I stepped out of my apartment building and immediately got blasted by the chill of Winter. I really need to move down south someday to get some semblance of heat. My mind then flashed back to my childhood home. That caused a shiver to run through me more than the cold.
I pulled up my texts, biting my lip with uncertainty. This could very possibly just be a marriage meeting disguised as an interview. I could trust Mrs. Flórez, right?
Hailing a cab, I told the driver to go to Vermillion Terrace. Sadly, the guards at the gates won't let any taxi in unless hired by a resident themselves. When the cab arrived at the tall gates I quickly paid the fare and got out. I walked up to the booth where the guard was sitting and pulled out a pass. He acknowledged it before opening the gates for me to walk through.
The Flórez's house was closer to the front of the neighbourhood luckily, so the walk wasn't too far. I knocked on the giant doors and waited patiently. Allison greeted me at the door as usual. She pulled on my wrist and put her face close to mine. "Beware Emory today. He's in a terrible mood because he thinks that he's going to have to marry you."
I rolled my eyes. It seems I wasn't the only one thinking about that then.
Allison guided me through the mansion at a superhuman pace. It seemed like she didn't want me to meet Mrs. Flórez on my way in. I appreciated the sentiment. Once she stopped in front of a door in the corner of the house, I knew that this was where the interview was going to take place.
Quickly adjusting my collar, I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. I turned the doorknob and was immediately blinded by the bright light of the sun beaming through the windows. The room itself turned out to be an office completely decked out in art-deco style furniture and paintings. A lone man sat at the desk in the centre of the room, eyeing me predatorily.
I stared him right down without feeling an ounce of intimidation. I pulled out a chair and sat down slowly. "Ms. Clarielle-" he started. I glared at him before he could continue. "Excuse me, I'm the one conducting this interview. I will address you first and you will respond accordingly. Understand?" He nodded, obviously taken aback.
"So, why were you fired from your last job, Mr. Flórez?" I began. He didn't appear angry as I had thought he would. Instead, he seemed calm and collected. That's a definite check mark.
"I was fired because I didn't believe the line was going in the right direction and questioned my boss. She didn't take kindly to it and promptly fired me." His answer was clean cut and straight to the point. "Now, what was this brand called?" I asked, already knowing who it was. He frowned for a brief second before answering. "Bliss Couture."
Of course it was. Bliss was the brand I wanted to start up seven years ago. When Evander came along though, I ended up giving all my designs to Fleur for safekeeping and possible use. However, Fleur's sister, Lis, stole them from her soon afterwards. Lis started Bliss Couture and proclaimed all the designs as her's.
It did well for maybe two years, then it has been on a steady decline since then. I had only given my mediocre designs to Fleur. I kept all of the best ones for myself and have been waiting to use them all these years.
"You worked at Bliss Couture? That brand's been a sinking ship for a while now. It doesn't matter how expensive of a label that is, it's not a good mark on your resumée. If anything, it makes me want to not hire you more than if you had simply just come into this industry. What do you have to say in your defence?" I asked him.
He scoffed. "I completely agree with what you said. That place was terrible in every aspect, especially the designer. Lis Sutcliffe, the 'designer,' didn't allow me to say anything about her work. My job is a stylist so I have to edit what's been given to me, but she simply didn't allow me to do it properly. If I mentioned that a different style hem would look better, she would explode on me. To be honest," He leaned in conspiratorially and looked towards the door. "The only reason I stayed in that job was that my mother loved their old designs and still wears them to this day. I didn't want to disappoint her."
Then, as if realising something, he yanked himself back. "But no matter how much I don't want to disappoint her, I refuse to marry you. I'm sorry." Oh, so that's what he thought of? "Don't worry Mr. Flórez, I have absolutely no intention of dating you. My job is my spouse right now so there's no room for anyone else." Better to get this clarified.
His face stiffened for a second, then a smile blossomed slowly. His hazel eyes crinkled up at the corners when he did so. "Oh good…" Wait, did he think I had fallen in love with him already? What a loser.
The interview continued on for a long time, each of us with our own concerns. Finally, just as the sun was starting to set, it was over. It had morphed into more of a casual chat at the end but all the information I needed was confirmed. Turning my head towards him, I smiled and stuck out my hand in his direction. "Welcome to the job, Mr. Flórez."
He took it gently and shook it. "Thank you, Ms. Clarielle. When do I start?" From the look in his eyes, he obviously expected it to be more like a week. Too bad for him that wasn't how I operate.
"Now," I said evilly. I pulled out a giant folder packed to the brim with paper. "These are all designs I've made over the past ten years. Review them over the next week and pick out the best. We'll discuss edits next Wednesday, so don't start any without me." He looked shocked at the copious amounts of designs I had made.
What he didn't know was that I intentionally put obvious flaws in some of the designs. If he's a true stylist, he won't be able to resist pointing them out to me next week. So what if I hadn't technically hired him yet because I won't put it in the system until he passes the test? It's not illegal.
Well, probably.
As I walked out of the mansion, I reviewed my checklist. Alright, I have my stylist but I still need a CEO and a PR Manager… Emory was the easiest to find because I had been hearing about him for years from his mother. The next two will get a little challenging, though. "How should I go through with this…?"
I mumbled to myself the rest of the way home, slightly scaring the cab driver. When I arrived at the apartment door, I quietly unlocked it. Moonlight from the open window spilt onto the hardwood, illuminating a small body perched on the couch. I froze guiltily before realising Evander was asleep sitting up.
Smiling wryly, I carried him to his bedroom and placed him in bed. He grasped at the covers when I pulled them up. I kissed his forehead before getting into bed beside him. "I'm sorry for always being so late baby…" I murmured into the wistful silence. "But hopefully that'll change soon." Closing my eyes, I let his rhythmic breathing lull me to sleep.