Nina entered, took a few steps forward and stood still, not knowing what to do. She heard the muffled sound of the door closing. She looked around and observed the place, she imagined that if she didn't pass that interview, at least she would keep in her memories the time she was in a billionaire's office.
As she looked around her, she felt a cold run down her spine, she stood frozen in place, realizing that he passed by her, and passed so close that the displacement of air from his passage, moved her hair and the perfume that she exhaled, took over his nostrils.
She was a little confused by the sensations he was causing her, but whether that was good or bad, she didn't know yet, she would probably find out eventually.
Dominique's room was simply gigantic, it had a large sofa in the middle, on one side a bar, with lots of drinks on display and there was an area just for wine, there was a counter and stools in front. The stools were metallic, the same dark tone as the metal on the elevator mirror frame and the door handles, in fact, she noticed that the metallic details were standardized and there was nothing gold there.
From the front, the wall that faced the street was entirely made of glass and that building was the tallest on that block, so it showed the city center landscape from an exuberant angle. You could see the tops of buildings, helipads, some streets and cars passing by below.
Nina, a little impulsive, walked forward and stood still, admiring the view, not realizing that her interviewer was waiting for her, sitting in her armchair.
Dominic watched her for a few moments, with the tip of the pen pressed against her chin, that woman was a mystery to him, she had a way that he didn't understand. He didn't understand how that face haunted him all these years and even now, he couldn't resist coming to see her in person.
Nina continues her observation, involved, she doesn't even look like that desperate girl from a short time ago. It didn't even feel like she was about to be interviewed, judged, and put against the wall. Tested by a stranger, who would draw his own conclusions about her abilities and skills.
A clearing of the throat is heard.
Nina jumps in fright, when she hears the sound resounding from behind the CEO's armchair, she turns around and sees him sitting, relaxed in the gray, padded armchair.
She hurried and sat down on the chair opposite, placing her bag on her lap and placing her hands together on her knees.
His desk was gigantic, made of some crystal she didn't recognize. The material was shiny and the surface was completely smooth, but there was an interesting combination of colors, ranging from cream to brown and perhaps some shades of red.
While observing the table, she ended up looking at the digital clock that was placed on top and there it showed exactly 8:00 in the morning. She remembered the receptionist mentioning her punctuality and knew that this was the exact moment the interview would begin.
Dominic started typing and sliding her finger across her notebook and Nina swallowed hard, took a deep breath, raised her chin, showing herself prepared.
Instead of starting to ask questions, he looks away from the notebook and watches her for a few more seconds.
He still wondered if it was the same girl from three years ago, her features told him that it really was.
But it had been so long, how could I be sure? Even though his mind told him to be cautious, he felt something that told him yes, that it was her, that it couldn't be anyone else, that there wasn't, it wasn't possible for there to be two in the world, that she was the only one.
He gets a little irritated by these thoughts, turns to the notebook, types some things with one hand, lazily avoiding looking at it and after a few seconds he says:
— Nina Moon, so that's your name.
She swallows hard and shakes her head positively and at the same time, shouting:
— Yes, that's my name.
- 21 years.
Dominic wasn't asking, but she still responded:
— Almost 22, sir.
— Are you already graduated at that age? — at that moment he looked at her face, it really was a fact that caught his attention.
— Yes, I didn't fail any module. I tried hard to finish on time.
— Many girls your age aren't worried about finishing soon, they prefer to have fun. Don't you like to have fun?
— I have a lot of responsibilities, I don't have time for fun. — she said calmly, but firmly and confidently at the same time.
— You don't have a lot of professional experience…
She nods her head positively and sincerely says:
— Yes, during that time I studied and to pay for my college education I worked as a waitress in a cafeteria. I did some extra waitressing work at night, too.
Dominic looks back at the computer and after some observations, says:
— I see you had a short stint as a model. You know, I need to do a little investigation into who might work here. Why did you hide this from your resume? And why did you choose to be underemployed rather than continue a career that could give you much more resources?
Dominic was really curious about this fact, she thought that a pretty girl like her didn't need to work so hard in her studies, or work as a waitress in a low-level diner.
Nina shakes her head positively, takes a deep breath and raises her chin, with courage. She knew someone might ask her that kind of question. In fact, she heard that question many times, because who in their right mind would abandon a career that could give them fame and success, to work in a cafeteria? However, she couldn't exactly tell the truth.
Nina couldn't say that she abandoned her career because of the pregnancy she hid, and that because of the affair she had with Samuel, his mother, Rosália and his wife, Mira, used their influence so that no one would call her for any job anymore.
Hiding the truth, she already had an answer on the tip of her tongue for this type of question:
— I chose my family. A modeling career requires availability to travel, to always be in different places. This was hindering me in my studies and distancing me from my mother. My father died when I was very young and since then the two of us have supported each other, I didn't want to leave her alone. For me, family is more important than money, fame and success.
Dominic raised an eyebrow and was a little uncomfortable with his response. A girl of his gets diamonds and walking next to him gives him fame.
He tried to shake that thought away, he already knew she was inadequate the first time he saw her. A girl who runs around, torn and bruised, is not fit to be a Dominic Bright girl.
Even though he knew she was inadequate, he spent all these years dreaming about this woman's face, with those strange eyes... He only saw her once and withdrew from the world, to avoid the urge to look for her. This wasn't a simple interview, he was there at that moment to put an end to this obsession once and for all.
Knowing her, seeing her flaws up close, would make him put this woman out of his head once and for all. That was what he thought.
— And you think that working here won't harm your relationship with your family? Think you won't need to travel? Do you have any idea what it's like to be my secretary? I'm not going to ask you to serve coffees for me and my guests. Maybe she got confused, thinking it was a job at McDonald's. — he was a little irritated, more with himself.
Nina lowers her head, discouraged and humbly says:
— So I didn't pass, right? — she was very sad — Thank you for taking time for me, Mr Dominique, and I'm sorry for anything.
She gets up, the tears want to fall, but she holds on. She really wanted that job and now she felt like a failure.
— I didn't tell you to get up.