Roommates with Benefits

Chapter 4

"Why are you interested in this position?" The manager interviews me in his office towards the back of the Bank. He's behind his desk in uniform, a pencil in his right hand writing down notes I'm guessing to whether or not on hiring. As I expect it, the room is neatly organized and very clean. Not a dust in sight. I'm wondering what his home looks like.

His stare behind his reading glasses intimidates me but I stand my ground even though I've always hated this question. It seems like every time I give an answer it sounds way better in my head. Darting my eyes around the room, I rub my palms together nervously, thinking about what I rehearsed in my bedroom before coming here.

"This position fits perfectly with my skill set and how I'm looking to grow in my career. I'm also looking for a position at a company like yours that interact with people on a daily basis by helping and serving whatever customers needs, which is a personal passion of mine."

God that answer sucks. What the f**k?

It's freezing in here but my palms are clammy while I'm bouncing my left leg up and down. Tristian doesn't say a word, not a smile or even a small nod after I answered the question and now I'm on edge. He's definitely not gonna hire me.

It's been two minutes when he closes the folder and slips it underneath a file of paperwork on the corner of his desk. With his eyes on a computer monitor, he starts typing and then says to me "Thank you for coming in, Brandy. I'll be in touch with you by email if I decide to move you forward with the position. Since I have lots of things to go over you'll most likely hear from me Tuesday at the latest."

I nod, standing on my feet. "Okay. Thank you for having me."

He slides off his reading glasses and then stands on his feet. "Would you like me to walk you out?"

I stammer when he stands near me, tall and lean looking down at me mysteriously. "Oh um sure." A nervous chuckle comes out my mouth as he opens the door for me, waiting on the side as I exit the office. We both walk side by side silently towards the front of the bank, him staring down at his phone screen while I'm trying my best not to trip over my own two feet. To be honest I think I was more nervous talking to him than actually being interviewed.

The guy is so good looking that it comes off quite intimidating if that makes any sense.

When we reach the entrance of the empty bank, he unlocks and holds the door open for me. I give him a small wave, stepping outside in the snow while he's shutting and locking the door. Angelica's car is parked in a spot waiting for me while I look both ways before crossing the street.

She's snoring behind the wheel, wrapped in a thick blanket when I pull the door open, climbing inside the passenger seat. The car is very warm and cozy as a Christmas song is playing on the radio on low volume. Angelica jolts awake at the sound of the door slamming. "Rise and shine." I chirp, buckling myself down in the seat.

She groans sleepily, turning the engine over after tossing the blanket in the backseat. "How'd it go?" Shifting the gear stick to drive the car slowly pulls out the parking spot.

My body warms up to the heat roaming the small car. "It was...alright I guess." My response comes out unsure.

"Well, do you think you got it?" Angelica glances at me and then focuses back on the icy road, controlling the wheel with both hands. I'm quite scared to be in the car with her because she just got her license last week. Her driving could be a little unpredictable if you know what I mean.

Sometimes I be holding on for dear life, especially when she makes a left turn or I be banging my fist on the dashboard begging her to drive faster, reminding her that the speed limit isn't ten miles per hour. Whoever gave her a passing score on the test should've thought twice about others safety.

"I don't know. He didn't give me the impression if I got it or not. After interviewing me, he only said he'll be in touch by Tuesday if he wants to move things forward." A shriek comes out of my mouth when her tires slides on the ice, making the car slip past at stop sign. Luckily, there are no other cars in sight right now.

Angelica tries her hardest to press on the brakes but the car slowly slides down a hill sideways. "Oh, f**k! I can't stop! Hold on tight." Her face reddens in trepidation.

Squeezing the door handle in my right hand, I hold back a scream as the car rolls further down the street, nearing behind a dumpster truck. "Ange, don't hit that truck!"

"I'm trying not to!" She yells in panic mode, turning the steering wheel all the way toward the left, trying to make the car turn away from the garbage truck and when it does, the front bumper hits the sidewalk while the car stops in someone's front yard filled with thick snow. The vehicle jerks forward, smacking into a pile of snow.

I release the breath I was just holding, sliding my hair out of my face with fear in my eyes while she parks the car and shifts the gear. "Oh s**t. I hope I didn't scratch the front of my car. I just got this!" Pushing the door open, she climbs out and then falls flatly on her bottom on top of the ice.

All the fear I was just experiencing had drained from my entire body as I laugh right along with her while she tries standing on her own two feet, looking like a baby dear while doing so.

The front windshield and the roof of the car is covered in layers of snow is the first thing I recognize while carefully stepping out the car. The wheels are buried deeply in the snow as well to the point where she won't even be able to back up.

Angelica finally stands on her feet and circles the car, whining. "I think my baby is stuck!"

"Should we call a tow truck?" I suggest, searching inside my puffy coat pockets for my phone. Snowflakes are falling on my hair, clothes and my phone screen as I'm dialing a tow truck company that I know the owner of.

"Please tell them to hurry. We're down the street from the mall." Angelica tells me, hugging herself and shivering with her breath fogging in the air every time she speaks or breathes.

The phone conversation last only five minutes with me giving the man the address. I slide my freezing hands inside my coat pockets. "He'll be here in about ten minutes," Angelica nods, climbing back inside the car and I do the same.

—

—

"You ladies stay out of trouble, okay?" The tow truck man that goes by the name Jessie smiles at us while successfully pulling the car out of the pile of snow. He leans sideways against his red truck that has his company logo on it and phone number. Angelica offers to pay him but he waves her off, politely declining.

As I'm climbing back inside the ride, Jessie approaches me, gently tapping on my left arm. "Hey, Brandy. I was wondering what you are doing next Friday night?" His dark brown curls sways sideways across his forest colored eyes with the wind as snow litters his puffy black jacket and boots.

I stand in front of him with a curious look, chuckling shyly. "Uhhh....I don't have anything planned. Why?"

Jessie gives out a hearty chuckle, inhaling deeply in satisfaction. "I would like to take you out."

A part of me knew this was coming but I kept ignoring the gut feeling. I always get flustered when a guy courts me. Don't get me wrong I like the attention, I'm flattered I attract the opposite s*x, it's just that I don't be knowing what to say to men. My flirting game is terrible—well that's what my friends told me. I've been single for eight months so yeah, I do agree with them. I wish I had the confidence like Angelica and Chrissy. They don't have a problem catching a man's eye nor jumping into bed with one either.

"Oh uh," a fog of my breath roams in the air and then disappears while my cheeks are burning from the cold as I'm smiling at the six foot built man in front of me. "Sure, I would like that."

He lifts an eyebrow surprised. Him too probably thought I would turned him down. I did think about it though but I'm lonely and would like someone to talk to from time to time. There's nothing wrong with going on a date with a friend.

"Okay. Well, I'll pick you up Friday night at eight." We both follow each other on i********: so there's no need for me to give him my number at the moment. He walks backwards towards his parked truck and then climbs inside before pulling off seconds later.

Smiling at the snowy ground, I climb inside the car mumbling to myself.

Angelica pulls off slowly into traffic. "How do you know him?"

"I used to work with his sister,"

"At the Bank?"

I nod. "Yeah, every day on his break he used to come by and draw money from the atm. One day, his sister told me he only came to the place just to see me." A small chuckle flows from my mouth while I play with the buttons on my coat.

"Well he's cute. I swear if you would've said no when he asked to take you out Friday, I was gonna run you over with my car." She jokes, turning the radio station. I roll my eyes, laughing while rocking my head back and forth to the hip hop song playing through the speakers.

Angelica drops me off in front of the apartment complex, stopping the car on the curb of the sidewalk thirty minutes later. "Call me!"

"I will. Thanks for the ride." I wave, shutting the door and wandering inside the building hearing the loud music fading away with her car down the road.