Never Mine To Begin With

Two Sides Of A Coin

“You guys should stop being negative and focus on the fact that I am going for a job interview today. I need you guys to wish me luck instead of bothering about insignificant thing,i urged my friends who is trying to stop me from going for an interview cause of what cornor said to me.

“Alright girl, sorry about the whole thing. You just shocked us by saying you are going for an interview this morning that you applied for yesterday.” Annie said.

“Good luck V!,Raine said.

When I got dropped off at the main office building, I took a deep breath and stared at the mesmerizing, yet intimidating building. I suddenly had the urge to get back inside the taxi and ask him to drive me back home. But because I wasn't a quitter, I stood rooted in the spot, and decided to see this all the way through.

“Hello, I am Candidate 444 applying for the position of Personal Assistant today.” I said in a cheerily voice to the receptionist at the front desk. She looked up from the laptop, a landline phone off the hook and her lips twisted in what I interpreted as pity.

“Just get into that elevator at the far end of this hallway. Press 24 and it'll take you to the twenty-fourth floor where the interview is taking place.” She said with a smile on her face.

“Thank you so much.” I said.

“Goodluck! You'll certainly need it for that interview.” She whispered to me and slid in a toffee from the complimentary sweet basket on her table.

I grinned and hurried to the elevator. I got in with two people and struggled not to tap my feet in anxiety. Didn't want them looking at me like I was a maniac.

When I got to the twenty-fourth floor, I was directed by that floor receptionist to the waiting area. As I sat down there, more people kept trooping in. The more I heard them practice, the more I became less confident. I overhead one lady say she went to language school just for this job. I realized how some people had been preparing for this opportunity all their lives and then there is me, that just applied on a whim yesterday. What was I even thinking? I was definitely not cut out for this job.

With that conviction, I stood up and made an attempt to leave when the office door opened and a lady came out and said, “Candidate 444, we'll have you now.”

My eyes almost bugged out of the sockets. Should I answer or should I pretend I wasn't here even though I had a big Candidate 444 tagged on my chest that I was given by the floor's receptionist?

“Hey, aren't you the one?” My neighbor touched me lightly.Yes, way to state the obvious. I thought, eyeing her wearily.

“Are you coming in for the interview?” The lady asked, her gaze now directed at me. I could feel ten pairs of eyes on me, possibly thinking who was this weirdo?

I bobbed my head in reply, not trusting my speech.

When I got into the large office where three panel members were seated at the front with a single chair facing their's.

The two ladies were faced forward, while the guy, I could it was a guy from the physique of the other person, his swivel chair was backing me.

“Please, have a seat.” The lady who walked me into the room directed me as she pointed at the seat.

I sat down and looked straight ahead.

When he finally turned his swivel chair, all the words in my mouth died a natural death.

Was the Universe trying to play a trick on me?

“Ermmmm... Hello.” I stuttered my way through the sentence. This was so unlike me, I am usually the type of person that has the most to say, and to think that seeing the 'bar guy', yes, we are going to call him that seeing as I don't know his name is making me lost for words is rubbing me in some kind of way I don't find funny. My mom, of blessed memory, always said I talked ‘a thousand per minute.’

“And she speaks. That is a start." The guy stated and went back to looking at my C.V. My confusion bubbles into a new emotion- anger. Who is he to pretend like he doesn't know me? Well, two can play this game. I am going to ace this interview so well, that they will have no choice to employ me and I plan to make him miserable enough for him to learn some manners, then I will quit.

“Sorry about that. I had a bit of a moment of confusion. Saw something shocking minutes ago, but I am good and ready to ace this interview.” I mustered my ‘air hostess’ smile that I have been told elicits a smile from other people. The two interviewers smiled at me and nodded their head. The one amongst them I have come to know as Lydiv, smiled like she was indeed relieved I wasn't a mute. Who knows what the ogre of a boss would do to her if that was the case?

“Quite a rocky start for an interview you want to ace, if I must say.” The guy chipped in, causing the smiles on the other interviewers faces to fall. They suddenly began looking at the papers at their front like it was the most interesting thing in the room.

I suddenly became more irritated, who does he think he is to talk to me like that? Is he Bill Gates? So, because he is possibly a Director, what gives him the right to talk to people like fleas? Forget about the job, I need to put him in his place.

“Ever heard the phrase, don't put the cart before the horse? I would think you'll know that since you seem like such an intellect.” I replied snarkily to him, a saccharine smile fixed in place and my left eyebrow raised in challenge.

The guy gaped at me, and the other interviewers exchanged glances at each other, possibly shocked I spoke to him like that. Maybe he was used to having his way, he needs me in his life for a reality check.

“Well, Miss," He took a glance at the C.V and back at me again, “Violet Sanderson, let's get back the interview. Why do you think that you will be a good fit as a P.A for the company's CEO?”

“Well, for one, I am a very determined and goal-oriented person. Whenever I put my mind to things, I get it done. Also, I am a quick learner and also someone who is open to changes. I am quite vocal about things, and I feel like these are the qualities a good P. A should have.”

“Yeah, I think we got the vocal part.” The guy murmured under his breath, but to my hearing.

“I personally think that a lot of people think they want a docile person, but it gets boring when the person who follows you practically everywhere is just an empty barrel on legs. Do you think that the CEO of the company will want someone who cannot be a sounding board when he wants to make some hasty decisions on trips, I think not.” I replied.

“You really do say everything on your mind, don't you?” The guy asked.

I shrugged, ”Life's too short, keep it real always.”

The guy looked at me for a full one minute, then he looked like he was trying to place my face, before the look disappeared. He turned to the other lady, “Róse, do you have anything you need to ask her before we dismiss her?”

Rose looked at her paper before looking up at me, “So, I can see here that you studied at a prestigious Art University. Tell me why you are not pursuing something related to your dream?”

I took a deep breath in and flashed a smile. I knew this question was part of the questions they might possibly ask, but I didn't know that I was going to feel a type of way, maybe sadness, it's just all confusing.

“So, on the contrary I am doing something with my art, you just haven't heard of me yet. While passion is good, sometimes it requires taking a step back, while waiting for some things to take their course. So, right now that's what I am doing. Trying to channel the pent up energy left from bothering about Art all these years, to another thing.” I gave the answer closest to the truth. No need telling a bunch of interviewers I might never see again my life history.

“Seems fair, I definitely get what you mean.” Róse said.

“So, one thing I love is your confidence and I can see in your C.V you also took a couple of courses in different fields which proves for a fact that you are as versatile as you say you are. You will be hearing from us before the end of the week.” Lydiv inputted.

Genuinely, I wanted to ace this interview at the beginning until bossy blabber mouth, a maybe director, bar guy, got on my nerves. Now, I honestly had zero expectations regarding getting a positive feedback because all the attitude I showed; being overly confident, being somewhat rude to their maybe director, these things all made me seem like I was not going to be a good team player. I was sure Lydiv was just saying these things to be polite. The moment I'm out of this door, they'll be possibly shredding my C.V and I won't blame Lydiv and Róse, but, I sure will blame that cocky bar guy. He got me worked up in ways I haven't had someone crawl under my skin before.

“Ryan, I think that's all. If there is nothing else, can I call in the next interviewee?” Lydiv asked.

The bar guy whom I have come to now know Ryan, which by the name is a fitting name for a corky jerk paused his lips in thought, before he spoke, “Miss Violet Sanderson, it's been a pleasure and definitely an out of the box interview. Like Lydiv said, we'll get back to you before the end of the week. Have a pleasant day.”

I stood up, directed my smile at the other two ladies, and started walking out of the room. Under my breath I mouthed, “And you have an unpleasant day.”

“And Violet Sanderson?” Ryan called out my name when I got to the door and was about turning the door knob. Lydiv was right behind me, possibly to go call in the next candidate. I smoothened my expression and turned back to him, I noticed she too stopped in her tracks possibly wondering what he wanted to tell me after saying we were done with the interview.

“Yes?”

“I can still hear you.” He mouthed and pointed at the little microphone on his ear, and the mouthpiece dangling on my blouse that I was given by Lydiv immediately I walked into the room for the interview. Only him still had a microphone in his ear and I just said something so obvious that he knew I was talking about it.

A smirk crept up his face as I felt myself becoming red all over.

I hurried out of the room completely mortified.

I was beyond screwed.

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