Kisses and Teats

Chapter 3

Another day and slay, I’m a product of t****k you can’t blame me. It is currently 9 am and I don’t know what to do with myself. It has been a constant cycle of looking at my phone, then the ceiling, then my phone again. I have no idea why I am on social media. This may sound pathetic but I don’t have friends or acquaintances, you name it, I mindlessly scroll through t****k all day. I stand up from my bed and make a repeat of yesterday. This is terrible, this can’t be my normal.

This is meant to be a good thing because I can take it as taking a break and resting because I can’t remember a time I didn’t work even back in high school I had to work because my constant drunk of a father wasn’t sober enough to be hired by any establishment of any kind even alcoholic establishment wouldn’t dare.

I don’t know when it started. I just knew my parents have always been constantly arguing and fighting and can't remember a time they didn’t. Then one day they just stopped altogether and the house became too quiet. My mother was hardly home to give a f**k if her only child was properly fed, or alive I always just heard the door opening by midnight or after midnight just like Cinderella. They took turns on who came back later, today it’s my father tomorrow it’s my mother the only difference was my mother came back sober and my father, yep you guessed correctly he always came back really drunk either crying his heart out or breaking things or worse puking all over the house which of course I had to clean up because my parents were so selfish and so up in their problems to at least hire a help.

I should consider this time as a good break to do things I have wanted to do, but I can’t help but feel restless and the need to constantly be doing something.

This is so frustrating I want to scream but I can’t do that because if anything my mother taught me to be calm, cool, and collected even when I was being bullied. That was how I reacted. Which always seemed to piss them off even more, my high school experience was the best.

My phone rings, but my phone never rings now to think about it. What do I use my phone for anyway? Right, I remember my phone was ringing, I picked up the call and held the phone to my ear while the other side booms with noise.

“Good day Miss Ava Rodriguez, I am calling from Elevate Technologies which you recently applied for the secretary position.”

“Yes, how may I help you?”

“Well Miss Ava, we have reviewed your application and you were qualified for an interview which is taking place at the company. You can either accept or….”

Yes I accept, I accept I mean I accept your offer” I cut her off too excitedly. Jeez, I need to calm down. I sound too desperate.

“Miss Ava, you there?”

“Oh sorry, can you come again?”

“The interview is scheduled for tomorrow by noon promptly.” I made a mental note to Google about the company.

“Okay thank you very much” and the line goes off.

Wait, I was qualified? What kind of people applied to the company? It can only be two things: the company has no value and it’s just starting their careers. Or the people who applied are as clueless as I am because how is it that my CV which was mostly someone’s edited achievement granted me an interview for the position? But that woman sounded sophisticated and educated. I typed “Elevate Technologies” into my browser and what popped up was more than a startup company. It is ranked number 1 in tech companies in the whole United States. So how did I land an interview there exactly? I feel so ungrateful right now plus it’s just an interview, not the job it just feels so unreal.

I search through all my belongings to find at least one decent-looking skirt and a shirt but I find nothing. My bag is filled with junk. Even a thriftier won't salvage anything from this pile.

I head out to the mall if I want to get the part I have to look at.

I am standing in front of the half-cracked mirror I had found when I packed into this apartment; I hardly remember I had it. Don’t get me wrong I have self-love, okay maybe just a little. I have great hair and great features but if I looked pretty or not, it has not been at the bottom of my worries. I straightened out my curls and adjusted the gown I bought yesterday. It hurts my pocket, but if I want to increase my chances among my other clueless colleagues I have to look presentable.

I head for the bus station that is the fastest way to Los Angeles and it takes two hours to get there max. I have to be out of my house by 8 am if I plan on getting there before 12. I get into the car, put on my air pods, put on some music, and start on my breakfast. There are two other people in the vehicle apart from the driver. I take in the scenery and it’s beautiful.

When I initially thought of where to move to after living in Pittsburgh for so long, Los Angeles was on my mind. I needed a change in the toxic environment. I thought of moving to California, I had always been in love with the city of Los Angeles since I was a little girl, that I would be famous and no longer looked down on, that I would be so rich to afford anything and I’d meet my prince charming. Seventeen years later, I live in the outskirts of Bakersfield in a condo, jobless and broke, and have never been in any romantic relationship.

I see it before I am there, the building that almost greets the heavens made of glass, but you can’t see them from outside, it is tinted black and at the top, it reads Elevate Technologies. I feel and look underdressed that Google pictures did no justice to the building.

I check how I look in the car mirror and can see my nervousness. I try to breathe in and say my mantra; cool, calm, and collected but it doesn’t ease my nerves.

“You look beautiful, miss.” the driver says while parking and smiles

“Thank you, thanks for the ride.”

“It was my pleasure to miss.” I exit the car, take a deep breath, and step into the building.

Yup, I am underdressed, as I walk in the women and men are dressed cleanly, corporately, and beautifully. I look like I’m in the wrong place, so much for looking like the part.

I walk into one of the booths to ask questions.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, how may I help you?” the woman seated replies.

“I am here for the interview set for today.”

“Okay walk straight and turn left you’ll see an office with a woman inside, the first office you see when you turn left.”

“Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, you look beautiful, and good luck on your interview.”

“Thank you, you look very stunning too” I smile while I turn to leave.

I followed the instructions the woman gave me. I see the woman wearing a beautiful shade of green and her hair packed in a ponytail then I walk up to the office and knock.

“Come in,” the woman says.

“Good morning, my name is Ava Rodriguez. I'm here for the interview.”

She eyes me up and down like she is assessing me and I don’t know if she likes what she sees or she’s just not impressed “Oh, okay that’s great my name is Melissa. You are just right on time when the last person is in there and he is almost done. You can wait in the waiting area just outside there when it’s your turn I’ll notify you.”

“Okay, thank you.”

I move to the waiting area and sit. I don’t know what to do with myself, so I put on my air pods and observe.

I wait for a total of twenty minutes, when Melissa notifies me and I see the man coming out with his head held high but his hands are visibly shaking well. That's just a great way to calm my nerves. I move forward to enter the interview room before I am at the door. Melissa is in front of me with a passing fear in her eyes.

“Is there a problem?” I asked

“No,” She said with a fake smile plastered across her face.

“Okay so… can’t I go in?” looking at her dead in the eye.

“Yes you will have your interview, just wait with me in my office. While I make some calls to clear you then you’ll have the interview.”

“Okay” I look at her skeptically. Something isn’t right.

I followed her back to her office. I wait for another ten minutes, then she asks me to follow her but she doesn’t enter the interview room instead she leads me past an office bigger than hers and more inside. This seems like a kidnap at this point if I’m being honest. Then finally stands in front of an office door.

“Knock then wait for him to let you inside” Then she leaves without another word.

I knock once and wait, there is no response, twice, and then a third. Is the person sleeping or dead at this point I let myself in.

I open the door and the size of the office takes me off guard. I almost let my jaw drop, emphasis on the almost. The office is enough to be an apartment and the interior is warm but pitch black and everything is properly set aside. It’s so beautiful.

I let my eyes meet the man on the other side of the table. He is already looking right at me so intently like he just saw a ghost and is disgusted or I don’t know I can’t place it but he looks right into my soul. Well, I don’t think he looks like a ghost. If he was a ghost he would be the most beautiful-looking one. Neither am I disgusted if I thought the office was beautiful. The office has nothing on him. I let my eyes roam. His Armani black suit is tailored specially for him like Armani was just made for him. His eyes are the darkest of blues, his lips are so... oh my God Ava, I need to get laid.

“And why do I need to know that information?”

“Excuse me?”

“You said you need you to get laid, why would I need that information?”

Can the ground swallow me whole? I can't believe I said that out loud “Uhm, I am…”

“Sit down so we can conduct the interview.”

Right, the interview. I take a seat and I don’t know why I feel exposed sitting in front of him. He has this nonchalant look but the way he looks right at me makes me feel bare. I try to collect my thoughts.

“What’s your name?”

“Ava Rodriguez.”

“What school did you attend?”

I’m sure I put in my CV but I answered anyway “Pencrook University”

“No, I mean what high school did you attend?”

Why would he want to know my high school? What does that have to do with the interview?

“Bay View High School in Pittsburgh.”

“Hmm” a very deep timbre sound leaves his throat and I catch the passing look in his eyes. Everyone is acting so weird around here.

“So what sets you apart from the other applicants that were interviewed?”

“Nothing,” I blurted out. “Nothing really sets me apart from them and why I say so is because we are all people looking for a way of survival to make ends meet. So whether they are better spoken than me or have basic computer skills either of us can try to learn, if it means it lands us the job. So no, nothing sets us apart. We are all peas in the same pod” Why the hell did I just say that?

“Sorry, what I mean I say is …”

“You can leave now”

“Excuse me?”

“We are done with the interview.”

“I’m sorry, could you give me another chance?”

“Well sorry I can’t, your time is up and the interview is over.”

Yup, I definitely f****d the interview up.