I opened the glass doors and found the floors shining, tulips on the receptionists counters and little trees next to them. They were perfectly organized, although I saw some things that were out of place. It bothered me, but I didn't want to say anything. Especially when I don't even work there yet.
I went over to them and asked, "Hi. I was wondering if you could direct me to Mr. Thomas Walker's office. I'm here for the PA job position." The woman across from her, Jessica with strawberry-blond hair smiled and replied, "Oh. So, off to the right, there'll be an elevator. Mr. Walker's office is on the seventy-sixth floor. On the left you will find Ella, the receptionist. She'll take you for the interview. Good luck, uh..."
I waited for Jessica to finish her sentence, but then I realized that I needed to finish it. "Oh, heh. Uhm, Amabel. Amabel Avery."
"Well, Amabel Avery. Good luck with the interview." I walked away and said, "Thanks!" I stood in front of the elevator and pushed the button. It lit up with a green light and opened. When I stepped inside, it smelled like flowers and had a lot of motivational quotes on the wall. Button number seventy-six.
When the doors opened, I heard silence and then the ring of the phones, desperate to get picked up. "Hi. I'm Amabel Avery. I'm here for the PA job interview."
Ella, the receptionist, had long and straight brown hair with the telephone gripped between her ear and shoulder. She scurried around looking for something between the messed up counter that was covered with papers. The terror in her eyes of so many phone calls and the fact that she couldn't get a pen, made me want to jump in the whirlpool and swim her out.
"Let me help you," I whispered and got behind the counter. I took away the paper that laid on top of the keyboard and made them into a neatly packed heap. Ella still scurried around and then I took a pen out from behind Ella's ear and handed her the pen and a blank piece of paper for her to make notes.
"Alright. Thank you so much, sir. I will make sure that Mr. Walker gets the message. Your meeting with him will be next Wednesday at one o'clock. You're welcome, sir. Anytime. Alright, bye-bye," Ella said, dropped the phone and into her seat and sighed. She drove her fingers on top of her head through her hair, and rested her elbows on her legs.
"Are you okay?" I asked and touched her shoulder. She looked up at me and said, "Yes. I'm okay, it's just hard to keep up with everything. Mr. Walker saw that and said that I should advertise an assistant job. A lot of people have come in. Between them and the other things I have to do for Mr. Walker, I got lost, heh." Ella removed her concerned and distressed look from her face and smiled and gave a little chuckle.
"Right, Amabel. Your interview," she said and looked at the time on her watch and continued, "is right now. Wait here for a moment." She got up and walked away and knocked on the door. The door opened and she said, "Mr. Walker, Miss. Avery is ready for her interview."
She came back with a smile, but somehow I didn't want the smile. I only felt like rocks were knocking and cutting at my stomach. "He's ready for you." Shit... It's too late to turn back now. You're doing this for Mom. Yes, I'm doing this for Mom.
I think Ella saw the nervous feeling weakening the girl in front of her, and took my shoulders and gave them a light squeeze. I took a deep breath and forced it out of my mouth making the sound of a child trying to whistle.
I knocked on the door and went inside when the voice said, "Come in." Mr. Walker's arms came peeking out from a book shelf beside his desk. "Good afternoon, Mr. Walker. How are you?" I asked. He walked towards me and stuck out his hand. "Good afternoon, Miss. Avery, is it?" I didn't know what was wrong with me. Use your words Amabel. Ugh. Words Amabel! I couldn't speak so instead, I just nodded.
He showed his hand to a chair in front of his desk for me to sit. "Thank you so much for your time, sir. I really appreciate it."
"That's quite alright, dear," Mr. Walker said as he grunted when he sat down. Mr. Walker was in his fifties. I smelled the cologne coming off him after he shaved, wore a black tuxedo with very little black hair covered with white ones on his head. I noticed a gold hoop around his finger, that if you look carefully, you could see a name engraved on it. Katherine.
"So, Miss. Avery," he said when I interrupted him, "Oh, please. Call me Amabel." I felt so stupid for starting off by interrupting the man I want to work for. No, correction, the man I need to work for.
"Alright, Amabel. Tell me a bit about yourself? What are you currently doing?" I chuckled before answering. How could I tell him something about myself without letting him pity me or without me lying? I hate lying, but I hate it more when people pity me. I don't need that, and for my circumstances and my age, I am proud of the person I am, and who I became. All thanks to Mom.
I cleared my throat and replied, "Well, I'm in my last year of college. I'm a business student. I'm currently working at the Starbucks café, because it's near my home and near school."
Mr. Walker nodded his head in understanding and said, "Mmm. I see. Where do you go to school?" What if he didn't like the answer? I couldn't worry about that. I was proud of where I went to school, even if I owed it some money. That's why I want to become a business woman, to earn money I worked hard for to pay for my mom's medication and to pay off her debt. My debt from school and from my best friend, Gwen.
"Uhm, Loyola Marymount University. Mr. Walker, I know that the chance of me getting this position may be very very slim, but I want you to know that I work very hard. I have multiple shifts to cover at the café, I go to school, study and write my exams very early in the mornings so that I can cover my shifts. I'm so sorry. I completely interrupted you." What the hell, Amabel! That did so not sound desperate at all...
Mr. Walker laughed and took his hands together and put them on his desk. He moved his laptop more to the left and his cup of coffee more to the right. There were three small racks on another desk making an "L" shape that contained a lot of documents.
"That's alright, my dear. It's alright to let people know what you do. In fact, you have nothing to be sorry for. I asked you to tell me about yourself. But tell me, Amabel, why did you feel like you needed to defend yourself or to explain yourself? Is there a specific reason? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I really would like to know. There's no pressure." How could he be so understanding? I wonder if he has children. They would be very lucky to have him as a father, I know I would. Not for his money, but just the way he spoke with me, a stranger.
Mr. Walker was really kind. He reminded me of a father I always wanted. The father I never knew, who passed away while Mom was still pregnant with me. Thinking about my family situation made me want to cry. But I didn't want to feel any more embarrassed than I already felt for interrupting him two times now.
"Mr. Walker, I didn't have a normal childhood or a normal time growing up. I got my first job at a very young age to help myself and my mom. I never knew my dad and me and my mom, we struggled. It was hard, it still is, but we have each other. And with that, money, fame, fortune or all the gold in the world could never compete with what I have with my mom. I am so lucky to have her as my mother, because she made me the young and responsible woman I am today."
When I said responsible, I heard a little voice in my head laugh and play the events of last night in my head like a "previously on blah blah blah" episode. Mr. Walker looked impressed with me. I was confident, brave and strong.
"Your mother did a really good job. Tell me, what does she do for a living?"
Oh, shit! What do I do now? I don't want to answer that. He will only give me the job because he would feel sorry for me. Maybe I don't have to lie. Maybe he'll understand? If only I knew the outcome, but I guess that's why they call the future a mystery.
"Well, she was a teacher. She loved working with kids who were very young. She taught English and Math for grades one, two and three. And the kids, they loved her."
Mr. Walker looked very interested, like he wanted to know more, but didn't push it. "Wow. That is wonderful. My wife is also good with our children. She has her own job. She said that she wants to be independent. I see so much of my wife in you, Amabel."