Utopia

Chapter-2

I stood in front of the opaque glass doors and took a deep breath. I could see my reflection in those doors. A pale brown-haired girl, nervousness radiating from her. I smoothed the creases out of my dress. I was wearing a black pencil skirt and a white blouse. This was my graduation dress and the best formal dress I had. A small smile made its way onto my lips as I imagined myself shopping for smart work clothes if I got this job. I closed my hand around the steel door handle. Before I opened the door, I saw the haunted eyes of the girl in the waiting room in my mind. I shook my head to rid myself of the image and opened the door.

I had to blink my eyes a few times to adjust to the sunlit room after waiting for so long in the dimly lit waiting room. One wall of the room is completely replaced by transparent glass giving the feeling that the room was hanging on the edge of a cliff. That thought was chilling and thrilling at the same time. I could see his silhouette outlined with the sunlight as he stood in front of the glass wall. Adrian Scott.

The Devil, according to the girl who had met him earlier.

“May I come in sir?” My voice was thick with tension. The same tension hung in the air like a wall. I wondered if he could feel it. Then again, why would he? He was the one with the power here.

He turned around abruptly like my voice had pulled him from some faraway world he was visiting. He was handsome. Scratch that. Handsome didn’t cover what he was. That word sold him low. I thought he should be described as beautiful. Classic. Like the Greek statues were described. He had blue eyes. Blue like the ocean but darker, a sharp nose and jawline to die for. What was it about men with sharp jawlines? What was it about them that made me want to run my lips along their jaws even if one of the said men was my prospective boss?

With a Herculean effort, I turned my thoughts away from his face. But his tall and broad body still left much for thinking. The mop of jet black hair on his head looked so silky that I wanted to run my hands through it. How horny must I be to think these thoughts about a man who was described as the devil?

I have to get laid soon, I added a mental note to myself.

“Get in, Ms. Wells,” He said, pulling his sensual lips into a grin. I was flattered that he said my name without consulting a file. I was also flattered that that beautiful grin was on his face when he said my name. It knotted my stomach in a pleasant way.

“Thank you, Mr. Scott,” I said. I walked carefully on the tiled floor in my new heels. It wouldn't do to fall on my butt in my interview. Mr. Scott walked from his end and sat in his plush chair. I sat on the other side of the desk, my fingers leaving marks on the file in my hand. I handed the file to him, who flicked the pages in five seconds.

“University of Chicago, studied on scholarships, English Major, Business Minor, work experience as a waitress and tutor. Interesting.” He muttered, closed the file, and placed it on the table. “Do you think you are overqualified for this job?”

“No, Mr. Scott,” I said, struggling to maintain the formal smile on my face. “I heard a lot about Scott industries and it would be an honor to work with you. I have never had a job as prestigious as this. I think I am qualified enough for this job.”

“Tell me about yourself,” He asked the cliche question of the interviews and leaned back in his chair.

I started telling my rehearsed answer about my goals, dreams, hobbies, and once again how honored I was to interview for this job. As long as I was talking, he was regarding me, my every movement, and every facial expression. His face was serious and focused. I knew studying body language was a part of the interview process but his gaze was intimidating. It was as though his gaze was touching every inch of my body, looking for a flaw. For the first time since stepping into his office, I wondered if there was some truth to the girl’s words in the waiting room. I wondered if that grinning man was a mask and this intimidating man was the reality. I fought the urge to squirm in my seat.

“Very well,” He said after I had completed talking. “Now that we have completed the formal interview I want to begin the real one.”

He stood up and walked towards the glass wall. His face was unreadable.

“The real one?” The question escaped me although I wanted to suppress it. He turned his head and grinned. But this grin was not as pleasant as the one before. This grin was the same yet different as I was seeing him through a different angle. An angle through which I was not supposed to see. A few minutes ago, I wanted to sleep with this man and now I was looking forward to this interview to be over. The feeling that the girl could be right about him was growing inside me.

“There is a file in front of you on the desk, Ms. Wells. Open it.” He said. He was not looking at me now. He was looking down on the city like a powerful and angry God waiting to smite the puny mortals walking down on the earth. I took the dark brown file in my hands and opened it. Yellow legal papers fluttered inside it. I stopped them with my hands and read the heading on the first page.

NON DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

The bold, capital letters screamed at me. I raised my head and looked at Mr. Scott.

“Sign the NDA, Ms. Wells, so we can get on with our interview.” He said. “You are not supposed to talk about what happens in this room after you sign this agreement. Otherwise, there will be...let’s just say repercussions. I hope you are more abided by the agreement than Ms. Smith before you.”

I knew he was talking about the girl who warned me earlier. Ms. Smith. I wondered what was the first name of the green-eyed girl and what was he going to do to her for breaching the agreement.

“What happens to her?” I asked, unsure if I would like the answer. Surely he would not harm her over a simple NDA or would he?

“Now, that is not any of your business, is it, Ms. Wells?” He said, effectively shutting my mouth. “If you want to continue the interview, sign the NDA at once.”

His words had a finality I couldn’t help but obey. I hated how submissive his presence was making me and it hadn’t been even an hour since I had met him. I reached for the black and gold pen in the pen stand. My hand hovered over the pen hesitantly.

Should I do this? I wondered. The traumatic experience the girl had warned me about was lurking just around the corner. It would present itself as soon as I signed this agreement. Was I ready for another traumatic experience after everything I had been through already? But I was also curious to find out what made all those girls shake like leaves in a storm. I wanted to find out what rattled those girls so much and if it would have the same effect on me. I must be a masochist to think like this but I couldn’t help it. I picked the pen, clicked it, and signed my name.

A deal with the devil, I couldn’t help but think.