Fire On Fire

Red Flags

I wake up to find Sofia in my room, on my bed, with breakfast on a tray.

I pull the duvet over my head.

"Whatever you want, it's a no" i say.

"Can't i show some love, to my only sister, my beloved wonderful, kind and smart sister" she murmurs softly.

I remove the bed cover off my head, and give her a hard pointed look.

She smiles guiltily.

"That looks really good" i say, eying the food, as my stomach rumbles in agreement.

"From me to you, with all my love" she grins.

I start to eat and look up at her.

"Ok, spit it out" i say, wanting to know the price i have to pay, for this heavenly breakfast.

"Ok, so last night, i just got offered an internship at my the company of my dreams." say says, excitedly.

"Oh my God, at B.C.I?" i ask.

I know the name, because she has only ever talked about that company like million times.

"Yes" she nods.

"Well, that's great, so what's the problem" i ask confused.

I know she is not worried about the fact that it's not her father's company, because he has long already made peace with the fact that she doesn't not want to work for him at the moment.

"The internship is only available right now, but i still have a couple of months left before the semester ends" she says.

"Oh" i murmur.

"Soooooo, i was hoping that maybe, you can help me out" she continues.

"Sof....."

" Now i know you said you are no looking for any work right now, but please, I beg of you Ella, please....i promise i will owe you forever. I will do anything you want for a month, anything" She offers.

"Two months? you want me to spend two months of my life doing at job i don't want" i ask.

"Look at it this way, it will get Mom and Dad off your back about working for Dad's company, plus You won't be so bored any more, and you get to make some money of your own, so you are always talking about that. C'mon..please, i will do anything" she pleads.

"How is that even supposed to work, i can't really just go and work on your behalf?" i say, trying to put up a fight.

"No, you will go as you, and then you can resign in a coupe of months, and i will sort of apply, and they will hire me....C'mon, if someone else gets it, that will be it, and i may never get this chance again" she begs.

"Let me think about it"

"Actually, you are supposed to report for screening and interviews today, at 10am" she says faintly, raising the duvet to partly cover her face.

"Sof!!" i shout, just as Mom comes into the room.

"What is going on here? ohhh, breakfast in bed, what are you up to?" Mom utters, looking at Sofia suspiciously.

She explains her predicament to her.

"Honey, you are not going to work for Sebastian?" she asks sadly.

"See?" Sofia says, stressing her earlier point.

"Plus it's only for two months" she adds, pouting.

"Look, i will go and check out the place, if i like it, then maybe, just maybe, I will consider it...if not, you will just have to wait for your dream to come another time" i say.

"You will give it a genuine consideration? Fair assessment and not prejudiced decision?" she asks.

"Fine, I will decide when I get back" I say, and she nods in agreement.

I throw myself backwards on the bed again, and growl.

This is not how i expected my day to start.

*

Later, i pull up at the address Sofia gave me, and struggle a bit to find a parking spot.

I see there is also an underground parking area, but i prefer not to park down there, so i just drive around in circles, hoping to find an open spot eventually.

I glance at my watch, and see that i am thirty minutes early, so i will not be late.

Finally, a space opens up, and i quickly rush in, beating another car that was eying the spot. I look back at the other car, through my rear view mirror, and give a little giggle in triumph.

I step out and look at the building before me.

'Bishop Consortium International' the words spell out extravagantly infront of the building, and the initials B.C.I in huge bold letters at the top of the multi story building. I see why Sofia would take a fancy to this, Her Dad's company is nice, but it pales in comparison to this elegance.

The building is mostly glass, with lots of green lawn and trees surrounding it. Most of the cars i can see parked around here, are expensive cars, and this is just the visitors/customer parking lot. Everything about these surroundings is top notch, and i look down at what i am wearing, suddenly wondering is i am too under dressed.

As i walk in, i start to become nervous from the splendor of the interior.

What did Sofia get me into?

The girl has good taste though, and her standards are high, this is nice.

She said they deal in electronics and aerospace technology, but I should have googled the company myself, just so i get a proper understanding of what they actually do.

I walk to the large reception desk, where there are three receptionist, two females and a male. I approach the man, and introduce myself, letting him know why i am here.

"May, you kindly take a seat there, i will get back to you in a minute, i just need to make a phone call" he says politely.

I nod, and find myself a seat with a view of the front entrance and elevators, leading to the uppers floors.

I definitely see why Sofia is obsessed with with place, it's a little too much for me, but i totally like it.

I could get used to this.

I take out my phone and decide to google the company. I type in the words and look up at the entrance, as I wait for the search to give me results.

Holy s**t! is that who i think it is?

I stare in shock, at seeing Marco, as Sebastian referred to him yesterday, walk into the building, with two other men along with him.

Unlike the two men with him, who are dressed to the T, and looking very sophisticated and debonair, in suit and ties, he is dressed abit more casual, in that his jacket is a different color from his dress pants, and his shoes are outdoor shoes, making him stand out more and he looks non the less just as good as the others. He walks with confidence, his left hand swinging a key chain with his fore finger, as the three of them engage in a conversation.

What is he doing here?

'I don't work for Sebastian' he had said.

Could it be that this is where he works?

Although, I see him at the City University every Wednesday, and Carmen said he lectures a class there, so he can't possibly work here, right?

But then again, that could only be part time job, so he probably has another full time job somewhere.

Wouldn't that be interesting though, if he worked here, and then i start to work here too.

"Hello, Ms. Lamari? Ms. Lamari?" He receptionist shouts, finally managing to get my attention, and also the attention of a few other people within hear shot.

"Yes, sorry" I mumble in embarrassment.

He briefly follows my line of sight, as the three disappear into an elevator, and looks back at me with a smile before speaking.

And it only makes my cheeks a shade darker as i blush even more.

"Please go up to the twelveth floor, introduce yourself at the reception desk, and ask for Santana." he says.

"Thank you" i say, quickly, I stand up, and join a few strangers into a lift.

I get off, on the twelveth floor, and do as instructed.

Santana shows up to get me, and she is a woman, probably in her mid thirties, that is very animated and colorful in terms of her outfit. She is not dressed as formally as most of the people i have seen around here so far, and it immediately puts me at ease with her.

"Hai, Antonella?" she asks, extending her hand to me.

"Yes" i mumble, shaking her hand.

"Santana, follow me" she says.

"I'm sorry, i wasn't expecting you today, or at all, i wasn't even aware we are hiring new interns at the moment, but hey, when cooperate calls, and tells you, we are hiring, then we are hiring, who am i to ask questions, i am only the assistant HR, for this division......" She mutters, briefly looking at me.

"I'm sorry, it's not your fault..it's just been a crazy day, and it only just started. I came down here to this floor for a meeting when you arrived......here we are, we are in here" she mumbles, and gesturing for me to enter a room.

I walk in, and find the room full of people gathered around a table, in what appears to be a meeting or presentation. There is someone at one end of the room, doing some kind of presentation with projectors, and white boards.

Santana walks in confidently, and starts walking towards the chairs.

"Are you sure i should be in here? i can wait for you outside" i whisper.

"Well if you are going to work here, you might as well get started right now" she responds faintly, and motions for me to sit down on a empty seat between two guys.

This is not the place, nor the time to argue, so i just sit down obediently, look up and smile slightly, trying to ignore the curious stares i am getting from everyone in the room.

"Sorry about that everyone, this is Antonella....go on" she utters.

The presenter, continues speaking as everyone listens attentively. I watch Santana open my file with my creditials. She flips through a few pages and then looks up at me, mouthing 'Oh my God'.

I smile and try to ignore her for the rest of the meeting.

After the presentation, people ask questions and everyone starts to leave soon after the meeting is declared closed.

Santana is preoccupied with another employee as we leave the conference room, and start heading for the elevators.

They continue to talk the rest of the way through to the 15th floor. Unlike the other floor, where there is an open office plan arrangement, most of the offices here are private, most of them with glass walls, but the blinds have been drawn from the inside for privacy.

There is reception desk, even more elegant than the two i have seen so far, except this one is smaller, with two receptionist behind it.

We stop infront of a door and she knocks a couple of times, until we are invited in.

It's a beautiful office, and the gentleman sitting behind the desk looks up as we enter.

"Santana....how did the meeting go?" He grins, stretching out in his chair.

He looks older than her, probably in his mid or late forties, with few shades for grey in his hair and at his temple. It doesn't make him look old though, but somehow comes off as if it's just his hair color.

"Good, i will tell you about it later" she says.

"And who is this?" he asks, standing up and eying me intensely.

"This is Antonella Lamari, the new intern you called me to collect earlier" she says.

"Oh, oh....Well hello there....My name Silas, Silas Carey" he says, extending his hand towards me"

I shake his hand, as he continues to hold my gaze.

"So, i didn't know we were hiring, here." Santana repeats, giving him my credentials.

He takes it, and sits down, gesturing for us to do the same.

It is quiet for a few seconds, as he browses through the file.

"Honor student, you finished high school at age fifteen, got your first degree by nineteen, double major, and recently just got your masters in project management and International relations..." he says, making an observation from my documents.

"Impressive" he says, looking up.

"I know right, i like her....." Santana says, eyeing me.

I smile at both, and find that i like Santana's outspokenness. It appears she is one of those transparent people, that just say it like it is, and are not afraid to tell you the truth.

"Not a lot of work experience, but you are brain smart, i can work with that....I see why Chase wanted me to hire you." Silas says.

"You are ready to start now?" Silas asks, but i quickly realise that it is a rhetoric question, because he stands up.

"Come with me, i have a meeting right now, you can start from there, as we figure out, where your expertise can be better utilized.

Oh my God! i wasn't ready to start today, i actually thought, i would come here, just as i promised Sofia and later tell her i won't take up the job.

"See you later" Santana says, heading in a different direction as we exit the office.

"Actually, i wasn't aware i would be starting today, i was under the impression, i would need to be screened first, have an interview, then you would get back to me." I say, as we walk down a corridor, up about a couple of stairs, and onto higher ground, not necessarily on another floor altogether

"Well, you passed, and the job is yours, but right now, I need to be here for this meeting, so let's get this over with, then we can get your paperwork done, and you can officially start on Monday... how's that" he says, smiling.

"Ok" i find myself agreeing.

He opens the door, and we walk into another conference room.

In here, we find about six people, seven, if you count Silas, and all of them male.

The room oozes with male testosterone, as I hear deep male voices rumbling with chatter.

Clearly, the meeting has not been called into order yet.

I walk with Silas to a couple of empty chairs, and make myself comfortable.

As a stranger, and only woman in the room, i expect to attract alot of unnecessary attention, but the men in this room are very professional, they smile and nod at me when Silence introduces me as just 'Antonella' without adding any more details of who I am, and they go on with their chatter afterwards, the ones closer to me, politely saying hai.before doing that

I find myself feeling more comfortable in this meeting than the last one on the other floor.

Then two more people walk into the room after our last entry, and it appears it's who we were waiting for, because the room quiets.

The two men move to the front.

I scan the room briefly, and nearly s**t myself when i recognize one of the men.......Marco.

I have to do a double take, just to make sure I am seeing right, and this time, .....our eyes make eye contact as he sits down, and I swear, I see his lips twitch a little, and so I look up, and turn my head away immediately.

Ok, what is going on?

My mouth goes dry, and my ears start ringing.

Fate is playing a dirty little game with me.

Maye he didn't notice me.

I shift in my seat, avoiding to look at him again....suddenly, it feels like my clothes are on too tight, and the room is shrinking in size, and we are the only two people in here, because I swear, i think I can feel him look at me, but I refuse to look back.

The the meeting starts, and the other man he walked in with, starts to put phone tablets next to each one of us on the table, and he grabs the file next to Silas, before he goes back to his seat.

I see the tablet reflecting the agenda, and the man starts updating the information, as the meeting progresses.

I also notice my name suddenly appear on the list of attendees on the screen.

This meeting is a bit more technical than the last one i attended, and so i just listen in awe as they deliberate.

"Marco, what do you think?" someone asks, and i follow his line sight to him.

Sudennly it dawns on me.

I look down at the screen, and swipe to the list of attendees again, and read his name in full.

Marco Bishop.

Wait, 'Marco Bishop?' as in 'Bishop', the name that is displayed in bold letters on the front of this building?

I look up and find that he is no longer talking, and I didn't even hear a word he said, because I was too preoccupied, but his gaze briefly holds mine, before i look away again.

Shit!