CANDIDATE NUMBER 37

Jamie rang up the reception and said, “Send the candidates in one by one after ten minutes.”

Then he disconnected the call without waiting for her reply.

Jamie drew in a few deep breaths and sat down. This was the first time he was assigned the job of choosing someone. He wanted to do it well. Who knows he could even get a raise if he chose the right candidate.

He went over all the qualities required to be an employee of their esteemed company.

The candidate had to be :-

*Well Qualified.

*Should have a pleasing personality.

*Should be well groomed. He didn't want to ruin the aesthetic of the office.

*Should be able to adapt to the office culture.

Jamie felt much more confident after going through the key points. He was about to call the reception and tell Raina to send the first candidate in but his mobile phone rang.

He took it out and was about to turn it off when his eyes fell on the caller id that said ‘Honey.’

Jamie jumped out of his seat and shut the door of the cabin before picking the call and saying sweetly, “Hello, honey…”

“How dare you forget our anniversary, Jamie?” A shrill voice boomed through the phone.

Jamie moved the phone away from his ears reflexively. His face turned pale when he realized that he had forgotten his marriage anniversary, again.

Last year Adriana had almost divorced him because of this. She was usually very understanding but there were certain things she couldn’t tolerate.

“Of course not, baby. I was planning to surprise you.”

“Oh is it? Where are you right now?” She asked suspiciously.

“I am still in the office but I have already taken permission. I will return early today.”

“This better be true Jamie because I have had enough. If you don’t get your bloody a** here in an hour, I will pack up.”

“I won’t give you a chance to do that. You are going to love the surp…”

Jamie realized that she had already cut the call so he stopped midway.

"Damn! how did I forget such an important date." He muttered under his breath, as he slumped back on his chair.

He broke out in cold sweat, when the gravity of what he had done sank in. He had told his wife that he had taken permission to go home early.

But, how could he have done that? He didn’t even remember his anniversary.

He held his head in his hands and kicked himself mentally. Couldn't he have come up with something better? Today he was going to lose either his job or his wife.

He tapped his foot non-stop, thinking of a way out. On a whim he decided to message his boss, asking for permission. His hands shook as he typed out the message.

## Good Afternoon, Sir,

There is an emergency at my house. Can I go home early?

Regards,

Jamie ##

The moment he pressed the send button, he regretted it. He was about to ‘unsend’ it when he realized that his boss had already viewed it.

His heart pounded in his ears and his hands trembled as he waited for the reply.

## You can leave after the interview is over.##

Jamie kept staring at the screen for a long time. He expected the letters in the message to turn into something else but they didn’t. He couldn’t believe that his boss actually agreed to let him go early.

He could save his marriage after all. He felt excited as he thought of the things he could plan for Adriana. This was a golden opportunity for him to improve their relationship.

Then his eyes fell on the CCTV footage running on the screen.

He groaned as he looked at the numerous candidates waiting in the reception area. Damn! Why did he shortlist so many candidates?

He looked at the candidates carefully. He particularly liked the one sitting in the second row. She was well-groomed, had a pleasing expression. She seemed professional too.

He noted the number of her chair ‘37’. He would just tell others that the interview is postponed.

There would be a vacancy for another data-entry operator the next month as Pamella was going on long maternity leave.

Jamie’s face lit up as this brilliant plan formed in his mind. He called up the receptionist and said, “Announce that the interview is postponed and the date will be communicated later.

And yeah….give the appointment letter to candidate number 37 right away.”

 Raina was shocked to hear this but she hid it well and replied politely, “Sure sir.”

She had learned not to ask unnecessary questions.

Click! Click! Click! Click!........

Hearing footsteps approach them, all the candidates looked up, eagerly waiting for Raina to say something.

She threw a cursory glance at them and announced, “All the candidates except candidate number 37 can leave. The interview has been rescheduled.”

Then she turned on her heels and returned to her desk. It was not her job to handle their complaints.

"Who is this candidate number 37?" A young girl wondered loudly. After that all of them started looking for the chair labeled 37.

Their eyes widened in shock when they realized that it was the lanky girl with cheap perfume.

Murmurs erupted among the candidates as they debated the reason for asking her to stay behind.

“What is there to think? She is asked to stay behind so that she can be told not to come for the interview next time.” Julie said tossing her head.

“Yeah, you are right. Jamie sir is very kind. He must not be wanting to insult her publicly.”

The candidates seemed to accept the explanation and started filing out in twos and threes.

“That was such a waste, Julie. I so wanted to give this interview. Even I didn’t get the job, some feedback would have been great.”

“Don’t worry, Olivia. We will have a chance in the future, unlike some others who I am sure would be banned from coming into this office.” Julie said loudly, to ensure that Sienna hears it.

Then, she strutted out of the office without bothering to glance at her.

Julie’s words shattered the little hope Sienna had. Her eyes stung with unshed tears. She bit down hard on her lower lip to restrain herself from crying.

She felt like getting up and bolting out of the door but she was asked to stay behind. She didn’t dare to disobey. What if the owner of this company decided to take it personally.

She didn’t want to aggravate her miserable life anymore.