Serving Mr. Grayson

Mia "I, uh, got splashed on the way here." I smile awkwardly, trying to explain the huge water stain on my white silk blouse. My first interview was at nine a.m. Despite the rain that fell this morning, I was relieved to have reached the building on time, only to get splashed by a car passing by. There was no way it could've gotten dry before the interview and there were no clothing stores nearby. The woman swept her gaze over me with uncertainty. I had a feeling I was not going to pass the interview. She cleared her throat. "Ok.. right. Let's start the interview shall we?" "Of course," I shift in my seat. Fifteen minutes later, I was back on the streets. Well, this was just an addition to the already numerous interviews I'd failed in the past year. I had my last interview for the day at eleven a.m. in downtown Atlanta. I was getting hungry and decided to grab a quick bite before heading to the bus stop. "Thanks," I say as I take my order—iced coffee and bagels from the server at the coffee shop. After eating, I head to the bus stop and get on a one-hour ride to my interview. Hopefully, this one goes well. About fifteen minutes through the journey, the bus comes to an abrupt halt. The driver announced there was a problem with the engine and he had to call a Mechanic which would take time. Wow, bad luck seemed to cling to me today. I get off and head to the nearest bus station where I have to wait for another ten minutes before the next bus arrives. It stops at another bus stop before reaching its destination. By the time we're downtown, it's ten minutes to eleven and 4U Luxe is about seven minutes from the bus stop. I half sprint half run across the streets towards the building. "Hello, I am here for a job interview for the post of CEO Executive Assistant," I tell the woman at the reception desk. "Hello, take the elevators to the tenth floor and go to the conference room. It's written on the door." "Ok, thank you. And can I know where the restroom is?" I ask. I head towards the direction she indicates and dash into the restroom. I look down at my watch, ten fifty-seven, I had three minutes. In an attempt to look presentable, I hand comb my hair, reapply my lipstick and paper dry my sweaty face. I lift my blouse to wipe my sweaty armpits with wet wipes. Making sure they're not smelly, I bend to sniff and just then, the door swings open. "What the—" The man at the doorway was frowning at me. "What are you doing here?" Of course, because my day couldn’t get any shittier. Green eyes, black hair, a chiselled jawline, and was about six feet four with broad shoulders in an expensive-looking black suit, he was gorgeous. And his voice was so deep and….sexy. Realising I was still holding up my arm, I folded both hands over my lace bra. “Get out p*****t! Go find the men's room.” Still flustered that he'd just watched me sniff my armpits, I quickly let down my blouse and storm off. I look back and see the sign at the top of the door clearly marked men. The other door a few feet away had the sign female. Crap. I was in such a rush I'd missed it. I feel guilty for calling an innocent guy a p*****t but I was really getting frustrated. I take the elevator and when I reach the conference door, I let out a shaky breath. My day so far had been terrible, but I was not going to let that ruin my interview. I put on a fake confident smile and knock. "Come in," A female voice calls from inside. I push open the door and enter. *** "So how was it?" my roommate—Ella asks, slumping down next to me on the couch. We lived in a two-bedroom apartment and had separate rooms while we shared the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. I sigh. "Well… the first one was an epic failure. As for the second, she said they'd get back to me with the decision if I'd passed or not." "Mia," She squeezes my arm and I look up at her. "That's good, at least there's hope. Never give up, okay?" "Thanks, Ella." We hug. We'd become really close since I moved in. It's been over a year since I graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Louisiana State University. I'd moved to New York with big dreams. Now look at me. At twenty-four, I worked two part-time jobs to make ends meet. I worked in a cafeteria during the week and did food delivery on the weekends. My mornings were for finding and applying for jobs. "Ohh, let me tell you about my horrible day," I say, digging into my popcorn. . "From the way you sound, it sure was a hell of a day." I sigh again. "You have no idea." I tell her everything from the car splashing me with water to the bathroom incident. "Ugh! I can't imagine. That must've been so embarrassing." She laughs. "It's funny now but then, I was so embarrassed even though I tried to play it cool." "So you gave the guy a whole show huh." She wiggled her eyebrows at me. "Ella…" I start. "What?" She cuts me. "Maybe you'll meet again. From the way you described him, you'll probably do a lot more than just talking." She smirks. "Come on now. I haven't even gotten the job and that company is huge. What are the odds we'll meet again?" "Don't be so unbelieving. It's possible." She folds her arms and meets my gaze. "Tell me you didn't have a crush and want to meet him again." "You're delusional." I say "Yes, I admit he's gorgeous and I may have had a tiny crush right there. But that's it. Moreover, he looked like he was rich and would never be interested in someone like me." "You never know, Mia."