Rachel took a deep breath as she approached the receptionist desk at the Steele tech company. She had been nervous all week, preparing and rehearsing for the interview that could change her life.
After a few minutes, the receptionist handed her a badge and directed her to the elevator. She followed the instructions and pressed the button for the floor where her interview was scheduled. As the elevator doors opened, Rachel stepped out and was welcomed by a spacious reception area with a beautiful glass chandelier hanging in the middle of the ceiling.
She approached the receptionist on that floor and announced her arrival for the interview. The receptionist checked her name on the list and asked her to wait. Rachel sat on the comfortable leather couch and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Suddenly, her name was called and she stood up, adjusting her blouse before following the receptionist.
As she walked through the hallway, Rachel couldn't help but notice the elegant paintings and beautiful decor. She tried to take it all in but was too nervous to appreciate the surroundings fully.
“Sorry, but I need a favor, lady to lady. Do you mind telling me what this Interviewer is like?” Rachel found herself asking the receptionist. Who was to blame her for being nervous? She had no experience working for a company this big!
The young lady smiled. “Well you applied for the job of an assistant and the slot open is for the CEO’s office. You are going to be working with the CEO if you get accepted, so it is only fair that he interviews you himself, isn’t it?” she asked with a small smile.
Rachel’s heartbeat dropped. Okay, she had not specified the level which she wished to assist in her application but the CEO’s assistant sounded like a big spot to her. Now she was starting to doubt her competence; come to think of the fact that she would be interviewed by the CEO himself. Maybe she wasn’t as prepared for this as she thought.
Rachel walks into the CEO's office, expecting to meet with the wealthy stranger who ran the Billion dollar enterprise for her interview. Instead, she saw someone familiar sitting behind the desk; it was Mr. Grumpy from the previous week, looking at her with a mixture of surprise and annoyance. Rachel tries to hide her shock and remain professional, but she can feel her heart beating faster. She didn’t know if to turn back and forfeit the interview because it was already a lost course.
Alex was looking through her resume when Rachel entered, and he looked up with a smile that faltered when he recognized her. He had no idea she was who he had been expecting, but he was pleased with the surprise. It seemed like Karma was indeed on his side.
"Miss Rachel, right? I believe we have met before, it's nice to see you again," Alex said, trying to mask his surprise and play cool at the same time.
Rachel remained quiet for a moment, still feeling some residual anger from their previous encounter, and future disappointment. She took a deep breath and composed herself before speaking.
"I didn't expect to see you here," she said, keeping her tone even.
Alex nodded, surprised by her attitude even at this point that her future was in his hands. "Yes, I'm Alex Steele, the CEO of this company. But don't worry, I'll still give you a fair interview." He chuckled darkly.
Rachel groaned inwardly and took a seat, the interview started shortly after but she had already lost all hopes of securing the job; there is no way that he would employ her after that ugly encounter last week.
Alex sat across the table from Rachel, with a sly smile on his face. He couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as he recognized her from their previous encounter in the coffee shop. He had decided to go ahead and interview her, partly out of curiosity and partly to teach her a lesson for her rudeness towards him.
Rachel was nervous, but determined to make a good impression. For what it was worth, she had prepared for this interview and was confident in her abilities. However, as the interview progressed, she could sense that Alex was purposely asking annoying questions to either test her patience or provoke a reaction out of her.
He asked her about her weaknesses, and when she responded with a well-prepared answer, he scoffed and asked her why she couldn't be perfect. Rachel's face flushed with anger, but she kept her composure and answered his questions as professionally as possible.
Alex then asked her to give an impromptu presentation on a topic she knew nothing about. Rachel hesitated, but then began to speak, surprising even herself with her ability to think on her feet. However, Alex interrupted her mid-sentence and criticized her for not knowing enough about the topic.
Rachel felt her frustration growing, but she refused to let it show. She reminded herself that this was just a test and that she had to stay focused.
"Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with someone and how you resolved it," he said, leaning back in his chair and staring at her intently.
Rachel hesitated for a moment before responding. She knew what this was all about. He wanted to know if she had any regrets from their previous encounter at the coffee shop. She cursed him silently in her mind, he was really a thorn in the flesh. There was no need to play righteous; without doubt, she had already failed this interview, at least she could still save her ego and not let this grumpy fellow win it all.
"Well, just last week I had an encounter with someone who was being very rude to me," she said, trying to keep her tone neutral. "I didn't want to escalate the situation, so I just ignored them and went on with my day."
Alex raised an eyebrow with a grin on one side of his face. "That's it? You didn't confront them or try to resolve the conflict in any way?" he asked in pretense.
Rachel shrugged. "I didn't think it was worth my time or energy. Sometimes it's better to just let things go." She replied coldly.
“Hmm…” Alex nodded slowly, seeming to ponder her response. "I see. Well, thank you for your honesty, Rachel."
The interview continued for another few minutes, but Rachel knew within herself that she had already given up on the job, at least she would be going home with her pride intact. Finally, the interview came to an end. Alex stood up and extended his hand across the desk.
"Thank you for coming in today, Rachel," he said, his voice low and controlled. "We'll be in touch." He said with a not so convincing smile.
Rachel hummed and returned a sarcastic smile before standing up and heading for the door. She grumbled on her way out on what a waste of time this journey has been. First of all, she had to wait weeks to get an email inviting her for an interview, and after preparing for more weeks, it was postponed. Now today, she arrived here only to meet Mr. Grumpy as CEO, how could she not know that nature was fighting against her?
Rachel had just stepped out of the company when her phone chimed. She cursed out loud before taking a look at it; she had just received a message from an unknown contact. She opened the text message and it read
“See you on Monday, Assistant. It is 7am, don’t be late.”
Rachel was confused. What did that mean? Who had sent the message? She slowly turned around and that was when she saw him. Alex waved to her from his office floor; he was staring down at her through the glass windows, with a sheepish smile on his face.
Rachel had never been more confused in her life. Did she just secure the job? How was this even possible? He hired her after everything she had done? This was the craziest experience in her life!
She didn’t know if to rejoice or worry, but she forced a nervous smile back and then walked to her Toyota corolla. She had just bagged a job, but she wasn’t screaming like originally planned!!
Mr. Grumpy was either mysterious or he had other plans that she needed to be wary of. Either way, she needed to inform Olivia of the latest developments. She was now the assistant to a billionaire CEO!!
What Rachel didn’t know of, was the drama that was to follow!! Alex wasn’t so good at forgiving people, he was about to make life a living hell for her!!
To be continued!!
