Mr. Brockwell

[MATURE CONTENT: 18+ LANGUAGE, ADULT SITUATIONS, VIOLENCE, ETC.] *Calista* Somber. That's a good way to describe my mood today, more like every day. At first, things weren't bad. They were good, we were a normal couple and then everything changed. He changed, more specifically, and now things have become monotonous. I've been with Ivan for a little over a year, but things changed the day I moved in with him. It's October, fall is in the air, as a brisk breeze blows past me and ruffles my honey brown hair forward. I pulled up the red hood of my wool jacket, lowered my head to avoid the chill and scurried across the sidewalk. I approach our apartment building with groceries in both hands and struggle to open the door, but finally push inside. The warm heated air surrounds my chilled skin and I sigh in relief, the heat feels good. I get into the elevator and take it to the third floor, walk half way down the hallway and stop at our apartment door. Taking a deep breath, I opened it and stepped inside. It was already past seven o'clock at night and Ivan was waiting for me to bring home the groceries. I knew he'd be angry that I was running late, but my last interview of the day ran an hour late because we got lost in conversation. I was applying everywhere, looking for anything I could get my hands on. So far, I've had no luck, but today felt more promising. The last interview was with Mr. Alding, a man in his late forties, working as a lawyer. I don't know law, but I'm a fast learner. I set the groceries on the counter and turned to find Ivan watching television in the living room, around the corner. I didn't say anything, instead I started putting the food away and began preparing dinner for the night. We were having chicken fetticine Alfredo, one of Ivan's favorites. While I'm preparing our dinner, I hear him approach from behind me, as he wraps his arms around my waist. He places soft kisses against my neck and it causes me to giggle, c*****g my head to the side. Ivan chuckles and rests his head on my shoulder, watching as I stir the boiling noodles and broccoli. "How was your day?" Ivan asked, his voice warm and low. "It was good," I confidently remarked, "The last interview was the best, I think, but I'm still going out again tomorrow. There's a couple more places that I didn't have time to look at today, so I'll check them out tomorrow." "The more options, the better." Ivan agreed, kissing my cheek before pulling away. Dinner is ready and we sit across from each other at the small round table in the kitchen. Ivan pours two glasses of wine, holding his up to toast me. I giggle, lifting my glass to meet his with a gentle clink. He clears his throat and smiles at me widely, something I haven't seen in a long time. "Congratulations--" "I don't have a job yet.." I interrupted with a teasing groan. "You're halfway there," He smiles and drinks his wine, "Plus, if you don't find a job on your own, then Nadia can always help you." "I don't need your sister's help, Ivan." I grunted, annoyed that he even asked. Nadia is his sister and we've never liked each other. I sure as hell won't find myself asking her for a job! Ivan shrugged and we ate the rest of dinner in silence. I was partially worried that I wouldn't get hired from any of these fancy big offices, that I would have to lower my expectations and find a retail job or something. After dinner, I went to bed early, while Ivan stayed to watch TV in the living room. I wanted to get a good night's sleep before my big day tomorrow. I'll be waking up early, so I can visit the rest of the buildings I saw on third street. Sleep came easily, especially after a day of walking along the streets. My feet were sore, but I couldn't give up. The next morning arrived and I woke up to my alarm, shutting it off and entering the bathroom. I showered and applied some light makeup to my face, a little mascara to enhance my green eyes. I curled my honey brown hair and let it fall down my shoulders. I changed into a light pink blouse with a black pencil skirt and matching pink pumps. It's a little after seven in the morning and I kiss Ivan's sleeping face goodbye, before leaving the building. I forgot my jacket and didn't want to waste the time turning around to fetch it, so instead I power walked to the first building on my list. It was an exceptionally tall building with mirrored windows and doors. I pushed through the main entrance doors and entered a quiet lobby with one single receptionist in the center of the room. The room has dark hardwood floors and cream walls. The receptionist has blonde hair and is sitting at a round desk, staring at her computer screen. She either doesn't hear me walk in or doesn't care to acknowledge me. "Excuse me," I started and cleared my throat, "I'm inquiring about any jobs you may have available." "What are your qualifications?" The girl asks, still looking at her computer screen. "I'm proficient in all computer programs, if that helps.." I mutter and she finally glances up at me with a smug grin. "I don't think--" "Tara, you forgot to fax Ronald back-" A man with dark brown hair says, walking into the room, and stops short when he looks at me. "You can leave now." Tara snorts, rolling her eyes at me and turning to respond to the man next to her. "Excuse me," I said more clearly and gathered both of their attention, "But I'd appreciate it if you would at least ask your boss." "Ask her boss, what?" The man asked, smirking. "If there are any available jobs," I repeated and sighed, "I'm looking for any type of job.." "Interesting," The man says and glares at Tara, "I am looking for an assistant. Do you have time for an interview?" "That would be great, thank you so much!" I released a heavy breath of relief and followed him past the front desk. He leads me to an elevator and presses the button for the fifth floor. The doors open and we exit into a long narrow hallway, where he walks ahead of me. His dark brown hair is short on the sides but longer on top, as he pushes it off to the right side. His posture is strong, with straight shoulders and back. He opens a door and motions for me to walk inside. When I do, I can't help but gasp at the extravagant decor. Golden statues that belong in the royal castle, paintings that I swear are famous and worth millions and, of course, an expensive-looking desk. This man is definitely the definition of sleek, but what exactly does he do? And what, pray tell, will be my job? I sit on the red velvet armchair across from the desk, while he sits in his tall black chair opposite of me. His eyes are light gray, similar to a stormy sky. His cheek bones were exquisitely shaped, contouring his strong jawline. I watch as his full lips pull into a tight smirk and I realize I've been staring at him. "What's your name?" He asks, pulling out a pen from his drawer. "Calista Bonetti." I responded with a proud smile, although proud isn't something that follows my surname. "Nice to meet you, Calista. I'm Adrian Brockwell," he says with a deep raspy voice, "The owner of Brockwell Investments." "I'm sorry, what kind of business is this, exactly?" I asked, half afraid of humiliation, the other half sounding naive. "I'm a stockbroker, among other things." Adrian smiles in a way that sends shivers down my spine. "Oh, alright.." I muttered, nodding my head with a polite smile. "You would be assisting me with my daily tasks," He states and keeps his eyes on his notebook, "Are you any good at typing without looking at a keyboard?" "I'm very proficient with computers, sir." I nodded, finally feeling confident. "Good to hear," He smiles again and I feel my thighs clench together, "My next question is, how do you handle stressful situations?" "It depends on the type of stress, sir. If it's a heated customer, I always try to de escalate the situation. If it's more along the lines of running late for a deadline, I try to focus on the most important task at hand." I responded, holding my head high. "Alright," Adrain nods and scribbles down some notes before looking up at me, "Do you have any questions for me?" "Yes, actually. What exactly does your job entail?" I hesitantly asked, almost afraid to piss him off because he's so intense. "Many things, Calista, but mostly I work with numbers and money. You'll be helping me with remembering meetings and what not. I think you'll be a good fit." He smiles and my heart hammers against my chest, is he already offering me the job? "Are you offering me the job, already?" I asked out loud with wide eyes. "Yes," he chuckles and smiles wide, "I get a good feeling about you."