Castles In The Air

CHAPTER FOUR

Sighing, I dusted my cheeks lightly with the brush, before closing the powder and keeping it on the cheap wood desk in our room.

Flashes of the previous night came to me, and I instantly shut them down. "No... I can't do this to myself " I didn't want to remember the way Paul had laid his hands on me. It had been the very first time he had done something like that, and I was beyond shocked. I appealed several times but he fell on deaf ears.

The part that hurt me the most was the fact that he hadn't even apologized when he was done. He just left the house again, banging the door behind him. The loving Paul I knew unexpectedly became a beast.

The urge to cry again hit me, and I nearly gave in to it. But I couldn't. I finally had an interview scheduled in an hour, and I couldn't go there with swollen eyes, looking like a mess. I had to keep myself together and put up my fairest attitude.

Closing both eyes and taking a deep breath, a burst of excitement coursed through me, making me feel very giddy on the inside. I was finally going for an interview. From here, I might even be able to get the job, who knows? So I could not jeopardize it.

Surely, that wasn't my field at all; I had a bachelor's degree from Oxford in Business studies and administration and even had a master's degree in Economics. I had always applied for the position of financial advisor, knowing fully well that I am quite capable of fulfilling the duties of such a spot.

As much as I tried not to feel sad, or reminisce about the easier times, I couldn't not do that. My mind kept on straying to how things would have been if my father had still been alive, and never made such a mistake. Was everything truly his fault? Or there were things anonymous to me?

I relaxed my back on the wooden chair and gazed at the ceiling that seemed to get tired of being hanged. I stared into space, avoiding the sight of my reflection even though it was before me. My shoulders slouched, my mind scattered, I was a tired woman. How had I gotten so old at such a young age? How had the year twenty-one suddenly turned into the year ninety-two? Where had I lost it all?...

"Pull yourself together, Aisha..." I mumbled to myself while gathering all the strength I had left to hoist myself up from where I sat.

I had to get going, I had just thirty minutes left, and the company building was in the heart of the city. It would take me a while to get there. Picking my only bag remaining up, I got out of the door and locked it.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°•••••••••°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

My mouth formed a perfect "o" shape as I stood outside the building, looking at the tall skyscraper that made up the headquarters of the multi-billion empire before me. It towered above all the other buildings. Truly it was magnificent. Guessed I had seen it all but this....was so incredible.

Many times I had passed this place; my father's company building was just a few streets away from this one, but never had I ever actually paused to take a good look at it.

Snapping myself out of my marveled daze, I moved towards the entrance of the building. "Show them what you've got!" I said, making a first. It was show time. I was about to take a step when my brain froze.

Nerves swarmed my belly. A thousand different possibilities kept on clouding in my head, and making me rethink my decision. What if they had accepted my application just to humiliate me in person? After all, everyone knew how I looked, there was no way they wouldn't recognize me the moment they set their eyes on me.

Suddenly the idea of ditching this interview and going back home didn't sound very bad. I would avoid all possibility of being humiliated if I was at home, tucked in bed, with a book in my hand. Simple!

But no, Aisha, my subconscious mind said to me. What if it is an actual job opportunity? What would happen then? Hadn't I been looking for a job for months now? This was the golden opportunity to get us out of there, and even finally get married to each other. Maybe then things could go back to normal, and Paul would no longer be so angry all the time. After all, I...no...my father brought about all this and I had to make up for them. "Phew"

I needed to stick it up for my baby; he deserved a better life. The trenches weren't the place for him, I just wanted my man to be happy. I wouldn't go home, I would stay, and see this to the end. I wasn't going to back down like a coward.

Finally mustering up the courage, I walked towards the receptionist's desk.

"Uhm... Hi..." I trailed off timidly, an awkward smile on my face. "Please be nice to me even if you have to pretend." I wished in my heart.

She looked up with an annoyed expression, before seeing me and plastering a very fake and sugary smile. She did precisely as I thought.

"Yes, how may I help you ma'am?"

"I, uhm... I'm here for an interview for the position of a private assistant..."

"Oh! You must be Aisha Tennisson..." She said, her voice pitched with a very false peppy tone, as her eyes swept over me in scrutiny.

She looked unimpressed. It was clear from her eyes. A hint of belittlement and hostility is reflected in them.

"... I must say, it is a pleasure to meet you finally. Please, hold on a moment."

From the way she spoke, it was clear that she already despised me. Her tone was mocking. I was expecting her to put up this attitude. At least, I have now become the town's latest news.

As she called someone with the wired phone on her desk, I kept my head down and my eyes closed. The prickling feeling of a thousand eyes on me was too much for me to handle, and I resisted the urge to scream in frustration. The attention was too much. I wanted to run out of there and never come back.

"... Okay, just take the elevator and click on the last floor. His secretary will meet you there." She finally said after hanging up, breaking my train of frantic thoughts much to my relief.

"Thank you." I retorted, giving her a small and tight smile as genuinely as I could.

Rubbing my clammy hands on my skirt, I blew into them as I clicked the last floor.