"Number forty-five, you're next. Please come in. Forty-six and forty-seven, be ready."
The nervousness that wasn't there earlier rushed down to me as the number before me was called and that I was next. I was just calm earlier, but realizing that I would be evaluated next made my stomach twist and turn. I should calm down. I need my... oh no! I forgot my stress ball!
I sighed and tried to get myself together. There was a line of aspirants behind me who were also waiting for their turn. If I would describe the atmosphere, it was thick and tense. There was a silent buzz of noise coming from the others who were preparing and memorizing their speech. It was nerve-racking.
I was silent, though internally screaming. I tend to stutter everything that I would say when I force myself to memorize. I already planned the general idea of my presentation so even when I forget something, I could just easily make up something new and continue with my presentation without embarrassing myself.
The person beside me sat properly which prompted me to look at her. Shockingly, she also glanced, but she only raised her brow and then looked away to close her eyes. She was really such a meany, it was making me pout.
But she was beautiful though so my heart couldn't take it that I would be mad at her, even when she was the cause of my red nose.
Yes, I was sitting beside this goddess who pushed me in the elevator earlier, which caused my nose to hurt until now. I bumped into one buff man's back in front of me and even gained multiple glares and groans the whole ride. I tried to glare at her but she already moved to the other side.
And then we went out to the same floor and met here. We even sat beside each other. How cute was that, right? Just a little bit more and I would think we're destined.
"Can you stop being rude?" she spoke, opening her eyes and directly looking at me with irritation.
Even when she was annoyed, she still looked beautiful.
"How am I rude?" I asked curiously. I was just simply adoring her beautiful face. I moved a little closer to her face. "I'm just admiring your beauty. Is that wrong?"
That couldn't be rude, if anything, she should even thank me for appreciating her beauty instead of pointing out her ill manner.
"Yes! Starting is rude, especially when you look..." She looked at my face, from my eyes to my chin. There was a displeased expression on her face, but it changed into a stunned expression, though quickly.
"What? Cute?" I grinned at her. It was taking her so long to complete her sentence so I did.
"Creepy." She rolled her eyes at me and looked away, clearing her throat as if she was flustered. "Move away."
I snorted at her indifference and moved away. Interesting. I found her interesting. She was someone she never encountered before.
"What's your business?" I asked curiously.
She had nothing in her hand but her small branded handbag and the latest, most expensive phone. Could it be that she was wearing her brand as well? She was wearing a black long-sleeve, cross-front, off-shoulder dress that hugged her body, flaunted her curves, and gave her off a very elegant aura. But I had seen that dress already in another brand.
Or was it her hair? Her black hair looked soft and bouncy while it cascaded down until under her chest with its end in curls. She looked so lavish that I was curious about what she does.
She gave me a raise of her perfectly shaped brow with a long look. "None of your business."
I chuckled. Of course, she would answer this way. For some reason, instead of being offended by what she was doing to me, I was entertained.
"Miss Selene Hoffman, your turn. Miss Evie Coanco, please prepare."
I stood up and breathed a sigh. I calmed down because of my interaction with this meanie. I didn't know teasing someone could be this fun. I looked at her and found her looking at me, too. But she looked away immediately when I turned my head at her. Cutie.
So, her name is Evie Coanco? It sounded very sophisticated. Just like her. Her surname sounds familiar, though.
But I didn't have time to think about it when I was called again. I glanced at Evie one more time before following the woman who called me.
I was led to a room, a spacious and empty room with only three people in the middle, holding their folders, and we're obviously there to judge. Their aura was scary, and the room was so quiet that it added to her pressure.
"Good morning, come to the middle, please." the only girl in the panel told her, smiling kindly which lifted off a little bit of my stiffness.
I inhaled and exhaled softly before walking to the middle with a bright and big smile and restored confidence. "Good morning, chiefs."
"What did you bring for us?" the oldest among them, the owner of Produce Company, Mr. Colluci, asked. I saw his eyes skim at what I was wearing, and a pleased look registered on his face.
I smiled at them and stood with my head up high and presented myself. "This that I am wearing is one of my products in my business, Daily Apparel. I wore this by where I am going. This dress is suitable for interviews like this-"
"A minute, Miss Hoffman." The other panelist raised his hand to stop me from talking. "We can see that your dress and the way you wear it, is impressive. However, these clothes aren't yours. It belongs to other brands and you are just merely a reseller or an owner, but not a CEO. What makes you different from the others?"
I glanced at the others and they looked at me like they were also intrigued about her answer to the interesting question. But of course, this wasn't the first time that I was questioned about this.
"I believe this training opportunity is also for aspiring CEOs like me though I'm just an owner yet. My business targets the daily fashion of buyers, especially teens, and adults. There were clothes that I designed and tailored myself, but it was only a few, and for grand events only like gowns and dresses. My business' main target is to suggest daily fashion. I often post sets of clothes on my page from the upper to lower clothes and decorate them with bags, shoes, or accessories.
Sometimes, people are conflicted about what they should wear to certain events, especially simple events. And they are often stressed out in choosing what to partner with, so through my business, I helped them style themselves by putting two clothes together and also describing which events they could be worn."
"Hmm, I see," the man replied, massaging his chin as if he was thinking hard. "I don't think this fits enough to our standard, though. Ownership of reselling products is not something we accept. We want original and self-made with creative products. Something that catches other people's eyes at first sight."
"But I'm also designing my own dresses and prints design to some of these clothes..." I argued slowly. I felt like the blood on my face ran down and my confidence earlier completely vanished.
"Then you should have worn that, Miss Hoffman," the man retorted. "I'm sorry but we can't-"
"I believe, Jeremiah, that this girl has the skill," Mr. Colluci interrupted, gaining the attention of the other two panelists. "She has the potential. It's not every day that you will encounter a business that targets in helping people."
"But she's just merely a reseller, we don't accept such business," Jeremiah countered.
"What we see here is the potential traits of future CEOs. She has the skill to build her own company. She got the mind-"
"Reselling products isn't creative at all. We're recruiting those that already started ownership or future CEOs of a business worthy of our partnership."
I felt like crying as I listened to them argue. I haven't even started yet but it seemed like my dreams would crash now. If only I had known that he would point out my dress and not the way I dress, I should have worn one of my gowns. It was so bold of me to think that I could impress them by presenting it myself.
"Let's discuss this in private later. It's not right to argue in front of a candidate," the woman stopped the two from arguing and turned to me. "I'm sorry about that, Miss Hoffman, but we'll inform you later if you pass. You may now exit."
"Yes..." I silently replied, bowing at them. "Thank you."
I walked out of the room with my head low. It was gone. Done. I would never have the chance to continue my dream. I was so dumb to think I could be a CEO someday.
"Ouch!"
I held my forehead when I bumped into something hard. I looked up and saw Evie looking down at me. Her face was emotionless as usual. I bumped into her shoulder. I was thinking too much that I didn't even see her on my way.
Her brow raised after a while as if waiting for me to say something. Ah. Of course, she was waiting for me to apologize.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly before moving to the side and giving her the way.
She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Look at where you're going. Tch."
She walked past me and entered the room. I sighed. I didn't have the energy to tease her anymore like earlier. I was so broken about what Jeremiah told me.
Well, what's wrong with being an owner of reselling products? It wasn't even complete a resell, I would just buy plain clothes, invented a design, and made it a new product. And as I explained, that wasn't the purpose of my business. What's hard to comprehend in that?
I went to the lobby and waited there. Usually, after the presentation, the three panelists would immediately decide whether this person passed or not. If they did not pass, they would immediately go home with their dreams crashed just like what was about to happen to me. But if passed, they would proceed to the orientation at the seventh floor.
I thought everything would go according to my plan. Turned out that I didn't know how these people's minds work. I should have expected the worst instead of letting my confidence get ahead of me.
I sighed and fiddled with my fingers. There were already people going out of the company with slumped shoulders, probably they experienced the same rejection as mine. Sigh.
What if I just go home? After all, with what they told me earlier, Jeremiah seemed very certain not to accept her. I might have just been wasting my time here.
My eyes went to the elevator when it opened once again. I was hoping that one of the judges would come out and tell me good news. But it was just one of the staff of the company. My shoulders slumped. My hope is now gone. Maybe it was best if I would just go home.
I took my bag as my eyes sadly darted at the word 'Produce Company' on the wall behind the front desk. My dream had been put to a halt, or worse to say, now crumbling to make it huge. I should better just accept that I was not accepted.
My throat contracted as I stopped myself from crying. Not here. I want to cry alone in my room. This dream was at the top of my dreams and seeing this crumble, this worth a river of tears.
"Miss Hoffman! Wait! Hooh! Hah..."
I stopped completely exiting the building when someone grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at him. It was the staff member who was calling the applicants earlier.
"Y-you... You passed. Mister Colluci and the judges want to apologize for what happened but they have decided. You may go to the seventh floor for the orientation. Congratulations."
"A-are you... serious?" I asked, beyond shocked by what he said. "I passed?"
The man nodded, and he became blurred because my eyes watered. Oh my god, I passed!
"Ma'am, don't cry!"
My dream wasn't done yet.