said, taking a deep breath. "When you go for a job interview, they'll likely ask you why they should hire you. So, what's your answer?"

Patricia thought for a moment before shrugging. "I dunno. Maybe I'll just charm them with my sparkling personality and stunning good looks?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Right, because that's definitely going to impress them. Look, you need to give them a reason to hire you. Think about what skills and experience you have that make you a good fit for the job."

Patricia nodded, then grinned mischievously. "Or, I could just tell them that if they don't hire me, I'll release a swarm of angry bees into their office."

Chloe stared at her in disbelief. "What? No! That's not even remotely--"

But before she could finish, Patricia burst out laughing. "Relax, I'm just kidding. I'll come up with something more professional, I promise."

Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. Honestly, if you said that in an interview, they'd probably call security."

Patricia chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Okay, how about this: I'm a hard worker with a proven track record of success in similar roles. I'm passionate about what I do, and I'm always looking for ways to improve and grow."

Chloe nodded approvingly. "That's much better. And if all else fails, you can always fall back on my personal favorite: 'Because I'm awesome.'"

Patricia laughed. "I'll keep that one in mind. Thanks, Chloe."

Flashback ends.

Patricia regained her confidence and gazed directly into Marco's brown eyes. She flashed a confident smile and responded, as Chloe had instructed her. “I don't have a simple answer to that question. If I were to answer truthfully, it might sound like a lot of bullsh*t, so I'll just be straight with you. I need money, which is why I'm here to work. Your company's growth will increase my salary, so I will work diligently to help your company thrive.”

A dark-haired woman with a wrinkled face pushed her glasses up her nose and asked, “If money is your only motivation, how can we trust you not to sell our company's secrets for cash?”

Patricia chuckled, “Are you implying that I would sell my body for money? Because to me, it sounds the same.”

“That's not what I meant.” The woman responded.

Patricia found the woman's comment amusing. “Well, to me, it is. I don't want to earn money in a way that I can't be proud of. So, why do something that will make me feel ashamed? I would rather work hard and earn money in a way that I can be proud of.”

She thought to herself, "But if it comes back to the streets, I'll do more than just stealing, but not killing." She put on a fake smile, concealing her thoughts.

The interviewer was impressed by Patricia's response and smiled at her. “Well, I'd be happy to have you as an employee.”

Patricia smiled back kindly, “Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate the opportunity.”

The CEO interrupted the interview, causing Patricia and the other interviewers to be taken aback. "Hold on a second," he said, "If you want this job, you need to make the perfect cup of coffee that will awaken my taste buds. Without my coffee, I can't function, and that's no joke. So, if you can make that happen, then the job is yours."

Patricia and the other interviewers were shocked to hear such a strange request. While they knew about his coffee obsession, they had never seen him ask anyone to make coffee for him before. Even his former secretaries were surprised at his demeanor during this interview. Some of them had left because they couldn't handle his cold demeanor, while others stayed because of the allure of working for a handsome CEO.

Patricia felt a mix of shock and happiness upon hearing the CEO's request. She was confident that she could make a good cup of coffee, thanks to John, who had taught her how to make coffee for himself. She silently thanked John for teaching her this skill.

"I'll do it, sir," Patricia said, determined to impress him. "Please show me where I'll be making the coffee."

Marco nodded at the lady who collected his briefcase. "Ms. Evan, please show her the way," he instructed her politely, causing her to be taken aback. She was starting to develop mixed feelings, thinking that he was already catching feelings for the lady.

As they walked to the coffee room, Ms. Evans told Patricia that the CEO liked his coffee bland. However, Patricia knew that she was lying and wondered why she would do that unless she didn't want Patricia to be employed. Ms. Evans was jealous of Patricia's round, plump figure and natural beauty, fearing that the CEO would be attracted to her.

Patricia shrugged off her concerns and entered the coffee room. The room was painted in bright, cheerful colors, with an orange table in the center. The coffee maker was on a cabinet on the left side of the wall. Patricia found everything she needed to make the coffee and got to work.

Carrying the tray with four cups of Americano, she walked back to the interview room. The other candidates wondered why she had done that since they weren't asked to. But Patricia hoped that her coffee would impress the CEO.

Marco was lounging on the sofa with his leg crossed over, sipping his coffee silently. He took his time drinking it, causing Patricia to be tense with anticipation. The other interviewers enjoyed their coffee except for Ms. Evans, who spat it out and made a disgusted face.

"Ugh, this is so disgusting! I don't like it at all," Ms. Evans complained, sticking out her tongue.

Patricia rolled her eyes at her outburst, knowing that she was going to cause drama.

"Sorry, Ms. Evans, but since you won't be my secretary, your opinion doesn't matter. Please clean up the coffee you spilled on the table. I like my workspace to be clean and free of germs," Marco said, sipping his coffee.

Patricia couldn't help but smile, knowing that she had impressed him. "So, does that mean I'm hired?" she asked eagerly.

"I guess you are," Marco said with a smirk, impressed with her coffee-making skills.