Two or One

Interview or no interview

Zia’s pov

Once I alighted, I looked up to see the tall building before me, straightening my skirt, I exclaimed, “Here goes nothing” I walked into the double swinging doors with the muffled sound of my shoes clanking on the tiled floor. I walked up to the reception and asked for the interview venue. The receptionist gave me a key card to allow me to go to the topmost floor of the building. When I arrived at the floor, the secretary directed me to sit on a couch facing a door inscribed “J. Maslow, CEO”

I was getting settled in when Mr. Maslow stepped out of his office in a black suit and white shirt, in his early thirties, and damn the internet photos did not do him justice. He was the epitome of manly sexiness and for a moment I was dazed looking at him until he stretched out his arm in greeting, “Good morning Ms. Daven. I am Jason Maslow, the CEO. Welcome. Shall we begin?” he said as he directed me to his office with him in tow behind me. Such a gentleman! Did I mention that when our hands touched, my heart was racing and my hand tingled with sparks that I quickly withdrew my arm because there was definitely something wrong with me in the presence of this beautiful man?

Once I was seated on a chair with my document folder on my lap, in his spacious office, he took a seat directly opposite me, and the way he was looking at me was doing things to me but I did not want him to see the effect he had on me on my first day. So I looked down nervously as he arranged his papers before him. I only looked up when he asked, “ So Ms. Zia tell me something about yourself?”

“ My name is Zia Daven, twenty-five years old, with a bachelor's degree in business administration from Unity College. I have one-year experience and I am here to gain more experience by working with this prestigious company, sir”

“ Is that all Ms. Zia? I want to know more about you not just professionally” when he said that I frowned because it felt as if he was flirting with me. He probably thinks am like the other girls swooning over him. I opened my mouth to reply to him curtly and respectfully that I wasn’t going to be his plaything when he lifted his finger and said nervously, “ No, don’t get me wrong, I meant since we will be working closely I would want to know more about how you handle challenges, work pressure, holidays you would want to celebrate, family dependents like a child or husband among other things as this work will involve a lot of travel, so it is vital to know.”

“ Oh, it's just me, I mean am not yet married, I mean single, am single” why am I fumbling with words? When I looked up he was smiling at me enjoying my discomfort so I continued, “I can work under pressure and I am a good problem solver..” I was continuing with my reply when the door was rudely opened with the clanking of heels by a tall, thin woman in a pink wig, red lipstick in a green two-piece suit followed by the secretary running behind her and saying remorsefully, “ Am sorry, Mr. Maslow, I tried to stop her but she wouldn’t listen.” The moment Mr. Maslow saw her, his face contorted into anger and it was scary with his brown eyes burning with rage. He replied to the secretary, “It’s okay go back to your desk, I will handle this.”

He turned to the intruding lady and said, “ And you what do you want? I said we were over.” She replied in a whiny voice, “Baby I came to apologize, we should forget the past and move forward and maybe even plan a wedding.” That was it for Mr. Maslow as he stood up and banged his fist on the table and shouted, “for god’s sake Samantha cheated on me with two men, two men, have some decency and leave me alone. I am tired of your emotional blackmail. I want to live my life too and so should you. So I am giving you thirty seconds to leave this building before I call security to carry you out by force. Am sure you wouldn’t want that, would you?” Poor guy. It took all my rational instincts to run and hug him and comfort him but that wasn’t what I was here to do.

Samantha replied with venom in her voice, “you are doing this to me because of this pathetic thing? I will kill you” when I looked up from my seat I realized I was the pathetic thing she was talking about. What did I do now? I was just here for the interview I was about to get up when I saw her lunging at me with her six-inch heels ready to beat me when Mr. Maslow came and stood in between us and held her by her arms and dragged her out of his office as I stood there in shock coming to terms with what had just transpired.

Five minutes later, Mr. Maslow came back with frustration and anger written all over his face as he undid his tie. When he saw me still standing, he said, “Am sorry Ms. Zia but I will have to reschedule this interview for another time when the circumstances are right. I will give you a call” I nodded sadly as I knew what it meant to be given a call. It was a polite way of telling you, “you are not fit for this job. I picked up my document folder and bag and left with my head held high yet disappointment gnawed at my heart.