The colour of LOSS
3
Immediately, I touched the knob . The door swung wide open, and their he was . My dad . My mother's death had broken him . He had started drinking and gambling . Never was he the same man iknew again. I constantly asked him to talk to someone. But he always told me ,"I am a man , a man cannot show weakness ,a man cannot show pain " but it was eating on him from the inside out despite how.much he tried to deny it. When I wasn't around, I left him pre-made food in the fridge, and I always found it. Apparently, he was chasing something at the bottom of every whisky and brandy bottle that was never found. And left over pizzas and half eaten burgers welcomed me whenever I came home. "I love you, Dad," I said in a whisper after finding him a blanket to cover him with. And then I gently put it on him.
He had been the sweetest father I could ever ask for, and I loved him for that. "I love you too, cheese cake." That was his nick name for me. I thought he could hear me for a moment but realized he was far away from reality.
The weekend went, and as for me, it went even faster. I had to have samples to present, just as Marvin had told me when I called him. I hadn't told Izzy about it ; I only wanted to tell her after my internship interview was a success. Monday morning, I made my way to the Boulevard building in Milan. God it was stunning but even more stunning on the inside ,glass walls that looked like they were pillars holding up the heavens . The glittering marble tile floors .It was ridiculous , the size of this place. Influencers, celebrities, and politicians were everywhere, which made sense now why the entrance said no pictures were taken . Which added for only authorized personnel only. They didn't want anyone leaking their designs. I hated this place ; I needed to bring them down. And the only way was from the inside out. I did my interview with celebrity stylist Gene Nomarde and fashion mogul Abrayanz. Along with other very talented people. It would be wild luck that I even got a janitor's job being fresh out of college . Coming from a low class family, this was Izzy's life, though . Her family was wildly wealthy and known . That's how we always got to the VVIP section in clubs.
I sat in the waiting area as other people went in for interviews and presented their designs. Honestly, they were more qualified than me. To my surprise, I see Stephan again ,and yes, he looked devilishly handsome in a suit. But, my disgust for him was inevitable. He looked more like a lawyer than the gangster he resembled in the club, smashing in people's heads. Quickly, I was on my feet ."I walked gently to him while I was still composed." Get out of here before I tell everyone here what you did. Go look for a job somewhere else ,just not here. " As I was talking to him, I spotted some guards walking up to us . Maybe they recognized him ; I knew it he must have been a gangster of some sort. As they got closer, I smiled at him. He was so clueless why I was smiling. "Is there a problem, Mr. CEO one of the guards?" asked him .
My heart shrunk , and my sweat pores widened, letting out floods of sweat .Without turning to them, he barked ,"Did I call you to go back to your stations?"
"Yes, sir," their voices shrieked, and they hurriedly sped back to their routines. I couldn't breathe right all over a sudden. The world slowed down, and I lost balance . There, I was heading for the floor before the CEO of the company I want to work in . Who I had verbally assaulted . A crime all on its own. But before my skull could meet the floor, he held me by the waist with one arm. Everyone in the hallway stopped and looked at us once again. We locked eyes, and the outside world disappeared. It was just the two of us in the whole building.
"Estrella Gior" Mr Gene called for me back in the interview room. Quickly, I snapped out of the trance, and I pulled myself out of his hands . He said nothing but pocketed both his hands and stared as I left with my designs . I almost tripped, thank God because if I fell, I couldn't be sure my legs would carry me back up again. So, I make light firm steps as I headed back into the office. Just when I thought the day couldn't possibly get anymore worse. "Mrs Estrella, you have not made the cut," Mr Gene said with a struggling tone . I thought I had prepared enough for the "you are not good enough" talk, but sure as hell, this incident taught me I wasn't.
My knees felt like jelly ,I became light headed and sat on the floor right there ." OK I have just the person for the job," Mr Gene humbly answered a phonecall that had just come in for him. "Young miss the reason you were not chosen today isn't at all about your competency but the fact that you have no working experience in the industry", Mr Gene calmly said with a reassuring tone.All the while fashion mogul Abrayanz was silent.
"Can you do secretariet work miss?" Abrayanz asked . "To be completely honest sirs I never have but I can try" my face lit up. The real question was how desperate was I? "Well let's give you a try , she looks fairly neat , innit ".Abrayanz revealed his Birtish accent.
"Miss Estrella should we give you sometime to think about it " both of them asked taking precaution I guess. "It's OK sirs, thank you for considering me as a potent candidate" I mopped myself of the floor not wanting to seem desperate. Yet I would have even taken the janitors job if it was the only one left. The main recipe of my plan being Valentino Fashions Group I didn't have the option of working anywhere else.
"Pick yourself up from the floor and someone will find you in the waiting area to give you a tour of the building". All along I had forgotten to stand up from the floor and the shame that brought me caused me to sky rocket upstraight. I almost saluted the interviewers, it was a spectacle.
"Miss Estrella ,"a young lady called from the stairs. Thank God I had taken sometime in the waiting area so I was relaxed. "Here",my high pitched voice sounded alittle louder than I would have wanted too.
"Follow me "the young smart cooperate dressed lady requested. "The name is Getrude," she breathed" I am going to help get acquinted to your working space and boss". "Boss " the word rang in my ear. "Do all company secretaries work for one specific person?" I questioned. "Not really most of them work for specific sectors , as for you,your to work for the CEO as his personal secretary "." Sorry I was distracted ," I thought I had been distracted because for some reason I couldn't get the man out of my mind. But my fear was confirmed ,I was going to work for the one person I already hated. I was going to work for Stephano Valentino as his personal secretary.
Unlike my University library building which for some reason had my favorite books in the archives on the top floor . God knows I dreaded those stairs. This building had an elevator. So we got into the elevator.
"971 this is the presidential suit where you will be working. " I didn't really mind working on the top floor because there was a working elevator on the building . Not before long the elevator dinged . Getrude signaled me to get out. With a gentle little bow and a swiping her palm outwards. "This is as far as I go , I don't have permission to access this part of the facility". She kindly informed me. I froze for a moment or ten then I awoke to Getrude tapping me. I had zoned out .