At the billionaire's feet

ChapterFour

The city was still waking up when she walked into the Rivers Group building. She fixed the strap of her bag. Made sure her skirt was okay. She told herself that this was a chance, for her, not something to be scared of. The big doors that spun around swallowed her feelings and took her to a lobby that smelled a little bit like cleaning stuff and wealth.

She had really earned this job. The thought of it went through her mind as the elevator went up. This job was something she had earned.

The people in Human Resources got everything done fast. They gave Julie some forms to fill out. She had to sign them. Then they gave her a badge that they clipped to her shirt. A woman, with a smile helped her with all of this. Julie paid attention to what the woman was saying. She nodded her head to show that she understood. She was really taking it all in.

Then they took Julie to the place where she would be working. They showed her where her desk was. They introduced her to the people she would be working with. There were a lot of names to remember. Julie had to shake hands with all of these people. It was a little confusing because there were many new names and faces. Julie met her coworkers. They all welcomed her to the team. The Human Resources people made sure Julie had everything she needed to get started. Julie was now a part of her department.

Williams got to the office late. He was supposed to be on time but he did not make it until after everyone else was already there. He was running behind schedule.

Not because he was careless, but because he could.

The office changed the moment he walked into the room. People started talking. They looked up to see who was there. The one guy that fixed his tie even though it was already fine. The man had an importance about him, the kind that comes with having a big family name.

Julie saw him. Then she remembered all that happened on her interview day.

There was no posture and no cautious smile. Williams moved with a confidence that was almost arrogant. His suit jacket was open. His expression was hard to read. The corporate executives she had imagined were not, like Williams. His eyes looked around the room like he owned the place. Williams seemed sure of himself.

Julie felt like someone was watching her before she even saw him. She looked up. Saw a man staring at her. His eyes were really dark. He looked like he was trying to figure her out. He did not seem like he wanted to be friends or anything. His eyes made Julie feel like she should sit up straight. They were very serious and of course scary. Julie saw the man's eyes. Then she rememberedall that happenedon the interview day. She knew he was not looking at her in a nice way. The man's eyes were dark. They made her feel uncomfortable.

He looked at the sign on her desk and said "Juliana Rose”. The sign had her name on it. He was reading it aloud. He said "Juliana Rose" again like he was making sure he got it right.

It wasn’t a question.

She said yes and she got up from her seat.

The corner of his mouth twitched. It was not a smile. It was something that did not feel happy at all. The corner of his mouth just moved a little. That was it.

So you are the girl.

She looked at him with a confused look

Williams put his hand on the edge of her desk. He was really close, to her. He did not touch her. Williams said "What a timing."

Julie looked a little unhappy. "I do not understand what you mean," she said. Julie was waiting for him to explain what he meant.

He said, "Nothing." Then he looked at her face for a time. It was like he was trying to find something. He was looking for something, like recognition or guilt or fear. He did not find any of those things on her face. Her face did not show anything.

That really bothered him. He got upset by that. It was clear t

He said this after a while. "My name is Williams Rivers " he said. "I am the chief operating officer of the Rivers group”.

Her stomach felt like it was going down. It was a feeling. Her stomach was doing flips.

She said oh. Julie said, “ it is nice to meet you sir”.

He laughed softly. He said "We will see."

Then he stood up straight and walked away. This left her feeling confused. She did not know why. The air felt tense.