Read Online Unexpected Chance by Joanne Schwehm - Free Book Online Page B

gesture, then Alex definitely is a
romantic. I’ve received flowers twice now and they keep getting more lovely. He
called me beautiful. It’s hard for me to accept. I really want to hope this is
the real him and not the player coming out. I guess time will tell. I still
need to guard my heart. Does one ever know if someone is genuine? Will I be
able to tell the difference? At this point, does it really matter? I know I’ve
fallen for Alex.
    Time will tell. Until tomorrow . . .
    ~*~
    I took the elevator to the fourth floor of an exquisite
office building and walked into Walker-Stone Marketing at three forty-five, I
had fifteen minutes before my interview to try and relax. I approached the
reception area; it was a nice, understated office. There was a comfortable
atmosphere. The walls were an inviting tan color, and the receptionist sat at a
cherry desk. She appeared to be in her early fifties and was on the phone when
I approached. She held her right index finger up to show that she wanted me to
wait. When she finished the call, she said, “I’m sorry about that. How can I
help you?”
    “Hi, I’m Aubrey Ryan; I have an appointment with Brian Stone.”
    “Ah, yes, Ms. Ryan. Please have a seat.” She waved toward the
sitting area. “I’ll let Mr. Stone know that you’re here. Would you like
something to drink?”
    I sat down. “No, thank you.” I was afraid I would spill something
on my outfit, and I really needed this job.
    A man approached me. “Ms. Ryan? I’m Mark, Mr. Stone’s assistant.”
I stood and we shook hands. Wow, he was h-o-t, HOT! I’d have to guess he was in
his mid-twenties. He had tanned skin, surfer-styled blond hair, eyes like the
ocean, and even though he was wearing a suit, he still looked beach worthy. If
I hadn’t fallen for Alex, Mark would have been just my type.
    I found my voice. “Hi, Mark. It’s nice to meet you.” This was another
guy Julie had hidden from me. How many more were there? First Alex and now
Mark—two gorgeous men! We walked through the office; it wasn’t too big. There
were offices on the perimeter and desks facing each of them, which I could only
guess were for the assistants. There were cubicles with drafting tables, and
storyboards hung on the walls. It looked serene and formal at the same time,
sort of like Mark. We walked into the conference room, which had a large table
with probably about twenty chairs surrounding it.
    Brian and Julie were sitting at the table chatting. Mark cleared
his throat, and Brian stood to greet me. We shook hands, and Julie just smiled
at me as she stood. “I was just leaving.” She whispered in my ear, “Good luck,”
smiled, and walked out with Mark.
    My interview took about an hour. We went through the examples of
my writing and editing notes. “I know you don’t have any marketing experience,
Aubrey, but I really like what I’m seeing here, and I think you could be a
definite asset to Walker-Stone Marketing. I’d like to offer you a full-time
position.” He explained the salary and benefits. “There is also a ninety-day probation
period for all new employees.” He handed me a packet from Human Resources that
outlined everything that he mentioned.
    I was happily surprised and tried to hide my shocked expression. “I
would love to accept your offer. I really appreciate this opportunity.”
    “Great. How soon can you start?”
    “I can start as soon as tomorrow.” I tried not to sound overly
anxious, but I was excited.
    Brian smiled. “That’s great. We can use the rest of this week to
get you acclimated to our office and our procedures. I’ll have Mark make sure
to leave you a badge at reception.” We shook hands, and he walked me to Mark’s
desk. Mark stood and smiled. “Mark, will you escort, Ms. Ryan to reception and
then come and see me in my office?”
    Mark nodded to Brian and walked next to me through the hall to
reception. “So, Ms. Ryan, how did it go?”
    “Please call me Aubrey, and it went