Kamari placed the cup of coffee in front of her gingerly, trying his possible best to keep his shaky hands unseen while still exuding that perfect confidence on his face that, in actual sense, was starting to dwindle on the inside. Kamari had been taken aback by Amelia's out of the blue request. It's the first time he's ever been asked to make coffee as part of an interview. He wondered if she did it go the others or if she was doing it to just him.
How many coffee had she tasted and how many times had she scrunched up her face in disgust and disapproval? He wondered even though he observed that there were no used cups and the coffee maker seemed untoucjed for the day.
Perhaps she ordered the interviewees to wash them up before they left, Kamari thought she was capable of such an act as he considered what he's heard, read and seen.
"Sit." Amelia ordered. Her voice was a neutral tone, like one who was in charge and didn't need a pitch higher or lower to enunciate such fact to it's subordinate.
However, Kamari was too caught up in his thoughts to respond quickly that Amelia took it as a silent question. Why?
"I prefer not to be towered upon in my own office." Amelia held the cup of coffee steady while glaring at Kamari.
"O-oh." Kamari realized and with a couple of nods returned to his sitting position across his interviewers.
One more hard glance before Amelia raised the cup to her lips. Kamari watched the movement very intently, noting how she moved with the practice grace of a princess, how she first blew the top without exaggerating her lips, how she paused for a calculated three seconds before taking a sip, her head only dipped a little low.
Amelia savored the small amount of coffee. It didn't take long for her to admit internally that the coffee was good.
No, good was an understatement. It was…
"Perfect." She whispered, too low for Kamari to hear but audible enough for Ms. Rossi whose face broke into a smile as she watched Amelia take another sip without letting the saucer's bottom each her desk. That was the second sign, from experience, that Amelia was undoubtedly pleased.
Amelia was on the verge of taking another sip, her surroundings having faded into oblivion as she enjoyed its richness and exquisiteness, when she suddenly remembered that this was an interview. Having expertly taught herself how not to show shock, she kept the coffee close to her lips and looked at Kamari through her lashes.
Smug confidence, she noted. She could see the shadow of a triumphant smile and even though Amelia knew she had been defeated, with his extremely good coffee she wanted to have forever, she wasn't going to give him a wholly satisfaction. She tightened her grip on the teacups handle and placed it along with the saucer on her desk, the bottom coming in contact with her desk hard. A little of its contents spilled onto the saucer and Amelia pressed her lips into a thin line. Then she released a wry sigh.
"Mr Donovan, we will get back to you via email concerning this interview, you may leave now."
Her tone was crisp and unquestionable, her expression unreadable.
She doesn't like the coffee, Kamari thought and with a resigned polite nod of his head stood up and left the room.
As the door closed shut behind Kamari, Amelia could finally breathe. She drew in a long gluttonous amount of the conditioned air before turning to her employees.
"The interview is over. We're done," she said to the Head of HR.
"For now? For today or for–"
"Completely done. We don't need to look at the rest of the submitted CVs and we also don't need to schedule another day for an interview," Amelia replied and with an inaudible reluctant sigh spoke the rest of her instructions. "Hire him."
The head of HR seemed elated to carry out the task that it almost made Amelia sneer at him.
"Oh my god! You totally liked the coffee, didn't you?" Ms. Rossi gasped and squealed as soon as the head of HR exited the room.
Amelia turned her head to Mrs Rossi slowly with a glare. "I know today is your last day of work as my Personal Secretary but you're still working Ms Rossi," she reprimanded.
Ms Rossi cleared her throat and closed her hand over the other on her lap. "Yes ma'am." She chested out, her face returning to the professional look Amelia liked so much.
Amelia allowed a small.laugh through her nose and patted Mrs Rossi shoulders who imitated her laugh.
"I'll miss you." Amelia confessed in her heart.
******
A Texan like atmosphere and good ol' country music was Kamari's way of taking a chill pill from a hectic week, most needed now that he worked for the Prada Power-suit queen herself.
Old Jackson fox was the right place and as he sipped on a glass of rum, he remembered when he had gotten the email. It had come in less than twenty four hours but he hadn't checked till the next day because he was certain it was disappointing. He hadn't expected to be hired, it surprised him as well as baffled him.
Questions like did she hire me because of the coffee or because of how I answered the previous questions had swirled around his head as he had read the letter of employment over and over again at his study desk in his apartment.
But over the week, he became sure it was because of the coffee. He had learnt that Amelia was a coffee lover and she liked having a warm cup of coffee at the perfect temperature—not scalding, not lukewarm— waiting for her by the time she stepped out of the main house.
She never allowed him in. He was restricted to the compound and was only allowed to drive her Honda panorama instead of her Bentley. She had two other luxurious cars parked in her garage and a large pool at the back along with a lounge area.
The mansion grounds were being watched by security that wasn't present the first time he had showed up.
I must have made a really bad impression to have caused her to make such a change like that, Kamari thought with another sip of his rum. He was waiting for his friend. That said friend who had texted him that he had something for him strolled in through the swinging doors of the bar.
"Hey man!"
Kamari recieved a friendly smack on the back.
"Always late Tristan." Kamari turned towards him on the stool to do their signature handshake.
"Sorry man. Didn't mean to, I had to sort out some things."
Tristan was golden blonde. The type that you can see from miles away. As usual, he was dressed in that white round neck shirt as an inner and a checkered buttoned down top that acted as a jacket on blue jeans. Tristan sat on the stool next to Kamari and ordered his regular from the bartender.
"How have you been? Being the personal secretary to Miss Bronte." Tristan inclined his head towards his friend, neck-length hair falling sideways. "The Bronte."
Kamari pushed Tristan's leaning frame away from his body with his shoulder. "It's a whole lot actually. And I don't mean positive. I think she hates me."
"If she hates you, why would she hire you?"
"You know that keep your friends close but your enemies closer thing? Yeah." Kamari lifted his galss to his lips and squinted off into the distance.
"C'mon. You're not an enemy. What are you? A spy?" Tristan shook his head chuckling. "Moreover, you've never met her before the interview to have done something worng already."
Kamari let Tristan sip his drink, deciding not to tell Tristan about that embarrassing incident from a year ago.
"Yo! I got this gig tomorrow you might wanna consider. The pay is nice enough for a weekend job." Tristan set down his glass. "Look I know you have a new job now that probably pays off even nicer but…"
"I'll take it." Kamari stopped Tristan's rambling before it got worse. "What's it about?"
"So this rich family is throwing a party at a bought off part of the beach tomorrow and I'm their hired DJ. They need someone to handle the grills, the one they had contracted pox all of a sudden so I told them I'll handle it." Tristan explained.
"Oh. So you want me to do the grills."
"Yeah." Tristan bumped his friends arm lightly. "There'll be lots of girls in bikinis gawking at your awesome bod when the grilling gets hot. Hmmm?" Tristan wiggled his eyebrows up and down. "Might get a good lay tomorrow as an extra."
Kamari rolled his eyes and continued drinking his rum. His friend hadn't changed one bit but maybe a good lay with one of the ladies who is willing would help compensate for his rough week with his new boss.
How could such a fine sexy lady be such a pain in everybody's ass?
Kamari thought about Amelia and his shoulders felt heavy instantly.
Yes, I am definitely gonna get laid tomorrow.