Chapter Two : The One

Naturally, Angelina is a very lively, vivacious, carefree and boisterous person and she wouldn't be caught dead staying idle and doing nothing. So, when they were ushered into the lounge to await their respective turn for the interview, she just couldn't sit on the very comfortable-looking sofa and waste her precious time.

   

 Immediately the interviewer's secretary placed them on a sort of queue by giving them numbers, she got up and started wandering around. Thus, breaking rule number two of 'interview protocols' which a good friend of hers gave her.

 Smiling, she tried to recall all the rules so she could happily break them. After all, rules are always meant to be broken in Angelina McQueen's dictionary!

Rule #1: Greet everyone you meet at the vicinity, even security guards because sometimes the bosses disguise themselves...Well, too bad she's too much of a social and cheerful person so she couldn't break this rule as she greeted every single person she met.

Rule #2 : No wandering around while waiting your turn because there might be cameras showing all your movements to the prospective employer—Yay! Rule absolutely broken!

Rule #3 : Avoid chatting or making unnecessary calls with your phone. Just sit politely and if you're too bored, just read a book. It will show anyone watching that you're a serious person, not one who'll always be on his/her phone while at work—-Lols…time to video chat her dear friend Alicia. She needs to see how cool and exquisite this place looks!

Rule #4 : Don't accept any offer of drinks or food or whatever. Just politely decline, it might be a test—-Hmm, now that's another one she'll really enjoy breaking…

She called Alicia and had started moving around, showing her the grand interior of MJ Tech, which is one of the most expensive office buildings in the world when she heard the stern voice of the secretary.

"Sorry, gentleman but cameras are not allowed in this office. Kindly take your seat like all the other gentlemen and await your turn."

"Ok, sorry for that. But am I at least allowed to stretch my legs? I'm bored out of my wits waiting for these interviews that last for ages! Is there any place I can go to get coffee or something else to wash down my throat? Perhaps any of you gentlemen would like to join me?" she concluded, raising her eyebrows questioningly at the other interviewees but the cowards just shook their heads looking at her as if she had grown two heads just because she's brave enough to do what they wouldn't even dream of.

"Like I said earlier, just take your seat and patiently wait for your turn to do what brought you here today. I'll ring for the coffee and it'll be brought here shortly. Or is there anything else you want, Mr. Leg stretcher?" 

Okay, it's official. The number one on the list of people in 'her' working-place whom Angelina dislikes is this Mr. Obnoxious Secretary, Mr. Bentley or whosoever he said his name was. And yes, 'her' working-place because there's no going back now. No matter what it takes, she will surely achieve her goal...or rather Jeremy's goal by getting this job and accomplishing her mission…

A waiter soon arrived with a cart laden with coffee to go round but as expected, all the other interviewees politely declined so Angelina graciously took two out of the many disposable cups as she's a sucker for coffee especially cappuccino like the one served. Their loss, her gain!

While sipping the amazing coffee, she let her eyes wander around since her legs have been denied. She let her gaze slide from one interviewee to another and from one company employee to another as they passed by, busy in their official duties.

Some are dandy looking dudes all decked up in their fancy suits while some were nerdy looking, uptight and serious fellows sitting ramrod straight and erect on their seats. They were all different people with different personalities and from different walks of life but they all had one thing in common—- they're all males!

Oh yes, the rumors going round that M.J Tech does not employ female workers are now as good as confirmed. From the moment she stepped into the building up till now, she has not seen a single female worker and she has seen quite a number of staff members. Right from the security guards, to the four receptionists at the large reception desk, to the janitors she saw cleaning the hallways, to the secretary, to the interviewees, the passers-by, to the waiter that served coffee...every single one is a male!

Weird. Totally weird! But alas, it's his loss— that loser CEO of M.J Tech. He has lost out on the flawless, fantabulous input members of her sex…her real sex would have brought into his company. His company might have been ranked the best in the world rather than just the UK had it been it has women's golden touch. After all, they are not just the fairer sex, they are the better ones in all ramifications as far as Angelina is concerned! 

But not to worry, she's here now even though he'll never know it's a woman working right under his nose...

    "Are you not number five? Mr. Bentley has called that number like three times now." 

The voice of the nerdy-looking guy sitting adjacent to her stole into her thoughts and as she looked up, she realized that all eyes were on her with Mr. Bentley looking as if he wanted to rip her head off.

Smiling, she thanked the kind nerd before getting up while he wished her luck. As she approached the interviewer's office, she distinctly heard Mr. Bentley scoffing and saying,

    "Even the best of luck will not help that one. He's already doomed." 

With her back turned towards them, Angelina bit down on her lower lip to prevent herself from responding. Now was not the right time. She will wait for her moment which will surely come in the future. And soliloquising to herself, she uttered, "Mr. Secretary to the HR manager, I just can't wait to make you chew back your words and kiss my ass when I become the personal assistant to the CEO himself!"

*****

Unlike his secretary, the human resources manager Mr. Clifford was a cheerful, down-to-earth person and so he's the first to be registered in Angelina's list of 'fellow employees to like'. First impressions really matter!

After exchanging pleasantries, he focused his attention on the computer screen in front of him presumably going through her resume.

With a pleasant smile which Angelina believes is his usual facial expression, he looked back up at her, saying,

   "Wow, Mr Reed, what can I say? Your resume is just that...wow! It says here that you have an M.S.E (Master of Science in Engineering) in software engineering, you graduated with honors and from not just any University but Princeton! That's really impressive..."

"But what, Sir?" Angelina chirped in.

"How do you know there's a 'but'?"

"Lol... there's always a but. So tell me, I'm all ears."

"But I'm afraid at M.J Tech, it's not about how good your degree is, where you studied or how many certificates you have because as you might have heard, all our employees—even the lower level staff included, are graduates of Ivy league universities with very good degrees. For example my secretary Bentley, I'm sure you've made his acquaintance. He graduated from Oxford, top of his class in fact, but since he has no working experience, he has to work as a mere secretary and learn the ropes before he joins our tech team. "

Hmm, thought Angelina, no wonder he's so obnoxious...

"And that's just as secretary to the HR manager unlike this post you are vying for. We're talking of the personal assistant to the founder of this great establishment --the CEO himself. We need a highly educated person with at least four to five years working experience. And according to your resume, you're just a fresh graduate with no experience working in any tech company at all. But despite your inexperience so to say, I'm kind of intrigued by your demeanour. I've been watching all the candidates since you were all ushered in and despite being the least qualified both physically and experience-wise sorry to say, you seem to be the most confident amongst all. So tell me, what gives you such confidence? Why do you think you are fit for this job?"

    "I don't just think I'm fit for this job. I know I'm the one for the job."

The cheerful Mr. Clifford could not help but chuckle slightly at the tone Angelina used to stress that fact but he quickly regained his composure as he asked,

    "What makes you so sure of that if I may ask?"

     "Do you want to know?"

    "Of course! Enlighten me, why does an inexperienced, fresh graduate like you think he can be the P.A to the CEO of such a prestigious company."

     "Take me to the CEO."

       "What?!"

      "You asked why I believe I'm the one for the job and so I'm asking you to take me to the CEO and I'll prove it to you right then and there."

     "Lol...be careful what you wish for, young man."

     "Or I might get it? Well, if that's the case then I truly wish to see him."

    "Young man, when I said be careful what you wish for, I really meant it. The boss might not physically be present here but I assure you, he's seeing and hearing everything going on here."

As I started scanning my eyes all over the elegantly furnished office, searching for the invisible CEO, Mr. Clifford chuckled once again before adding,

   "Nope, you can't see him. Like I said, he's not physically present here but don't forget you're in a top-notch tech company. So yeah, everything you wish to say to him, you can say it here and I assure you, he's seeing and hearing."

    "Okay, cool! Mr. CEO, please I would like to have a meeting with you. And not just virtually like now. After all, we're soon going to be working together so why don't we get acquainted with each other?"

   "Mr. Reed, I'm afraid your time is up. Thank you for coming and all things being equal, you'll hear..."

    "Send him up, Gareth." 

A deep, baritone and authoritative voice interrupted Mr. Clifford's polite dismissal of Angelina.

Angelina couldn't say who was more shocked between Mr. Clifford and herself though for obviously different reasons. Mr. Clifford was flabbergasted over the fact that the boss actually summoned Angelina up to his office after hearing her 'demands' while she was left dumbstruck by that baritone voice. How could a man's voice sound so…so dreamy and magnetic? Maybe it's because of the effect of the speakers of whatever hidden device he spoke through but that resonance…oo la la!

As Angelina shook the now less-shocked, more-anxious-on-her-behalf Mr. Gareth Clifford's hand in goodbye, he whispered,  

   "Be careful and watch that overconfident mouth of yours."

In response, Angelina just winked at him and left his office before purposely striding towards his secretary.

Even though she doesn't know why the CEO summoned her or if she'll come out of that meeting victorious, she still couldn't miss the chance to make Mr. Bentley chew back his disrespectful words.

Already doomed? Her foot!

"Ah Mr. Bentley, the big boss summoned me to his office and I forgot to ask your boss for directions. So please help me, it's on the topmost floor, right? Or perhaps you don't even know since you only work on the twentieth floor? Never mind, I'm sure I'll find my way."

As Bentley stood there mouth agape staring at her in shock, along with most of the remaining interviewees, Angelina flashed him a fake smile which is more of a smirk before turning and striding triumphantly towards the elevator while muttering under her breath,

    "Kiss my ass, loser!"