Regret From The Past

Chapter 2

She hated this absolutely hated it. Catching the tram to the interview and she could feel the men staring at her. She spent most her life well the last seven years at least trying to avoid her body and looks hiding behind clothes often dull colors and slightly oversized hoping to blend in not stand out. The last job she had gotten was more a placement she had received for her academic achievements and she had only had an interview call as she was in Ireland at the time finishing her honors degree at UCD University in Dublin.

Now though with Emma's clothes clinging to her and heels which made her legs longer and the skirt that bit shorter she was completely out of her depth. She had wanted to just get off and catch the tram back to their cozy apartment and make a fresh cup of tea. Then go over the Sunday times newspaper, which she hadn’t yet read because she had been preparing for her interview the day before. Although every being of her body wanted more than ever to leave Sassi was no quitter and she would never allow herself to take the easy route just because she really wanted to now.

She glanced at her reflection realizing her hair had been gradually strand by strand coming out of the neatly tied bun she had tied together before she had left the apartment. Then she noticed the hair tie was near its last thread. This didn’t help her already anxious self and to calm her nerves she ignored the man opposite her clearly checking her out and decided to revise her notes for the interview. She went over all the basic finance questions she had been asked before and a few she had looked up. Sassi liked to be prepared in fact she loved it. She knew exactly how this would pane out. All she needed to do was show her restraint when she was faced with a controversial situation aka. An i***t.

Boy was she going to need it because as she approached the reception desk of the very fancy office building, she noticed that for a top-notch company there was an air of what she would only describe as finicky behavior. The reception seemed to be a bit out of place and frantic. She approached the only person who looked relaxed only to discover that this blonde bombshell of a receptionist was not only lounging back with her 6-inch stiletto heels on the desk, but she was in the middle of a personal call. A personal call about why she had wanted to be Mr. Jennings PA but was instead stuck back as a receptionist. How Mr. Jennings had not taken the bait when she had accidently dropped a pencil exposing her ...

“Erheeem” Sassi interjected clearly annoyed. The blonde just waved a hand in dismal indicating that she should wait by the seats. Sassi was trying to calm the rising irritation that was building and walked to the seats. She remembered the name the blonde was talking about. Mr. Jennings where had she heard that name then it hit her Mr. Jennings was the boss, the person she had read all about, the gorgeous man on the magazine. His full name was Chris Jennings Soleto that’s where the familiarity with the name came from.

She had read that the company was building there CSR and a part of that was promoting a more equal female male dynamic in the workplace. This had been why Sassi assumed she had been given an interview but as she glanced around at the receptionists and the women all beside her, she wondered how it seemed only attractive model looking women seemed to work here or be interviewing. She began to panic slightly and a feeling of just leave started to loom.

Then she asked yet another blonde who was sitting beside her filing her nails who looked more as if she was on the prowl for a husband rather than a job in Finance. “Are you here for the Trainee position in accounts” Sassi asked wide eyed. The women laughed so hard she almost choked “god no honey I am just here for the catch of the day” and she winked at Sassi. Relief swept over Sassi and a touch of confusion then she reminded herself that the finance team would not be much different as her last company.

The same type of men and women slightly better suits maybe but just as mundane and boring as the last bunch she worked with. The interviewer was probably bold and in his 50s. He wouldn’t be interested in her or how she looked they just needed someone to do the crap trainee work she had just spent the last two years doing. She rolled her eyes in frustration and then remembered she needed this job and she was sure as hell going to get it after going through hell and back just to be here.

She glanced over at the receptionist who had just finished her call and looked as if she was getting up to take a break and Sassi dashed over. She wasn’t going to be late because some i***t didn’t know how to do her job and she assumed they would just send her to another receptionist by the Accounts department anyway as it was a big company.

“Excuse me I have an interview for...” Sassi began but she was interrupted by the blond with a glare that Sassi thought looked like envy and her brief response had a strong irritated tone to it. “Yes, I know go to the top floor and Lady Jones will let you in”. Lady Jones, Sassi repeated in her head thinking what kind of name that was. She walked into the lift revising her notes clinging to her nicely typed CV and pressed the button to the top floor. This was weird Sassi thought why they would have their interviews on the top floor. Surely either HR did them or someone in the finance team and that is where they would be held in the finance or HR department. Maybe this was what they did in the more modern workplace she thought as the lift doors opened.

Revealing a very lavish corridor with beautiful paintings lane across the walls and pottery pieces with exquisite blues and greens leading to a door where she couldn’t quite read the name written on it. Sassi had a secret love of art she would love to have the opportunity to paint for hours but she wouldn’t even allow herself to delve too much into that pipe dream as it wasn’t a practical career. Her mother had been an aspiring artist which had made the entire thought sour in her mind. That didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate the beauty of the paintings.

Completely taken by the paintings and pottery she hadn’t noticed the old lady appear behind her and this made her jump. “Sorry my dear I didn’t mean to startle you” the sweet lady said making Sassi smile. “Lady Jones” Sassi questioned warmly thinking this was exactly the kind of women deserving of such a title. “Yes, my dear Lovely to see someone take an interest in the art. Do you paint?” she asked so sweetly and so genuinely but this didn’t stop Sassi’s defenses strike up and Sassi harshly replied “I am here for an interview”.

Lady Jones didn’t seem too taken back and just gestured for the door at the end of the corridor. She then went back to the desk behind them that Sassi had failed to notice because she was so distracted by the art. Sassi walked up to the door feeling slightly guilty for her abruptness with Lady Jones and willing herself to ignore the paintings that seemed to be calling her. Then she opened the door forgetting to read the name and walked straight into the open pane office.

This was not just an office Sassi thought. This office was huge and extremely lavish. Compared to this room the lavish corridor was her dull grey pants and jacket combo. Whereas this was the most expensive beautifully elegant dresses you wore to the extremely cut-throat ballroom galas the exclusively rich and prestigious attended. The ones Emma seemed to dream about. Almost forgetting where she was as she was beginning to feel confused and in awe of this whole experience. She glanced up to see the boss the boss’s bosses’ bosses’ boss. The main boss and dear god that magazine did not do this man justice.

He stood his back against the glass screen wall overlooking London behind him. He stood as if he were a god and he definitely could be up there among them thought Sassi. Tall masculine build that would tower over any man this man commanded authority by just his stance. Then he slowly turned and Sassi noticed his jaw. Ruggedly handsome was not much of a complement to what he was dangerously handsome. She carried her gaze along his jaw line imagining how it felt thinking that he could probably bed a woman by just one glance. She carried on until she suddenly met his piercing green eyes. It took her so much by surprise that she not only lost her balance she flew across the office stumbling until her stupid heels were off and she was on her knees.

The force of the fall and the movement in such tight clothes had made her buttons on her shirt pop open exposing a little more cleavage then she would like. Although was that the worst part no. As she fumbled trying to gather her CV and belongs choking out something along the lines of “Mr. Jennings”. She stood up and her skirt had just about taken all it could bare and the slight slit that styled it slowly turned into a rip that went right up her leg. She tried to stop it as it started off slow, but it took a mind of its own and the last bit ripped so fast up her leg it was as if it had a mind of its own. She glanced up panicked at the god like man standing across from her and she saw something distinctly like restraint and want flare across his eyes as he looked at the garter lace tights Emma had given her.

Her face lit up as if it were Christmas and she had never been more mortified in her life. His steel unmovable features quickly returned, and he looked at Sassi and said blandly “This isn’t the first time a woman has undressed for me before I even spoke”. Sassi’s complete embarrassment turned in to utter shock the pure arrogance of this man. He may bed women as if they are just put on this earth to please him but by god, he would never get the satisfaction of bedding her.

Sassi’s fight or flight instinct kicked in and she pulled herself together set her icy stern face towards him handed him her CV. Acting as if having her breast slightly exposed and her entire leg on show didn’t bother her in the least. Then she said with an underlying power she portrayed when putting a man in his place. “I have no doubt that is the case Mr. Jennings” and she sat down with authority and stared at him willing him on.

He just glanced down at her CV and said it “Safina Murphy” and it rolled of his tongue elegantly and almost as if he was drawing you in by his words. Why had he used her full name she had specifically written that she wished to be called Sassi. This man purposefully got under her skin and he was starting to frustrate her. This whole damn event was almost bringing her to boil. Then she remembered it must be just professional courtesy to call interviewees by their full name. He looked at her inquisitively and intently and then said “Happy birthday Sassi” this made a stab of pain hit her as she had almost forgotten what day it was. Hoping he hadn’t notice she looked up to find him staring at her quizzically.

Then to her relief he continued. “Why does someone with an Irish surname have an Arabic name meaning victorious” he had taken her completed off guard and without even thinking she gruffed a laugh and jerked her head back saying with her old country accent “I suppose that’s what happens when your mams incapacitated at the time your name is given”. The shock of her confession not only could be seen by him but also the people in Australia probably had a good view as well. What was this man doing to her she had three very specific rules which were never broken.

They were as follows she never exposed her thick Irish country accent which she had spent the last two years completely destroying and the previous four attempting to hide. Yet she just had exposed it almost making her venerable which did not sit well with her. She also never revealed anything about her past or her personal life and yet a piece had just slipped out as if they were intimate lovers discussing what to have for tea. Last she was never tempted by a man and this man not only tempted her, but he was dangerous, and she could sense it. He also infuriated her, and she hated that he seemed to bring out so much of her. So much that she tried so hard to hide.

She took a breath and calmly told herself this man is the boss after today you will never see him again. You are just a trainee and you will never see each other. The thought of even possibly having to see him even in the hallway made her pulse quicken. Again, she told herself you need this job and this man is your ticket to affording rent. With that pep talk she steered back into focused Sassi and looked at him indicating to carry on.

He gestured to the water on the table and just sat back and stared at her with his body relaxed and his hands on either side of his head and it was almost as if he was examining her. Then he looked into her eyes and said “so Sassi you are a young woman do you intend on starting a family anytime soon or in the next five years”. With that Sassi choked on the sip of water she had just taken and nearly hit him with the water that sprayed out of her throat as she looked on in horror. His face looked bemused and he said with a cheeky one-sided smile exposing a very sexy dimple “I take that as a no” if she hadn’t been so outraged, she may have been taken by the sexiness of his smile but no Sassi could contain herself no longer.

What did Emma say five deep breaths she counted in her head one. Two. Three… Then he continued “I assume no marriage either then” as if knowing this would make her crack and awaiting the pot to boil over. He looked up at her with a hint of entertainment in his eye and something else she thought might be curiosity. If she hadn’t been so mad, she maybe would have known. Instead of course she shot him a look and then the contained Sassi no longer could stay contained.

“How dare you ask me about my personal life? I am extremely qualified if not overly qualified for this roll and just because you think it fun to do personal interviews with your female employers doesn’t mean I will stand for this! As well treating your potential female staff this way is not how you obtain a good reputation…” steaming she added “and another thing if you want a more gender balanced company hiring female staff because you think with your groin instead of your head is not good business” .His company was thriving and Sassi knew her statement wasn’t very fare as he was a lethal weapon when it came to business but still he pushed her to breaking point.

He just looked at her not showing much emotion and looking extremely riotous and gorgeous why he had to be infuriating and gorgeous irritated her more. He simply said in a matter of fact way as if it was everyday a woman yelled at him in his own office. “Firstly, I always interview my PAs as they work very closely with me. I am asking these questions because my last PA left to start a family after helping maintain the smooth running of majority of the areas of the company. It has left the flow of the areas such as the reception quite unorganized and I can’t risk training up a PA who intends on leaving to start a family” then he gestured to the door “Lady jones is excellent but as I am an extremely busy man. I need a personal PA to be with me at all times and Lady Jones is older and I won’t put that pressure on her”.

He stopped and stared at an extremely confused Sassi who was just absorbing this entire scene. She was feeling slightly irritated at herself and embarrassed with her outburst and she just stared back at him in disbelief. He carried on talking “Also I don’t think with my groin as you put it” this caused Sassi’s cheeks to burn, knowingly he went on “I simply put out the advertisement for a PA and the response has happened to lead to a lot of attractive female attention, I assume you haven’t been in the other areas of the company because if you had you would of noticed that we do not discriminate against gender, age, race or appearance”. With that he sat back and reviewed her CV properly for the first time.

Sassi still in shock looked at him almost not knowing what to say and then she sheepishly explained “I am here for the Trainee job in Finance”. He looked at her knowingly “Yes I see that, why have you applied for a trainee position when it is clear from your CV you are already qualified with experience?” She had practiced this answer a million times but now the fact that her practiced answer wouldn’t look good after her little outburst she had no other option then to be honest.

“I have been told I need to work on my people skills” she said as if ripping of a Band-Aid. He looked at her with interest and then ignoring her last comment as if the answer was exactly what he had expected. He stated “The Brosel watches” Sassi looked at him and nodded indicating she knew who he was talking about. Sassi had kept up to date with companies relevant to Soleto enterprise ever since she had been offered the interview. “What would you say if I said I wanted to buy it out and rebrand it” he said. Without even thinking Sassi responded with an outward breath “You’d be an i***t”.

What was wrong with her he had given her a branch and she had thrown it in his face. She had just managed to call one of the most well-known influential men in today’s business market an i***t. Great she thought seeing the shock on his face which if it hadn’t caused her her only chance at a job, she may have enjoyed it as he definitely wasn’t a man who shocked easily.

Thinking about how horrible this day had been and how she should have just stayed in bed. The door of the office swung open as the blond receptionist bounded in as if she had just run up the stairs. She quickly cleaned her hair back and pulled back on her confident I am better than you model look she permanently had. Then she said with an erotic tone basically undressing the boss with her eyes “I am so sorry Mr. Jennings…”

That was it for Sassi. This woman was an incompetent moron who not only lost her her job she was apologizing to the wrong person. She knew she should keep her cool but f**k it she thought she had already lost the job and humiliated herself. If she didn’t put this woman in her place who would. “Mr. Jennings” Sassi repeated irritation rising in her throat “Mr. Jennings” she said again standing up and glaring at the women. Sassi was the kind of women who put people in their place and who commanded authority when she wanted to. She knew though that Chris Jennings Soleto was the kind of man to dominate, control and power any situation. She also thought he could do that with her if he had wanted to.

The blondes confident demeanor was slowly diminishing as Sassi carried on “First” Sassi said with a steady breath before letting her control vanish and her dominance prevail “ Do you understand that this is a multimillion dollar company?” she stared at the blond who at this point just looked at her like a frighten cat “That it is not a hair Salon where which you can discuss personal calls about your boss and your personal feelings towards your current occupation” the blond now looking sheepish and slightly blushed stayed silent. Sassi carried on slightly condescending and feeling very much annoyed “Secondly When someone arrives you are the face of the company, you are controlling the image to immediate viewers. When someone arrives you great them you pleasantly ask them why they are here and you take a note, you offer tea or coffee and then you direct them to the waiting area. After which you connect them with the right department or conclude their query for them.”

Sassi’s business side had come out and business Sassi was not someone you messed with. “you do not ignore them and then not only forget you have made them wait but send them into the wrong interview with the head of the company” Sassi said this with fierce intent and the blond model receptionist who five minutes ago looked 10 feet tall now looked about 1 inch tall and like a scared schoolgirl about to cry. Sassi then turned to Mr. Jennings with a riotous face and indicated to his groin with her eyes which she instantly regretted as the intense s****l chemistry between them made her cheeks burn. Though the satisfaction she got when he realized her referral to her earlier comment about him thinking with his groin made it worth it.

Sassi wasn’t cold hearted and also understood that you got nowhere criticizing people and not offering helping support so she looked back at the blonde and with a less fierce state added “You don’t seem like a dim women, I think you are extremely capable of managing the reception and if you just organized yourself you could be excellent at your job” Sassi also seemed to have a way of empowering people to believe in themselves Sassi ended with “Now when escorting me out of the building you should wish me a good day and inform me that should I be successful someone will be in communication over the next few working days”.

The blond looked at her as if she was just made aware of her potential for the first time and then said with a shaky voice “I actually came to tell Mr. Jennings that his sisters here and refused to wait”. Only then did Sassi not only notice the gorgeous young women standing behind the blond receptionist but she also noticed lady Jones on her coat tails all looking at her slightly intimidated in silence and shock. Then to add to this dreadful day and that fact that things couldn’t possibly get any worse her hair tie snapped sending her brown thick hair flowing down her back. Sassi cursed and then decided to conclude this meeting and turned to Mr. Jennings and with a professional tone that would never suggest that this was anything but a pleasant meeting she added. “Thank you for the interview Mr. Jennings” and with that she turned to the blonde gave her a look. This led to the bond’s response of “This way”. Then she led Sassi out the building wishing her a good day and informing her should she be successful someone would be in contact within the next few days and with that it was over. Sassi’s last thought as she walked out of the building was CRAP.