the third job she had been contracted for the past three months, she still couldn’t say she was anywhere close to being used to the whole process. It was maddening how exhausting her nerves made her during these moments, but Andrea was anything but a quitter. It was both a good and bad thing at times.
The temp agency had only been kind enough to give her a brief outline of what this new job was looking for—young, vivacious, clean, orderly, can multitask, handle many things at once, etc.—and a date for an interview.
Andrea had been pleased to know that she could carry all the requirements out without a problem and began to wonder what small little office she would be working in this time. Oh, how mistaken she had been.
When she had arrived, in her best skirt suit, she had gaped at the immense skyscraper and glanced back at the directions on her smartphone. Several times she had wondered if she had gotten the address wrong, or that her phone had some sort of a glitch, or something, as she approached her destination. So when she stood in front of the large building, with its pristine windows and impressive foyer, Andrea was short of being convinced she had gotten it all wrong.
Nervously, she had approached the pointy nosed woman sitting at the reception desk, wincing when her shoes made a particularly large scuff mark in the gleaming marble floor.
One question, one distressing sharp scrutiny, and one huffy point in the direction of the elevators later, Andrea was well on her way to the very top of the building. The very air smelled important in the place where she was, and just as the elevator let out a pleasant ding did Andrea realize that she had a stain on her blouse.
The doors opened and Andrea found herself in a very spacious office space. It was tall and gleaming and covered in people dressed in lab coats and fashionable business suits. All too suddenly did Andrea wish she had stayed at home and remain in a safe place, dressed in her sweats and munching on her cereal while her cat, Linus, played with a frayed hem from her pants.
This, Andrea believed, was uncharted territory and she was ridiculously unprepared. Still, her feet carried her in and before she knew it, she met a tall man who silently stared at her when she asked directions to “Mr. Uriel’s office.”
And just like that, she was thrown in the room and told to “just sit there and wait for Mr. Uriel to return.”
After a few minutes of waiting, Andrea felt her rapid heart rate steady into a pounding thrum, and her skirt was damp with the amount of times she had rubbed her sweaty palms over it.
When she couldn’t get enough of the silence, she pulled out her phone and instantly sent a message to her friend, Stephanie.
I’m going to die. She wrote.
A few seconds later, she saw the little bubble of her friend writing back before a message appeared.
How bad is it?
Andrea’s thumbs flashed over the screen. Not sure. Haven’t met my new boss yet.
Where are you? Stephanie responded.
Downtown, by the library and metro.
Close to Orion Space Research Labs?
Andrea pursed her lips and pulled up the directions of the place. A little red pin landed right where the blue bubble that represented her position was located.
Right at the Space Research Labs. Andrea replied.
Oh snap, who did you say you were working for?
Andrea didn’t really know. I was only told the position. I’m going to be the assistant of the owner…?
OMG?!?!
She winced. Is that bad?
No!! I mean, not really, was Stephanie’s response. It’s actually really cool, and I’m seriously kind of jealous! The owner is supposedly wickedly rich and super good looking. God you’re lucky.
The sudden information made Andrea nearly panic. How good looking is this guy?
Super.
Dammit. Andrea nearly slapped herself with her palm.
I’m sure you look great! That didn’t exactly help, but she was grateful for her friend’s encouragement. Nevertheless, Andrea now felt incredibly
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