Winning Back the Heart of My Secretary

Amelia's POV I woke up at the sound of the alarm clock. I dashed out of my bed and headed straight to the bathroom to wash my face. I ran to the living room still in pyjamas. “ You're finally awake,” Nita from the kitchen noticed. “ How bad is it?” “ You're going to be late if you keep standing here and asking questions,” she replied without looking at me. Drats! I was going to miss my interview at this rate. That alarm clock must have rang a million times before I finally heard it. Going back to my room, I hurriedly took a shower and then put on a black suit with a matching black skirt and black nylon stockings. “ You could have woken me up, you know?” I ran to the living room putting on my shoes hastily. “ I did, a million times,” she exaggerated as she served breakfast. “ You sleep too deep, I don't even know how you do it,” she put her hand on her waist and looked at me. “ I was up at night trying to prepare for the interview and I ended up falling asleep. I was tired,” I sighed. “ Are you having breakfast?” “ You want me to lose the job I haven't gotten yet, right?” I twisted my lips. I rushed to the door, I didn't have time to talk. “Good luck!” She yelled as I opened the door. “ Don't forget to update me!” She continued to yell even when I had closed the door behind me. “ I won't!” Getting to the road, I flagged down a cab and headed straight to the company. I sat in the cab nervously, I hadn't gotten a useful job since I left uni. I needed this job, with it, I could support Nita and myself properly. She had taken me in and had even given me a job in her little cafe, I couldn't go on living off her. “ We're here miss,” the driver brought me out of the deep thoughts I had fallen into. “ Oh, thank you,” I came down from the cab and paid the cab driver. Standing in front of the company building felt surreal, I took in a deep breath. It was going to be fine. I would do my best and hope that my responses satisfy them. I walked briskly into the tall skyscraper, I was baffled by the number of interviewees in the company lobby. My heart immediately sank, some looked privileged, others looked very intellectual and here I was plain old Amelia. I hadn't expected anything less from YTC company, everyone wanted to get in. Dampened, I took a seat near an artificial plant. “ Hi! You must be here for the job as well,” a girl my age joined me where I was. She was bubbly and bold, at least bold enough to suddenly start a conversation with a total stranger. “ I'm Jane, and you are?” she asked stretching out her hands towards me. “ I'm Amelia,” to be honest, I wasn't paying much attention to her. My mind kept thinking of so many possibilities, what if I get rejected? “ Nice to meet you,” she took my hands in hers and shook it vigorously. “ I'm new to the city and this is my first interview, so I'm super worried and anxious. Are you anxious? Because I'm anxious,” she kept fidgeting. She wasn't at all bold like I thought she was, this was her way of relieving her anxiety. She took out her inhaler and quickly pumped, she seemed much calmer now. “ I'm sorry, I have asthma,” she probably thought she was freaking me out which she was in a way. “ I don't mind.” “ Number 200, 201, 202, 203, and 204;” a female voice came from behind the black door. She had just called my number, my heart raced as I got up hesitantly. The girl beside me got up as well. “ I'm 203, you are?” she asked seeming relieved to find out we would go in together. “ 202,” I said as we walked in. The room was a dazzling white with the mean-looking interviewers sitting behind a long brown desk. As I and my newfound friend, Jane walked to our seats right in front of the interviewer’s desk. “ I hope you all know why you're here and who you're here to serve?” One of the strict-looking female interviewers asked. “ We're aware, ma'am,” we chorused but honestly, I wasn't sure who exactly was the CEO. I knew we were all aspiring to be the CEO’s secretary but I wasn't exactly sure if I had seen the CEO of YTC himself. My confidence had depleted, all the aspirants that went in with me were ladies and some had expensive suits on, some were overly gorgeous, and thinking about how plain I looked, I began to doubt if I would secure this job. “ When was YTC founded?” One of the interviewees questioned. “ I think is...,” “ August 16th, 1973,” I answered, adjusting my glasses in the process. I knew I couldn't beat most in looks or family background but my intelligence was by far my greatest advantage. “ Amelia Sparrow isn't it?” The mean-looking woman asked. “ Y-yes,” I stuttered. I wasn't used to drawing attention. “ It's stated here in your resume that you attended a community college, is that right?” The room fell quiet as she questioned and for some reason, I felt so inadequate. “ Yes, I did,” “ You were the best graduating student in your set, that's what I see,” she continued to question me. “ Yes, I was,” “ Do you have any experience as a secretary whatsoever?” Her question hit hard. “ No, I don't,” I said after a few seconds of silence. “ And why haven't you been able to secure a job?” That I couldn't answer. Someone had their hands in the air. “ Yes?” The interviewer shifted her attention. “ I would like to answer the question instead about work experience,” she had a lovely smile. She was blonde and pretty, she seemed rather confident in herself. “ And you are?” “ I'll do the honors of introducing myself,” she got to her feet with much elegance. “ I'm Jane Smith and I have been working as an executive secretary for the past few years now, so you could say I have experience for a young person,” she beamed. “ So why did you leave the company you were working for?” “ Well, everybody wants a significant change in their lives. Who wouldn't want to work with YTC? That would add to my credibility and my prowess in the business world,” she answered so well. I clenched the edges of my skirt as I grit my teeth in silence, I knew I had lost this job, the same way I had lost the other ones. After the interview, I walked into Nita’s cafe which was also where our house was. Our house was upstairs while the cafe was downstairs. “ Why are you back late?” Nita noticed me from the door. “ It's passed noon already,” she searched my face for answers as I walked towards the counter. “ I stuck around somewhere,” I answered lazily. “ Erm... How was the interview?” “ Horrible,” I walked to the door that led to the stairways and swung it open. “ I'm going to bed,” my eyes were swollen from crying. I walked up the stairs not paying to a word Nita told me. * * * *